Accepting Support
What can one say? We all need support in our lives. We need people who support us emotionally, physically, and yes, sometimes even financially. There are businesses for all and at times we opt to pay for these kinds of supports.
Some of us are fortunate that we have people who we love to give us support.
- That friend who shows up to help you move without hesitation.
- A partner who makes you dinner on an evening when they see the day has strained you.
- A neighbour who checks on your dog when you’re having a long day.
Here’s the strange part thought – we all know we need support and, and at times just crave it, so why is it so hard to ask for it? Why do we push the offers of support away we are silently hoping to receive? Why do we avoid walking through the doors of the business/organization that are there to help us carry the load of life?
- Asking for support makes us feel vulnerable. Somewhere along the way, we’ve been taught that strength means doing it all ourselves. That independence equals success. So, we learn to wear self-sufficiency like a badge of honour, even when it quietly weighs us down.
- We’ve been disappointed before. We asked for help, and maybe it was even promised, and it didn’t come. Or, even worse, it came with invisible strings attached. So now we tell ourselves, it’s easier not to ask.
- The fear of being a burden. We don’t want to inconvenience others, or risk appearing needy or incapable, so we keep our struggles hidden behind the smile and the “I’m fine.”
But here’s the truth. Needing support doesn’t make us weak – it makes us human. Every relationship, every community, every breath is built on reciprocity. We give others the chance to show up, to care, and to be part of something meaningful. Thinking about it from the perspective of our practice. Every inhale we take is supported by the exhale that came before it and every posture is supported by the ground beneath us. When we allow ourselves to receive, we also give. And in that exchange, something beautiful happens – we grow a little stronger.
Remember to always practice within your own limits and take care of your physical and emotional well-being.
Asana Practice: this week’s practice is all about encouraging you to accept support. I recommend using yoga blocks in this practice at a minimum. But if there are other yoga props you wish to add for support please do so.
Supported Fish > Supine Abdominal Twist (add the block under or between the knees) (R/L) > Child’s Pose (blocks under the hands) Table Top > Cat/Cow > Thread the Needle (block under the head) R/L > Downward Facing Dog > Standing Forward Bend (hands to blocks and flow up and down with the breath) Runner’s Lunge > Half Split (hands to blocks) R/L > Downward Dog > Child’s Pose > Prone Savasana (blocks under the shoulders)
Alternate Practice Suggestion: redo the above practice and try to modify it on a yoga chair, or an alternate chair that allows you to ground your feet to floor, does not have wheels (unless they can be locked) and still place the chair on a yoga mat for safety.
Join us on the floor.
This month the AYC presents its first-ever 25HR Chair Yoga Course. The addition of a chair to our practice is very underrated. Perhaps you want to learn more about this for yourself, a loved one, or add it to your teaching methods. Either way, join us on October 25 & 26 and explore the chair yoga practice with us!
If exploring the practice of yoga has been on your mind our 200HR Yoga Teacher Training is an in-depth way to dive in, explore the practice, explore yourself, and have the certification to teach others to do the same. Reserve Your Spot for the next 200HR Yoga Teacher Training beginning January 2026 and become a Certified Yoga Teacher.
Questions? Email stephaniepower.ayc@gmail.com.
Let’s grow collectively,
-Stephanie
PS: Have you heard the exciting news? Our Yoga Inspiration is now bigger and better. Join the Yoga Inspiration Collective! A collective that encourages curiosity and education about yoga. This community we will explore principles that help you move from uncertainty and self-doubt to confidence and clarity. You will be part of a community that helps you become more confident and clearer, grounded and consistent in practice, present on and off your mat, connected in community.