When You Know Yoga Will Help… But You Still Don’t Come
- Kimbrea Cravens
- Aug 11
- 5 min read
We’ve all been there. You have the greatest of expectations, have looked at the class schedule and you know how great you’re going to feel afterward… and yet. You don’t sign up. Or you do sign up, but you’re tired, or it’s rainy, or you start finding reasons why today just “isn’t the right day.”
You tell yourself you’ll go tomorrow.
You’ll start next week.
You’ll come back when you feel more motivated.
And then another day goes by without stepping onto your mat.
If this happens to you, you are not the only one, and it’s not happening because you’re lazy, undisciplined, or “bad” at sticking with things. There’s a very real, very human reason it’s so hard to show up, even when you know yoga helps.
Why It’s Hard to Show Up
Your brain’s number one priority is to keep you safe. And to your brain, “safe” often means “familiar.” That means even though you know yoga helps your body and mind, if you’ve been out of class for a while, or you’re tired, stressed, or anxious, your brain may treat going to class as a potential threat. Why? Because it’s asking you to do something unfamiliar or uncertain in this moment.
Here’s what might be happening inside:
The Amygdala Is Doing Its Job
Your brain’s alarm system loves the familiar. Change gets flagged as maybe risky even when the change is positive. So signing up for class can feel bigger than it really is. Nothing is wrong with you. Your biology is being protective.
Your System Is Already Carrying a Lot
Chronic stress builds something called allostatic load. When that load is high, your body wisely tries to save energy. Even getting in the car can feel like too much. Your system is asking for gentleness, not judgment.
Decision Fatigue Is Real
By evening, you have made a thousand tiny choices. The part of your brain that helps with planning and follow through is tired. That is not a character flaw. It is bandwidth.
Your Reward System Is Unsure the Payoff Will Feel Good Yet
Before class, your brain cannot guarantee the post practice glow. It wants proof before it gives you a full hit of motivation. Totally normal. The good feeling usually lands after you begin.
Stress Temporarily Narrows Prefrontal Function
When stress rises, the brain regions for planning and flexible thinking go a little quiet. Starting feels sticky. Once your system gets some safety cues, initiation gets easier.
Social Energy Feels Low
People can feel wonderful when we feel safe with them. If safety feels uncertain, your brain predicts extra effort. Staying home seems simpler. Your need for steady energy is valid.
Body Signals Are Loud Today
Racing heart, fluttery stomach, heavy limbs. When anxiety or low mood is up, those signals get louder. The brain can misread them as danger and push you to avoid effort. You are not broken. Your body is communicating.
Anticipating Soreness or Pain Leads to Avoidance
If you have a history of pain or a rough last workout, your brain may predict more pain and choose protection. This is a very human pattern. Kind, gentle options and clear permission to modify can help rebuild trust.
Sleep Debt Lowers the Drive to Invest Effort
Even a little lost sleep makes effort feel expensive. Motivation dips for both thinking and moving. No shame here. A short, kind practice still counts.
Tiny Frictions Are Stacking Up
Where is the mat? Did I wash the leggings? What time is class? Is it raining? Where’s my umbrella or raincoat? Small hassles add up and nudge us toward staying put. Reducing one or two frictions can shift the whole situation.
Your Habit Loop Prefers the Familiar
Habits run on cues and context. If the after work cue has been couch and scrolling, your brain offers that option first because it is efficient. You can teach it a new path with small, repeatable steps.
The Present Moment Feels More Real Than Future Benefits
The couch brings relief right now. Class benefits arrive later. Brains tend to value the present more than the future. Naming that pattern can loosen its grip.
Past Experiences Are Whispering “Not Safe”
If movement spaces have ever felt harsh or shaming, your nervous system remembers. It tries to protect you by avoiding similar settings. With a different kind of space and real consent, that story can change.
Sensory Load Might Be High Today
Bright lights, music, scents, and new faces can feel like too much when sensitivity is up. Avoidance is a very human response. Quieter classes, fewer stimuli, or sitting near the door can make things feel safer.
This is why skipping class can feel easier in the moment: your brain is simply trying to protect you from what it perceives as “too much.”
How to Break Through the Resistance and Get to Class
You can work with your brain and nervous system to make showing up easier. Here’s how:
Acknowledge the Resistance Say it to yourself: “I’m resisting going to class right now.” Naming it takes the power out of the feeling and reminds you that it’s not a character flaw, it’s just a pattern.
Lower the Bar Don’t commit to “the best class ever.” Commit to walking through the studio door. Tell yourself you can even leave after the first 10 minutes if you’re still not feeling it. (spoiler alert: you won’t want to!).
Remove Friction Lay out your mat, blocks, and clothes the night before. Put your keys and water bottle by the door. The less your brain has to think about, the less likely it will talk you out of coming.
Create Accountability
Invite a friend to come with you to class, or text someone you know who will be coming to class to let them know you’ll be there, too. That extra layer of accountability and removing the ‘nobody will know’ can make it much easier to not cancel on yourself.
Connect to Your Future Self
Pause and imagine how you’ll feel at the end of class — more grounded, lighter, proud that you showed up. That vision can help override the part of your brain that only sees the effort it takes to start.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to wait until you feel ready to come to class. In fact, some of your most important practices will happen on the days you least want to be there. Those are the moments you’re truly “taking the reins”: showing your mind and body that you can choose what you need, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Journal Prompt:
What’s one small thing I can do this week to make getting to class easier for myself?
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