Anchoring and Yoga

Can your cognitive bias prevent you from accessing something valuable? It turns out it can! In the middle of the pandemic, while participating in an online meditation and breathing workshop, I had an epiphany. 

Yoga has been part of my life in some form or another since I was 17 years old. Still, when a friend recommended an online breathing, meditation, and yoga session, I was vacillating. Why? When I first joined a yoga class with my sister, I didn’t experience the transformational effect of this spiritual discipline.  

I clearly remember Achan’s (father’s) words that yoga has the potential to transform people’s lives. But, other than toning my body, I didn’t perceive any benefits. Looking back, perhaps I didn’t give it 100 per cent.  

Ultimately, I enrolled for the online class, but had zero expectations from it. I’m not sure why I made that decision. It could be that I just needed a change from the endless monotony of living during a pandemic. To make it more tolerable, I made my mom and best friend register as well. 

Yoga, Take Two 

While I was expecting a fashionable, chirpy yoga tutor, instead it was an amiable lady in her late 50s who appeared on my screen. She was a senior academic who has been conducting numerous free sessions for people across India. She broke the ice gradually with all the participants like a friendly neighbour or a sensible aunt.  

The conversation was easy. And somewhere, I also held that, “well begun is half done”. But what about asanas and kriyas? Haven’t I done it all already? Being a healthcare journalist also means that you are part of numerous WhatsApp groups discussing fake claims of the effectiveness of yoga. 

To my surprise, my initial beliefs about the practice weren’t so accurate. The first day was more like a warm-up session with stretches and conversations about life in general, and my energy levels soared after the class. On the second day, the instructor nonchalantly introduced breathing practices, which were modified versions of the traditional pranayamas.  

After three or four days, the effects slowly started trickling in. I started to feel the difference. After a month, my migraines became less frequent, and even when I had one, it was more manageable than usual.  

Life Changing Experience? 

Is it such a big deal to give something like yoga another go? Maybe not. But, ask anyone with acute migraines—It’s like jabbing your brain with a thousand needles. I get frequent migraines at least 3-4 times a week, affecting my productivity, peace, and quality of life. By giving yoga another try I have gained valuable relief from that pain. 

Therefore, what’s the significant takeaway from this incident? Like me, you might be standing right next to the cure for your own problem but suffering with an unfair bias against it. It doesn’t hurt to try things again. It might even make your life much better.