There’s a saying that goes ‘you will only change when the pain of staying where you are outweighs the fear of change’.

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Let that sink in…..

Sadly, in real life, this can look like:

• Long term niggles/discomfort becoming daily pain management
• Serious injury or a significant medical diagnosis
• Concern that one, or both, of the above could be the beginning of the end

Is 2025 going to be the year something changes for you? Is 2025 going to be when you are honest that a dicky knee or hip is going to be much more than that if you don’t get movement into your life as a regular activity?

Are you going to stop denying that you need activity to:

• Have an extra 10 years active living
• Keep getting out of bed pain free
• Remain able to carry bags of groceries
• Play with children/grandchildren
• Manage perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms

Ageing can make you feel like you’re losing control of your body, your mind, and your life.  But here’s what I know for sure—it doesn’t have to stay that way.

I’ve seen more and more assertive people this year, who have identified their health ‘issue’ before it’s an ‘issue’.  I’ve also seen several people who believed it was probably too late to turn things around (in relation to muscular skeletal pain), but were bold enough to try.  And do you know what?  For some it wasn’t too late!!

“Since early 2024, I’ve had osteoarthritis in my lower spine with pain centred in my hip joints and down my legs. This badly affected my flexibility and I became really stiff and sore.  In October, I read about a yoga class which claimed to be good for people like me, so, at the age of 73, I decided to give it a try – and I’m so glad that I did!  It was difficult at first, but I did what I could and gradually got more flexible. The stretching movements of yoga relaxed my muscles and allowed my joints to move more freely, so I’ve started to enjoy walking again. Now, after 7 weeks, my pain levels have drastically reduced and my outlook on life is much brighter.  It just goes to show that you’re never too old or unfit to do yoga!”
Carol Wilson, Livingston.

The driving factor for people like Carol has been….

‘I’m not happy with how I feel, and I’m not waiting any longer’.

This level of self-awareness is refreshing. These people tend to have less fear and particularly, less fear of change. They are smart enough to know that a magic supplement or wishing/hoping/talking about change isn’t going to cut it.  They want to save time and energy by taking responsibility to get the issue(s) sorted.

Another trait in these people is the awareness that we all have busy lives but that if some busy people can make changes and get different results, then they can too.

There’s an eagerness to learn about how to make improvements in overall lifestyle because they want to live longer and be an active participant in life.
Powerful things happen when you make that shift from:

‘It’s not the right time?’ to ‘The future can be very different if I put in the effort!’

Are you there yet?

Fast-forward a few weeks, and see who is sleeping better, feeling lighter (in every way), and has newfound energy.

Last April I had a student say to me “I feel like myself again, maybe even better than that—and I didn’t think that was possible.”

Is 2025 going to be the year you regain control and start feeling good again, or will you still be aching and lacking energy in January 2026?

Eva Paterson
Iyengar Yoga Instructor