Yoga is weird. It illuminates all kinds of issues that you don’t anticipate when you step on the mat. Like today, for example, and how my reaction to realizing that I utterly stunk of garlic, highlighted how I tend to prioritize other people’s comfort over my own needs or health.
When I was a child (and even now) my father behaved as though stinking of garlic was a form of chemical warfare. “Someone ate garlic last night. I can smell it. I hope you didn’t go out in public stinking like that. I feel sorry for your friends at school who had to sit next to you.” That kind of feedback.
My husband oddly enough doesn’t smell garlic on me at all, so over the years I’ve only really panicked about eating garlic when I realize that I’m going to be around other people (or my father). When I first took up yoga a year ago, I would sometimes think to myself, “Gosh, maybe I shouldn’t go to yoga this morning. I ate garlic last night. I’m sure to stink of it even though I showered.” But I’d decide that my health was most important and going to yoga, getting on the mat, was more important than stinking of garlic. And I was also assured by my husband (who can’t seem to smell it on people, mind you) and my wonderful sister-in-law that I was ridiculous about this garlic thing and it was no big deal.
Cue several months into my yoga journey when I overheard three teachers discussing another student, saying, “…and she always smells like garlic. Sometimes when I go to adjust her, whew, it’s tough.”
BOOM.
Since that point, I’ve actually skipped yoga class sometimes if I ate garlic the night before. This is true facts right here. I HAVE SKIPPED YOGA BECAUSE I ATE GARLIC SO THAT I WOULDN’T MAKE ANYONE ELSE UNCOMFORTABLE. Anyway, wow, I blew the epiphany I had today and the climax of my story, because it’s basically that sentence right there.
But, yeah. So last night I went out to dinner with a friend who attends yoga with me and had tons of garlic. It was delicious. Mmmm. And only at the end of the meal did I realize that we had a yoga class in the morning. I gasped and said, “Oh no! We have yoga tomorrow and we just ate all this garlic!”
She looked at me like I was an insane person, because apparently her fears about garlic are much more right-sized than mine. Heh. “So?”
“We’ll stink of garlic.”
“So?”
“Well, yeah. So…yeah. Okay. Well, we’ll stink of garlic.”
“I guess we will.”
And she was done with that because, unlike the subject of ticks, which makes her a blubbery mess due to her phobia, she isn’t at all freaked out by garlic or stinking of garlic.
So today in class, despite showering both last night and this morning, I could actually taste the garlic in my sweat. Yep! That’s how much garlic I ate! And I could smell garlic rising around me as I worked up a sweat, as though I’d actually been dipped in an aromatic garlic oil.
And as I continued with my yoga, I had this realization that I live my life this way. I often neglect my own needs or health in order to prevent other people from being uncomfortable. And sometimes that priority has to change. There are times when it’s okay to be selfish and to say that my priority should be my health. That it’s more important for me to be on the mat, doing my yoga, even if I smell like garlic, than it is for everyone else in the room to be comfortable.
To clarify, though, this is only true if the issue causing discomfort is an occasional thing. Like, I don’t intend to start eating gobs of garlic every night and going to yoga every week reeking like a string of garlic is hung around my neck. I’m just saying that there are times when my priority should be me, especially when the outcome for me is health-related vs someone else merely being uncomfortable for a few minutes.
I’m also saying that I shouldn’t let concerns like this interfere with my yoga practice. Sometimes I don’t have to be the appealing, smiling, powdered, shiny creature that attracts people and draws them in. It can be okay to occasionally be stinky, sweaty, and repellant in the name of a larger good.
As per the usual with my yoga posts, I always think I’m going somewhere profound with them when I start, but they sort of peter out at the end. I can’t see how I can wring more meaning out of eating garlic than this, so let’s just leave it at that.
Welcome to the yoga club!
Thank you! I've learned a lot this year! :)
I’m glad you did. Me too!
Good for you, choosing to get on your mat anyway!
Thanks! It's weird the things the mind gets hung up on that prevents us from being our best. Yoga is such a great way to shine a light on them.
I love yoga and eating garlic, but I always do my yoga alone or with my best buddy Mr. Youtube, so the garlic thing has never been an issue..
In any case, I think 99% of it is in people's heads when they eat garlic, or for that matter think there is something wrong with them -whatever it is, if it's minor other people probably don't notice it and even if they do, don't really care... like shoes not matching your outfit, forgetting to brush your teeth that morning, messy hair, pimple, etc.
Also, back to garlic now, in my experience you'd need to eat a whole lot of garlic for people to notice, and be standing VERY close to actually smell it on their breath. As you say..."I don’t intend to start eating gobs of garlic every night and going to yoga every week reeking like a string of garlic is hung around my neck."
That made me laugh by the way, I'm a very visual person so I had to picture that :-D
Upvoted and followed!
Glad I made you laugh! I'm of the opinion that if you can't have a sense of humor about your irrational thoughts and feelings, then what's the good of it all? :) Thanks for the reassurance that most people aren't going to care about the garlic situation on occasion. I think you're probably right. Thanks for the comment! And thanks for the follow! I've followed you in return.
Totally, can't take yourself too seriously. Sometimes I'm out in public and I think of something funny and I just start laughing out loud..people look at you like you're crazy, especially here in Germany, but I don't let that stop me from enjoying life!!
And thanks back :)
I love garlic and it's health benefits. I have it in my bowl of salad that I'm eating right now while I'm typing this message lol. Eat what you want and don't worry about other people not liking a garlic smell coming from you. it's there problem not yours. No Big Deal!
Letting go of people pleasing behavior is hard for women in general due to how we are socialized, but you are absolutely right about certain things being the other person's problem and not a big deal. Thanks so much for the reassuring comment. I followed you. :)
Cool story. You had me laughing in parts.
I've never actually though about the yoga/garlic problem, but you're right, there's probably something to it.
I'm glad you enjoy the story and that it made you laugh. I've always believed that if you can't laugh at yourself and make others laugh with you about your insecurities and foibles, what good are they? Thanks for commenting! I followed you.
Exactly.
Thank you! I am following you too.
I look forward to more yoga posts.
This is funny :) What's nice about the yoga community is that while you may smell like garlic during the class hopefuly your fellow yogis exercise non judgement to create a peaceful and productive space! Much love, Namaste
Thank you! Yes, for the most part, I think the yoga community tries to be aware of their judgements and to keep those out of the yoga space. Thank you for the kind, supportive comment.
nice / me follow you and upvote/ plz upvote yuo and follow me
ateeqrao, what did you think of the article?
Is yoga any good if you have fibromyalgia, cheers mike
You know, Mike, I can't speak specifically to fibromyalgia. I would imagine, though, that it would be beneficial, yes. I wish you all the best while dealing with that illness!
Thank you for your reply. It's actually my wife with fibromyalgia. Cheers mike