Let’s face it: getting older requires resilience. Changes in health, finances, employment, living arrangements, and numerous other factors test your resilience skills. So, you might be wondering: is resilience something everyone is born with, or is it a learned skill? If it is a skill, how can you fortify your “resilience toolkit” so you are equipped to meet life’s challenges?

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Resilience: Inherited or Learned? 

Some people are born naturally more resilient than others; they live with a ‘glass half-full’ mindset. Resilient people possess a combination of traits that allow them to bounce back from adversity, including a positive outlook, strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and the ability to seek support. But if resiliency doesn't come naturally to you, don't worry. You can learn to be more resilient by engaging in practices that enable you to develop a strong connection to your mind, body, and spirit. Science tells us that resilient individuals embed resilience-building practices in their daily routines.

According to psychologist, Susan Kobasa, resilient people share these three traits:

1. View difficulties as challenges: Resilient people view difficulties as challenges that need to be overcome, not as paralyzing events. Instead of seeing their mistakes as failures, they see them as lessons to be learned from and as opportunities for growth. Most importantly, they don’t view them as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.
2. Motivated and committed: Resilient people are committed to their lives and goals. They are motivated to get up in the morning and face challenges. In addition, commitment isn’t just restricted to their work; they are committed to their relationships, friendships, social causes, and their religious or spiritual beliefs.
3. Focus on things they can control: Resilient individuals spend their time and energy focusing on things they can control. As a result, they feel empowered and confident because they target their energy where it will have the most impact.

Yoga is an ideal practice for bolstering resilience. It is a unique form of movement that impacts the three key aspects of resilience: body, mind, and spirit.

6 Ways to Build Resilience with Yoga

Yoga means union, the union of the body with mind and spirit via the breath. Your breath is the cord or connection between your physical body and consciousness. Yoga facilitates this connection, easing anxiety and fostering a more positive outlook. Here are six ways to practice and add to your resilience toolbox on your yoga mat.

1) Face your fears

During stressful times, your fears can feel so enormous and boundless that you can feel overwhelmed. Getting on your yoga mat and chipping away at a posture that scares you a little (think balance poses) is a great way to grapple with fear. Even baby steps toward conquering fear can leave you feeling stronger and better able to face life’s more daunting challenges.

2) Shift your inner narrative

Over and over on your yoga mat, you have opportunities to edit your inner narrator. Instead of thinking, “I can’t ____ (fill in the blank)," you can reorient your mindset to “I can’t do this yet.” You can use your practice to shift your focus from mistakes to celebrating successes. It may not alter reality, but it will change your perception of reality and empower you to tackle challenges in other areas of your life.

3) Practice self-compassion

Fears and adversity often feel isolating. It's common to assume you’re the only one feeling the way you do and wonder what makes you different. In these situations, practicing self-compassion will help you recognize that everyone experiences suffering. Acknowledging that others are also struggling is often the first step towards building greater resilience.

Self-compassion or Ahimsa involves offering kindness to yourself. Ahimsa encourages you to confront your suffering with warmth and gentleness, instead of judgment. Your yoga mat is the perfect place to practice this. If you’re exhausted, do less. If you’re twitchy and anxious, choose a more vigorous practice. If you’re sad, let those tears roll down your face as you move and breathe. There is no right or wrong way to feel on your yoga mat.

Lastly, you can practice self-compassion "off the mat" when you feel overwhelmed by pain or stress by engaging in these three steps:

• Be mindful: Without judging or analyzing, notice and name your feelings. Mentally acknowledge your emotions: “I am angry,” “This hurts,” or “I'm frustrated.”
• Remember you’re not alone: Everyone experiences deep and painful human emotions, although the causes may differ. Comfort yourself by saying, “Suffering is a part of life,” “Everyone feels this way sometimes,” or "Everyone has struggles.”
• Be kind to yourself: Place your hands over your heart and say something to offer yourself kindness and compassion, such as “I'm doing my best,” “I will get through this,” or “I deserve love and kindness.”

4) Meditate

As mindfulness gurus often remind us, our most painful thoughts are frequently about the past or the future. We either regret our past actions, ruminate on what we should have said or done, or get anxious about things yet to come. When you pause and bring your attention to the present, invariably you discover that things aren’t as bad as you imagined. Meditation is a perfect tool for doing this.

Meditating brings your mind and spirit into the present moment. Meditation also teaches you how to deal with negative emotions as they arise. When uncomfortable emotions arise during meditation, you learn to observe them dispassionately rather than allowing fear, anger, or despair to disturb your inner peace.

You can use this same approach by viewing your yoga practice as a moving meditation. As you synchronize your breath and movements, notice how your thoughts shift away from worries and settle into the present moment. Practicing mindfulness (both on and off the mat) keeps you focused on the present, rather than the uncertain and uncharted future.

5) Mindful breathing

When feeling nervous, afraid, or anxious, humans and animals alike take short shallow breaths. Shallow breathing makes use of the muscles of the neck and upper chest, resulting in hyperventilation. While your body under stress can do this for short periods, it is not designed to be constantly on alert.

Learning to control or regulate the breath allows you to tap into your autonomic nervous system. Pranayama practices are a way to regulate your natural breath rhythm and cultivate physical and mental calm. Especially effective are breathing practices that slow down and lengthen the exhalation.

Experience the powerful effect of the breath by taking a moment right now to do this simple, soothing breath practice:

1. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back supported. Rest your palms on your thighs and close your eyes.
2. Allow your attention to draw inward toward your breath and its natural pattern. Without changing anything about the breath, notice the rhythm and pace of your inhales and exhales and the brief pauses between each breath. Observe the qualities of your breath—is it shallow? short? full? deep? Continue for five breaths.
3. Next, visualize each exhale moving down your legs and through the soles of your feet into the earth. As you inhale, imagine drawing the strength and steadiness of the Earth up into your body. Do this for five breaths.
4. Let go of the practice and observe your natural breath for one minute. Do you feel more grounded and relaxed?

To learn more about how the breath supports resilience, check out this blog

6) Practice gratitude 

Like shifting your inner narrative, gratitude builds emotional resilience by reorienting your attention toward the positive things in life. With gratitude, you can replace pessimistic thoughts with optimistic ones. Research shows that people who practice gratitude are happier, less depressed, and more resilient. Acting grateful can make us—and those around us—more grateful.

The next time you lie down in Savasana, think about all the things you feel grateful for-- your breath, your body, your practice, your family, your friends . . . Once you get started, you will find the list is long!

I hope you won't wait to get started on strengthening your resilience skills. Start today by choosing one of these six strategies. With perseverance and practice, you will build your natural ability to navigate whatever challenges life sends your way.

Be well!

published 11/13/22 ; updated 4/7/25

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Wisdom Tree Yoga’s goal is to share the transformative benefits of yoga with real people living with real-life challenges. We welcome students of all levels, offering a safe, supportive environment that is inclusive, accessible, compassionate, and joyful. Join us, follow us, and stay in touch by clicking HERE.