We’ve all heard it. Maybe we’ve said it. “I just can't do that anymore.” Something gets crossed off the list. Hiking. Squats. Backbends. Even simply getting down to and up from the floor. After a setback, or simply over time, we start deciding what's no longer available to us. Sometimes, injury is part of it. More often, it’s what we do or stop doing that defines our capacity.

Once upon a time in Maine, we were hiking near the top of a treeless peak when a lightning storm hit. Needless to say, we skedaddled. If you're a hiker, you know that coming down off a mountain is harder on the knees than the ascent. In this instance, my (Ravi's) knees were severely compromised. Even sitting cross-legged was problematic. I told myself that I would be a contemplative yogi, a mantra yogi, a mystic yogi.

That lasted about two weeks before I had to admit that I did not feel right. I felt inflamed, sluggish, and rigid. I had to find a way to move again. What ultimately helped was using the elliptical, pedaling backwards. An anti-inflammatory diet also supported the process. I still can't sit in Full Lotus, but I intend to get there. Anyone who has practiced long enough knows that a setback can become a turning point.

Every elite athlete, dancer, or anyone who is constantly testing their limits has faced injury. They will inevitably tell you that that is when they get their biggest breakthroughs. When we are forced to go back to baby steps, review our foundation, take a hard look at the stuff that has gotten glossed over, we discover key weaknesses that need our attention, and we come back stronger. When something stops working, you don’t get to move on autopilot. You need to adjust, refine, and determine what actually works. That’s where the change happens. And it is not only an injury. Illness, stress, or time away can leave the body tight and unresponsive. Things that used to feel natural suddenly don’t.

For many people, especially as the years pass, the body feels less like an ally and more like a report card. Hips get tighter. The back complains. Energy drops. Somewhere between work, responsibility, stress, and habit, things begin to slide. That is understandable, but it is also reversible.

From a Kundalini Yoga perspective, the issue is not just time passing. What people call getting old is often a pile-up of tension, shallow breathing, poor circulation, and habits that shrink what we think is possible.

Kundalini Yoga starts from a different premise. The body can change. Energy can come back. Strength and flexibility can improve.

The body does not punish us for the past. It reflects what we are doing right now. When we are inactive, stressed, or disconnected, the body tightens, breathing gets shallow, and energy drops. But the same body can move the other way just as quickly when given the right input.

Flexibility is not about touching your toes. It is a sign that things are moving. A flexible spine, steady breath, and open posture matter far more than forcing range of motion for appearance.

Breath plays a central role in all of this. Most people are running on partial breathing, which feeds fatigue, anxiety, and low energy. When the breath deepens, energy improves, focus sharpens, and the system starts to reset. Even a few minutes of deliberate breathing can shift how you feel.

The nervous system also has to be trained. When it gets stronger, stress has less impact, recovery improves, and steadiness returns. That steadiness is what many people mistake for youth.

The range of motion in our body reflects the range of motion in our lives.

When we contract physically, our lifestyle and range of activities tend to contract. To quote the old gospel song: "You got to move." One of the biggest mistakes people make is comparing themselves to how they moved years ago. That can lead to either frustration or overdoing it. A smarter approach is to start where you are and build from there. Move consistently. Pay attention. Let progress come from repetition, not force.

It may be that we are meant to slow down, turn inward, and deepen our spirituality as we move into midlife and beyond. But it is just as important to keep moving. Once we stop moving, range of motion drops quickly. Flexibility can return. Energy can improve. Strength can be built again.

But the deeper shift is this. You stop thinking of yourself as someone in decline. You start seeing that change is still available.

As long as there is breath left in our bodies, a comeback is still on the table.