Do this when time is short and stress is high
A few weeks ago I offered a virtual yoga class to a group as a guest teacher. It was a simple practice -- gentle movement, a little strengthening, sweet and slow. The approach to the whole practice was kindness, care and tenderness toward ourselves.
To be honest, near the end of the class, the thought passed through my head, "Well, that wasn't very exciting..." My own deep conditioning that something has to be hard, dramatic or sexy to be valuable.
And yet, something wonderful happened during our closing discussion.
Every person there said they had a profound experience. One woman said it was the best class she'd ever taken. To not push, to do a movement out of love and respect for the body, to be curious, simple and completely present. A "feminine" approach.
And every one of them talked about not really having the time to do it that day. One woman said she almost didn't come because of her to-do list.
We talked about how misguided it is to think we can't take 30 or 60 minutes out of the day to care for this suitcase, let alone our emotional, mental and spiritual wellness. How enticing to say, "I'm so busy."
One of the brilliant things that came up again and again in my 50/50 conversations was the wisdom of increasing support in times of stress.
Your schedule is packed? You're in a personal crisis? Starting a new job or up against a deadline at work? War, violence and climate change keeping you up at night?
The remedy is to INCREASE your support. Add an hour of gentle yoga, 20 minutes of sitting quietly, a 30 minute walk or a full-on dance party in the kitchen. Every day. Eat greens and grains. Drink a glass of warm water.
When you are nourished, you can do more...with ease. When you are rested, you make better decisions and are more focused.
Or put conversely, when we "power through" a rough patch, we stress our immune systems, we can be grumpy and impatient, and because it's not sustainable, we will burn out.
What part of this resonates with you? Let me know.
With love,
