I admit it: I have really bad days, but I don't always show it. I am generally upbeat when I'm interacting with people, especially when I'm teaching yoga. I want people to feel good. I want to feel good.
But there are times it's not easy, or authentic, to be cheerful. Yoga doesn't fix everything, and being a yoga teacher doesn't mean that I don't have problems. If you've been to my classes the past few weeks, you know that I've had foot problems and low back pain. I'm still recovering (in many ways) from everything that happened in 2020!
It's easy to enjoy yoga when everything is good. It's much more difficult - yet more important - when times are tough. That's because yoga isn't only about the poses (called asana), but also can include a whole system for how we live our lives.
Here are 3 basic ways that yoga can help during bad times:
1. Breath - simply taking time to notice the breath and slow it down calms the nervous system.
2. Staying Present - tuning into what what you are feeling and experiencing in the moment can help turn off the "monkey mind" that wants to run constantly.
3. Mindful Movement - giving yourself permission to move in ways that help you feel better physically, or rest, can release physical tension.
By combining these 3 things together, we may experience a mental/emotion reset that helps put things back into perspective.
I like to incorporate these basic concepts in all of my classes. If you've read this far, thank you - I hope that you can relate. Send me a message and share your struggles and successes. I have a good ear, even if I don't have all the answers.
If you would like to explore yoga that helps your mind and body function and feel better, you can work with me in group classes or 1-on-1 sessions via Zoom or in-person, and video recordings.