Yes, that's right. An entire year without an ounce of yoga. Getting back on my mat has taught me many things.
1. Stop beating yourself up! That tiny mad voice that keeps showing up can in fact quiet down. Yoga, also considered moving meditation, allows me to feel completely present. There is a focus that I have while practicing yoga that I don't always get from my sitting meditation practice (which by the way grew even stronger during the pandemic and has most certainly kept me (mostly) sane and amazingly high functioning but not always connected with my body or sustainably relaxed). I've raised my voice more times than I care to admit during Covid. Once the yelling ends, the self-hatred begins.Through my yoga practice, I feel totally embodied, present and relaxed in a way that allows me to forgive myself. I recognize when I am being hard on myself and need to ease up.
2. You are your own guru. 5 or 50 minutes..it doesn't matter! Feel empowered to make your practice your own and do what feels good. Let your breath guide you to what you need and recognize that that changes daily. Use that intuition and relaxed state of being to help you make decisions that serve you best.
3. The feeling lasts. What you feel on the mat travels. Take it with you throughout your day. When the stressors show up, breathe into those feelings as you acknowledge them and move through them. Allowing them and not denying them is how you change them.
4. Follow the science! It doesn't lie. PNS or parasympathetic nervous system. The science shows that yoga relaxes the nervous system, moving us from fight or flight to rest and digest and in doing so you relax. When in tune with your body you can sense the following:
1. Are my cortisol levels high? If so, you have an explanation for why you may not feel well, you have inflammation, swelling, digestive issues or as Louise Hay says, "seeing red." You can then cool it!
2. Am I relaxed? This is when you can heal, feel well and flourish. I'll take it.
I see yoga as my biggest ally and a form of medicine. With a daily dose, I give myself the best chance to feel good. You deserve to feel good. Let me help you write your own prescription using mindfulness based practices like yoga, and you will see for yourself all of the benefits and lessons that your practice can offer you both on and off the mat.
SMALL CHANGES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!
RL Wellness will support you as you shift to a more mindful and enjoyable way of eating and living. RL Wellness will help you explore ways to bring mindfulness to your health practices to create sustainable healthy habits and lasting positive changes.
Programs include individualized best practices in diet, yoga and meditation.
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