Reflections:
Finding ground and moving forward
Dear Readers,
You may have noticed a rather long absence from this blog space. I’ve been maintaining monthly communications – albeit brief ones – via my newsletter to inform You of upcoming events and classes, but the once weekly flow of Yoga Reflections has been on a long pause. I’ve missed it.
The past year and a half have been tumultuous for all of us. I think I’ve been in “energy conservation mode” these past months. I’ve been focused on managing the essential tasks of living, working, schooling my kids, family life, and self-care, and the rest I’ve put on the back burner. It’s a helpful strategy at times, and to some extent it continues… but now there’s the impulse to lift my head up and to reach out again… like coming out of a long-held child’s pose. There’s the impulse to be creative and expressive and to share my love of Yoga, not only through teaching but through writing as well… AND… the ideas have started flowing again. In the middle of class, or some other activity, an idea comes to mind and I think, “Yes! I can write more about that soon!”
One of the most surprising and challenging aspects of the past several months has been the amount of chatter in my mind. Talk about a busy mind! I haven’t felt so scattered and distracted, so frenzied and yet so immobilized, in a very long time… As difficult as this has been, it has also served a purpose; it has forced me to find ways of staying focused, grounded and balanced (well, mostly!). My deepest gratitude to those of You who have gently reminded me of and encouraged me to implement these strategies. I share them here, in the hope that they may be of use to others:
1/ Create and maintain a regular routine/daily structure. Include the things You need to do, but also the relaxing or creative or fun things that You love to do. These ‘optional’ things will actually help to energize You for Your ‘necessary’ tasks. Make sure Your routine is realistic, then stick to it whether You feel like it or not – very grounding! Part of my recent scattered-ness and distraction has come from having to constantly decide what to do and when; feeling rushed has also been a stressor for me. Creating routines has helped to reduce a great deal of that.
2/ Get Your thoughts out on paper – keep a journal, write out pros and cons, to-do lists, already-done lists, letters that You may or may not send, etc. The point is to get the thoughts out of Your mind and onto paper. This also gives You the time and space to think things through, to sort and organize Your thoughts, to revisit them, to dismiss some of them, to elaborate on others – so that this thinking doesn’t have to bleed over into every moment of the day. There is a time for thinking, and a time for putting those thoughts aside.
3/ Have a regular yoga practice (or some form of mindful movement – walking, tai chi, etc.). Those of You who have attended my classes know that my first instruction in every class is, “Bring all Your awareness to Your body.” Practising the yoga postures this way shifts You immediately from Your mind into Your body. The mind quietens almost instantly. And the body responds right away to this loving attention; it relaxes and begins coming to life. I liken this shift to watering a dry plant.
4/ Sing a mantra – for example, the simple yet powerful “om.” Mantras are tools that empower us to choose our thoughts, even for a few moments. Rather than thoughts ambushing and overwhelming You, You can actually choose Your thoughts! This ability to choose thoughts starts with a mantra practice, and then extends into the rest of Your life. Try this: Inhale slowly, exhale slowly, inhale deeply again, then make the sound “om.” If You observe Your thoughts closely here, there is likely not much going on except for awareness of the breath, then the thought of “om,” followed by the sound of “om.” (If this is new to You, it’s normal to have thoughts jumping in, like “this is weird,” but don’t be discouraged! Notice, relax, don’t buy into that chatter, and continue.) You have chosen the thought “om” and have made it a reality. In this instance, other thoughts cease, and even this momentary stillness is very refreshing. With practice, this stillness grows deeper and lingers longer.
It’s interesting to observe that even (or especially?) when the mind is still, we can experience great insights and ideas…
On this note, I invite You to our June Kirtan – the singing of Yoga mantras – live via Facebook, this Sunday, June 6th, 4:00-4:45pm. Find us here: www.facebook.com/SOULHUM/live. All welcome to join us on this relaxing, re-energizing musical journey. Note that a Facebook account is not required to view the video. (This is a free event; tips towards our production fund are warmly accepted by e-transfer to zofia@sageleafyoga.ca.)
With gratitude and blessings,
Zofia