The power of your morning practice during difficult times
I hope this message finds you well and staying calm as the world is collectively going through intense times. This is a gentle reminder to take a few moments to reconnect with your body and let your mind take a (much needed) break from the overload of information that we are all experiencing.
It is so important to allow your nervous system to relax, and to do something that is good for your body, even if you don't feel like it.
This is exactly what I am applying in my own life. Beyond the tension that we are all experiencing, a couple of weeks ago we had to unexpectedly travel to Mexico. We were there for a week, and it was an intense one. We had little time to sleep or to rest. There were so many emotions and a very short time to process them.
It was during this intensity that I held on tightly to my morning practice. Yes, my time to practice yoga, meditation and journaling became the one thing that kept me going so that I could be fully present for everyone and everything else.
Some days I felt a lot of resistance to step onto my yoga mat. I knew that stepping onto my yoga mat involved recognizing and accepting all the emotions that I was carrying inside. However, I was able to show up for my practice daily regardless of how I felt.
I have built a consistent practice. It doesn’t mean that it is always easy. Especially when I feel my attention is pulled into many different directions at once. By now, I am fully aware that the gains of a daily practice are always tangible in the way that I feel the rest of the day and in my interaction with others.
My three-step morning approach is so simple but not necessarily easy all the time. It works for me, and it works for my clients.
This message is to remind you that you can’t change the circumstances around you, but you can use this time to train your attention to be where you want it to be. To be mindful of what you watch, read, and listen to on daily basis and especially on how you chose every day to re-balance your nervous system.
You always have the choice to move from distractions and overwhelm into creating space to connect with your breath and your body. You can choose to show up with determination for the things that are meaningful to you, that you know are going to make you feel good from the inside out.
When you give your body space to move, stretch, strengthen, the mind immediately let's go of the grip of attachment to the intense thought pattern that takes you directly to worry or fear. At least for a few moments you can be suspended in the present moment, breathing with ease, nowhere to go and nothing else to do. You can focus on breathing and moving your body in a way that feels energizing and strengthening yet relaxing. This is how you can start creating time for you.
Today I invite you to make your own reflection: check your posture, notice the rhythm of your breath, can you feel the fresh air touching your nose when you inhale and your body softening when you exhale? Can you take 3-5 breaths to release tension in your shoulders, relax your jaw and soften your gaze?
May we all stay healthy, calm, and safe…