Buzzwords

Our culture loves buzzwords. I'll admit that I find them pretty annoying, but they do reflect a certain stance or thinking in our culture at the time. Maybe you remember overused words like paradigm shift, reaching out, giving yourself grace, and the recent one: it's all about your nervous system!

When I hear these types of phrases batted about, I have to smile. After all, these are not new ideas-yoga traditions have been talking about these concepts for hundreds of years. What is a paradigm shift, but awareness and the flexibility to think about things in new ways? The phrase 'I'm reaching out to you' is an attempt to make our communication sound supportive and open (which, when used by sales folks that don't even know me, feels downright nauseating!). Grace was a word everyone was using recently. To me, grace was a term I learned about in my faith journey; God would be gracious to us, despite our failings. Again, nothing wrong with treating yourself with some grace and loving yourself warts and all, but as the word became overused, it began to feel cliche and almost dismissive of the inner work one really has to do to develop a sense of compassion for self and true acceptance of who we really are.

Now we have so many helpers all talking about our nervous systems. If you haven't heard it yet, get ready, as it is becoming a very well used and likely over-used term. Again, I am reminded that this is not a new word or notion. Yoga teaches us about our nervous system all the time. When we focus on breath, we notice it can rev up our nervous system and energize us, or we can use it to calm and activate our parasympathetic nervous system or relaxation response.

Currently, for a whole host of reasons, whether it's related to political division or an overload of stimulation due to technology and screen time, we do find ourselves with nervous systems that need tending. My yoga mat is my favorite space to address my body and find ways to calm or move and use the energy I have in ways that are productive and balanced. Breath work, movement, time in nature, and creative pursuits can all bring us a renewed sense of stability and a way to re-set our physical and emotional systems.

So, if your nervous system feels out of whack today, join the club. But please remember that you are in charge of your own body and energy each day. Be deliberate about what you focus on, as where our thoughts go, so goes our mood, behavior and actions. Do one thing at a time. Rest. Listen to your own breath as it flows with each inhale and exhale. Find ways and practices that help you re-set and enable you to move and respond in ways that work for you. Be good to your nervous system.

The next time you hear a buzzword, smile. Remember that the wisdom behind the phrase is often much older than the latest trendy phrase.

It's a Catastrophe!

Did you ever have one of those days? Everything starts out just fine, and then, out of the blue, you hit the wall! A tech glitch erases your work, your baked items all land on the floor, or you suddenly realize you failed to do an important task. At that point, your day goes from moving along as expected, to a total shitshow. 

Full disclosure, I had this very experience just today. I woke after a good night's rest, got in my early morning walk, and started tackling my to-do list. I took the time to record a yoga class and at the very end of the class, I thought I caught a glimpse of the dreaded “your internet is unstable” message. I went back into my recorded yoga class to find that it was indeed full of glitches and freezing. I would simply have to start over and record another fresh class. Certainly not the end of the world, but this was the second time in a week when tech issues forced me to re-do my work. For some reason, this second event just felt overwhelming: Why is this always happening? I can’t keep doing this! I don’t have time to repeat things I thought I had completed! Who is responsible for this mess? It’s a catastrophe! 

When I pause long enough to take a deep breath, I know what’s going on here. I am indeed ‘catastrophizing’ events, and they are looming large! I am allowing all-or-nothing thinking to get me really worked up and angry. I am falling down the rabbit hole of looking around for anything else I can add to my litany of how things are going wrong today. 

Here’s the best part. I was indeed forced to re-record my yoga class. And guess what? The act of teaching, breathing deep, and getting immersed in yoga allowed me to let go of the story of my own ‘no good, horrible day’ and get back to a more rational response to what was really a minor inconvenience. I felt more centered, more relaxed, and more at ease. Yoga allowed me the time and space to step away from my own ridiculous narrative about my day and come back to the sensation of being present and content. 

Yoga is not a replacement for addressing serious issues and problems. Yet, what we get hooked by and worked up about as we move through our days is often trivial and simply a passing irritation. Coming back to our yoga mat, our breath, and slowing down to find something more positive to focus on can have a wonderful effect on our day and our overall mood. 

 I’d love to hear from you....how does your yoga practice help you cope with stress and the minor (but somehow compelling!) irritations of your day? 

Body Love

The scale is not my friend today. We just returned from a short few days of travel to see family and friends, and while we had an amazing time, I now feel bloated and my scale has informed me that I have added a few pounds to my frame.

The truth is that I love food. I've always had a good appetite. Nothing wrong with that, as we all need food as fuel that keeps us going. Yet, I've also come to realize that I have really deeply engrained ideas in my head that tell me food is fun, food is celebratory, and food is either 'good or bad.' In addition, without realizing it, I can quickly fall into some pretty significant self-loathing and an inner dialogue that is a whole lot less than kind and nurturing....especially when I have been busy overriding what my body actually prefers and feeding myself poorly.

For me, body image and awareness is another example of how much I need my yoga practice. I need time to slow down enough to pay attention to my inner voice, and I need to thoughtfully consider what my body might really want from me in terms of nourishment and food. I know that I feel better physically and mentally when I avoid fried foods, excess carbs, sugar, and alcohol.  Yet somehow, when I am traveling or at a social event, a not-so-tiny voice starts whining about wanting ice cream and demanding treats!  When I tune into my own awareness and allow my body to lead the way, I know that fried foods give me a bellyache and I prefer it when I don't eat enormous portions that leave me feeling stuffed and sick. Let's face it: I do not have any more fun when I am eating potato chips instead of a nice piece of summer fruit. The fun is always in our surroundings and the company we keep, not inside a candy wrapper!

I'm just sharing this in the hopes that if you are also someone who can get overly critical and nasty with yourself about your weight, looks, or other body concerns, I hope you can pause long enough to consider what you really need. If you're like me, I sometimes do need a return to a bit of discipline and limits, but I need to impose these in a way that feels supportive and in my best interest. I need to remember that I can choose to behave in ways that counteract all of the food commercials and marketing that have sold us on the idea that food equals fun. What's really fun? Feeling healthy and vibrant and able to meet the demands of the day. Having quality relationships; with myself and with others. So, for today, I'm choosing good health and treating my body with the care and attention it deserves.

Finding Clarity in the Land of Overload

Sometimes the world just feels like too much. Violence and starvation. Climate change with devastating and scary storms. Personal challenges and health concerns.  Petty arguments and an overall sense that just too many of us are simply pissed off.

How do we find our way back to a solid foundation and a sense that we are strong and capable, no matter what comes our way? I'd like to suggest several strategies for finding clarity when you feel overwhelmed and over loaded:

    Limit your tech and social media time. Kinda funny that I am suggesting this notion on social media platforms!! But it is so very necessary. Social media is designed to capture our attention, our emotions and even our outrage. While tech is an amazing tool for social connections, too often it can also be an enormous waste of our precious time and energy. Be careful how much you consume!

    Get outside. Mother nature is amazing! Studies are now being done showing the benefits of time outdoors and it's amazing ability to help us re-set our nervous system and outlook. A walk to the mailbox or around the block...whatever you can fit in will reap big benefits.

    Limit your news. We all want to be and should be well informed. In today's day and age, it takes a bit of effort to consider sources and find fact over biased and inflammatory information. Be willing to listen to other viewpoints and seek understanding and truth. Then, find something else to do! I'm old enough to remember the time before news that was available around the clock. Be informed, but not consumed.

    Find your people. This one is super important. In a world of so-called increasing connectivity via technology, we are leading more isolated lives and loneliness is being reported at extremely high levels. As humans, we are social beings. Get out there and find some 'in real life' interaction. Find your tribe and your community. A place where you feel accepted and supported, whether it is a faith-based group, a civic organization, a yoga class, or a volunteer opportunity, get yourself around some other people that you can get to know and trust.

    Finally, learn and establish some sustainable practices that help you stabilize your mood and tension levels. Of course, I have a bias that yoga practice is a fantastic way to move, bend, and breathe in ways that help us feel settled, calm and more secure in our own bodies. Meditation, positive affirmations or mantra, prayer time, journaling, and creative pursuits can all be beneficial and help us find a flow to our day. Finding something you enjoy and can stick with is important. Healthy practices help us build reserves for when times get tough and provide us skills we can access when we need them. If you're already spun out and at wits end, it's unlikely you'll decide its time for a healthy new habit. Have something that is already established to help see you through. Life is full of problems. Be prepared.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about these ideas. Leave a comment and let me know what resonates with you. We can create some positive support and ideas together. Have a peaceful and healthy day!

Being an Ambassador of Love and Peace

I've always been interested in coincidences. The big questions about how God/the divine/ the universe/higher good might be active in my life. When topics or ideas keep poking me or nudging me along, I eventually take time to pay attention and listen.  What's been poking me lately? I keep hearing words about just doing the next thing, the question: what is mine to do, or what's my purpose in life? Do I have a divine appointment here on earth?

This winter I received a note from one of my yoga students. Let me just pause there and say how blessed and lucky I feel to teach and be in community with so many amazing yoga students who let me know if they'll be absent from class (even though I have never made this request), and who send me cards and notes and the occasional encouraging email. Anyway, I received this note that ended with "keep on being an ambassador of love and peace." What the??? Who me? Being an ambassador of anything sounds lofty and terribly important and I'm not sure that's me! Yet, the words wouldn't let me go. How could I try to be an ambassador of love and peace? How could I step into this and try to live it out? As is so true of any endeavor, you just begin to try.

If you think I'm this highly evolved spiritual being, who emanates peace and tranquility, you don't know me. I am a fiery redhead with a temper and a high need to control (my husband knows this very well!). Yet I'm trying. To be more peaceful. To try to see those who upset me with more compassion and understanding. When the world feels like too much, I remember to just do the next thing. To do my job as a yoga instructor and let forces larger than me be in my words and actions. Then it hit me. This is not my job to do alone! I can be an instigator! I can offer the ideas and asanas in yoga practice that build a sense of feeling grounded, balanced, and connected. All of my yoga students can take these ideas and skills and use them in their lives....doing the next right thing. It feels big, really scary, exciting, and even revolutionary. It's a calling. I'm finding my way. Wanna join me as an ambassador of love and peace?

Pause and Productivity

Time is precious. Most of us feel we run out of time or feel pressed for time, or it seems as if there are simply not enough hours in the day. As a result, we scurry around, trying to complete lots of chores, tasks, and details and end up feeling exhausted and depleted by days end. 

How then do we live in the present moment and use our time most effectively? The short answer: slow down and pause. Let's look at why pausing can be such an effective strategy:

The myth of multi-tasking. Our brains cannot do more than one thing at a time (there's a clue there!). Instead, when we think we are multi-tasking, we are just rapidly attention switching which often leads to a lack of attention and detail. As a result, we don't do our absolute best. We fail to get the details right and rush through projects and feel exhausted rather than proud of a job well done. Slowing down and paying attention to what is in front of us right now helps us focus and complete tasks more quickly than if we were trying to do several things simultaneously.

Don't just do something, sit there! Pausing and taking time to simply be still and at rest for a few minutes can be restorative and aide our productivity. None of us would run a power tool until it is squeeling and overheating. We know that electronics sometimes just need a re-boot. A bit of time unplugged can solve so many problems!

Finally, pausing and taking a bit of time outside can do wonders for our outlook and overall energy. Getting out in the sunshine for a short walk in the morning or over a lunch break can make a huge difference in our energy level and attitude. The natural world is also a great place to be reminded of the fact that growth takes time and nourishment. As living organisms, we all need water, sunlight, rest, and time to grow and bloom.

So the next time you find yourself rushing through your day, or bemoaning the fact that time feels fleeting, slow it down. Pause and do just one thing. Or pause and do nothing at all for a few minutes. Taking time to restore and re-energize leads to improved functioning and better productivity. You'll get more done and you'll feel better as you take a more restful path to moving forward.

Coping 101

All of us have days where the demands and relentless pace of work and home life can feel overwhelming. We end up feeling depleted, exhausted, anxious, and struggling to cope. It can feel like there's not enough time to catch our breath or tend to our personal needs. None of this means we're failing. What if we recognized these feelings as a signal that we simply need a break, a pause, and some time for self-care? 

Start small. Set some boundaries. Get up and move. Do some yoga, or take 5 minutes to breathe and find stillness. Over time, small efforts start to ease the pressure and can become habits we can rely on to restore our resilience, bring clarity, and help us feel more balanced each day.