Why we need yoga right now
When my daughter was little
Living in pandemic world and in social distancing reminds me of the time when my daughter was very little. There’s so much about this that is similar: Staying home most of the time. Limited social interactions. Long hours of unstructured time. All of it not by choice.
You wouldn’t know it from the smiling face in the pictures, but I really struggled during the first few years of my daughter’s life. I was sad, lonely and hungry all the time. I felt pretty trapped. I loved my daughter, of course, so I felt confused about why I was unhappy. But, it felt like I didn’t know who I was anymore and that some essential part of me was missing.
I went through most days feeling crummy, until I stepped on my yoga mat. Every day while my daughter napped, I got on my mat and practiced my way back together. Yoga was the only thing that reconnected me with myself and helped me remember who I was. It was my lifeline when I felt like I had little else.
When “Normal” disappears
It could be the birth of a child or the death of a loved one that flips you over. It could be a move, new job, or retirement that takes you to a place of a new normal. And, obviously, we are all coping with this global pandemic. But even without a pandemic, throughout our lives we will experience times where it feels like the rug is pulled out from under us. When that happens it’s easy to lose connection with yourself.
Without connection with your true self, it is hard to deal with sweeping changes. That’s when you’ll feel like you are pulled under by your life. For me that looks like depression, fear, inertia, and sadness. For others it looks like anger, resentment, and fighting. Any of those reactions aren’t going to help you deal with what’s going on or do any and problem solving. While they are all normal reactions to life stress, they aren’t going to help you adjust to your new normal.
It is possible to go through big and small changes without feeling so pulled under. That starts with reconnecting with your true self.
Reconnect with yourself
Reconnecting with who you are feels like coming home. It’s not a mental exercise. It’s a felt sense of being comfortable in your skin, feeling natural, feeling whole, and feeling capable. When you feel connected to your true self you feel physically and emotionally strong. From the place of home and wholeness it’s possible to respond to your life in ways that are skillful and supportive.
In times like these, it is vitally important to create and curate experiences that remind you who you are.
How Yoga Can help
Yoga helps us reconnect because it is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experience. It guides us home on all levels. It helps us get back into our bodies as we stretch and breathe. It focuses our minds as we bring our attention back to the physical challenge right before us. It releases and grounds emotions that have been held back or embedded in our bodies. And it invites us into connection with the abiding presence of Grace as the life force moves through you. A yoga practice beautifully concludes with deep rest that re-integrates your body, mind, emotions, and spirit no matter how fragmented you felt before you get on your mat.
A single yoga practice is enough to get your reconnection started. But consistent practice over time is what will create a deeper inner shift that helps you stay connected with your true self for longer periods of time even when you’re off your mat and moving through the world.
Ready to practice
One of the upsides of dealing with the pandemic is that there is a lot of yoga available to you right at home. It’s possible to Zoom in to any level class at almost any time of day to start to reconnect with yourself. I’d love for you to join me in one of my ongoing weekly classes.
If a live Zoom class doesn’t work for you, YouTube has you covered with thousands of hours of instructional yoga videos. Here are a few of my most popular classes, I’d love for you to try them:
Your Sacred Resources - 40 minutes Level 1/2
Hug the Midline Tree Pose - 37 minutes Good for Beginners
4 Stretches for your Breath - 10 minutes All Levels
Come Home
It’s completely natural to feel stressed and disconnected when life pulls the rug out from under you. A yoga practice may be just what you need to reconnect you with your true self.