So today I went to yoga and no one else showed up.
I got to know the instructor AND I got to have a private yoga class. Jaylene is a gifted restorative yoga teacher. She is also an artist.
She gave me some good ideas. I didn’t realize that Etsy took care of postage. (they calculate it and send you postage labels). I’ve lost money shipping paintings and books often enough that the thought of all the work and trouble it takes to get my book packed up and shipped, kept me from using my Etsy store front. I’ll be re visiting this now. She also mentioned a teacher training for restorative yoga. Hmmm
I did four hours of yoga yesterday. (Long story). Am I re-aligned yet?
Blanket yoga is all about realigning the spine. I spent three of those hours realigning and one stretching out my facia. I actually feel pretty good.
What is it about yoga that makes me feel good? I’ve wondered about this since I started.
If I could bottle whatever ‘it’’ is and give it to everyone who wanted that feeling of well being, I would.
Mind , body, spirit, it works on all three at once.
I know there are some misconceptions about yoga in general, some are a little stereotypical which does suggest that there is some truth there. (this kept me from trying out yoga for quite awhile) It’s like anything, when you find a good instructor who teaches in a way that you like and that works for your body and your life, it’s golden. But even falling short, yoga can still restore you to yourself. I think that is the point.
Yoga means ‘to yolk’ like when they used to hook an ox to a cart or plough. I see it as making the ox and the plough useful and purposeful. Yoga helps us connect and be of the best use to ourselves and others. That’s my interpretation anyway.
In the process my brain and body feel good. My spirit? The part of me that breathes life into every thing I do? That feels good as well. I think it might be how I manage through my hardest moments. Strengthening these three parts of who I am has proven to be vital self care . I read a book once about what you can do to stay healthy and the one answer that the author repeated over and over was this:
Fortify your terrain.
Hardship comes. Life throws curve balls. No one gets it easy all the time. The very best we can do is be ready with strength of mind, strength in our bodies and strength in our spirit. Whether it’s health, relationship or financial issues, going in strong gives us a fighting chance according the the doctor/author of the book I read. (he was focusing on health). I think strengthening one, strengths another. Im pretty sure science has proven that if you are doing well mentally you will do better physically as well. Even in the middle, not being strong, yoga can build you up. This has been my experience. Not that I don’t get pushed to my limits like everyone, but I give yoga credit for my ability to level out and regulate more consistently.
It’s probably why I keep writing books about breathing and connecting breath to movement. There’s some magic to it and I love the idea of kids growing up knowing the trick. Its a very helpful useful trick.
It is never too early or too late to learn how to calm our own nervous systems. Calm confidence, don’t we all want that for our kiddos and ourselves?
Peace Kit 