Do You Have a Discipline That Supports Your Well-being?

A new yoga student started with us three weeks ago. She's 67 and is filled with fear.

She's worried about her health, as she's a cancer survivor, but recently shared her terror for her husband's brother, who is at risk of deportation.

Fear profoundly impacts our health and well-being. It makes our minds and bodies contract and spins stories amplifying our fears.

She mentioned that she had always wanted to try yoga but felt she wasn't flexible enough. Finally, her oncologist recommended it to calm her mind and strengthen her body, prompting her to give it a try.

Since starting, she has attended classes nearly every day. She does what she can and rests when needed. After yesterday's class, her facial expression shifted and opened. She looked brighter.

Three weeks ago, she was hunched over with a furrowed brow, but now she walks a bit taller with a softer face.

After class, she told me she had never felt this relaxed and strong. Before joining us, she would go for walks but felt like a victim to her racing thoughts, unable to control them.

She realized she had been barely breathing. For the first time, taking long, slow breaths has created space in her mind, allowing her moments of peace.

Many of us feel tremendous fear as we navigate this time of uncertainty, so we must strengthen our daily disciplines.

Creating daily disciplines helps keep the mind focused and alleviates overwhelm.

My daily practices, which are also part of our teacher trainings, include morning journaling (also known as "rage on the page"), meditation, and yoga to release the tension that fear accumulates.

Another way to self-soothe is by taking long walks in nature, which I see as walking meditation. When my mind is anxious, I sync my breath with my steps: inhale for four steps, and exhale for eight.  

This practice brings me back to the present moment and allows me to appreciate the beauty around me.

Disciplines hold us accountable to ourselves, enabling us to trust our ability to self-regulate. Our minds are not just in our heads; memory is stored throughout our bodies, and our thoughts affect our cells.

Moving our bodies daily is essential, as fear can become lodged in the body and, over time, create dis-ease.

When we're trapped in anxiety and stress, our bodies produce cortisol, which is toxic to our health.

Synchronizing breath with movement is unique to yoga and Qigong. When we regulate our breath, we regulate our emotions. The way we breathe affects the way we think. I repeatedly remind my students of this while teaching a breath-led class. Focused breathing serves as emotional hygiene; we need it now more than ever.

Building physical strength relieves joint pain, allows us to navigate life more easily, and cultivates emotional and mental strength and resilience. 

If you want to build physical strength and try new poses, consider attending Michael Stein's arm balance workshop on March 1. See below for more details.

I feel so grateful to my students, as practicing together feels like emotional support. It takes some motivation to get out of the house and come to class, but what a difference it makes to the rest of our day and week!

I hope to see you on your mat soon, building strength and inner resilience to be the calm center for yourself and everyone around you.

From my heart to yours~

Namaste,

Maggie