Flowing with Your Yoga Practice
Here are my littles, reminding me that sometimes you have to look at things upside down and sideways to get a better perspective:)
“Let it flow, let yourself go, slow and low, that is the tempo.”
-Beastie Boys
Happy New Moon, mamas! Every new moon is a chance to let go of all that’s worn out and old. Exhale. Shake out tension. If you feel stagnant, move your body; if you feel restless, take a moment to sit still. Then again, if you feel too restless to sit still, move a little to blow off steam, and then take that moment of stillness. Change course if things don’t seem to be harmonious, or stay on course if things are fine. Either way, whatever you do, take some time to think of what’s working for you and what isn’t. Take some time to notice how you really feel.
If I pause and take note of what’s going on for me lately, I actually sense both stagnation and restlessness. It’s really a terrible combination for making changes, because the restlessness creates anxiety while the stagnation makes any change or movement that might channel the restlessness feel overwhelming.
Sometimes, though, one small step is the best (or the only) way to start. And not just one step, but a slow step. I love the Beastie Boys quote above because it’s the ultimate reminder to just chill out (but not so much that you stagnate!). The part that stands out to me is ‘slow and low.’ When I get caught up in thoughts, slow and low is just the way for me to drop down into my body, from being hyper-focused on my mind to getting into the groove of how my body works and moves. Standing poses that activate my leg muscles or poses low to the ground, like cat-cow, help me get grounded. At times, it’s slow, focused movements that bring me back to myself. Other times, big, sweeping movements are what I need to burn off anxiety and stress.
Where to start? Pick something you do every day, early in the day as a signal to check in with yourself. When you wake up, or go to the bathroom, or make yourself a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, notice how you feel in your mind and body. Then, try to sense into what you need: movement or stillness? Small, subtle movements or big, sweeping ones? If you don’t know how you feel or what you need, can you give yourself permission to just try something? Start small with some neck circles, shake your arms and legs out, and circle your shoulders forward and backward. Then if you feel the urge, make bigger movements, maybe some sun salutations or transition between two yoga poses. Let it be playful, experimental, and fun. Make special time for it, or just grab a moment while your kids are playing or napping.
This new moon, I’m going to drop my assumption (for the thousandth time) that I don’t have enough time for yoga. I do; we all do, as long as we remember to do it and more importantly, practice in a way that is useful and satisfying to us. That’s what checking in with yourself is all about. What do you need today? Tomorrow? The next day? It can change from day to day. I hope this new moon nudges you to let go of any beliefs you have that moms don’t have time for yoga. Maybe you’ll even come to the realization that you need to drop your idea of what yoga is (postures on a mat? Meditation? A discipline? A spiritual practice? An exercise? A lifestyle?). What is yoga to you, and how can you see it as something that’s easy to integrate into a busy life?
Over the next moon cycle (until the next new moon), I’ll share some posts on including these mini-practices into your day. I’ll bring in some reflection on how to decide if you need small or big movements, or how to progress from small to big movements or vice versa. Not sure what to do for big and small movements? That’s what I’ll be writing about in the month of May.
Until then, find your own balance between movement and stillness, stillness and movement. We all need both of them, it’s just a matter of finding the right time for each.