pictured above: yoni mudra
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
-C.G. Jung
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
-Gospel of Thomas
Doing, being, seeing, feeling. We talk about doing yoga; many writers on the topic talk about yoga as a practice in just being (present). I say it’s important to do AND be; but yoga has also brought me countless opportunities to see and feel what’s going on within and around me. This has been one of the many gifts of yoga practice that keeps me coming back for more.
What exactly do I mean by seeing and feeling? Like so many people, I was brought up by devoted, well-meaning parents that were only doing their best even when they told me to ‘stop crying,’ ‘don’t be angry,’ and just generally to keep quiet unless I had pleasant emotions to express. I think it was their awkward way of comforting children, but it was also incredibly invalidating. To this day, when I feel a difficult emotion arise, I don’t always recognize it or let myself feel or express it.
Maybe that’s why writing became such a big part of my life: so that I could notice and offload the things that weighed me down. So many times, the page has been a shoulder to cry on, an ear that listened, a canvas to be painted, a hand that held me. Sometimes I’ve come away from my journal feeling lighter, the way I often do when I come away from the yoga mat after a satisfying yoga session.
I’m not saying journaling is going to undo the knots in your back, but you can at least feel lighter mentally and emotionally. Yoga is a bodymind practice and the alignment of your arms and legs isn’t the whole practice without the alignment of your mind, emotions, and spirit.
Besides, there are times when meditation is elusive and the physical aspects of yoga don't quite help us resolve stress. Seated meditation can feel confining when you haven’t had enough asana practice or when your mind is too full. That’s the perfect time to reach for pen and paper.
It’s okay if you don’t consider yourself a writer. When you journal, you’re just writing for yourself anyway! Here are some prompts to get you started:
How do I feel today?
What has been bugging me today/lately?
What has brought me joy lately?
What matters the most to me? What do I treasure (Treasure was the word for the month of December. See the post about it here)?
What are 3 things that I definitely want to do today, this week, or this month?
Why do I want to do yoga/meditate? How do I want to feel after? Which poses can I do to achieve this?
During this phase of my menstrual cycle (wherever you are in your cycle if you currently have one), which yoga poses and practices make me feel best?
You can dive right into the journal prompts above, or you can do some movement, yoga, or meditation beforehand. It doesn’t have to be anything major; a few breaths, a minute or two sitting still, or a few yoga poses can get you centered and prepped to write.
Sometimes we can use journaling to plan our yoga practice. I often get into the mindset that I don’t have enough time for yoga and when I do, I ask myself questions like these:
In moments when I don’t have time for yoga, I will/can ______________.
When I’m too tired to do yoga on my mat, I will/can _________________.
In order to do yoga, I need ____________________________.
If you’re not quite sure how to answer these questions, here are some example answers:
In moments when I don’t have time for yoga, I will/can do a pose or two anyway while I am watching the kids play in the living room.
When I’m too tired to do yoga on my mat, I will/can do yoga nidra or take a catnap.
In order to do yoga, I need to plan 3-5 minute practices that I do no matter what. This can include formal practice on my mat (postures, breathing, meditation), or it can include reading yogic texts (see Resources at the end of this book) or meditating in bed before I sleep.
If you consistently struggle with feeling over scheduled or with finding time for yourself, you might start with questions #8-10 before diving deeper into questions #1-7. Of course, you can always write on any topic, or just freewrite and journal about whatever comes up. Then, whether you write with pen and paper or typing on a laptop or computer, give yourself a moment to shake out and stretch your hands in whatever way feels good to you. Do this for at least a minute.
Too busy for a journaling session? Then perhaps think of one word that sums up how you feel right now. If it’s not how you want to feel, think of another word to help you bridge that gap between your present and your ideal state. Can’t think of any words? I’ll get back to you early in January with some ways to do this. But for now, let’s play with it! Journal on what’s going on within you, or choose a word for inspiration and guidance.
And don’t forget your posture and breathing as you write! If lengthening your spine and dropping your shoulders as you write is the only ‘asana’ you do that day, it’s much more powerful than not doing any physical practice at all! I hope this is enjoyable for you — maybe even some music and a beverage can bring more joy into the process:)
Every Tuesday I’ll share a micropractice that helps busy moms (and dads and kids, and really anyone) to incorporate brief yoga practices into their day. Every Friday I’ll post ideas and inspiration for practicing yoga with kids. Here’s the post to kick off this biweekly series that will last until the end of the year!