It’s sometimes the little things that push us over the edge. The nice thing about this, is that it often just takes little things to bring us back to center. I’ve been feeling sort of bogged down by things I can’t control: the pandemic, my kids’ big emotions, some family dysfunction that my siblings and I sometimes try to untangle (and then bury again!).
I don’t know about you, but now and then I fixate on these big things that I feel so connected to. Most of the time I don’t know how to really live the yogic principle that it’s best to not get too attached to the outcome of things. It’s a common pillar in many eastern spiritualities: practice non-attachment. It sounds like the polar opposite of motherhood. Aren’t we supposed to be attached to our children and families in general?
But, here’s where words can trip us up. I suspect that a lot of people think attachment is the same thing as love. It can feel a lot like love, and love is sort of holding onto people and things, but lightly. Ha, I say this as if I really knew it, and I do, but I forget it all the time.
One of the things I love about yoga is how it can help us know things in our bodies, in our bones, and in our gut. In a way we can act out this attempt to be less attached, to let go of the things we can’t control. We can do this with each exhalation and with every scrap of tension we release consciously. It can be easy if we do it little by little and with something very basic.
So, mamas, the micropractice I’d like to share today is deceptively simple: it’s just to remember to pause, let go of what you're clutching onto, and make space for love. To me, that would look something like this:
I remember to take a yoga break (a.k.a. pause and do something that is yogic and engages me physically and mentally. Read on to find out what it is!). Remembering seems like it isn’t an important action, but it is an essential step one and everything hinges upon it.
I exhale completely to empty my lungs. I feel my shoulders drop and my feet on the ground (or my butt on the chair, or whatever part of me is being supported from beneath).
I inhale and lengthen up through the top of my head. This brings length to my spine and opens my chest as my shoulders drop again. I let my arms hang heavy without effort.
I do some neck circles, pausing at the areas that feel the tightest. I relax my face so much with each exhale that my jaw gently drops open. How long do I do this? Until I’m not in that mode of keeping track of time. Probably just about a minute.
Enjoy! Not that I’ve shared anything new or mind-blowing here. Just a loving reminder that something so simple can feel really good.
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!