yogalife

Some Days Are Just Bad Days (and that’s okay)

Posted on by DLeduc

Yesterday, I started writing a post entitled, New Year, New Possibilities. It was positive and upbeat. However, partway through my writing there were a few interruptions and things that needed my attention.

At some point I began to feel drained. Then something a little more happened. My heart began to flutter, my chest felt tight, I felt sick to my stomach. These are not feelings I usually have.

I tried to walk it out. I stepped outside for fresh air. I sat with my plants and meditated. After a bit of meditation I did indeed feel better. Yet, throughout the day feelings of unease and anxiousness returned.

Eventually, I surrendered. I knew I was not going to be productive and gave up any expectations to be. Instead I baked cookies. I put on music. I had a bath. When dinner time came I decided I didn’t want to cook dinner, so I didn’t. Instead I made a sandwich and popped frozen French fries in the oven. I spent the even listening to an audiobook, then finished my day with a guided meditation.

Today I woke up feeling refreshed and inspired. Today any frustrations or anxiety I had are gone. I feel myself again.

Bad days happen. That’s okay, especially right now as we deal with the second wave of the pandemic.

Bad days happen, even though it is a new year and all around us we see the promotion of new goals, new opportunities, new possibilities.

I promote all those ideas. Yet, life is more than optimism and positive thinking and some days we will have bad days.

So be kind with yourself. Nurture yourself. Nourish yourself with activities that you enjoy.

Sure there’s lots of things we want to do in 2021, but we can do them tomorrow when we’re feeling a little better.

What is Yin?

Posted on by DLeduc

Yin is a yoga practice where we are applying healthy stress to connective tissue of the joints- tendons, ligaments, and fascia. We are not trying to stretch or strengthen the joints.

During a yin practice we hold poses longer than we do in other yoga classes. Generally, we will hold poses from 1-5 minutes.Because we are holding poses longer, slow, safe opening of the connective tissue is encouraged within the body.

Throughout a yin practice I will often remind you to round, release and relax. We want to work as far as we can go, but not further. We want to gain benefit, but not injure. As we move into a pose we want to find a place where we can stay.

Most poses in yin are done from a kneeling, seated or lying position. Many of the poses are similar to those we do in other classes. However, our focus is different as we hold these poses longer. Moving into the poses we want to come to an appropriate edge where the body naturally stops. We will then allow the body to find stillness. Throughout a pose we may check in with the body. As the body begins to open we may find we can naturally release a little deeper into a pose. Sometimes though, we might notice that we need to back off a little. Learning to listen to your own body and respect its needs is an important goal in any yoga practice.

While holding a pose we’ll try to be conscious of our attention. I will encourage you to note what is going on in the body. I will invite you to notice what you might be feeling. We will also focus on being aware of the breath. We’ll also try to notice if the mind wanders. If it does, no judgement, just gently bringing the attention back to body or breath.

When ready to come out of a pose I will cue you to gently return to a neutral position. Of course, one is always encouraged to come out of the pose earlier if needed.

Yin is very different from many other yoga practices. Though slower than some other practices it can be more challenging to some people. I had no interest in practicing yin for many years. My thought was that if I was going to be doing yoga that I wanted to be working hard, having challenge and working up a sweat. For me the idea of being so still for minutes at a time sounded horrible. However, when I eventually tried yin I found myself enjoying it. Additionally, I found my body benefitting it.

When in my studio I often offer yin as the last class of the evening. With the lights off and the flicker of candlelight it is a fabulous way to end the day. We use several props in this practice including bolsters, blocks and pillows. Many people bring blankets or eye masks to use throughout our practice and in final Savasana. I am often told that people sleep very well after some evening yin. I invite you to try a yin class soon and see if it might just be something you also enjoy.

Gratitude Journal

Posted on by DLeduc

With everything going on in the world it is a fabulous time for people of all ages to start or get back to the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. I was first introduced to the idea in the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach 2 decades ago. Since then over the I have kept a gratitude journal on and off.

While some people suggest sitting down with this journal at the end of the day, I find first thing in the morning works best for me. With my morning cuppa tea I simply add 5 things I am grateful for. It is a simple, short ritual that gives you a positive start to your day.

In The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown she discusses wholehearted living and one quality wholehearted people cultivate is gratitude. She claims gratitude is not something you either have or not. Instead, she discusses how wholehearted people practice gratitude and then become more grateful.

Often it is the little things that I am most grateful for. Today’s entries are- 1 . I am grateful that it is the first day of spring 2. I am grateful for sunshine and blue skies 3. I am grateful that Canada is taking Covid-19 seriously 4. I am grateful that I know so many people taking Covid-19 seriously and doing everything they can to prevent it spreading 5. I am grateful to have so many books to read while home practicing social distancing

Keeping a gratitude journal over the years is one tool I would credit for helping me keep a positive outlook. As we face uncertainty in the weeks ahead I would encourage everyone to give this daily habit a try.

Namaste