You Have Prepared for This

This week has been a steady reminder of taking our yoga and meditation off our mats and into daily life. You are more prepared than you might believe.

One translation (SwamiJ) of Yoga Sutra 1.1 is:

Now, after having done prior preparations through life and other practices, the study of Yoga begins.

Your yoga begins in every moment. It begins when you remember to pause and take a deep breath to recenter. It begins when you catch your mind wandering into a story and make the choice to acknowledge and redirect. It begins when you hold all the good in your brain at the same time as the negative stuff, to see the big picture of a multitude of pieces at one time.

It begins when you remember to practice self-care and replenish yourself. Now is the time to continue or even increase your meditations and yoga to support yourself, your family, your community. I am working on online content and will keep you updated on how to access it.

Please, please, please also explore different ways to support your local yoga studios.

These past weeks in Massachusetts have been a challenge and a whirlwind of rapid shifts. But what I also see is a remarkable practice of the yamas (codes of self-regulation in how we interact with the world and other people, Yoga Sutra 2.30). Individuals, small businesses, corporations, and governments are choosing to put the community needs first in words and in action.

#yogasutras #youareprepared #alwaysbeprepared #onlineyoga #yamas

Gratitude

This is the month of gratitude, of giving thanks. Gratitude is a way to forge positive thinking and reduce how stressful a situation may seem. I like to compare the brain to a massive, mountainous forest. The well-tread hiking paths come from repetitive use and become your default way. Each time you practice gratitude, you make that route easier to follow the next time - changing and reinforcing the neural pathways most used in your brain. It’s a practice like anything else. Throughout your day, be aware of when you can seize a few seconds of gratitude and hold it in your mind. Each bit counts!

Embracing Fall

I love to embrace the activities of fall. Apple picking. A fall foliage walk, hike, or drive. Attending festivals.

This is our deep rooted human spirit wanting to connect to the change of the seasons and to community. As you are out and about, remember to take a moment to be present and soak it in.