Keeping momentum through the winter
Mamas, we are halfway through winter! I don’t know how much that means to you, but here in Chicago, it gives me a feeling of strength and persistence, knowing that I’ve made it this far through the cold and darkness. Of course, there are always days when I don’t feel so strong and resilient and the predominating mood is dreading the thought of weeks more of this.
But, milestones give me perspective. Halfway through the winter means just a little while longer before I’m talking about how warm it is. It also means the days have been getting longer since the Winter Solstice in December, so despite the low temperatures and dark days, we’ve been gradually creeping toward the heat and light of summer (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere).
Around the New Year, my husband and I decided we’d do at least 5 minutes of yoga every day together after the kids went down to sleep. We kept it up for probably 3 weeks and as the temperatures dropped, it fizzled out. Then I got my period and my motivation and need to practice yoga ‘on the mat’ felt less appealing.
Doesn’t this happen to many (or most) of us? We decide to start a new habit and then life gets in the way? Life will always get in the way, there will always be ebbs and flows of energy (as our menstrual cycles will teach us again and again), and every day presents unpredicted twists and turns because you never know what will come up with little kids around.
At the beginning of January, I wrote a bit about sankalpa, which is a few steps beyond your usual New Year’s Resolution. You can read that post here. As we approach the second new moon of 2022, we get another chance to reflect on some intentions for how to go forward. To do that, it can be helpful to look back at what brought you to this point (the past) and/or take a moment to look within (the present).
What will you find when you do this? I don’t know, it’s different for everyone, but I do know that it just takes a shift in mindset to do this and for me that happens in one of two ways:
noticing a sensation (in the body) or emotion (can be in the mind and/or body)
finding a word or phrase to reflect my experience
It’s all about acknowledging your starting point. Meet yourself where you are and then take one step. What will be that first step? It’s up to you, and it’s great to think outside the box. The question is, what does it mean to do yoga? Is it just postures on a mat? The good news is, no, there’s so much more to it than that!
Shake it out, change it up
I mean literally shake it out. Back in October last year, I wrote a short post about shaking out your tension. Sometimes it’s just simple things like this that the body needs, quick, easy, doable things that even the kids love. The less we complicate yoga, the more feasible and fun it becomes.
Now and then, changing up your routine might be the trick. I don’t know about you, but I get in a rut all the time, just repeating my habits and even if they are ‘good habits,’ they might not be the right habit for the moment or perhaps they just no longer challenge me as I progress.
Try a different pose. Try a pose you hate. Sit in meditation for one, two, or three minutes longer (or try meditating if you never have, or if you just have an occasional practice). Chant out loud if you usually feel self-conscious and inhibited about it. Go for a walk instead of doing your usual work out. Work out or dance if all you usually do is walk. Pray if it’s not part of your daily life. Read poetry if all you do is pray. Sit and do nothing but drink a cup of tea with both your hands around the mug. Read a book if you watch TV all the time. Do yoga nidra if you usually meditate. Try restorative yoga if you generally do a more vigorous practice, or vice versa. You get the point. Try something different.
There’s no better way to shake off the stagnation of winter by changing course even if it’s just for a moment to snap yourself out of your habitual ways.
Sit and listen
I’ll admit, when you do something you don’t usually do, you might not like it…at first. Or maybe at all, ever. I’m not saying you should do things you hate. But it’s always good to try something challenging or atypical to your routine.
Then, don’t forget this next step. Sit and listen. Even if it’s just for one inhale and exhale, but longer if you can (try a minute and work up from there). What are you listening for? Dive into the layers of yourself:
Take note of any sensations in your body. What part of your body is most noticeable to you at this time? How does it feel? It can take some time to conjure up the words to describe what you're feeling physically (see the next section on journaling and list-making).
Notice your thoughts. How was the experience of stepping outside of routine? Was your mind focused on your activity, or were you thinking about something distant and unrelated?
What emotions are you feeling? Are they in the foreground, or more in the background of this moment? Do you feel them in your body and/or in your mind as thoughts, ideas, and stories?
Observe your breath: is it fast, slow, smooth, jagged, easy, labored? Where in your body do you feel it? How is your energy overall (tired, energized, restless, calm, light, heavy)?
Some days, you might just explore one of these layers of yourself (maybe you’re more in your head one day, and another day you feel more emotional). There might also be days when you can listen to a couple of layers of yourself, or maybe all of them one by one. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do this perfectly. See if you can just have an attitude of curiosity. Let it be play, or experimentation. Let yourself be open. This takes practice.
Journal or use a list
If you like, you can write about your experience, or even chat with someone about it. This could be fun to do with a friend or family member, especially if you want an accountability buddy, but also because yoga practice can get lonely sometimes.
If you’re too busy to journal, you can see if a word or two, or even a phrase can capture your experience. Maybe you felt really overwhelmed, like you couldn’t break through your stress and you kept thinking of what you might do after your practice. That’s okay. You can wonder: in a word or phrase, what am I experiencing? It can be simple, even a word like hot or buzzing or heavy, quickly jotted down in a journal can help you name in the moment what you’re feeling.
This gets interesting if you do it for a week and notice the progression. Maybe one day it seemed you’d be feeling down forever, but then you look back at the words/phrases you wrote that week and notice that everyday is different. Or maybe you write down similar things every day and it helps you notice what exactly you’re struggling with. This can go in so many different directions.
Over time, you can even build a list of words that describe how you feel in your body and mind. Think of it as building a vocabulary list for self-care. You can’t choose the right self-care if you don’t know what you need in each moment!
Start somewhere
Just try it. This is not a strict structure for practice. Even if you just try one of the things I mentioned here, the point is to jostle your body and mind out of automatic patterns. Even when you feel ‘fine,’ or ‘good enough,’ or even ‘great,’ it can be so empowering to do something different. Test your limits, your abilities, and even more important, your curiosity and creativity. Yoga is a tradition with very developed practices, but it’s also still a developing practice and the challenge each practitioner faces is, ‘What do I need in this moment? How can I practice yoga in a way that is accessible to me physically, emotionally, and mentally? Which practices fit my lifestyle, current mood and energy, abilities, and preferences?’
Think and feel outside the box. This is your practice. Enjoy, and stay inspired!