“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
-Albert Einstein
There is always movement, even when we think we are being still. I’m not saying we should never take a moment to sit still; we should! And in that pause, it becomes evident how much our bodies do without our conscious command. When we sit and meditate, we feel the movement of our breath, the small movements we make as we let go of tension, and the momentum of our thoughts and emotions. When we hold yoga postures, we also feel the expansion and contraction of the breath there, as well as the countless micro movements and adjustments we make just to stay balanced in position.
Mamas, it’s good to be still now and then, but I know you’re busy and you’ve gotta keep moving. What if we thought instead of yoga as a practice of pausing (not just finding stillness, but reveling in the cycles of movement and stillness)? Fall Equinox came and went and though I didn’t do much of anything to celebrate that first day of Autumn because the day was full and I was tired and on my period. But the rest of fall is here now, unfolding before us. So, we all get busy, but there’s always a moment to pause.
How can we plan to bring some yoga practices into those daily pauses? And more importantly, how can we remember to take a shift into the yoga mindset? There’s no switch to turn off our busy schedules (except to slowly pare down our commitments so that we are a little less busy); there’s no switch to stop your toddler’s tantrum; and no switch to flick that makes the baby go to sleep. But, you can create a sort of internal switch that brings you back to a state of mind where you can relax, slow down, take a deep breath, and let go of stress and tension. It’s not always easy at first, and it takes practice.
How can you create and then flick that switch? How can we take a shift into a calmer state of mind?
It has to be something simple and easily doable. That way, you can do it anywhere without really making a big to-do or even without interrupting what you’re doing. I like using words or phrases as reminders to bring myself a moment of pause. If you want to get more into your body, you can use a simple movement, even if it’s just shifting your weight from foot to foot, side to side, front to back. For me, it tends to be relaxing my face, dropping my stubborn jaw, or wiggling my toes.
Taking a shift when we sense we are off balance means taking small steps. We don’t have to take a leap and do anything dramatic, especially if we want our yoga practice to be sustainable. What little yogic thing can you do to help you to release at least 5% of your tension? Because 5% is better than nothing at all!
For the rest of 2021, I am going to get back on a regular schedule of posting. I realized my big challenge was getting too wordy, so my focus will be on keeping it short and sweet. After all, I barely have time to write regular posts AND do my own practice; I know you mamas are also busy, so my new trend will be to share tidbits to help you either plan into your day or to spontaneously practice when you find yourself with a few spare minutes. Tuesdays will be ideas and prompts for micropractices and Fridays I’ll drop some inspiration for practicing yoga with your little ones. What’s a micropractice? Can little kids really do yoga? Stay tuned and find out:)