When the mind and body diverge,
we are lacking flow.
From Headspace to retreats and shavasana after yoga, mindfulness has become inevitable.
At this point, everyone has tried meditation or yoga.
And if you’re not sold yet, you belong to either of three camps:
Either you find meditation boring and you’re unable to relax (read more here),
you find exercise uncomfortable (and the reason might surprise you!)
or you get sleepy, your tummy rumbles or you can’t sit still.
And here is why!
“When we lose this flow, the system (your system!) can’t excrete toxins properly, digestion slows down and we can’t extract nutrients for cellular repair, not to mention sleep is never fully restful therefore we never fully rejuvenate.”
Irene Lyon, nervous system expert
When our body feels rigid and our sleep dysregulated, we forget to listen to our body.
While we may not be in real danger, stressful emails and family tension can keep us in fight or flight response.
Instead of rejuvenating, growing and thriving, we are stuck in a survival system.
So you see it’s incredibly important to restore the flow! And here’s where yoga comes in.
An activated stomach rumbling or tiredness
means our body’s healing response got triggered
– flow is being restored in our body.
If we are not used to being relaxed, entering into that state will immediately bring us to the only other time we are able to do so: when we are asleep.
If our movements are usually anxious, softening them during yoga forces our brain to change motor pathways. It signals that we are safe, and the body starts digesting food.
It’s often impossible to go from a survival body to full flow;
to make the switch, we use titration that I explain in this blog post.
Try to avoid overworking the system,
drops of activation will do!
Don’t get frustrated if you can’t make a daily 45-min routine, start small!
Can you do one sun salutation in the morning, or even just sit on your yoga mat and stretch?
Have you looked into alternative forms of yoga that are less physically demanding?
I am a big fan of kundalini yoga that focuses on one pose at a time and involves the breath, leaving you invigorated afterwards.
There is also yin yoga that works on the lymbic system and connective tissues, doing away with soreness and aches!
When in doubt, return to the earth
(and fire and water and air).
There is an inherent calming energy in the elements.
When we lose track of our connection to nature, returning home grounds us.
I explain in this post how we can expose ourselves to the different aspects of nature.
The environment is in us, and we are it.
By connecting with it, we can learn feeling safe in our bodies again.
This is a great first step when yoga still feels too overwhelming!
Reparent Your Soul 