THE SHAVASANA!
I’ve been practicing yoga for about 7 years and before covid-19, I was teaching 10-12 classes a week and taking at least one class per day...if not more and it was just the exercise I did, I enjoyed it, I always felt good about it. I never realized the true value of it until the pandemic hit and everything changed and in the midst of all the chaos my yoga practice tethered me down, served as the grounding force that kept the paranoia, the freaking out, the complete meltdowns at bay.
My yoga became my new structure, my new order, something to keep me from crawling under the covers and wasting away the day. Yes, there is value in rest, in taking a day off, but there’s a fine line between comfort and numbing. In my yoga practice I had an intention, a presence, and that 5-10min of rest in Shavasana that was clarity, refueling, and restoring.
Yoga was comforting and consistent. It gave me strength, balance and focus. It gave me something to look forward to and I was better able to handle the financial curve balls, the uncertainty, and the isolation that we all have been hit with. The hits seem like they just keep coming. That daily reminder to be grateful for the things I have, that the sun will rise again tomorrow and so will I. That love resides inside and taking care of yourself is your greatest gift to humanity.
In the words of Ram Dass, “I can do nothing for you but work on myself...you can do nothing for me but work on yourself.” When the opportunity comes my way, I have faith that my mind, body and spirit will be in tip top shape to utilize it and thrive in whatever comes next.