One of my favourite parts of a yoga class is the beginning.
Coming in, finding a space, sitting down, and then lying down – the lovely feeling that there is nowhere else to be, nothing else to do.
My back takes a breath, my body relaxes, the shaken up snow globe of my mind settles and clears. All in the space of a few minutes!
A simple act, that feels like it shouldn’t do much, but seems to work magic on me.
So now I do this more often.
I know it’s easier for me to create a new habit if I do it every day, so I’m testing out doing a different Yin or Restorative* yoga video daily – there are lots to choose from and it means I don’t get bored.
When and how long depends on the day – sometimes it’s 10 minutes, sometimes an hour, sometimes it’s in the morning, other times it’s after I finish coaching. It doesn’t matter, as long as I do it. Something is better than nothing.
Of course, there’s some resistance.
Before I start, I feel impatient. I tell myself I don’t have the time; it’s indulgent and unnecessary – and how much good can it really do when I’m not actually doing very much???
Turns out, quite a lot!
When I finish, everything feels better. I’m relaxed, clearer. It’s gentle movement with a sense of a lot going on under the surface. It’s like plugging into an inner power bank.
When I slow down, I can hear myself more clearly.
And even a small moment can help - 2 minutes lying down between calls, or before lunch, or at the end of the working day. A mini pit stop to restore and refresh.
Do you need to stop and lie down for a moment?
Or is there a different type of mini pit stop that would clear your head and fill your inner power bank?
*if you don’t know what this is, it’s basically lying down and stretching in ways that are both deeply relaxing and very restorative. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
Wishing you all a steady start as the year wakes up,
