Right now, as the whole world is dealing with the challenge of Covid-19, the pandemic of stress is possibly spreading with more virulence than the virus itself. There are so many things we cannot control, so much uncertainty.
Read MoreI have long used the practices of breath-based yoga practices, restorative yoga, conscious relaxation, and meditation to awareness of where and how I harbor tension, to befriend myself and my tension, and create conditions for my tension to soften and to feel more spacious and at ease.
Read MoreAnxiety separates you—it makes your neighbor seem like the other. It makes you build walls instead of bridges. But when we meet ourselves with care, warmth, and presence, we can change our neurology. We release oxytocin, the hormone of love and connection. Our anxiety is not a personality trait. Neither is our connectivity. Yet the more we practice the latter, the better we get that feeling of love and connection.
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Read MoreAccording to yoga and Ayurveda, like qualities increase like. We want to ensure that winter’s contracting elements do not weigh down our body and mind. We may wish to equalize by creating warmth, lightness, and openness. Our yoga practice, spiritual practice, and lifestyle should also keep things bright, fluid, and moving inside.
Read MoreStressful situations will always arise in our life, and sometimes it will feel as if there’s no solid ground to support us. Each time we pause and replace our attention on our breath, our mind comes “home” to our body. Each time we replace our attention on our breath, we grow more grounded. For a moment, we stop thinking about the future or replaying the past. For a moment, we can stop zipping around trying to make things better.
Read MoreTension has a psycho-neurological component. We need to realize that our bodies respond to everything we hear and experience around us, as well as to what we think and experience on the inside. Every time we don’t feel okay about something, we tense up in our body and it doesn’t release until we feel grounded, slow down, take a deep breath, and soften our body. Our tension can be from an hour ago or a decade ago. What makes a difference is how we meet our tension.
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