Stress relief is on the way!
Click here to view the link to the Palm Tree Vinyasa
When stressful times appear I immediately think about Vata and how to catch hold of it. Vata is the dosha that is comprised of wind and ether (or space). When things are swirling around us, and in us, we can get very off balance. The strangeness of the weather along with the disruption in schedule (the regular rhythm of your day) can easily take us away from the state of equanimity that we may not have realized we had until it is gone. During a Vata disruption we can feel as though we have lost ground. We might experience nervousness, anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness and loss of range of motion so our bodies feel stiff, tight and contracted. And so goes our minds, following our bodies, tight and contracted, not flowing smoothly from one thought to the other.
What can you can do to help keep your Vata calm, balanced and in check?
Here is a short list for you:
- Keep breathing!
- Engage in rhythmical, repetitive movements, like walking, dancing, yoga, or TRE
- Stick with any part of your regular schedule, as best as you can (meals at the same time, sleeping and waking at the same time, and down time at some time during the day)
- Laugh
- Play
The times when it seems most inappropriate to play might be the time when it is most urgent. We can say the same for practicing yoga or going out for a walk. Don’t stop doing what grounds you in high stress times. We believe that we have to take some sort of action when we face our helplessness in things such as the movements of nature, or we get frozen because we have lost control of what is around us. This is what you have been practicing for, the ability to stay balanced in the face of difficulty. So now that difficulty is here, keep moving and keep breathing. (We will get to practice that more this month as we focus on inversions. Can you keep breathing as you get turned upside down.)
High stress times are the exactly when you should be practicing mindfulness and movement. Come to class, even if your hair is dirty and your house a mess. It will still be so when class is over, but you will be able to face it with more equanimity, and with your Vata balanced. Balanced Vata has the quality of all accomplishing wisdom, and it moves like the wind, not chaotic and disruptive, but in a swift and powerful way.
The Palm Tree Vinyasa is a great way to balance Vata; smooth rhythmical movements that coordinate your breathing to how your body is moving. Many of you have done the Palm Tree Vinyasa in class this week or in the Structural Yoga Therapy class for the past few months, and so this will act as a reminder. If this vinyasa is new to you, and you can’t follow the video, something like slow jumping jacks can work too. Or, consider coming this Monday morning to class to learn it. Practicing this vinyasa at least three times a day can restore a good deal of balance in your life.
Your equanimity will go a long way in helping those around you to stay calm and focused. Do not underestimate the value of the energy you put out there. So don't feel guilty spending this time on yourself. Think of it as an investment for the greater good of your family and friends.
Namaste
Bonnie Pariser Yoga Loka
Click here to view the link to the Palm Tree Vinyasa
Click here to learn more about the practice of TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises)