Remember to Breathe
Two years ago I embarked on a journey to become a yoga teacher. I was getting ready to move across the country for business school, and wanted to develop a new wellness routine and mindset before going through a huge transition. During training, I learned the fundamentals of yoga, as well as the connection between my body, mind, and soul. I learned how to take care of myself holistically and picked up tools to help me maintain a life of wellness. Needless to say, the 200-hr one month training was a transformative experience, and now, more than ever, I find myself leaning heavily on some of these principles during the current pandemic.The panic and anxiety brought on by coronavirus and quarantining can be crippling. To stay grounded and sane, I am finding solace in these lessons from Yoga Teacher Training(YTT):
- Check in with Yourself Often
At the end of every one hour yoga session during training, our instructor left five minutes for freestyle yoga. The extra time gave us permission to “take what you need”, and step out of the guided practice to really check in with ourselves and ask “what do I need right now, in this moment?” During this time of uncertainty, I am finding it helpful to check in with myself and let go of my preconceived notions of normalcy, because quite frankly, nothing is “normal” right now. Some hours I need to go outside and feel the sun on my face, some moments I need a long break from my phone, sometimes I need to call a friend, but lately I just need extended for-no-reason naps. I am giving myself permission to create a new normal, one that is grounded in moment-to-moment check-ins free from judgement and “shoulds”. I am reminding myself that this too will pass, and perhaps normalcy will be restored, but for now it is okay to go with the flow and trust the process.
2. Put Kind Things in Your Body
The menu for our entire month at YTT included home-cooked, plant based meals cooked by students in pairs. This unique component of the experience taught me how to be mindful of what I put inside my body. We focused on plant based meals to fuel us through the day, and even though I am not vegan/vegetarian, I noticed that I felt more energized and light. I have carried this mindfulness into quarantine, and found that I feel better when I incorporate fruits and vegetables into my diet. I am using this time period as an opportunity to experiment with cooking nutritious recipes, trying new fruit, and eating at home more(especially since most restaurants are closed). The emphasis during yoga teacher training was not on a particular diet, but on the idea of eating foods that help us feel optimal, both physically and mentally. Focusing on putting kind things in my body also means I can acknowledge and accept when I just need a cookie, or three.
3. Create moments of authentic connection
Yoga teacher training was a one month, 200hr face-to-face connection with women I did not know before. We practiced yoga together, took turns cooking our family-style meals, sat side by side in solitude, and challenged each other to grow and learn better lifestyle habits. By the time training was over, we had evolved into a close knit community. While the reality of social distancing means we can not gather with those we love, the unique ways we were able to form community reminds me that I can be creative in communicating-even if it’s virtual. I can share a new recipe and cook with a friend through facetime. I can set up an hour to connect with a few other artists and create together. I can learn from others observations about the now and next of our current situation.
4. Breathe
One of the key principles of yoga is to simply BREATHE. As someone who experiences unwelcomed bouts of anxiety, I know this is easier said than done. Great yoga teachers constantly remind their students to return to their breath, as it is the foundation of the body, mind, soul connection that yoga aims to tap into. Two breathing techniques I use to help calm my mind and body are ujayi and alternate nose breathing. According to Healthline, alternate nose breathing may also help improve lung function and respiratory endurance. On days when I am feeling particularly anxious, I practice yin yoga which is a slow paced style of yoga where poses are held for a longer period of time. The slower pace helps me focus on filling my lungs and returning to a deep, natural flow of breath.
5. Practice Gratitude
The biggest lesson I am practicing now from YTT is gratitude. I have created a simple quarantine gratitude challenge, where I write one thing that I am surprisingly grateful for each night. I focus on something surprising because it challenges me to step out of my comfort zone of standard things to be grateful for. It helps me pay attention throughout the day to small moments of joy and notice things I may have overlooked. Four days ago, it was a letter I received from a friend in the mail. Yesterday, it was a long lost shirt I found while decluttering. When anxiety creeps in, I acknowledge its presence and slowly shift focus on what I am grateful for.
Uncertainty is our new reality. We do not know how much longer we will be quarantined, when things will go back to normal, or if they ever will. However, as long as we are healthy, we can shift our perspective and view this forced stillness and pause in the world as a gift. Perhaps this is an opportunity to repurpose, recalibrate, and move closer to the you you have always imagined.
