I think I’ve had way more wobbles since covid-19 hit. Its felt like a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, one minute I am loving the extra time and appreciating the slower pace. The next I am judging myself for it. Full on see-sawing! When it feels like everything is out of control my nervous system can be like ‘WTF?!!!’ This is where my yoga practice has become more of an essential part of my routine. It’s been that daily opportunity to just simply breathe and connect to how I am feeling, with no distractions nor to-do-lists. To make rushing around like a flapping chicken a little less likely. The breath is the most powerful tool in my box and enables me to take control of my inner world. Whether through stillness and simple breathing techniques (pranayama) or synchronising my breath to movement (asana). By bringing awareness and intention to these methods, I can bring my nervous system into the parasympathetic (relaxed mode!) and out of ‘fight or flight’.

I always feel different each time I step onto the mat. Some days it is with ease and the movements flow like water. Other days everything feels tense and sticky like trudging through mud. Sometimes I am focused and there are large gaps of calm and peace between thoughts. And lately, quite often there is an entire orchestra of thoughts, playing a mad jazz tune in my head with no end and no beginning. The challenge is to accept all that comes. Can I sit with the unease, breathe into that feeling and allow it to pass? By bringing awareness to feelings of discomfort, I can then let them go rather than ignore it and try to distract myself. I have learnt how those feelings are usually a catalyst for growth, an indicator that there is a fear I am ready to overcome. Watching my body adapt and change when I set the intention to move into shapes it has never morphed into before, is proof that I can do it! No matter what the external world presents!

Yoga is a tangible way to manage my anxiety. Its a way to ‘show up’ for myself, even on the days I don’t want to! Even when I am having a good day and my ego says ‘I don’t need to do that anymore, I’m ‘better’ now’, I remind myself: consistency is key. At the moment I have committed to half an hour a day, sometimes that’s it and other times it evolves into a longer practice. You may think, how will half an hour a day (or even 15 minutes) ‘do anything’ but with consistency you will experience the benefits and by setting a realistic goal, that becomes even more likely! [I’ve just got inspo to write about building healthy habits but will save that for another time]. In essence, patience forms a big part of my practice, I cannot just skip from A to Z even though I am naturally inclined to want to! I need to ease into the practice and listen to my body. Applying this mindset to my life has really helped me to be more considered in my actions.

I am a natural people pleaser and being pulled into things I don’t want to do causes me anxiety. That feeling when you really want to say no but ya chickened out and now you’ve got that giant chunk of resistance building in you! Yoga helps me to create mental space, time out from the external stresses of life. If the mind is clogged up all the time, then making decisions feels like a mammoth task. Even small day-to-day ones like what chores to do, which friend to see (social distanced fun anyone?), remembering to eat well and keep track of my finances. Let alone big, life decisions like career changes or moving house! And then up pops something unexpected and it becomes like a game of jenga. The very moment when you take the very dodgy-looking piece out from the tower and BOOM, everything comes crashing down!

Yoga has helped me to develop the patience to sit with discomfort and build up the confidence to begin talking about my own mental health. It has given me the power back during the times I have felt lost and honestly, cannot recommend yoga enough for anyone looking for a way to manage their own mental health. If the thought of going to a yoga class makes you feel more anxious then know that your yoga teacher is also a human. They too have likely experienced that feeling on some level and are there to support you, so that you can learn at your own pace.

Do not let the myths put you off, you do not need to be flexible [FYI I was nowhere near touching my toes when I began], you don’t need snazzy yoga clothes or a top of the range mat. If you have an injury or anything you worry might hinder your practice, the teacher will help you to modify. All you need to do, is show up. If you are unsure what the different types of yoga out there are and what they mean, here’s a great link with explanations:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-11-major-types-of-yoga-explained-simply

I would advise trying out different styles and teachers to see what resonates with you. Now we are nearing the end of lock down, it’s an awesome time to start so that once studios begin to re-open you’ll have nailed some basics! If you have any questions at all, please send me a direct message. I’d be super happy to help!