Inside Yoga 230 (9/4/2018)

Maintaining a regular practice can be challenging because not only do we have things which get in the way, we have a mind that also gets in the way making excuses when none exist… so how do we do it? This is a brief guide to what to do, or how to approach your day.

The first thing we do sets us up for the rest of the day. So start at the beginning, when you wake up, avoid the need to jump out of bed, possibly straining or pulling something with the sudden effort and resulting shock to the body! When you wake up, do a gentle and slow stretch (very slow if your body doesn’t feel so good when you wake). Simply bring one leg up to your chest, to stretch your back, and then repeat with the other leg, and then do both together.
This simple squeezing stretch can make a big difference to that first moment of the day. We have been asleep all night, and even if we feel we have tossed and turned all night, we have been lying still for hours, so why shock it by trying to get out of bed straight away? After all we are not getting younger (except, of course, for you!) and also consider this, dogs and cats stretch when waking up before they move, they don’t think they haven’t got time to do a stretch to help their body get going!
Plus, as you stretch consciously breathe deeply, and allow yourself to arrive into the day without a rush.
Once out of bed and before breakfast, shower, dressing for work/the day, do some yoga exercises (or some stretches) for as many minutes you can manage. Same principle as the bed exercise, it will help you wake up for the day, and even a five-minute routine is better than none. If you able to do more than five minutes then that is better, but what is important is the routine. Establish this whatever the rush of the day ahead. If you have more time, then of course, I am recommending a longer practice.
What to practice I hear you ask? Start with sun salutations to warm up and then go through a routine of standing postures, followed by seated forward bends, hip openers, twists, and back bands with option to add an inversion like shoulder stand. If time is pressing one of each category listed above, and with more time, two of each, and so on. Like building blocks, as you go you add postures, and I can assure you (if you regularly attend classes) that once started your memory (both mental and physical) will guide you as to what to do next.
Once you have practised, then you can have breakfast, wash, dress for the day etc… but notice this, although it will feel so hard to be motivated, most mornings your mind will be saying not today, always do something, and by the end you will feel better for it, and glad you made the effort.
Importantly, this yoga routine not only helps get your body ready for the day ahead but it also helps your state of mind. The day ahead can stress us, or we can feel lacking in drive to get up and go (not down, not stressed but simply low on fuel). Practice can help shed this stagnant energy and shift us towards a more positive mood. To help this, it always helps to end your practice with a few minutes, or more, meditating or doing some breathing exercises to set yourself up for the day.
Practice is like a familiar programme; when we tune into it we recognise the story and slip back into the narrative. In this way, a yoga practice does the same, notice that when you start your practice you feel calmer, more relaxed and clearer, and perhaps your haven’t done very much. You are in “yoga mode”. This is why practice is recommended because the repetition increases the benefits, see recent blog, https://www.yogabristol.co.uk/2018/03/19/familiar-with-meditation/
Once on your way, with whatever your day entails, the practice does not stop there. It helps to periodically pause, take a few conscious breaths at this point, and simply stop for a few seconds. In a way, this is a mini-meditation which takes the edge off any negativity which might be building up within yourself and also sharpens your self-awareness, remembering that meditation is cultivating self-awareness, so that you can take stock of where/what is happening for you at that moment. Being present is a key to practice.
This can be used in so many situations to help you manage the next stage I your day. We might do this anyway in different ways every day but we are not aware that we are doing this. For example, we have just stopped driving and we take a deep breath before getting out of the car, or we have to go into a colleague’s office for a meeting, and pause at the threshold to take a breath; we do these sort of things automatically but what I am proposing here is bringing more self-awareness to these moments to gain greater benefit from them; plus adding them consciously to our day to help us even more.
It doesn’t take much effort or time, but we often forget to do this, or ignore the thought that this would be a good idea to do right now just because we are too busy! Only to wonder why by the end of the day we are either so wound up we will explode or so deflated and worn out that we just want to crawl under the duvet!
Other tips include stretching whenever possible or appropriate: for example, after driving it is a good idea to stretch by the car door before walking away from the car, especially if it’s been a long drive. I know several people who complain of back problems and driving is one of the root causes of their problems, though we cannot reduce the driving we can do something about making it comfortable.
If you spend long hours in an office, consider your screen breaks, they are important. Remember it doesn’t take long to stretch your arms above your head while reading something, and if possible, take a walk to get a drink, visit the toilet, every so often… because sitting hours on end doesn’t help your body (and in case you are thinking tasks to do, productivity will be higher if you remain alert and not in pain from sitting too long). Just take a minute to breathe calmly before doing more work.
These are simple tips, but as mentioned above, we might get the thought: “I need to stretch my legs”, “I need to pause and breathe for a minute without thinking”, but we do nothing about it, and carry on without helping ourselves!
By the end of the day, you might find time to do some yoga practice, after work before dinner, is a good time; following the same advice above for the morning. Or perhaps meditation, which can be just a few minutes sitting quietly. Perhaps end the day, when everything is over, sitting quietly meditating on your breath, before going to bed – it could help you sleep more soundly.
We all find our own way, but being mindful and aware of what we are doing or not doing is important. And this includes not being able to do as much practice as we wish to. I use the following principle to help sustain a regular practice: if you think about practice every day, deciding what you are able to do that day, this might mean some days you do not have time to do as much as you want or even, not able to do any practice that day, if you know why this is the case and plan to make up for it the next day or so, then this is still a regular practice. What you want to avoid is forgetting all about your practice, with weeks going by before you think, “oh, I haven’t done any yoga for weeks”: then it is not a regular practice. Practice is about intention as much as the hours we devote to it.
Yoga above is all is about your mind: it helps us to find an equilibrium and balance, a sense of equanimity, and importantly maintaining this, and the routine/practice is what supports this end. Living consciously every moment every day is the routine we aim to establish.
Any questions or comments contact me via the blog reply panel below or email gary@yogabristol.co.uk
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