My former student Theresa was a full time college student, wife, and mother of three. She had been on a positive life changing path when we met. Losing 92 pounds was one of her greatest accomplishments. Theresa had worked closely with a personal fitness trainer who has taught her how to manage food portion sizes. He helped her realize her cardiovascular and strength fitness potential.
Although Theresa had taken some gym based yoga sessions when she joined my class, like many students new to yoga, she had not been guided in yogic breathing and meditation practices.
As we first embark on the yoga journey, learning to breathe consciously and notice when we are breath-holding can truly be a revelation. This is often because the overall focus of yoga in advertising and media tends to be on the physical poses.
Working In
Sometimes students are a bit surprised and even disconcerted when class time is spent on “working in” rather than “working out“!
As a yoga teacher, I love opening the door to all the dimensions of yoga. Students can try out alternatives to ways of responding in life that can be healthier than perhaps their current choices.
For example, observing how our everyday posture impacts our breathing, or how our breath capacity can improve with regular practice are quality of life changing insights!
It’s a cliche, of course, that many of us juggle multiple responsibilities, as well as feel distracted by inputs from the electronic environment. All the more reason to reinforce my assertion:
We need an extra dose of balanced self care. Yoga provides the tools!
Theresa truly is a wonderful role model for adults juggling family and work responsibilities.
If you can’t make it to class with your favorite teacher, some easy mindful practices busy people can incorporate include:
Videos with easy movements included.
Five easy movements to unstick stress.
Four Healthy Stress Management Tools
Includes breath practice and restorative poses.
Some observations about language, meditation and our inner dialogue.