 As I settle into my new home at Balanced for Life Yoga Therapy, I find myself turning to a practice which I’ve come to know as a “weather check” quite often. Several deep breaths followed by this check in allow me to assess what is most important … RIGHT NOW! I consider the following: “Who am I? What do I most need in this moment? How can I meet this/these need(s) as efficiently and effectively as possible?”
Throughout this transition, there has certainly not been a shortage of To-Do’s on the list day-to-day. In fact, one day’s list tends to spill over onto the next, and the next, and so on. This can feel rather overwhelming to a “Type-A get it done yesterday” personality. I would be remiss if I did not immediately admit – guilty as charged! But by repeatedly drawing my focus onto what is most important … RIGHT NOW, I’ve found that I am able to prioritize my thoughts in an effort to proceed mindfully. Without doing so, I know that I am personally tempted to respond in one of two ways: Option A involves tackling what I refer to as the “low hanging fruit.” “Low hanging fruit” likely refers to something different for each one of us. Generally, it includes the things on our ongoing list which can and will always be there – the laundry, the dirty dishes, picking up the dry cleaning – you get the picture. It can be tempting to tackle one or many of these tasks because they are easy to do. You can cross it off the list, and instantly you’ve gained that “Ahhh, I’ve accomplished something” feeling. But, how productive was it honestly? Option B involves throwing up the surrender flag. “It’s all too much. I can’t take it.” Immediately, pessimistic martyr-like feelings of defeat rush inward. Regularly performing a "weather check" has enabled me to maintain sanity throughout this period of transitioning. I am proud to admit that I have been consistently rising above options A or B. I know that this is thanks in part to the opportunities which I’ve been granted at Balanced for Life Yoga Therapy. So, I thank you, my clients and students for providing me with a forum in which to share my teachings. This is my life’s work – of that I am very clear. It is my belief that all aspects of the body - physical, psychological, and emotional - have an innate need to be heard. To shed light on this/these, I’d encourage you to try out the practice of a “weather check.” Simply ask yourself, “Who am I? What do I most need in this moment? How can I meet this/these need(s) as efficiently and effectively as possible?” Yoga, be it on or off of the yoga mat, is about being in relationship with your body. It is my hope that you might consider applying this to your relationship with your body. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season upon us, I’d challenge you to remain intimately in relationship with yourself. In striving to maintain your wants, needs, and desires as priority, it is my hope that time spent at Balanced for Life Yoga Therapy will become a regular part of your day-to-day throughout this holiday season. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, Josette
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 Do you embrace the chaos?
I read a Facebook post the other day all about the chaos of life. You know how it goes….woke up early, walked the dog, exercised, cooked my kids a real breakfast, made lunches, worked…ect. ect., stayed up until 1 am to get it all done. It then talked about how the person was going to do it all again the next day. They were just embracing this chaotic life. Is this is your life as well? Is it a hectic nonstop doing everything for everybody? It’s funny how so many of us wear chaos as a badge of honor. I think this is a BIG MISTAKE! Why? Why? Why are we doing this to ourselves day after day? I’m cautioning you, even challenging you to break this cycle. If this is your day to day, it’s not healthy. It’s not balanced. And it’s not sustainable. It’s also bad for our children to see this behavior day in and day out. There are plenty of things you can choose not to do or better yet get your spouse, kids, or roommate, to chip in and help do. I rarely make my kids their breakfast or lunch on a school day. They can do that themselves. I rarely if ever stay up to 1 am to get stuff done. Most things can wait until the morning. Sometimes dishes sit in the sink. And that’s OK. Everyone who lives in the household can help out. That’s OK too! You shouldn’t do it all, even if you think you can! Why? Well those around you may benefit from the experience and responsibility of helping out at home. It’s not healthy to go, go, go, all the time. Fatigue, decreased energy, decreased motivation, moodiness are all symptoms of doing too much or burning out. Your body, mind, and spirit are going to suffer. When that happens those around you will suffer as well, because we might not be that nice. I can go into biology here. Have you heard of fight, flight, and fright reaction. The go, go, go person is running on adrenaline all the time. You have increased stress hormones. You probably can’t lose any weight even if you are trying. Eventually your body is going to crash- literally with an accident, sickness, or injury. There will be a breakdown in the system. If you are running all the time, you HAVE TO spend time counteracting that with relaxation, yoga, breathing, or meditation or some kind of down time to soothe the nervous system. Screen (computer and TV) time does not count! My advice, STOP EMBRACING THE CHAOS, choose peace and start finding calmness you can create in your life! Please share your thoughts on this topic below. Many thanks and be well! Denise |
My Thoughts:This blog is a reflection of things going on my life and the world around us. Through yoga we always try to look at things in a different light! Archives
February 2023
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