Short blog this week, going to take a couple days off from teaching and blogging and headed to NH to see a show and spend some time with friends! So, thinking about the and power of rest and restore!
Do you ever feel that although all that you do give you much joy that it can, sometimes, become overwhelming? I am someone who may be driven (to a fault) by “goals”. Yoga has helped me manage this, a bit, and I working hard to balance these efforts with experiencing joy and equilibrium. I guess ironically my goal to build my yoga gig sometimes takes on a life of its own and I find myself forgetting why I began this journey in the first place!
So, I invite you this week to stop, smell the proverbial roses (sea air, coffee, honeysuckle). Savor your yoga practice, including savasana, notice the bird song, the dew on the grass, the light on the water…and breathe.
For those of you who do not know Judith Hanson Lasatar, she is a long time yogi and author. She is a Phd and physical therapist who has taught yoga around the world since 1971 and has written 10 books. In the article below she speaks of the power of relaxation and restorative yoga. There is a lot to unpack and as I read it provides me much inspiration for future exploration.
Her book Restore and Rebalance expands much of these ideas.
Our Practice – Savasana
I have admitted this before, when I first began practicing yoga (purely for exercise), I snuck out (sometimes) before savasana. I fidgeted, I had things to do, and I never understood the purpose. Many (20+) years later, I am still challenged by the pose, but now I believe it to be the most important, and the most challenging, one of the practice. If we believe that yoga is about calming the mind (yes, Sutra 1.2 again), then savasana is really the peak pose of our practice, what we are working up to! We press through the asanas readying our body for the meditative and restorative benefits of savasana. While I certainly recognize that we all practice for different reasons, I do believe that most of us are working toward that harmony of mind, body and breath. There are so many good articles out there on the topic, the one I cite below discusses the challenges and the benefits. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I have spoken before about finding peace and joy in the slower social pace that developed during the pandemic; less after hours and travel work commitments and the opportunity to find ways to creatively enjoy life a bit more simply-and outdoors. I am struggling to keep the vow I made to remember to keep the pace a bit slower and savor the things that I discovered I loved during covid. The lessons I learned about trying to “fit it all in” may be waning and I want to remind myself that no matter how fast I go and multi-task, I will never be able to do it all. By attempting to do too much, I will miss out on those small moments and miracles that have been here all along that I had missed by being ever focused on the next thing. Remember, we get one life, there is no dress rehearsal.
“There is more to life than increasing its speed” – Mahatma Gandhi
Nurturing with Food – Blueberry Muffins
As summer approaches, I think about fruit and how I can incorporate it into more recipes. I know August will bring on the blueberries so I am using up the frozen ones I have been hoarding in the freezer. These muffins are delicious and healthy, don’t be afraid to use extra berries!
Link to recipe below
See you on the mat,
Namaste
Julia Anne