Home Practice for the hesitant Yogi

I admit, I am a little bit of a home practice pusher. If you have ever been in one of our yoga circles, you will hear me talking about "your home practice" as if it is a given -- obvioulsy we ALL have a home practice! And then, when you're that student that really WANTS to have a home practice, but can't quite get STARTED, it can feel a little overwhelming. 

There's nothing like a true story to boost our confidence. So, here is a wonderful story from a student about her experience bringing her yoga practice home:

"I need a teacher or a video, or some visual to guide me through what I am suppose to be doing.  Well, yesterday when I got home, the weather was so beautiful and I was feeling so grateful, I ran upstairs and changed into "yoga wear" and went out on my patio in the sun and started doing every yoga pose I could think of - just random, no flow really.  I found myself smiling from ear to ear with such a grateful heart I just kept moving into different poses for about 25 minutes.  It was so fabulous and uplifting!"

I love this story, becuase it highlights the main issue most of us have about a home practice (where should I START?!) and also lets us see a beautiful solution to that block. 

And, if you need just a little bit more guidance:

\ Trust your body. Most of the time, our body knows what it wants. When we’ve been sitting for a long time, we want to get up and walk, when we’ve been hunched over, we want to stretch the shoulders back and open the heart. See if you can tune in and let your body move you into a good stretch, keeping yourself loose and open.

\ Trust your breath. As breath is the foundation of every movement in yoga, so breath is the center of your being in the world. When in doubt, tune in to your breath. One small step towards bringing yoga into your daily life? Use reminders such as red lights, the sound of a bell, the words “thank you,” etc, to stop and take 5 full breaths.

\ Trust yourself. Start with any poses you remember. Keep building from there and you may be amazed at how easily you begin to expand your home practice. Bring any questions to class and allow the support of the yoga circle to nurture your individual process.

A few practical tips: 

\Try http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories for user-friendly, detailed explanations of your favorite poses. 

\As much as possible, try to set aside time where you will be uninterrupted. Light a candle, play meditative music, or in some other way signal that you are taking time for yourself. 

\Bring savasana into your daily routine. As you lie down to sleep each night, scan your body to notice any places where you may be holding tension, stress, or emotional weight from the day. As you notice each spot with the inhale, breathe and release it with the exhale. Transition into smooth belly breaths and drift off in this relaxed state.

On Panic, part 2: Note to myself when I panic

{Nancy Eaton, Out of the Deep}

This will pass.

There is no need to push away or abandon Body.

Body knows just what to do.

No matter what happens, stay in your Body.

It may be extreme, intense, and never-ending, but it WILL pass.

There is more ease than struggle in this life. More happiness, more contentment than struggle. 

Don’t blame yourself. If you do, you also need to take credit for all the good in your life, too, which we’ve already agreed far exceeds the struggle. 

Don’t distract: breathe, shake, cry. Move, imagine, speak or create from the experience. 

Ask Panic: what is holding my energy right now? Shame? Guilt? Terror? Hold it up to see. 

This is your own experience, it doesn’t need to be explained to anyone else to make it valid. 

Your Tribe is all around you – lean on them! Don’t worry about how it looks. It looks fucking brave – that’s how it looks. It looks like you went HAM on Panic – claimed it, rode it, yelled “help!”, leaned into it and listened with a steady and intent gaze. 

When it passes, let  it  go. There could be more, but don’t keep the company of vigilance – in your mind or in your body. 

I love you. You are so brave. 

Panic, part 1

Some ideas about handling panic attacks in the moment: 

1. Put your hand over your forehead (like you're taking your temperature). This helps to bring more bloodflow to the forebrain, and away from what is still activated: the hindbrain. The amygdala, which is the area of the brain that recognizes threat and acts in self-preservation is what is triggered, neurologically, during a panic attack. 
2. If possible, find someone to be with you, to support you in whatever way may arise. If panic attacks are common for you, find a person or two that will be able to be with you in body or on the phone, should the need arise. Here is an excellent list of things to do to support someone having a panic attack (have them read it now, so they’re at the ready to support you in this way): http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Deepak-Chopra-Breaking-the-Cycle-of-Anxiety
3. If you can, listen and trust the mindbody to unwind itself. Move or rest or breathe or whatever your body asks for. Try not to let your brain get involved in trying to analyze: this is key. Bring awareness to the sensations in your body and let go of resistance to movement/ shaking/ or stillness. 
4. You are healing each second. Your body is wise and knows just what to do: trust it, put your brain in the backseat and listen for what will support your body. It’s like when the smoke detector goes off when you burn a pizza. It's just like that. 
5. You are safe. You are supported. You are loved. 

“Let everything happen to you

beauty and terror

Just keep going

No feeling is final” 

–    Rainer Maria Rilke

Some wonderful resources:

Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

Henry Emmons, The Chemistry of Calm

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Deepak-Chopra-Breaking-the-Cycle-of-Anxiety

Image: Ghost by Lucian Olteanu