Life has been awfully busy recently. In the last three weeks I've made three trips down to Norfolk & DC. Two of them got me home at 4 am & 2 am, respectively. I usually wake up at 4:45 am every morning. Whew.
Due to the pace & the amount of projects on my plate, my yoga practice has suffered. Shoot, so has my consistency with running & swimming! I have gotten physical movement in my days due to epic amounts of planting & garden tending. However, I have noticed tightness in my upper back & knotted shoulders.
Yesterday I made it back onto the mat for a self-lead practice with my yoga teacher, mentor, & friend, Beth. I let it be a slightly easier practice, as it was four hours since I'd arrived home from the latest DC jaunt. It felt like I was coming home to my body again. I spent a lot of time in backbends opening up all the tension in my shoulders and spine. I stayed in an extended sirsasana, or headstand, to find balance & a shift in energy.
I'm starting to feel like myself again.
Kevin told me once that when I don't practice yoga regularly I treat him differently. He said I'm kinder & more patient with a consistent practice.
Whoa.
Given that some of my work is seasonal, there will be periods like this. I'm doing my best to at least find a few minutes for pranayama, breath work, and/or meditation each day & especially when I can't commit to a more prolonged asana, or physical yoga practice. I'm staying present to my intention to grow as a yogini & cultivate health.
Yoga does change one's mood. It's been said and proven by most yoga enthusiasts. According to them, their mood improved, self-acceptance increased, depth perception also improved, and their anxiety decreased the day they started yoga. Well, maybe the second day, since the first day, they all experienced soreness, which is normal for first-timers. LOL!
ReplyDeleteNicolas Ervin