Be Purposeful to “Practice”
BY Heather Zollman
November 7, 2017
Hello friends!
Happy Saturday!
So I would really love to have a heart to heart with you. I’m drinking coffee while my family sleeps, it’s still black outside and things are quiet. So let’s chat, me and you…
How are you doing? It’s December, the weekend before Christmas. I don’t leave the house a lot during the week, now that I can teach from home (which I am LOVING). I get the loveliest house guests daily, who just happen to bring their mats and practice yoga with me. How lucky am I? One of my favorite things I experience as a teacher is as the students settle into their practice, I can almost see the stress being lifted off of their shoulders. Their face loses its seriousness, the shoulders lower with each breath, they settle into the breath, get the creaks and cracks out of the joints and settle into their time. Focus kicks in and they lose themselves in what has become their practice. We also laugh a lot, which is good for the soul…and abs!
This is true with the littlest of yogis that come to yogakidz through my rockstar, amazing 80+ year old yoga friend/student that comes twice a week at 6 a.m. and is one of the strongest people I have ever met. When I have ventured out in the last few weeks, I have come across many different energies. Many people are very happy…jolly even with Christmas Spirit. But I have noticed also that many people feel hurried and stressed out. I remember about 4 weeks ago that someone asked me if I was all ready for Christmas and it almost startled me! Honestly…I really haven’t done that much to “prepare” for Christmas in the way we think of traditionally..still. I haven’t baked any cookies. I have only bought a few presents…truly like 3 maybe? The tree was put up by my 2 youngest children (like ridiculously early…mid November) and a couple of friends…because they were excited to do it. So why not let them! Now part of this is due to me not being an organized person…but more than that…I made the decision to NOT stress over these things. In the past, I would wrap presents for days, while racking up credit cards, crossing presents off of lists and stressing because I’m not doing ENOUGH. I’m not doing it this year. I decided that the best thing I can do for myself, which completely effects my family and the mood in our home, is to make sure I continue with my yoga practice. You may be thinking…easy for you to do, you have a studio in your home and you do yoga everyday, like multiple times! This is true, but that yoga is not for me. That is to help other people find their own practice. I am talking about getting on my mat and doing whatever my mind, body and soul need that day. It may just be 5 deep breaths, more often lately it’s YIN to balance out the active YANG practice. It may be meditation…which has become my favorite. For so many years, I have stressed during the holidays…and what good does that do for anyone? Certainly my family doesn’t feel good when I’m like that, and I don’t feel good either…so why do it? Here’s what this long-windedness is leading to…don’t let go of your practice right now friends. That thing or things that even you and balance you out…keep doing them. I LOVE this, and have come back to it so many times…
Take time to meditate each day…and when you think you don’t have time to meditate…do it for longer…for that’s when you need it most.
I get it, people are busy…trust me I hear it all the time…I can’t take time for myself, I’m too busy. I don’t have time to work out, I’m too busy. I don’t practice yoga, I don’t have time. You would maybe assume that it’s easy for me make the decision to workout, meditate, practice yoga for myself each day…I’m telling you…it’s not. I have to make myself do it just like everyone else. There are days when I don’t want to any of it. Some days I am so tired…these are the last things I want to do. But I tell you what, when I make the DECISION to do it…even 3 Sun Salutations or 5 minutes of breathing or just stopping and being grateful and practicing mindfulness…my day seems to have more pep in it and I am more motivated to continue. It is a decision. YOU are the only person that can take control of your decision to do anything. The only thing we can control is our reaction. You choose how you react to stress. So I challenge you…if you have lists going on right now…add yourself to it. Put yourself at the top. This is not selfish. This is you taking care of you so that you can be the best version of YOU for yourself and everyone else.
Thanks for this heart to heart…I hope by reading it, your shoulders lowered a little, maybe you even smiled a bit. Breathe friends. Take time to BE in the moment. May you all be blessed with health and peace of body and mind.
Peace Out!
Heather
November 7, 2017
Hello friends!
Happy Saturday!
So I would really love to have a heart to heart with you. I’m drinking coffee while my family sleeps, it’s still black outside and things are quiet. So let’s chat, me and you…
How are you doing? It’s December, the weekend before Christmas. I don’t leave the house a lot during the week, now that I can teach from home (which I am LOVING). I get the loveliest house guests daily, who just happen to bring their mats and practice yoga with me. How lucky am I? One of my favorite things I experience as a teacher is as the students settle into their practice, I can almost see the stress being lifted off of their shoulders. Their face loses its seriousness, the shoulders lower with each breath, they settle into the breath, get the creaks and cracks out of the joints and settle into their time. Focus kicks in and they lose themselves in what has become their practice. We also laugh a lot, which is good for the soul…and abs!
This is true with the littlest of yogis that come to yogakidz through my rockstar, amazing 80+ year old yoga friend/student that comes twice a week at 6 a.m. and is one of the strongest people I have ever met. When I have ventured out in the last few weeks, I have come across many different energies. Many people are very happy…jolly even with Christmas Spirit. But I have noticed also that many people feel hurried and stressed out. I remember about 4 weeks ago that someone asked me if I was all ready for Christmas and it almost startled me! Honestly…I really haven’t done that much to “prepare” for Christmas in the way we think of traditionally..still. I haven’t baked any cookies. I have only bought a few presents…truly like 3 maybe? The tree was put up by my 2 youngest children (like ridiculously early…mid November) and a couple of friends…because they were excited to do it. So why not let them! Now part of this is due to me not being an organized person…but more than that…I made the decision to NOT stress over these things. In the past, I would wrap presents for days, while racking up credit cards, crossing presents off of lists and stressing because I’m not doing ENOUGH. I’m not doing it this year. I decided that the best thing I can do for myself, which completely effects my family and the mood in our home, is to make sure I continue with my yoga practice. You may be thinking…easy for you to do, you have a studio in your home and you do yoga everyday, like multiple times! This is true, but that yoga is not for me. That is to help other people find their own practice. I am talking about getting on my mat and doing whatever my mind, body and soul need that day. It may just be 5 deep breaths, more often lately it’s YIN to balance out the active YANG practice. It may be meditation…which has become my favorite. For so many years, I have stressed during the holidays…and what good does that do for anyone? Certainly my family doesn’t feel good when I’m like that, and I don’t feel good either…so why do it? Here’s what this long-windedness is leading to…don’t let go of your practice right now friends. That thing or things that even you and balance you out…keep doing them. I LOVE this, and have come back to it so many times…
Take time to meditate each day…and when you think you don’t have time to meditate…do it for longer…for that’s when you need it most.
I get it, people are busy…trust me I hear it all the time…I can’t take time for myself, I’m too busy. I don’t have time to work out, I’m too busy. I don’t practice yoga, I don’t have time. You would maybe assume that it’s easy for me make the decision to workout, meditate, practice yoga for myself each day…I’m telling you…it’s not. I have to make myself do it just like everyone else. There are days when I don’t want to any of it. Some days I am so tired…these are the last things I want to do. But I tell you what, when I make the DECISION to do it…even 3 Sun Salutations or 5 minutes of breathing or just stopping and being grateful and practicing mindfulness…my day seems to have more pep in it and I am more motivated to continue. It is a decision. YOU are the only person that can take control of your decision to do anything. The only thing we can control is our reaction. You choose how you react to stress. So I challenge you…if you have lists going on right now…add yourself to it. Put yourself at the top. This is not selfish. This is you taking care of you so that you can be the best version of YOU for yourself and everyone else.
Thanks for this heart to heart…I hope by reading it, your shoulders lowered a little, maybe you even smiled a bit. Breathe friends. Take time to BE in the moment. May you all be blessed with health and peace of body and mind.
Peace Out!
Heather