Yoga In Your Everyday Activities
My client sat down. “I don’t know why I’m not practicing. I enjoy it and know it is good for me, but I just can’t get it in my head to practice.”
She was clearly disappointed in herself.
Wanting to turn around her attitude (it really isn’t useful to beat yourself up about something you think you should be doing – but aren’t) I started asking some questions.
“So, you haven’t done anything?” I asked, knowing at the very least she attended one of my group classes earlier that week.
“Well, I have been doing this (showing me a forward bend she does from a chair), and I have been paying attention to my posture.”
I congratulated her, pointing out that she was indeed something. In fact, many days of the week she was doing something, which in my opinion is better than a longer practice that you never have time for.
We then started to identify some things she does every day that she could turn into a yoga practice (yoga is not just about what you do on a mat, after all):
When you’re loading the dishwasher, coordinate your breath with your movement. Exhale as you bend forward to put a dish in, inhale as you return to standing upright. Rather than racing to finish, be aware of your movements and enjoy them.
Also, approach loading the dishwasher with a positive attitude – instead of holding resentment that no one else in the house will load the dishwasher, enjoy the process of clearing space on the counter tops.
When making your mom’s bed, notice the feel of the covers in your hands and the movement in your body as you pull the sheets, blankets and bedspread into place. Do each layer one at a time, then switch to the other side.
There. We had 2 activities she could turn into a yoga practice, gradually building the habits of conscious breathing and moving.
We identified yet another activity that she engages in quite regularly that would be fantastic for breath awareness. More on that later…
Now, rather than lamenting your lack of practice (or not enough practice, according to your standards), what daily activities can you turn into a yoga practice?
Discover more “everyday yoga”…
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Chocolate Meditation
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