Spring is certainly in the air in the UK. We can sense that feeling of the earth’s renewal as we emerge from long dark winter months and enjoy longer days, blue skies, glorious birdsong and the arrival of colour in our natural spaces and trees. Spring is a wonderful season of new beginnings, lighting up our creativity and imagination for new projects – at home and at work.
Are you struggling to feel the sense of uplift that spring gifts us with usually? You are not alone…
Current world events make it incredibly hard for us to feel joy as our hearts and minds are heavy with shock, heartbreak and anger at events we feel helpless to impact. Watching the news can be helpful to keep informed but also bring overwhelming feelings of stress.
Developing tools for compassion and taking care of ourselves are an important parts of our yoga practice as inevitably we suffer with others who are suffering. As we learn how to sit with others heartbreak and pain, we can also learn to hold ourselves with tenderness in dark times.
Our classes this week focussed on how to breath in times of hurt when we feel immobilised. How to breath in hurt and breath out in a way that is expansive – helping us to collectively keep strong to support each other and eventually find healing.
Supta Baddha Konasana (below) was just one of the poses that we enjoyed as part of a series of postures that we can keep in a toolbox of asanas that help us overcome difficult emotions.
This is a recent podcast from the gorgeous Brene Brown which I found useful…..
Here are a few suggestions of how to support yourself when you feel that sense of heaviness, some ideas to try and lift your spirits….
– Carve out quiet time for yourself intentionally
– Spread love to those who you can reach at the moment
– Designate time to cut yourself off from the news
– Making time for your breathwork and meditation
– Take a gratitude walk and look out for the beauty of spring
– Smile at yourself in the mirror and send that smile to others
– Pray and ask for peace
– Remind yourself of how you have helped – praying, donating time or money, being helpful locally
The recent sunny days have certainly helped to lift my mood – the blue skies, the magnolia trees and the new lambs remind me of joys to capture and savour.
‘Till next time!