Why we practice

Every time you breathed your way through a long uncomfortable hold in chair pose, you’ve been practicing for this! 😂 You have what you need to skillfully navigate 🗺 uncertainty: the power of your attention, the control of your breath, and your ability to ground yourself. The trick is to remember to use those skills. 
Trauma = stress + loss of agency. A fight or flight response with no chance to discharge and return to normal. No control. I like to imagine a wave that never had the chance to crash to shore. 🌊 Some serious pent-up energy. 
So yes, there is much beyond our control in terms of mitigating the larger crisis. And also- there is so much you can choose to do! Discharge the stress with some bursts of energy. My niece and I had a “shake break” yesterday (courtesy of her 3rd grade teacher 🙌🏼) and shook all of our limbs one at a time. Then full body shake. Try it right now if you like! Or: jump rope, jumping jacks, foot stomping, run up and down your stairs. Shake it off. 💃💃💃 Other options you can choose for yourself: Reach out to friends. Choose to celebrate the movement and health of your body! Take a long slow exhale (or 10). Appreciate the miracle of your lungs. Choose to go slower and feel into the stuff you might often avoid. Choose to cook yourself a delicious meal and then savor it. Choose to not consume so much news. 
Your response won’t always be perfect. Mine is a disaster at times. This is practice. This is yoga. 
#attention #yogaoffthemat#yogapractice #anxiety#yogaforanxiety #breathwork#thisisyoga #fightorflight #vagusnerve#yogaeverydamnday #yogaeveryday#omathome #yogaforlife