My Namaste Moment
A blog with a more personable vibe! I’m taking this opportunity to write about being back on my mat, because it had been WAY too long, and the result was humbling.
But first, a bit of background…
When Colby and I decided to venture out and create our own healing space, we knew it would be one heck of an endeavor, and as one might expect, my psycho-spiritual health had to take a back seat so my mental body could take the wheel. As I reflect back on 2017, I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished, but it absolutely left me feeling unbalanced, stagnate, and exhausted. So, as 2018 began, I sat down and made an intention to do what I always tell my patients to do…to give “me” back to myself. Amidst making some nutritional adjustments and carving out time for daily meditation, I heard my yoga mat calling to me to resume my practice (If I'm being completely honest, my inner wisdom had been nudging me to go for some time now, especially because I drive by a yoga studio on the way to work every day) But what was once a whisper, was now a booming command
"Rest, then move, girl!"
The first class I took at PM Yoga was a lovely Restorative Yoga Workshop. For those of you who are new to yoga, "restorative" is yogi talk for 2hrs of nap time with yoga props; just what the doctor ordered! The studio itself has incredible energy – a balance of feeling open and cozy at the same time – and Jenn instructed beautifully. I left feeling completely replenished with the sense of reprieve that had been missing for months. I returned a few days later to their essential Yoga 1 class to start the challenge of reawakening my Qi and getting it to flow freely again. The class had students across all demographics and yoga-experience levels, and I deeply appreciated how Tonya was able to meet every student at their level. It allowed me to push myself when it felt right to push, and pull back when I needed repose. When the class ended, my body and mind became overwhelmed with a pulsing wave – I could feel my Qi moving in my meridians again and I could tell something was going to happen. By the time I got home and filled up my bathtub with Epsom salts and lavender, the waves were swelling up in my chest and the flood gates opened. Honestly, I must have cried for a good 30 minutes - not because I was sad, or angry, or any negative emotion whatsoever. My body and spirit had just been given the space it needed to be vulnerable and let go so after I could look in the mirror and say “Oh hello, me! Nice to see you again!"
The reason I wanted to share this was because, for me, this was the perfect message about balanced self-care. It’s so important to give yourself space to rest and replenish, but it must be balanced with intentional movement. It’s important to be strong, but strength must be balanced with vulnerability. Yoga embraces these principles completely – rest and movement, strength and vulnerability, push and pull, yin and yang. I’m so grateful to have had this experience again, and look forward to spending lots of quality time on my mat this year with my new tribe at PM Yoga – I hope to see some of you there, too!