By Marina @ Fitness Blender —4 days ago
Admin
Posted in: Workouts / New Releases
No matter where you are in your fitness journey, we all need to take time to ground. Whether you’re experiencing physical tension in the body, stress/cloudiness in the mind, or a combination of the both, I invite you to meet me on the mat for this all-levels Vinyasa Yoga Flow.
Total Body Yoga Foundations
I woke up this morning with my thoughts racing, and I could feel the tension in my mind start to move into my body. In my personal experience, I have noticed that when my mind is rushing, I feel a tightening and heaviness in my chest; I notice that my breathing shallows, and sometimes I catch myself holding my breath. When I experience these moments of physical and mental tension, I have noticed that I also feel a strong urge to rush through whatever it is that I am doing. I used to think that if I could just get through whatever it is I need to do quickly, then I can get back to feeling at peace.
Through my many experiences of allowing that felt sense of rush to influence my thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and actions, I have learned that “rushing” is never the answer to finding peace; if anything, it keeps my nervous system in a stimulated (and sometimes over-stimulated) state.
Peace is always available, in any given moment — but how do we choose it? How can we find ground when all of our senses are telling us that we need to rush?
First, I like to acknowledge that stress is a natural and normal human experience; stress is necessary because it is our brain and body’s way of using a heightened awareness to protect ourselves in dangerous situations.
When I can validate and find compassion for my human experience, I have then created enough space between me and my experience to make the conscious choice: perpetuate the rush, or slow things down?
While creating this class, I first took the opportunity to drop out of my head and into my heart; I connected with the breath, and allowed my mind to still as I anchored my awareness to my breath and the different feelings I held in my body — tightness in my shoulders and chest, space and lightness in the belly, etc. From there I slowly began to move, not allowing myself to give into the temptation to rush through the postures; the more I felt an urge to rush, the slower I inhaled/exhaled, and the slower I moved.
If this experience resonates with you, I invite you to join me on the mat to sloooowwww things down. Let’s take this Vinyasa Yoga flow as an opportunity to release tension in the body; cultivate a sense of calm the mind; connect with the breath and ourselves in the present moment. This class can be a great way to start your day if you wake up feeling rushed, or your go-to moment of ground anytime you feel overwhelmed by the chaos of life.
I hope this practice leaves you ready to take on your day from a place of grounded clarity and peace. I’d love to read your experiences with this class in the comments below :) What are some of your go-to tools when you experience stress (of any kind) or anxiety?
With love & light,
Marina
