Throwback to a blog post I wrote back in the middle of the lockdown period. Don’t worry, I’m still doing the cold showers daily!
‘Resilience is not just your ability to bounce back, but also your capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances, whilst maintaining a stable mental wellbeing. Resilience isn’t a personality trait – it’s something that we can all take steps to achieve’. – Mind.org.uk
Last week was a bit of a toughie. On this rollercoaster ride of ups and downs that we have all been experiencing from the impact of lockdown, there was a particular day I found myself feeling low, stressed & helpless for our present climate: outraged and upset around activities being reported in the news; sinking in the myriad of uncertainties & questions around the current situations; looking at everything that is wrong in the world and feeling too small and powerless to have any kind of positive effect; plus listening to some old pesky limiting stories that have interestingly reared their weary heads in this lockdown period whilst worrying about the financials and future of my beloved yoga business. With the latter, I even found myself anxiously wondering if I might have to chuck in the towel on what I’ve worked so incredibly hard to create and offer out to our community at Heather Yoga, not trusting myself that I have the strength & resilience to continue on carrying us through this fearful period, while still being a light for others.
It was quite the drama!
Following a teary episode, I awoke the next day and stepped into a freezing cold shower ready to say (or shriek in high pitched voice as the cold water hits!) my morning affirmations -something I do daily because honestly, I don’t really like the cold. So each morning I face my adversity, I know I’m training my stamina for the day and by end I feel amazing, alive, and ready for whatever is next. As I stood there under the water I recalled something that someone said to me recently (which comes from the writer Glennon Doyle) and in that moment I was reminded of my resilience:
‘You Can Do Hard Things’.
So I repeated this over, and over again – until it was time to get out of the cold shower and enjoy my reward of a matcha latte!
A mug of hot drink to the I side, I took out my journal and did my ten minutes of free-writing and reminded myself of the ‘Why’: why I do what I do and how that does have a positive impact on others. I then listed all the things I appreciate right now – from just doing this short task, a profound shift occurs.
I included some asana, breath work, and kriyas (Kriyas are a cleansing technique that have many health benefits for the body, including tongue cleaning, and also the kriya practices from kundalini yoga that awaken and balance life energy in the body – both of which I find really beneficial in the morning). I then finally sat for my meditation. The mental and emotional turbulence that had been so powerful the previous day – like those violent sandy waves of the ocean on a stormy night- had now softened and settled. I had arrived. Back home in my body, with my breath, in my centre, in alignment. With a sense of clarity and renewed hope, the steadiness & ease, and a refreshed perspective, I was ready to start again. Feeling my resilience and knowing my ‘Why’ for this practice and my work, empowered me to be more clear in how I can serve others today.
‘Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most’ – Buddha.
I may not be able to directly affect all the things I so desperately wish to change in our world so that all beings are free of suffering, but the ability to adapt and pivot – time and time again – comes from dedication, responsibility and practice. It starts with us. Every single day it takes work and commitment, especially when we’re ‘not in the mood’ to work on ourselves. But the result is the better feelings, the kindness and compassion in our thoughts, words, actions, the conscious choices we make for ourselves and our environment. And with this, we can inspire and have a positive impact on at least one person, which is how we are contributing to the solution, helping to move the needle to some degree. and making a difference to the whole.
In the Resilience workshop on Saturday 2nd December – part of the three part Stress & Anxiety Support Series at Heather Yoga, I will be sharing with you about the importance of morning routine and providing a support system of ancient, time proven, tools from Yoga as well as other effective holistic techniques and practices for physical health, mental health, and wellbeing to empower your morning and day ahead. Head to the link below to read about this carefully designed program and workshops that will support you in an accessible and effective holistic way to deal with anxiety and stress now, and at any time during life when you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, if you experience high stress in your life, or just want to shift to a more positive outlook.