During these unprecedented times, yoga can offer a calm within the chaos, a retreat within the self-isolation. When fears and anxiety arise, we can turn our attention to breath, and centre ourselves, finding calm. When thoughts race through our minds and compel us to move impossibly in multiple directions simultaneously creating stress and confusion, or freeze us from doing anything constructive, yoga can offer us ways for grounding with Mother Earth through asanas and rooting us in the moment through meditation. The mind is allowed to quiet. Awareness is. And in this stillness, the peace and joy of our true self is revealed.
Amma (India’s hugging saint) counsels us at this time that we are the light or the darkness on our own path, the flower or the thorn. Through courage and alertness we can remain on our path of light. Everything in the universe is interconnected into a community of one. And everything is an energy, a vibration. Through meditation, we quiet the mind, merge the mind with the heart, and rest in beingness – that stateless state of peace, joy, and contentment. Negative thoughts will create negative vibrations within our body and throughout the universe. Positive thoughts, ones of love and compassion, and universal truth, these will create positive vibrations – throughout our body and beyond – into our family, our community, our country, our world, Mother Earth, the universe. Amma has recommended us all to meditate daily, especially now in these times.
Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga and the traditional Hindu system of medicine), as well as western medicine, promote keeping a strong immune system for good health. Stress reduces our immunity. While we may not be able to avoid feeling stressed during these times, we can alleviate this by choosing to practice meditation, breathwork, and routine physical activities, such as yoga asanas. A strong immune system is also supported by eating healthy whole foods, drinking abundant water (herbal teas, fresh water), having a routine for sleep, taking supplements, choosing positive thoughts, and being the love that we are.
So for now, while yoga studios are closed, I am offering yoga classes on Zoom. All are welcome. (No constraints by studio size!). Go to the Classes page for class days and times. You’ll need the Zoom ID to join, so you’ll need to get in touch with me via email – see Contact.
Hope to see you on Zoom.