Many of us still feel uncertain about how celebrating the holidays will be during a pandemic, when you will get a vaccine, when everything will be safe enough to fully reopen, and we can return to our previous routines. An article in The New York Times “Pandemic-Proof Your Habits” notes that routines help us to feel safe. When we follow a routine, however small, we are telling ourselves that there is no danger present and we can relax. Because we cannot know when or if things will return to the way they were pre-pandemic, we need to stop waiting for normal and our old routines. Instead, we need to take charge of ourselves and create new routines.
Many of you have with new online interactions of many kinds, like art lessons. Others of you have added new or extended outdoor nature activities. I am setting up a TRX station in my garage. This is important for all of us to feel safe and secure. The article goes on to say that our brains are overburdened with feelings of uncertainty and concern for risks in tasks such as grocery shopping. This in turn reduces our capacity to think about other important things, including finding joyful moments or creativity. For example, the blog “Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful” explains that “(s)urge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems - mental and physical - that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters.” However, we cannot keep up this pace and will eventually burn out. We need to do something to allow our minds and bodies to heal from the surge capacity, and we need to accept that we may not be able to do as much or the same things as before the pandemic. Self-acceptance is critical.
How do we move ahead? We cannot put our minds and bodies on hold for the pandemic to resolve. It may be a comforting thought to realize there will be a light at the end of the tunnel soon, but what we do in the meantime matters. We would not delay eating breakfast and lunch with the thought that soon our growling stomachs can be satisfied with dinner if they are available in our refrigerator. Likewise, we should not delay finding new routines to find comfort in the structure of our lives. This can be simple, like spending ten minutes reading the paper while sitting in the sunroom every morning, or more complex, like practicing yoga and/or meditation every Friday. The key is finding what works best for your needs, whether it is physical or emotional, or a combination.
Yoga is a mind-body practice that integrates the physical and mental aspects of the person to improve their overall health, including reducing stress and increasing the quality of life. A study on yoga linked to improved quality of life is available HERE. Adding yoga weekly can help you reconnect with your mind and body as well as provide a needed routine for comfort and so our brains can relax. Whatever form works for your needs, self-care is even more important during the pandemic than ever.
Give yourself permission for some self-care through yoga. SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist, offers several online live yoga and meditation classes, as well as weekly recorded On Demand classes. Another helpful set of classes available On Demand weekly is the mindfulness meditation series. Mindfulness meditation is practiced to achieve a greater sense of awareness, wisdom, and a deeper sense of calm. We take time to get comfortable and participate in a mindfulness meditation. Do something great for yourself! Here are the themes of the classes:
Click on the link HERE to sign-up and go to the ‘Classes’ tab to sign-up for any sessions, including Joint Freeing Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Mindful Movement & Yoga Classes.
For the latest schedule on the website, click HERE.
On Demand Line-up for November 30th through December 6th & available for signing up:
For more information about On Demand classes, visit our website page HERE or email us at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.