A Moment of Calm, Episode Eleven: Shavasana

Rest and recovery are so important. Yet it seems that rest and recovery tend to be the last thing on most people’s to-do list. Why? I ask myself that question often. Why is it I will offer the suggestion so often to the people in my life, yet it is the one thing I am the least likely to do for myself? I can hear the conversation in my head already - not enough time, too many other (seemingly more important) things on the list, etc.

But hear me when I say this: you need rest in order to grow, to evolve and to be the best version of yourself. Resting IS supporting that best version of yourself.

One thing that I have learned the hard way is that sometimes when you push too much and too hard, life (or your body) will push back. You know that feeling of overwhelm you sometimes have with your kids or your job? That, my friends, could be nothing more than a little push back from your body saying “Hey, slow down, I need a little break!” You can only push your body so hard before it starts to push back, and that pushback can show up in a variety of ways (think aches and pains, unexpected tears, impatience).

We have heard it before - work hard, play hard, rest hard. Why does it seem like the rest hard part falls on deaf ears a lot of the time?

We, as a sisterhood of women, tend to be way too hard on ourselves. Go, go, go! Push harder and achieve more. When sometimes (a lot of the times) the magical formula is to simply do less and rest. It’s interesting to teach yoga and see the students where it is actually more challenging for them to do shavasana or some type of resting pose. It can actually be physically uncomfortable for some people. I’ve said this before and I know I’ll say it again, typically the pose, or the thing that is the most challenging for you, is the very thing that you need the most. Read that again.

Change happens outside of that comfort zone. And if resting and restoring are words that make you a little angsty, then that is exactly where your growth is.

One of my all-time favorite sayings ever is “energy follows intention.” What does that mean exactly? What you focus on, where you put your intention, energy will follow that. Have you ever heard the old adage that bad things happen in 3s? No, they don’t. Momentum, or energy, follows the intention. So, if something “bad” happens and that is caught in your awareness, or you get all in your feelings about it, energy, or momentum follows.

It’s the exact same thing with yoga. If you are all work, work ,work, you will max out and not get the most benefit out of the practice. It is a balance. If you put your energy into a balanced practice where you focus just as much on the rest and restoration as you do the work, you will be amazed how the results. Results not only in your yoga practice, but in your life as well.

Like we talked about last week, yoga isn’t about touching your toes. It is absolutely about what happens to you on the journey down there. Maybe it’s the awareness that truly supporting yourself is taking a rest. Maybe that rest or break extends to a relationship in your life that is no longer serving you. Maybe that rest or break is from unrealistic pressure or expectations. Wherever you need more balance and support in your life, practicing these little moments of calm will help you create that.

Take these videos and pick and choose the one you need on any given day (or go with the one you absolutely don’t want to do because likely that is the one you need). I promise that by supporting yourself with good habits, like these moments or calm, you will begin to create the absolute best version of yourself!

We can’t wait to watch you grow!

We are here to support you so you can find and create ways to support yourself.

In support of each other, Namaste.

Katie