27 Mar YOGA Off the Mat and From Home

And how to deal with COVID-19 and the quarantine; True is, no one really knows how to deal with something that we have never experienced before, we can talk about our personal and relatives experiences but this doesn’t mean that everyone is experiencing this situation the same way.

Hopefully the below can somehow serves you well in this moment in time, a time for many people filled with hesitation, lots, doubt and fear.

My personal experience and from people around me, is that during this lock down, where our freedom have been cut off, we go through phases of ups and downs, that some days we are more energetic, receptive and outward and some others we are less energetic and receptive and more inward.

Each of us is different and this is what makes us unique, never forget this, it should never be looked at it as something negative. Uniqueness and diversity is often linked to originality, as a unique individual my needs are different from yours and different to someone’s else, what works for me, might not work for you and that is simply the way it is.

Therefore, it could be perhaps beneficial to pay attention to our “quarantine days and habits”, to not end up with days filled with uncontrolled shopping, plenty of physical activity, excessive of virtual socialising, plenty of watching the screen phone and scrolling through social media, excessive watching of tv series and overwhelming news, and the list continues. All of the sudden the world stops, we are asked to be at home and we are busier than ever, how is that even possible?

Right now, it is important to remind ourselves that we are humans with hearts, feelings and emotions, that there will be moments we might experience tension, hesitation, sadness and confusion, that there will be days where we will make mistakes and that sometimes we will wish to act differently. That this is an ideal time to allow ourselves to feel our emotions, to sit with it and without judgement, but most importantly, this is the time to keep reminding ourselves that we are doing the best we can and that is just enough.

There are millions of people in their homes and although we might believe that our freedom has been totally cut off, this is very relative. Now is when we have a wonderful chance to invest time in ourselves, to continue the practice of Svādhyāya, the self-studying and self-enquiring journey, see this time filled with opportunities no limitations.

Therefore, whether you have been practicing Yoga for a long time or you are new to it, this is the perfect time and situation to apply the Yoga tools and systems we learn on the mat, this is the time to apply the “yoga off the mat and from home”. And how do we do that? here below I have listed a few resources, tools and elements that are key to navigate though this time with a little more ease.

FIND CALM & WHOLENESS WITHIN

Grounding practices are a great way to cultivate patience and inner calm, going back to the basics and core of our existence, the breath!. Taking the time to breathe deeply daily, tune in and connect with the present moment can ease up tension and calm the mind, it serves us to balance energetically and to be at peace.

Here below some Yoga disciplines and practices that helps cultivating the act of surrender to the here and now.

➔ Yoga Nidra, Meditation, Pranayama *some techniques not all, Yin and Restorative Yoga.

CULTIVATE LOVE AND KINDNESS

This is an ideal time to truly connect to that universal and unconditional love and compassion that lives in our hearts, love and kindness towards all living beings. Aligning our actions with our purpose and radiating kindness with our thoughts and actions, the art of spreading goodness from the heart.

Here below is a Loving & Kindness (Metta in Pali), a Buddhist seated meditation practice,

Sit on a comfortable cross legged, seated or kneeling meditative position, find a time and place where you can be free of distractions for about 10-15 minutes. With your eyes gently closed, take a moment to settle in and tune in, then behind to repeat the following, allow pauses in between each sentence so that you can tap in and experience the aliveness within.

May I be happy,

May I be safe and at ease,

May I be free of suffering and ill will,

May I be able to live in this world happily and joyfully,

May I accept and release all what goes beyond my power to change,

Then, you can do it towards ALL LIVING BEINGS.

May all living beings be happy,

May all be safe and at ease,

And so continues…

Repeat it as many times as you need, then remain seated in silence to digest the information and observe your thoughts and state of mind.

SURRENDER TO ACCEPTANCE

Mantras and positive affirmations are a very powerful tools to cultivate acceptance, faith and positivity. The repetition of a mantra or affirmation can empower us in a positive way, it helps us to increase positive energy and inner peace, so it is not only beneficial for us but also for the people around us.

Here below is a very simple mantra that have served me well in many situations,

“I let go of everything in my life that I cannot change or control”

I hope you will find this blogpost helpful and can support you to navigate peacefully through this moment in time.

Peace, Love and Light

Namaste
Lally