YOGA - WEST OF THE NARROWS
"IF MOMMA AIN'T HAPPY, AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY."
(Psst......this isn't just for moms.)
"Put YOUR oxygen mask on first." This was the first thing I heard as I entered the Yoga space. I had arrived to an Energetic Healing & Self-Nurture Worskhop (held by the lovely Life Keys Energy and Rhapsody Wellness at Annapolis Fitness recently) and there was conversation vibrating in the peaceful moments before the class was about to begin.
"YES!" I thought. This is why I'm here today, and hearing that phrase allowed the guilt of leaving my kids at home with my husband and missing the 1st Seahawks game of the season to dissipate faster than honey in hot tea.
It's something I have struggled with in the past, but have learned to embrace in the recent years. The Type A in me wants to get each chore done, every meal home-cooked, and please everyone in my path. My realistic and newly-grounded Self reminds those obssessive thoughts to to a hike......or a bath....or even enjoy the smut-show reruns I'd previously been too "busy" to indulge in.
It's common and we all tend to do it. We please others before ourselves. We run ourselves ragged for the sake of expectations, deadlines, & self-made checklists. Go, Go, Go, Now, Now, Now. It boils up and then it inevitably hits the fan. Either we fall ill, into depression, become bitter or maybe lethargic, basically just plain, hot messes.
The goal in Self-Care is to know how to balance the demands of our lives with the necessity of enjoyment, pleasure and peace for ourselves. It helps to see the warning signs and curb the pressure before it's too much. Below are some tips for recognizing the impending doom and some suggestions to help you find balance again.
SIGNS YOU NEED A PERSONAL TIME-OUT:
Agitation, feelings of being overwhelmed, bitterness towards those you are helping, headaches/bodily aches and pains, hopelessness, lethargy, the list goes on........
THE BALANCING ACT:
Sometimes we feel like it could take a week-long vacation to undo all the knots in our mind & body, but sometimes it's as simple as 20 minutes to an hour. I will always suggest meditation and Yoga, but you don't have to be so serious either. What about laughing at a funny show, pampering yourself, creating art, or dancing to some booty-shaking music. What takes you out of the drama of your life and puts you smack dab in the middle of enjoyment (responsibly, though Yogis!)?
Once you are tuned into what it feels to be out of balance and how good it feels to regain it, the next time your plane descends, you won't flinch at the thought of putting your mask on first, for after all - you are of no help to others if you can't help yourself.
Namaste, Yogis!
