Returning to Center...

Hello lovely humans!

So happy to be writing here again and connecting with you.

As I readjust to life in the States after two fantastic months back in Europe working and hanging out with my family, I am creating new systems to support me in finding harmony in my life, to help me find center again, and again, and again every time the wind blows and ungrounds me with its momentum.

When I was in Barcelona, finding balance was about setting good boundaries on how much to work (writing and teaching online classes), how much time to spend nurturing myself (reading, spending time in the sun, going on long walks, people-watching at coffee shops, or making music with my uke…) and creating space to genuinely connect with loved ones.

Sunbathing & Writing in Barcelona

Now in Florida, the intent is for me to find better harmony between teaching public yoga classes, writing articles and novels, preparing the upcoming Yoga Teacher Training, as well as the Spring Yoga Retreat, and once again, finding space for connection with my friends and family, as well as time for myself.

Harmony…

Balance…

Equilibrium…

What I seek is the sweet spot between working too much and working too little… Between carrying it all on my shoulders and leaving it all to destiny…

My center…

Where I can breathe in and breathe out in relative action, in relative stillness, in relative safety; allowing my nervous system to regulate.

There is this idealized notion of balance where some believe that balance, calm, and harmony can only be achieved when all the environmental conditions are right and we have reached enlightenment.

I call bullsh*t.

Harmony exists in the space right between my states of high intensity and the moments of absolute apathy, it’s the moment of pause where I allow myself to check in with how I feel, no matter what’s going on around me.

Balance is not a goal, but a state to ebb and flow through.

When I think of how yogic philosophy approaches this dilemma, I immediately think of the concepts of Shtira and Sukha, effort and ease, and how to find ourselves right in between; connected to the center. If you’d like to know more on the subject, I wrote an article on Ekhart Yoga about it last year that I encourage you to read.

As a person living with chronic illness, I can oftentimes wake up full of energy and ready to take on the world, and on other days, especially the painful ones, I am pretty much spent by 9:00 am.

I have moved away from working for others because I must keep my expectations low (or at least flexible) on how much I can work, and how much I can produce and still stay healthy.

Not adhering to the norms of how one must be a productive member of society has opened up a world of opportunities for me to collaborate with people, communities, brands, and companies that, like myself, believe in a new way to be productive while maintaining and regaining health and quality of life.

Spending a cold, windy Saturday in Girona with a friend.

In my workshops and classes, I love to share with folks easy and mindful ways to take breaks throughout the day, whether you work at an office or are at home caring for your home and children.

It’s fantastic to block time in your calendar for your daily morning meditation or ritual, as well as your Thursday evening Hatha yoga class, but I invite you to also consider the benefits of tapping into bite-sized yoga techniques at any given time.

After a difficult phone call, or an argument with a coworker, or perhaps when you still have two hours to go before you finish your workday and your eyes are blurry and your back aches, having skills to reset and reground, can be a game-changer.

This past week I had the honour of presenting a workshop for a company where many employees have compassion fatigue from serving communities in need, and their wellness program wanted to offer their staff resources and skills to take care of themselves in the workplace.

I shared with them several yoga postures they can do at work of course, but mostly I shared easy and effective breathwork and mindfulness techniques to utilize when needing a little break, in less than 5 minutes.

I invite you to consider how you take breaks throughout your workday to take care of yourself and regain a sense of presence, focus, and calmness.

For paid subscribers, I hope you enjoy the video I made especially for you, sharing one of my go-to breathing techniques to utilize on the fly and help you return to your center as many times throughout your day as you need.

Let me know how you enjoy it!