Picture this.
You have one hour to:
For most of us, this isn’t that hard to imagine. This is your every day. Every morning you hustle and, every morning you are a rockstar.
The daily grind is tedious and demanding but you do it anyway. You support and care for others without a second thought. And, after this mildly anxiety-provoking morning wave, you deserve to have that support and care reciprocated.
The tension and stress of helping others does not fade because the emotional wave subsided. Instead, these unprocessed feelings get trapped and stored within the body, sitting and building. They await your nurturing presence to be experienced and released. Sure. There are plenty of techniques, workshops, and gurus you could visit. Yes. Each of them absolutely assumes a beneficial role in the healing community. Nope. It’s not the only way to relieve stress. No. You don’t have to be perfect to get started. On the route back from 7 am carpool, we found ourselves asking, How do I calm down? How do I restore peace and balance so that I can be present for my family this afternoon? How do I release some of this stress, tension, and anxiety? Sound like you? Fear not. We are right here with you. Although there is no one size (or self-care) fits all, we scavenged the wellness industry’s jungle of resources to bring you the Top 3 Tips for Faster Stress-Relief! 1- Deep Breathing
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Inside Scoop: This is our go-to when you’re caught in a jam (copier or traffic). Whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, there is always space and time to pause and just breathe. How is that possible, you ask? Why, because you’re already doing it sweetheart.
Practice: Start by placing one hand on your chest. Inhale and count to 3. Hold your breath for 2 counts. Now, exhale and count to 4. After you repeat this sequence three times with your hand on your chest, move your hand down to your upper belly and repeat. After the third set with you hand on your upper belly, place your hand down beneath your bellybutton and repeat this sequence again. You can go through this hand placement series as many times as you need. We encourage you to really feel the rise and fall of your breath within your body and to notice if any sensations or emotions arise throughout this process.
2- Mindful Movement
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate.
Inside Scoop: The most frequent challenge faced when incorporating movement is actually just making it to class. Once you’ve rolled out your mat though, you are unstoppable. Cultivating a mind-body connection gives your mind the opportunity to understand and respond to your body’s cues. This means greater physical performance, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. Who wouldn’t want that?
Practice: Take a yoga class. Period. Whether it’s stretch-flow yoga, hot yoga, or your basic Vinyasa flow, hop into a class and let it out on the mat. Of course, there are other wonderful movement resources that support a grounded mind-body connection but we can’t help it. We’re a little biased… because yoga is AMAZING. Now, if you’re cruising the Houston hood, come say hi. We definitely WANT to support you on your journey to pain-free living!
3- Intentional Thinking
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.
Inside Scoop: Advanced is one of those words that either attracts or repels – either you’re all in or you’re GTFO-ing. However, we will let you in on a secret… it doesn’t matter who you are, it’s tough for everyone. You can never be “perfect” or “do the wrong thing” with this one. Intentional thinking is simply a practice that is unique to you, your timeline, and your mind – and, it evolves over your lifetime.
Practice: A few examples of intentional thinking include (1) Journaling or writing affirmations that resonate with you, (2) contributing to a situation with a response you haven’t considered before, (3) thinking of new ways to resolve a reoccurring problem, (4) contemplate what it would be like to live through someone else’s timeline – practicing both with someone you adore and with someone you loathe, and (5) meditate on body awareness and thought-labeling.
Nobody and no body needs to carry overwhelming levels of stress. This pressure deteriorates the physical, mental, and emotional bodies and hinders you from embodying your best self.
You deserve to heal and let go. You deserve to feel like your radiant self. And, you deserve to receive the TLC you so generously give.
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