– Gentle action goes a long way –
I am fresh from a trip from Hot-lanta (for real, it was HOT) after attending my first yoga therapy conference put on by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I have some thoughts, and will be voicing those thoughts in the survey they provided. Overall it was a wonderful experience with plenty of room to grow in both the research and active implementation paths.
For those of you that may not know, yoga therapy is relatively young getting some notice in the 1980s. Yoga itself has been around for thousands of years, but the therapeutic benefits were just being recognized by science around this time. Research in yoga therapy has continued to this day, and I am happy to be a part of this movement.
With most travel comes exhaustion…and y’all, after a full weekend of therapeutic movement, panel discussions, and celebrations with kindred spirits, I was tired! A good tired, though. After the conference, I wandered through the city, grabbed breakfast and coffee, and strolled through Piedmont Park. The Botanical Gardens were right there – and yes, I went in to explore. SO PRETTY. I’ve got so many pics just sitting in my camera roll right now. Some may even make it to my feeds. Maybe. Lol.
Operation Self-Nourishment
Since I dove right back into work Monday morning, I had to take extra care with how I nourished myself. Admittedly, I did not do a great job, but you know what? That’s OK! I did enough!
Steps I Took Once Home To Reset After Travel
- Took a long, refreshing shower
- Burned some loose herbs – lavender to soothe and settle me into home
- One full minute with my crystal bowls to replenish vibrational levels
- Went to bed
Ask me how I slept Sunday night. Horrible, bruh! Just horrible! At least that’s what my Garmin watch said. I felt a bit groggy as well. I didn’t think too much of it. Just continued to hydrate as I worked through my Monday. I had a lot to catch up on. Admin never sleeps, yeah? Neither does self-nourishment. I cannot expect to be fully recovered after about an hour of ritual before bed. Not after the Sunday that I had. Did I mention that it was hot in Atlanta?! It was 90+ degrees…AND I WAS WALKING EVERYWHERE! Shout out to MARTA.
Additional Steps Taken To Reset & Refill
- Gentle movement in bed before rising
- Cozy game running in the background as I worked
- Spotify tunes
- Coffee
- Dance breaks
- Five Guys bacon cheeseburger with Cajun fries and a chocolate milkshake – because I can
- Communing with my yoga sisters on Zoom
Now . . . if you just happen to be giving me the side eye because of my burger splurge, that just made me smile a bit more. That burger was arguably the best part of my night. It’s not all tofu and plant based options for THIS yogini! Be mad about it. <sticks out tongue>
The lists that you see above may not look like yoga to many, but rest assured that it IS INDEED YOGA. Yes, even the burger! The steps that I took late Sunday night and Monday throughout the day was what my body and spirit needed to recover. It may not look like much, but it was everything for me in those moments. Yoga therapy in action.
Some Wisdom For The Soul
For this Cancer New Moon set out to find your vibrational level, your frequency. What energy are you discovering? Explore that energy and weave it into your intentions for this waxing moon cycle.
Ask yourself:
What does nourishment look like for me right now?
What kind of support do I need?
Here are a few tools I turn to:
- Humming or gentle vocal sound
- Rubbing hands to create warmth
- Sound bowls, music, or a tuning fork
- Visualization and quiet meditation
Use an emotion wheel if you’re having trouble naming what you feel. It helps me deepen the conversation I’m having with myself. Sit with what comes up.
You’re already setting yourself up for success, whatever that looks like, however you define it. Remember that that’s the only definition that matters.
Until next time, Beloveds.
