It’s been a tough flu season – I hope you’ve stayed healthy this winter. I got knocked out by a brutal respiratory virus a few weeks ago. And although I’m feeling much better now, as a person who usually doesn’t get sick, it really made me take a hard look at my schedule, my priorities, and my work/life balance in general – I had plenty of time to think while I was down (I mean, how may episodes of The Crown can you watch?) Being sick gave me an opportunity to think about who I am, how I want to be, and what I want to do differently.
I got the message loud and clear – I’m not Wonder Woman, Super mom, or an Olympic athlete. I’m just a person who likes to do and teach yoga. But I have other interests too and, when you have your own business, sometimes those things get put on the back burner. I’m not deluded enough to think that just because I eat well, practice yoga and manage my stress, I should never get sick. There are lots of things over which we have very little control in our lives and what the yoga tradition offers is the stance of letting go in the face of the uncontrollable. But being sick did present me with some insight about my need to prioritize self-care. It’s so easy to get busy and let self-care take a back seat.
There are several things I like to do every day that sometimes I don’t – including yoga practice, meditation, cooking, walking in nature, and spending time with friends. So as I recover from the virus from hell, my commitment is to make sure I prioritize the things that make me thrive.
I started a Facebook 30 day challenge. The truth is, I started this 30 day challenge before I got sick and then when I got bowled over I had to let it go. So, I’m excited to get back to it with some fresh insight and a relaxed attitude (if I miss a day, oh well). I’ll post 3 bullet points and a 8-10 minute video each morning (sorry, no one-armed handstands, it’s not that kind of yoga challenge). I hope you can join me. What would you like to change? What self-care strategies are important to you? How are you building more resilience in your life? Please share your thoughts and comments on my posts. Here’s a link to my page.
Also, I’ll share this on the Subtle Yoga Community Page too. If you’re not a member, please join us!
In case you missed it, I’ll be teaching a workshop in Knoxville March 3-4 – The Neurobiology of the 8 Limbs of Yoga. If you want to learn how to use specific techniques to optimize your brain and learn how to explain the neuroscience to your students – you don’t want to miss this!