Today I took a workshop with Mary Paffard of Yoga Mendocino. She is the beloved teacher of many of my It’s All Yoga teachers. Mary comes to Sacramento occasionally to do workshops.
Today’s topic: The Serene Heart.
Here’s some of the highlights:
1. We (Westerners, Americans, you, me) need to rest more. (HA! I knew it!)
2. Starting the day with a little yoga or meditation can set the tone for the remainder of your day.
3. If the beginning of the day doesn’t work, try a little yoga or meditation at the end of the day before you go to bed.
4. By a little yoga, I mean a little. One or two restorative poses. That’s it.
Maybe a little Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall) or Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose). I like to set myself up in both these poses and then cover my eyes with a lavender eye pillow and then cover my body with a blanket.
5. Pause, pause, pause. At the sound of every bell you hear during the day, pause. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
6. Go into nature and observe. We have a lot to learn from the natural world about how we would be better served by slowing down during the cold dark months.
7. You have to give up some thing, to get some thing else. In other words, I have give up some time in order to gain some peace. Seems like a fair trade.
8. When all else fails, take to your bed. Take a day off from the outside world and hang out in bed. Don’t wait until you are sick to do this. Schedule a pajama day and enjoy it.
Image Source: We Heart It
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Last year I went to see a naturopath and the first thing he said to me was “You need to rest more.” And so I literally have spent the last 16 months prioritizing “rest” like I am training for a marathon and it is STILL the most counter-intuitive feeling in the world! I mean, like I find it to actually be a struggle and feel so dopey even telling people that I’m doing it. That said: TOTALLY TRANSFORMATIVE!
holly: i need to rest so much to recover from the first 40 years of my life, i’ve become a restorative yoga teacher. dude, if that isn’t telling… teach what you need to learn for reals.
thanks for reading and VIVA THE RESTING REVOLUTION! ps – you should come to my class – way better/more refreshing than an actual nap.
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Heck yea! Sounds awesome. I’m sorry I missed it. Thank you for the lovely shared insights Tami.
You are welcome. We missed you at the workshop. I hope you go to the next one. I heart Mary.