1/11/2020 0 Comments YogaIf you've been around my blog for a while you will have heard me mention how important my yoga practice is to me. I started practicing in 2012 as a way to manage chronic pain and fatigue, which was later diagnosed as fibromyalgia. A year into my fertility journey a friend introduced me to Yoga with Adriene and my at home yoga practice took on a new depth and significance. I started to notice that time spent on my mat was time when I was really present to the moment. I was able to tap into a deeper peace, beyond the circumstances surrounding me. It was time spent checking in with myself and often discovering that I was stronger and more flexible than I imagined, able to do hard things or lean into new places. The inner stillness I found on my mat became a prayer, an opening into which the Spirit was able to speak new insights and old wisdom for the journey. My daily yoga practice has become so much more than a coping mechanism; time on the mat has led to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual transformation.
Yoga became such an essential part of my life that I really struggled when I went through treatment cycles and didn't know if yoga was safe. While investing so much emotionally, physically and financially into a treatment cycle, I didn't want to jeapordize my chances of conceiving by moving too much or in the wrong way. Fortunately I had a doctor who did not prescribe bed rest post-procedure but my pelvis and hips would still lock up every time for fear of doing something wrong. That was one of the reasons why I jumped on board when I heard about Fertile Hope Yoga, an online yoga studio specifically designed to support fertility before, during, and after a cycle. Fertile Hope Yoga also provided me with community. I'm one of the fortunate ones who has been well supported by a close circle of friends throughout my fertility journey, some of whom have had their own fertility struggle but many who have not. But there is an energizing force in a gathering of women from across geography, each with their own unique story and yet all working toward the same dream - mourning one another's losses and cheering each other along. I know yoga isn't for everyone but I really hope that everyone finds their practice, that thing that helps them to both connect with their inner wisdom and also tap into something/someone much bigger than themselves, that place they can go to regularly to find their centre. I saved this note from a yoga course I participated in some time ago because it so resonated with my experience: Build from the ground up. Listen to your body and let your inquiries be both conscious and curious. Sthira means “steadiness” in Sanskrit and when paired with the sukha or ease we find ourselves on the path toward balance. Now while this sounds pretty good, you might be happy to know that this idea can be practically applied to your at-home yoga practice—and we are going to put it into play today. As we continue to grow our practice, remember you can always go back to two things at any time: your breath and your foundation. Returning to these two things will allow you to keep a steadiness of mind, calmness in your breath, and a feeling of being centered—no matter what happens in your practice or what is happening in your day. Remember, it’s a practice. So, be brave dear one, keep going. Find your conscious footing, return to your breath, and welcome patience and equanimity to your life. Move with strength and grace on the mat to live with strength and grace off the mat. Yoga with Adriene Mishler Commune course September 14, 2018
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