Relax

The idea of a vacation helping you to refresh your brain and recharge your battery is a universally accepted one, and with good reason…

Nature is good for me because it shows me a different, more expansive side of life that people too often do not expose themselves to in the cubicles of their minds' eye, from the limited contours of the concrete jungle.

There are no real rules when it comes to savasana. Corpse pose is an homage to the meditative state the original practitioners of yoga committed to for hours after asanas. The purpose is self-reflection and meditation—but that doesn’t always look the same way. Some yogis find today’s most common pose aspect (laying down with legs and arms slightly spread) uncomfortable for their lower back, so they choose to bend their knees. Some prefer to sit in a seated position.

Fear is the enemy of peace. You cannot be in a state of fear and peace at the same time; one has to make room for the other.

In our modern world, stress and fear seem to be the ruler of the day. We fear our financial security. We fear for the safety of our children as they leave for school every morning. We are afraid of violence, being alone, never having enough.

There are also the deeper fears within us. The fear of others, the fear of being defined by others, fearing connections or lack thereof and fearing life’s challenges.

One of my yoga teachers says we don’t notice the breath until we’re out of it.

By the time I started a yoga teacher training in 2011, I was out of it, both figuratively and literally: my breath was labored, shallow, strained. I was a first-year 4^th grade teacher, and my heart was always racing, whether I was standing in front of my classroom, lying in bed, or brushing my teeth. I was clearly overwhelmed, my body was rebelling, and I couldn’t find the off switch. I was sure my short, panicky breaths were announcing my anxiety to the world.

Jobs, family, relationships, and social functions often tend to take precedence over our own needs. It is easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day demands of life. Whether we feel a sense of obligation or not, the day can slip away without time to ourselves. It's those days that leave us open to stress, anxiety, and a loss of sense of self. That is why it is important to squeeze a little bit of “me time” into our daily routine. Whether it be five minutes or five hours, the following five are ways you can break away and take precedence over your day.

This move defies the age, gender, social, and financial barriers of most exercises we know. It is a very accepting and inclusive type of movement; you need no equipment, fancy instructions or special skills to do it.

It’s merciful when you break the rules and it gives you a chance to express yourself. It’s ok, and it is recommended to do what your body tells you to do as the sound transports you to unexpected places.

Life has a habit of getting in the way of your well thought out plans. You leave home deciding to do one thing, and distraction after distraction happens to throw off well thought out ideas.

How incredibly annoying!

It’s in times like these we most need to draw upon our inner peace. Unfortunately, these are the times it is hardest to find it.

Here are seven simple moves you can practice on a daily basis to find and keep your zen.

Move 1:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert had an impact on me. After reading it a few years back, I wanted nothing more than to go on one of these sabbaticals to get my act together, write a bestseller, probably have a blockbuster made out of it and then my life would be set and sitting pretty.