As we enter what feels like month 5,700 of this global pandemic, there exists a dichotomy of energetic goings-on as many of us ponder how to both dip our toes back into the pool of life and simultaneously manage our collective fatigue from layer upon layer of shifts we’ve all endured since March 2020.

The daily assessment of one’s tolerance for risk and need for pleasure, connectedness, and joy is a balancing act that sometimes feels like scaling Mt. Everest without oxygen tanks.

We might ask ourselves, “How can I carry on?” 

This summer and fall, I’ve been exploring resiliency.  Resilience is the ability to be "flex-able" during challenging phases of life.  As I’ve observed, building resilience requires a few key components.

Our yoga practice can be a beautiful space in which to strengthen our resilience.  When I step onto my mat, the key invitation is to be self-aware.  Of course I am aware of my physical body and its sensations in the moment, but time on my mat quiets my mental chatter so that I can attune more intimately with my emotions and buoyancy of spirit (or lack thereof) .  

It’s also a time for me to connect with my core values.  Can I meet myself authentically for my practice?  Can I embrace my love of humor and just smile when I wobble or fall out of a balance pose?  Can I savor the bliss of moving body and breath in concert with one another?  

Asana practice is a gorgeous medium for exploring boundaries.  As teachers, we often talk about the “end points” of poses and invite students to sense the groundedness of feet on the earth and the expansion of fingertips skyward in equal measure, creating a boundary of awareness on the mat that can then help us shore up boundaries in our lives off the mat.

Yoga is also an invitation to practice letting go.  We might let go of physical tension in our muscles in a delicious stretch.  Maybe we release a limiting belief about our body that was buried deep in the folds of gray matter in our head.  Perhaps we let go of a little fear and step into curiosity by modifying a pose or breath practice to feel something new.

Lastly, yoga is a safe space to practice alignment and aligned action.  It could be the physical alignment of stacking joint over joint and heart over pelvis in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).  Sometimes, it is realizing that a certain class style or class time just isn’t in alignment with our needs!  As we practice alignment within our yoga practice we flex the muscles that help us discern aligned choices and actions out in the world.  

How would it feel if you saw your yoga practice as something that helps sustain you through difficult times?  

Could you appreciate your practice as one of the ways you take deep, loving care of yourself and strengthen your tolerance for life's ups and downs?

Wishing you grace on your journey to build resilience,

Jennifer