Finding Stillness: How Yoga Grounds us in a Chaotic World
The world is a chaotic place, and most of us live busy lives that require near constant activity. From taking care of children to holding down jobs to maintaining a home, we have a lot of competing demands that can leave us feeling breathless and ungrounded.
How do we find and prioritize moments of stillness when there’s so much going on around us?
Create Morning and Evening Rituals
Setting aside just ten minutes in the morning and evening for stillness and reflection can do wonders for your daily outlook and improve your sleep at night.
A ritual can take so many different forms, so give yourself the freedom to come up with something that feels right to you. If you need some inspiration here are a few ideas to get you started.
Set up an altar in the corner of a room. You might light a candle or place some fresh flowers or photographs that bring a sense of peace and happiness. This space becomes your special go-to spot for rest and reflection.
Do some gentle yoga or breathing exercises. If you have space maybe you do some gentle stretches that move the spine and hips. Deep breathing is an excellent way to calm the mind and nervous system, and just ten minutes of practice a day can have impressive results.
Put your legs up a wall. This is my personal favorite that has become a daily ritual. All you need is some space at a wall and a pillow or bolster for your head. A yoga mat is nice too, but a floor by itself works just fine. Find a comfortable distance for your hips from the wall and keep the legs relaxed. If you want a little extra for the shoulders you can open the arms to the side or hold the sides of the pillow. The combination of elevated legs and spine on the floor brings a sense of deep relaxation while also calming down the nervous system.
Go for a walk. Walking is one of the healthiest forms of exercise we can do. It’s a great way to wind down for the night or to get your morning started. If you have a park or other nature area to walk in, all the better. Science has proven that spending time in nature has positive benefits for our overall wellness.
Prioritize activities that you enjoy doing. Maybe you love mountain biking or swimming. Whatever it is, schedule time for those activities that bring you joy, peace, release. Making time for the things that you love doing helps balance out the times we have to spend doing the things that aren’t quite as fun or fulfilling.
Commit to a Regular Yoga Practice
Yoga is an incredibly beneficial activity that activates both the body and brain. Nowadays there’s many different styles of yoga to choose from, so it’s worth it to spend a little bit of time considering what your goals are.
Do you want more of a fitness type of practice where you’ll sweat and increase heart rate? If so then a Vinyasa Flow style might be the best fit.
On the other hand, you might be looking for something that’s more slow paced and soothing. Consider Restorative or Yin in that case. And if you’re looking for something slow paced that also releases joint restrictions and improves mobility you’ll definitely want to try Kaiut Yoga (my personal favorite).
Whatever style you choose, my advice is to start with a couple days a week and see how it feels. We’re naturally drawn to activities that make us feel good, so you’ll know if it’s the right fit. And, some of us like a combination of styles, depending on our mood or energy level.
Spend Time with Friends and Build Community
Building and being part of a community is an important way to develop a sense of connection with the world around us.
Community looks different for everyone. Maybe it’s spending time with one or two friends, chatting and having coffee, or going for a walk or bike ride. For some it might be going to church, or attending a weekly yoga class. Others find their community through volunteering for causes they believe in.
Whatever the option you choose, spending time with friends and building a sense of community can do wonders for increasing your overall happiness rates.
Connecting with other people reminds us that we’re all pretty much the same at the core. Sure there are differences, but at the end of the day we all have the same basic needs.