By: Tash
Some found art in Greece that inspired some of this piece.
What do you think of when you hear the word yoga? How about meditation? I’m not even going to dignify the stereotypes by repeating them; they take up enough space in our psyche anyway. The truth is, meditation and yoga (either together or apart) aren’t complicated or reserved for a certain kind of person. They’re techniques that you can use to keep yourself grounded, and healthy inside and out.
I won’t act like I’m a longtime practitioner of either yoga or meditation. I’m a newbie to this entire world, but that’s why I think I can say without much doubt that the immediate effects are life-changing. Take it from someone who struggles with the kind of anxiety that comes from a childhood built on perfectionism and the self-imposed belief that more is less. There’s a reason that that isn’t the expression.
How many people do you know who feel stiff? Who are anxious and need to slow down? I know it doesn’t make sense that something as simple as taking ten deep breaths and letting your body hang about like a rag doll can really help as much as it does - but it does.
The relationship that I’ve created with my yoga mat (stay with me here) is a really beautiful thing. Because I’ve been lucky enough to have the chance, and mental and physical energy required to start a daily yoga practice, everytime I roll out my sustainable-corc-vegan-
covered-in-flowers mat (know what you love, you know?) it jump starts my relaxation. It’s actually become a mental program (more on that later).
On another note, I’m sure by now we all know (and often forget/ignore) that exercise is probably one of the most valuable things we can implement into our daily routines. The benefits are endless. And yoga just takes it up a notch. We spend so much time hunched over computers or stuffed into smaller and smaller spaces that learning to stretch, take up space and slow down can be a huge game changer.
I’ll make this really simple. Meditation can look like a lot of things, but for me, it’s just taking the time to stop moving, center myself in the present moment (by that I just mean concentrating on simple actions like breathing or rubbing my neck), and take a couple of minutes for myself. That’s it! You can meditate sitting down, in bed, on the bus. Trust me, it doesn’t have to complicated and everyone needs to start somewhere.
Yoga just combines this kind of mindful attitude with movement. And it’s even easier to do because you can just follow along with a teacher. If you’ve ever done yoga from YouTube then you’ve probably heard of YogaWithAdriene. Her motto is find what feels good, and honestly that’s what yoga and meditation is all about. Everyone has ideas about what yoga and meditation are supposed to look like, but what really matters is learning to create a space for yourself to be calm and present. It’ll open up emotions, headspace and of course, your muscles.
I know that the entire self-help movement has had a surge in popularity (and let’s not mix up slathering on a face mask and impulse buying things you don’t need with actual self care) but I couldn’t help but rave about it too. Because it has helped me. And it can help you too.
Have any questions? Comments? Complaints? (Hopefully not). Please share. I’m more than happy to keep this conversation going. Keep learning. Love from Tash. <3