Don’t look at the bright side. Don’t pretend things are good when they aren’t. You’ll never win (and you’ll wind up miserable). Instead, look for joy in different places. Find pockets of goodness existing alongside the bad. It’s not about ignoring or turning off your sense of reality; it’s about learning to shift attention to more joyful subject matter when you need to.
Short answer: accept the bad and look for the good. It takes practice for sure, but it’s worth it!
Monday : Set Intention
This can sound a lot like toxic positivity — “looking on the bright side.” It’s not that at all. I’m not suggesting that you can (or should) ignore the bad stuff. Life is real and, all too often, tough. If something is crappy, let it be crappy (don’t try to turn that sh* into shinola). Instead, just look for opportunities to focus on something joyful INSTEAD. Simply acknowledging that something positive is happening alongside the nastiness can be enough to change the narrative and shift your whole day. You’re not ignoring reality; you’re just noticing that there’s more than one reality happening in that moment.
Tuesday : Slow Flow
Backhanding and heart opening is a significant part of yoga, but in order to balance any yoga posture, we always want to find its “counter pose.” In this case: core work with Boat Pose. I offer lots of variations for Boat as we transition from “Half Boat” (what a lot of people call “hollow body hold”) to full boat. These repetitions require deep concentration and connection to your breath. I will never guarantee “six pack” results, but I can guarantee that if you master these transitions, your core will be strong as hell.
Wednesday : Meditation
In this week’s Wednesday meditation prompt, I offer a brief reflection I often use at the end of yoga classes: scan your body for what feels particularly good today or think of something / someone that makes you feel good. That feeling is yours, and you can drop into it any time you want, wherever you are! I really like this one and use it all the time when I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious (which happens more than you’d think for a yoga teacher).
Thursday : Mindful Hack
In today’s a hack, you’re looking for an opportunity to be kind. Offering a smile, a nod, a simple heartfelt compliment can go a long way. Don’t worry, nobody is asking you to be cringy. But taking a moment to intentionally brighten someone else’s day — even if it’s just by being polite – will have a tremendous ripple through your own day.
Friday : Athletic Flow
This week’s athletic sequence combines some pretty straightforward poses that most beginning/intermediate yogis have come across, but they’re put together in a way that might be surprising. There is some comfort and security in familiar sequences — sun salutations, for example — but one of the things I love about Vinyasa Yoga is that it builds concentration. You have to think, be present with what you’re doing, and trust your hearing (because if you’re upside down, it’s awfully hard to look around to see what the instructor or the rest of the class is doing).
Saturday : Meditation
As you breathe, you will ignite your inner light as you send it into the world around you. As you infuse your mind’s eye with this image, you will feel your whole being — not to be redundant — lighten. Now notice how it shifts your day. How do you move differently in the world if you’re consciously sharing your most positive intention? I find that it creates a kind of forcefield around me. It keeps the bad stuff out in a really remarkable way. Follow dailyflow.yoga/blog for weekly updates and live classes.
Sunday : Reflection
Psalm 100 is maybe one of the most famous passages of the Hebrew Bible. This is, of course, just the first phrase, but — in my opinion – the most important. What is your joyful noise? Is it a shout? A song? A yelp? Is it a kind word to someone who doesn’t hear from you enough? A no-response-required voice memo you send to someone who just crossed your mind? My joyful noise sometimes looks like actual singing, but just as often, it shows up in my teaching as I encourage and lead people the best I can towards a more fulfilled and joyful yoga / fitness journey.
Nothing that appears in this blog or on this website is intended to treat or diagnose any disorder, physical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.
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