This is a good one. Sometimes when I set a goal (or intention), my ego gets involved and I want to do everything all at once. There is tremendous power in embracing that something can be “good enough,” or — as a friend put it — “done is better than perfect.” I like that, and if I’d heard it sooner, I would have included it in a video.
Monday : Set Intention
As we set intention for the week ahead, I share this week’s theme: Lowering the Bar! I don’t mean compromising your values or goals. Rather, I mean finding a way to get to the essence of what you really want. Set ego aside and remove the obstacles blocking your way.
Tuesday : Slow Flow
As usual in our Tuesday Slow Flow, this sequence starts with some seated spinal openers you can easily perform seated in a chair and moves on to a simple Warrior II series that organically builds on what we did on the floor. I think this is especially good for chillier days when your shoulders are hunched up around your ears and have been using the opening sequence in a lot of my IRL classes this week.
Wednesday : Meditation
In our Wednesday Meditation, “lower the bar” by embracing your wandering mind. Simply noticing that you’re lost in thought “counts” as meditation. Abandon your ideas of what it means to sit and reflect, and embrace that showing up is the important part. The rest gets much easier.
Thursday : Mindful Hack
In this week’s “mindful hack,” I introduce the shocking, jarring idea of just not doing something. I don’t mean shirking responsiblity, but let go of something you don’t need. Order pizza instead of cooking. Delete that irksome text instead of responding. Just check something off the list WITHOUT EVER DOING IT.
Friday : Athletic Flow
Fridays are our more Athletic yoga days. In today’s sequence, we’ll build on Tuesday’s slow / gentle practice, so for people who are just beginning their Vinyasa “journey,” I’d encourage you to review that one first. I think it’s important for yogis of all skill levels to try some of the “crazy” stuff like Half Moon Pose but you might want to have yoga blocks or even a chair handy to “bring the floor to you.” Never hesitate to comment if you have any questions!
Saturday : Meditation
In this Saturday’s brief meditation practice, anchor your attention to the sound and sensation of the Ujjayi pranayama. By cultivating this “mirror-fogging” or “ocean-wave” sound in the breath, you’re doing a lot of great stuff, including purifying and warming the air, but — for our intention today — you’re also giving yourself something more tangible than “the rise and fall of the breath.” Mindfulness meditation teachers are famous for saying “follow” or “come back to” your breath, but sometimes the HOW is difficult (for me, anyway). The Ujjayi breath is a reliable way to connect with something more concrete and tangible.
Sunday : Reflection
In this week’s Sunday Reflection, I’m sharing a quote I love from Sri Saraswati’s work Prana and Pranayama (in yoga-world, Prana refers to the energy/life force/spirit that runs through all of creation, and “Pranayama” is the practice of using breathwork to help that energy flow freely). I love the idea that as our mindfulness and meditation practices progress, it is like the sun lighting the Earth each morning.
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.