At this time of year, we often find ourselves getting to the end of the week feeling absolutely shattered. After a long week, maybe working, maybe looking after the kids, maybe overloaded with life admin, all we want to do is relax in front of the telly. And yet, is this going to serve us? Are we going to peel ourselves off the sofa 2 hours later feeling better?
Don’t get me wrong, as the world’s biggest Strictly fan, there might be a place for TV in your week, but if you find yourself lacking in energy, often it is a call from the body to reset. The body and mind want relaxation, but this sort of relaxation doesn’t come from sitting stationary.
Yoga can help to aid relaxation through it’s combination of poses, breathing and meditation. This focus for (at least) an hour, enables us to take charge of our bodies once again. The careful and graceful positioning of the body, teamed with focused breath is incredibly empowering.
Yoga also serves to draw the attention to within the body. It moves the gaze from looking outwardly at the world around, to looking inwards at the alignment of the body and spirit. Once we can find stillness and strength from within, we can then start to look out and see our place in the wider world.
When the body is telling you it needs to stop and relax; particularly if you work in an office, your eyes need time away from screens, and your body is wanting to be challenged physically. An hour long asana (sanskrit term for yoga poses) practice provides this.
So as the nights draw in earlier, and the comfort of our living rooms call to us, can you challenge yourself to go out to a yoga class to restore the mind and body?
Join me this week for classes focusing on restoring the body. While the world seems to be consumed by loud headlines, destructive power and scare mongering, we will be seeking joyful quiet, looking inwards to inner beauty and softness of soul. Book here.
