Build a Reservoir of Resilience
"Life doesn't get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient."
— Steve Maraboli
I enjoy my practice when times are good... but when times are tough, my practice is my lifeline, my sanctuary, my sanity.
Like when I lost my young dog to an auto-immune condition.
Or during a divorce that required dismantling a blooming business.
Or that very special year where the whole world turned upside down (2020).
But here's the thing. For your practice to be there when you need it, the foundation needs to be set and solid. You can't build your basement when a tornado's on the way. You build it waaaaaaaaay before the storm. Then you have shelter and a base from which to rebuild even if the worst happens. Similar with yoga. You build your skills, seek shelter when needed, and draw strength when wanted.
Nowadays, it feels like storms keep rolling in. From COVID, to climate change, to a looming recession. It's impossible to predict what's next. AND it's 100% in your power to prepare. Not the hunker-down-in-a-bunker prepare. But build-a-reservoir-of-resilience.
Important Note: when I use the word "practice" here, it's probably not what you think. The practices I'm talking about are not necessarily poses (although that can be part of it), it's practices of managing your mind, regulating your nervous system and strengthening your subtle body. Here are some of my favorite practices for resilience:
Journaling
Wim Hof Breathwork
Meditation
Cold Plunge
Long walks in the woods
Inspiring books, podcasts, talks
What's the subtle body? This is your storehouse of energy, vitality, and aliveness. The yoga tradition has a treasure chest of time-tested tools for developing reserves of energy and inner strength. Here are a few:
Mantra
Visualization Meditations
Aligned Motives for Practice
Yamas & Niyamas
Pranayama
Asana Practice that builds Prana (to build rather than deplete prana, posture practice needs to be linked to breath and have a specific energetic intention)
Cleansing Practices like Uddiyana Bandha Kriya
We'll explore ancient ideas of the subtle body, it's relationship to modern neuroscience, and distill everything into useful, practical, tools in a webinar on Thursday, 9/1 at 5:30pm. Sign up here: Build Your Reservoir of Resilience
Can't make it live? The recording will be stored in your Virtual Library.
May your practice be your lifeline.
