Trauma and stress are unavoidable and a universal part of the human condition. If not properly processed, these experiences can become emotionally and physically embedded and can lead to negative outcomes in our wellbeing.
Yoga and/or intentioned movement helps us to somatically (or physically) process and unwind the trauma, stress and knowledge that our bodies hold. Similarly, journaling - sitting down with a pen and paper - can help us to emotionally and intellectually process and unwind. These two are natural compliments to one another as they live at the core of our individual unfolding and address, together, the mind/body connection at its most basic level.
Writing as a well-being practice is for EVERYONE.
Whether you're comfortably familiar with writing or have had nothing to do with it, I invite you to explore letting your journal be your confidant, your companion, your teacher; a safe place to fall apart...and come back together.
When we write to heal, we show up for ourselves with no pretense or judgement. We let words flow without critical thought. We make space to connect to the deepest, most sacred parts of ourselves.
Writing stimulates the mind to process while intentional movement (like yoga) stimulates the body to process.
Dare I be so bold in saying that one without the other is futile?
If you're looking for support in this, check out the link in my bio under LIVE Classes. A monthly "Hello Self" Writing Magic Session is available to you to help you stay accountable and create sacred space with others. You DON'T need to be a "writer" to show up. You just need a bit of curiosity to carry you through putting pen to paper.
*Pre-registration is required. ALL Yoga with Sarah BB Members are FREE. Anyone can attend for a small donation to account for space holding, time and effort. All are welcome.
#breatheinbreatheout #yogawithsarahbb #helloselfwritingmagic
January is a time to go inward.
Positioned right in the dead of the winter season, if we look around us and take note of what our greatest teacher - nature - has to offer, we can see that most everything else uses this darkest time of year to rebuild, rejuvenate and rest. It is the simple principle of what all living things have done for ages.
How did we stray so far from this innate wisdom?
Just pause. Listen inwardly and push against the resistance of what society tells us is worthy - the "doing".
Here's the thing...NOTHING can be in production mode all the time, my friends. Not trees, not animals, not insects, not flowers, not seeds of nourishing food... NOT EVEN US.
So, rather than setting lofty goals or big resolutions which can result in a lot of outward action and a hyperfocus on the generational imprinted pattern of "doing"; instead...
📖 Get lost in a good book.
🥰 Cozy up under a warm blanket.
✏️Journal your thoughts.
☕️ Sip calming tea.
🌠 Nestle into the dark.
🧘🏼♀️ Move with mindfulness and intention.
💆🏼♀️ Embrace the slow.
🕯 Light a candle.
🧡 Nourish the soul.
🛌 REST AND REFLECT.
And don't forget, always come back to the breath.
BREATHE IN. BREATHE OUT.
#yogawithsarahbb #selfcareyear #breatheinbreatheout
I've been thinking about rigidity vs. flow lately...
We are creatures of habit and routine; but what if that habit and routine becomes rigid and full of expectation when we want it to simply provide guidance and stability?
Sure, routine can undoubtedly be essential...even beneficial.
Sometimes, in our jobs for example, it's required.
But, if we're too focused on "the routine", and/or the idea of "getting things done", we can easily miss the magic, the flow and the rhythm of the day. We can be unconsciously blinded to unsuspecting opportunity and spontaneous delight.
I invite you to get curious about how the unfoldings of your day play out!
Explore abandoning the external validations and approval percievably accomplished through routine, and be open to discovering a flow - one which inevitably includes moments of downtime, rest and play with moments of creativity and motivation. Find something that works for you with grace and acceptance for where you're at.
Without at least A LITTLE BIT of the flow in our lives, we're closed off to the possibilities that are waiting for us. As long as there is life, there is happiness (and joy!)
"Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost; but it's only here that the new and the good begins. As long as there is life, there is happiness. There's much, much still to come." - Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
#breatheinbreatheout #yogawithsarahbb
You may have noticed that at the end of almost every one of my reels I put the words, "Breathe In. Breathe Out".
This is intentional.
It might seem basic and obvious to talk about breathing in and breathing out. After all, breathing happens automatically and unconsciously! Why do we need a reminder to breathe in and breathe out? Right?!
Well...although a plethora of studies and research throughout time have proven that NOTHING is more essential to our health and well-being than the act of breathing; we, as a species, have LOST the ability to breathe correctly!
SAY WHAT?! 😲
According to James Nestor, author of the revolutionary book "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art," this is demonstrated by everything from the structural evolution of our skulls over time to the increase in physical and mental health issues we see today. It's no coincidence that we have seen dramatic increases in insomnia, sleep apnea, ADHD, autoimmune diseases, learning disabilities, mood issues, and more.
"Modern research is showing us that making even SLIGHT adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; and halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease," says Nestor. "None of this should be possible, and yet it is."
In other words, when we learn to breathe correctly (i.e. nasal breathing), the health benefits are undeniable. We see regulation in immune function, the nervous system (hello trauma-conscious work!), weight, circulation, mood, sexual function and more!
WOW. 🤯 As if I wasn't ALREADY totally geeked out about the power of breath! 🤓
So, while we assume that breathing is purely unconscious and not worth paying much attention to since it happens naturally anyway; the truth is that when we pause and #breatheinbreatheout - specifically through our noses - we are rebuilding the foundation from which EVERYTHING in our health and wellness journey is built upon.
Now THAT'S a big deal.
So, remember, this
THE SHORTEST DAY
"So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us—Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!"
- Susan Cooper
#wintersolstice #yogawithsarahbb
Yoga lived - or yoga "off the mat" - through the lens of Ahimsa. On location at @little_hill_berry_farm
I invite you to take a pause with me.
Do this simple practice whenever you feel dysregulated and need to come back to your body and your breath - to the NOW.
Breathe In.
Breathe Out.
#yogawithsarahbb #breatheinbreatheout
If you're wanting a peak into our weekly Yin Yoga practice, this is it.
A commitment to show up and sink into the fullness of who we were meant to be - through the act of "being" instead of "doing." A radical act in these times. So it seems.
What does the act of "being" instead of "doing" look like for you?
#yinyoga #yogawithsarahbb
