Yoga to help you ease back into the community
Over the last couple of year many of us have experienced periods of time where we have been forced to remove ourselves from our community.
Now or at some point in the near future, we will start to emerge from the safety of our homes and enter back into community, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon. When I designed a class to support my students with this transition, I started with creating space to sit with the idea of being back out in community, and invited them to ask, ‘how does that feel?’
For many of us, there will understandably be mixed emotions. Excitement of course, but also doubt, fear, anxiousness and perhaps a lack of confidence. So we explored this on our mat to help with our transition out into the community.
Yoga poses, reflections, affirmations and essential oils to support you in this transition.
Over the past couple of years many of us have experience the impact of our internal landscape. One day we might be feeling on top of the world - baking sourdough, finally clearing out the or organising the garage…but the next day we might still be in our PJs at 3pm, scrolling and crying.
I know when I checked in with my closest friends during lockdown, I would often respond ‘it depends on the day! Today is great, yesterday I had a meltdown!’ BUT, when we feel safe, secure and connected within ourselves, we have this inner sense of belonging. Regardless of what’s happening around us.
The week I was writing my lesson plan on community, I stumbled across this quote which sums it up perfectly: “We belong to ourselves before we find belonging anywhere else” . (I can’t find the source but if you know please get in touch and I’ll add it in!)
So how do we change our internal landscape? Allow me to introduce you to affirmations…
Affirmations
In my experience, my human brain jumps around as much as my crazy and cheeky puppy Bodhi. Just like Bodhi needs training, so does our brain. We can use affirmations (words and phrases) to coach our mind to think differently.
Affirmations can prevent us from getting stuck in old thought pattern, shift our thoughts towards a more positive outlook and help us see the truth.
If you feel like you don’t belong, that you’re not worthy of belonging, that you are not enough…it’s time to step up your affirmation game!
Here are the affirmations I weaved into my yoga class on community:
My feeling, ideas and opinions are valid
I am aware of the support around me
I strengthen my confidence and sense of belonging
I feel accepted and cared for
I belong, I am enough
I am open to the love and support around me
I can seek and create a loving community
I feel like I belong
I am open to receiving love and support
Often when we use affirmations within a yoga class, there are one or two that stand out. The same when you’re reading that list - which one jumped out at you? Which one felt uncomfortable? Which do you feel like you need to use that most?
Identify 1-2 and then here are some way to use them:
Incorporate into your yoga, meditation or journaling practice
Write them onto post it notes and stick on your fridge, mirror, desk - wherever you will see them
Put them into your phone as a reminder or a screenshot
The Asana (poses)
So our body works as a community - organs, cells, tissues, bones, brain. If we’re injured, other parts of our body will compensate for that. They’ll pick up the slack, which is great BUT it does place stress on other parts of our body.
For example, I recently injured my Sacro Illiac joint (SI joint) doing Crossfit. The SI joint is located in the pelvis and it should have a very small range of motion (1-3%.) However, my ligaments are looser than they should be on the left and so it’s not stable.
We all know that if the foundations of a house are uneven, it’s going to impact the whole building. It’s not stable or safe, and you can’t trust it. Same with the pelvis and the spine.
Also the Piriformis, a muscle in the glutes region is one of six muscles in the group that move our leg out to the side (lateral rotation). It tends to take over which can then mean it presses on the sciatic nerve which runs under or through it - resulting in those nervy, tingle symptoms that run down the side of your leg. If you’ve ever experienced this, you’ll know that it’s highly uncomfortable and highly irritating! (BTW, applying Ice Blue Rub and Copaiba oil topically do help).
So, what to do? Well, we need to balance the area around it so that everything is switched on and nothing is overworking. Strengthening, stabilising and sharing the load was the intention behind the poses in this class. Here are some of the poses we used:
Yin/Restore Sequence:
Butterfly Pose - add blanket under seating bones. Stretch into lower back, muscles along the spine. Tends and ligaments of the spine and hips. Variations: use block or bolster. Bring feet further out or closer in.
Square Pose - 3 mins on each side
Shoelace - glutes/IT band. 3 mins on each side. Variation: extend one leg out straightSleeping Swan - 4 mins on each side.
Supported Heart Opener - cultivate an openness to receive love and support.
Twisted roots - stretch into the glutes and rotate the spine.
Frog - open into the inner seams of the legs (adductors). If there are tight it limits our external rotation.
Savasana
Flow Sequence:
Butterfly + Clam Shells
Extended cat / cow. Gate pose with pulses.
Ragdoll - side pulse and crossover feet
Sun Salutation A.
Sun Salutation B: W1, W2, Rev, Ext SA, ½ moon + Pulse top leg + Trikonasana
½ Pigeon > Seated twist > Gomukhasana (right and then left)
Open eagle > flying pigeon > uttihasta > revolved uttihasta
Sun Salutation B: W1, W2, Rev, Ext SA, ½ moon + Pulse top leg > Reverse 1/2 Moon > Reverse Trikonasana
Reclining half pigeon > Twisted Roots
Fish Pose
Happy baby
Savasana
Essential Oils
Cedarwood, the oil of community, is the perfect match when we’re working with the theme of community.
Daytime yoga diffuser blend: 3 drops Cedarwood, 2 drops Wild Orange (oil of abundance)
Evening yoga diffuser blend: 3 drops Cedarwood, 2 drops Lavender, 1 drop Frankincense (oil of truth)
Read more about essential oils and how to get started here
As you move back into the community, remember that you can go at your own pace, with kindness and confidence.
Namaste,
Lou x