These days, I am stunningly aware of the importance of my yoga practices.  For myself.  For my family.  For the world.  There are those days that I feel like I am just doing the practice for myself.  Just barely making it to my mat or cushion, so that I can feel less anxious, less stressed, less grumpy, whatever it is.  But, it is always more than that.  Each and every time I practice asana and meditation, there is a shift toward a better state.  Something in my that was contracted expands, and there is just a bit more space for light to come through me for myself, for my family, for my community.

As we enter this paradoxical time of the holiday season in the midst of world tragedy, remember that each of us has a role in bringing more light into the world.  Practicing yoga is way of creating change, a real and potent way in which each of us shifts our own consciousness toward the light and creates the possibility for more light and peace in the world.

For the past several years, I have chosen as my teaching focus around the holiday time the teachings of the Brahma Viharas, literally, the Heavenly Abodes, the 4 sublime states that are upheld in the Yoga and Buddhist Traditions.  These are:

Maitri – friendliness and loving-kindness

• the wish that all sentient beings be happy

Karuna – compassion

• the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering

Mudhita – empathetic joy

• the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of others

Upeksha – over-looking, equanimity

• literally “over-looking”, to look high rather than low, to focus on the highest in ourselves and in others, to stay broad-minded and in a state of equanimity with regard to ourselves and others
  

Who could use some visual reminders about how to stay healthy at work and school?  Me!  We are living in a culture that is hyper-focused on productivity at the expense of balance and sanity.  The American lifestyle is becoming increasingly sedentary which is leading to huge health problems: obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, low back pain, neck pain, and the list goes on.  Maybe you’ve heard the line: Sitting is the new smoking. 

What does your work or school day look like  Are your habits supporting your well-being?

Time for some self-inquiry:

• How often do you become zeroed in on a project at work and realize after an hour or more that you haven’t gotten up to move, haven’t had any fluids and haven’t even noticed your breathing? 
• Do you tend to sit at the computer for many hours without a break and realize later that your neck, or shoulders or low back or wrists feel unhappy? 
• Do you rely on caffeine for energy during your workday and drink more coffee than water?
• Do you skip lunch or eat whatever is handy even if it’s not particularly healthy?
• Do you work through your breaks?
• Do you skip exercise?
• Do days go without your prioritizing spending time outside and enjoying nature?
• Do you notice that your kids are also spending too much time in front of a screen, spending too little time outside, and craving junk?

​To help my family and your family cultivate healthier habits during the work/school week, I have created two downloadable tip sheets:    
                                                
Healthier Habits for Work – 5 Great Tips for balance at work.  Plus, Carl Dawson's Chair Yoga

Healthy Lunches for Work and School… How to make a mason jar salad and ideas for thermos lunches 
 
Print some off for yourself, for your friends and colleagues or for your kids! 

And, for more healthy habits, check out my 10 Weeks to Vibrant Living Course. 

To your health!

xo Annie