Staying Involved

There are days that you feel overwhelmed with chores, work, school,  relationships and finances.  Probably lots of days lately.  We tend to overspend and over-obligate ourselves with gifts and activities during the last couple months of the year. 

The most important person during this time is you.  You must take care of yourself so that you can take care of the ones that you love. 
Let's take a look at how you can do this.

Focus, stay present.  Use your yoga practice to experiment on staying present.  Then, when you get the hang of it...take it off your mat.  Start with your breath.  Just getting more oxygen into your body, and recognizing the breath could be/might be/should be enough! 
Here are six ways to begin practicing this mindful practice and incorporating the breath into your meditation. 

1.  Mentally talk to yourself as you  inhale and exhale.  Inhale repeat a positive word, Exhale a word to de-stress.  Inhale:  Healthy - Exhale:  Relax

2.  Listen to music, the same music so that you get use to the rhythm, length of time and routine.  As your mind recognizes the song (instrumental music) you begin to let go of the wandering and find inner peace.

3.  Chant or repeat a mantra.  there are several good ones that can release stress and raise vibrations in your body to create harmony within.

4.  Use a candle, focus on the flame (focus on your flame..ok, off the subject)as it flickers with your inhales and exhales..

5.  Walking mindfully by the ocean, through the woods or a quiet neighbor

6.  Head or neck rolls that are slow and circular can be very calming to the mind and releases tension to boot.  A two for one.

By staying present in your practice teaches you to be present in your everyday life.  You begin to listen to others without your mind wandering, you begin completing projects, you begin tolerating negative people with ease, sleep becomes something you look forward to, and the pain you carry starts to diminish.
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Janine is a Yoga Instructor and Life Coach practicing from her home studio. She invites students to her studio for personal sessions, as well as traveling to your home. She is teaching in a couple studios right now in the Wells/Ogunquit area, as well as at The Cancer Care Center of York County and York Hospital's Wellness Center.
If you are looking for gentle yoga to increase flexibility, strength and energy plus decrease stress and tension, this is the style of yoga that you want for your practice. As a life coach, she leads educational coaching series along with personal one on one life coaching using the Co-Active Coaching techniques and Ayurveda Science. You can reach her at 207-251-9577