love your b r a i n
Photo credit: @zabelita
mindfulness. brain health. stress resilience.
When I was in grad school, I was encouraged to practice yoga and meditation to help me manage stress.
My response? “I’m not stressed.”
I was working 60 hours a week to put myself through school, while working on my doctorate in health sciences. I had a long-term boyfriend. I owned a home. I worked out daily for a minimum of one hour.
I was definitely stressed.
Interestingly, my brain was used to the stressors of my lifestyle. In order to survive my life, I couldn’t admit that I was stressed out, overwhelmed, and practicing unhealthy patterns. I was doing what I needed to do to survive.
Being a “good student,” I started practicing yoga.
I hated yoga. I wasn’t “good” at yoga. When the teacher asked me to “clear my mind” at the end of class, I could not stop my mind from racing. I’m so busy, I would worry, I don’t have time to lay here and try to stop my mind from thinking. This is a waste of time!
i was inadvertently missing the point/practice of yoga.
I believed that yoga and mindfulness needed to be an hour (or longer) to get the benefit. I believed that I needed to have a “perfect” practice to start. I didn’t know how to get from where I was to where I wanted to be.
So I quit.
And I started again.
I had a love/hate relationship with yoga, mindfulness, and meditation for years. And maybe you do, too? I knew I “should” do yoga, there are so many benefits, but how on earth could I make the time? I was so busy. I was overwhelmed. Why add something I wasn’t “good” at?
Life has a way of bringing lessons back to us until we learn them.
That is how my yoga, mindfulness, and meditation practices have become habit.
My breakthrough was multi-part:
Flexible: I needed to allow myself the flexibility to not see these practices as defined by length of time or “instagram-worthy” images. Fact: I do not always look happy or peaceful in my practice. Sometimes yoga brings up anger, sadness, and other emotions I’d rather not deal with. When I don’t deal with them, they come up in other ways: eating, shopping, not sleeping.
Intentional: Setting aside a minute or two each day made a difference. I didn’t have the time (or motivation) to set aside a full hour at first. I started really small (hence my mindful minutes if you follow me on instagram!).
Transformational: I had to give myself TIME and SPACE to allow for a transformation. As my teacher Baron Baptiste says, “You have to show up and suck before you can show up and shine.”
I’ve shared a lot about my experience with traumatic brain injury.
Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation have been a huge part of my recovery. March is right around the corner, and I’d love to invite you to join me in creating your OWN mindfulness practice in the month of March.
virtual 31-day meditation challenge
MARCH IS BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH.
This year, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is predicted to be the #3 leading cause of death and disability.
I first learned about LoveYourBrain through lululemon. LoveYourBrain believes that mindfulness, yoga, and community are essential to transforming the wellbeing of people with TBI and their caregivers. That’s why they pioneered their Yoga and Retreat programs - offered nationwide - to empower our community with new tools, resources, and connections. Because when we do, the TBI community can better access their resilience, embrace who they are now, and reach their full potential.
Join me for @LoveYourBrain ’s 31-day Meditation Challenge during #MindfulMarch! You'll receive daily meditations by email and be inspired to find greater peace all month long. All proceeds support the LoveYourBrain Yoga program - that I am traveling to Seattle this week to learn how to teach in my community - for people with traumatic brain injury (including concussion) and their caregivers. I know firsthand the incredible impact, so I challenge you to join me - sign up at loveyourbrain.com!
Yoga at Helio Basin Brewing co
Get your flow on with Brian and me at this FREE yoga class at Helio Basin Brewing on Saturday, March 21st at 10AM. We are accepting cash donations at the door to benefit The Love Your Brain Foundation.
Register for your complimentary ticket below!
Can’t attend a class or meditate at home? you can still support Loveyourbrain with a donation.
Watch lululemon’s documentary on the LoveYourBrain Foundation here!