I know that personally I often don’t get (make) the time to truly switch off except when I am actually on my yoga mat or doing a meditation practice. I am learning to recognise those…nearly having a melt down moments…when I have pushed myself too hard for too long! I may have the core strength physically, but we need it mentally too. Whereas the physical core strength helps us to keep going the mental one can help us to say no and to pause when we need to. When there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, and instead of fighting it we learn to rest, I learn to forgive myself for not pre empting it, and that I don’t need to be everything to everybody and that actually to say no and to admit I need more me time is a great life skill. I am learning to utilise a short physical yoga asana, breathing or meditation practice to re set, to just give myself a few minutes kindness and not try and continually push through the tiredness. I am learning to use my yoga practice to improve my core strength on a number of levels.
I am also continually learning to reflect, to notice what leads me to work too hard. I have a passion for what I do. That I love about my life. However my tendency to always want to do more, to do it now needs to be lessened. Some of this stuff can wait! As my friends will notice, I am learning to say ‘thank you but not yet’ or ‘sorry I can’t fit it in this week’ to opportunities and social occasions. I am learning that sometimes more me time, time doing nothing more than indulging myself in pottering around my little house, reading or even sleeping more is good. Plus I am learning to forgive myself for not being super human and for actually needing to do this!! I am learning that having inner core strength allows me to actually relax more than the days when I felt I was always holding myself together from the outside.
I am learning that actually when I try to do everything maybe I don’t do anything as well as I am able. That making a to do list is great but sometimes makes me feel overwhelmed. That sometimes I am better to just focus on one thing at a time and doing that well. I may be strong and motivated but even I need a rest sometimes! I may have strengthened my core self to allow me more ability to endure. Yet I have also learnt that life is about more than enduring, it’s also about enjoying! I have put up another short core strength Youtube video to allow us to focus on our inner strength physically. This inner core strength helps gives us the power to keep our resolutions and intentions. It holds us strong from the inside to move in this very externally focused busy world we live in.
All this attaining, acquiring and material definitions of success seem to take us outward. All this focus on the external remove us from noticing that sometimes the internal world is actually where we live. Yoga encourages looking inward and strengthening ourself as we nurture our body and soul. To strengthen our core, psychologically & physically matters more than just pampering the surface of our bodies or acquiring a faster car. So take a few minutes to pause and maybe work with the breath and the core. Do some yoga, explore your core and discover what you need.
I understand that social expectation, pressure of mortgage payments and family time means that we often feel we have to choose between the quietly focusing inward and continually working toward external success. I want to show the world that a little knowledge and motivation can change how you feel about your world. That treating yourself with forgiveness for not being perfect, that allowing yourself a ten minute break on the days when getting to yoga class isn’t feasible is just as important. I want the world to be happier inside and out. Core strength will help not only with the physical stuff like back pain & posture. Core strength also helps provide the strength to say no, the knowledge to know when we need a rest. Yoga helps us turn our focus inward, to our core. Developing core strength helps us to act on the knowledge that we find! Maybe I dream big, but I also understand that each person whose life I can open to this possibility of feeling better from the inside out, to practicing yoga, means my dreams have come true.