We’re two months into lockdown now, yet we’ve all had our own unique experience. Some people have been able to enjoy less pressure and more time and space, while others have been thrown into juggling work, cooking meals and home-schooling. Many people have been facing a similar change, but our unique perspectives on life mean that we are experiencing it in different ways.
It’s all about the mindset.
It’s all about ease and connecting with yourself, focusing on the process rather than stressing about the outcome. With an ease mindset, “tension and worry slide away to create space for creativity, passion, improvisation and joy,” says Strala Yoga founder, Tara Stiles.
One thing that is really noticeable about lockdown is how much time we spend sitting down at screens, and not outside in nature. Do you feel it in your jaw, neck and shoulders or your lower back, hip flexors and hamstrings? Maybe you feel it in your mood? We are spending a lot of time in our heads, while keeping our bodies still.
Movement is vital. Our energy stagnates when we spend long periods of time being sedentary, which not only affects our immunity and lymphatic systems, but can cause pain in weaker areas and give us a greater tendency for dizziness. Conversely, when we spend time outside, it lifts our mood and exercises our limbs; nature is a natural healer.
By now, perhaps you have settled into a new routine and shifted your mindset. We are rushing around less and going out less. We are brought up in a culture that celebrates being busy as a sign of success. Creating this tension in our lives is idolised. Work hard, play hard. But this version of “winning” means having no time for yourself. Maybe it’s time to move away from this unhealthy lifestyle and to say no to continual stress and tension. Is it possible to create a life that is less busy and has some space in it?
Does the thought of space in your schedule fill you with joy or anxiety? Have we become fearful of doing nothing, of being bored?
How would you like to have lunch at lunchtime and take a pause for digestion, and to create a day that includes work, rest and play so that you do not sabotage your sleep. To free up space in the evening to relax, without picking up a device. If we can spend time in a daydreamy state before going to bed, it does wonders for the quality of our sleep.
Lockdown provides the perfect opportunity to reassess. Choose spending more time with family, choose connecting with neighbours, choose exercising outdoors. Choose ease.
Ease is an approach where you take a deep breath to relax and you listen to your friend. You are able to be in the moment and really hear what’s wrong. Ease is the deep breath you take to relax before a stressful situation so that you come out of the fight-flight-freeze mode and are able to think clearly and calmly. Whether what we’re experiencing is simple or challenging, we can approach it with ease, and when we do, we accomplish more with less effort. When we focus on keeping our bodies and minds calm and in the moment, we don’t look to the future or worry about perfection. We are in the zone, and the energy that was once zapped by tension can be directed towards creativity and inspiration.
Let’s try to keep this space as we ease out of lockdown, so that we can create the space to choose the direction that is best for us, and the energy to support us in our efforts.
Nicky offers Health & Wellness MOTs and Consultations to help you de-stress and create ease in your life. Email Nicky@loveyogabird.com to book.
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