One thing I love about yoga is how what we learn on the mat often transfers to our life. On the mat, we spend a lot of time preparing our body to achieve what is called a “peak pose”. A deep stretch or a strong posture, like the Wheel or the Splits. To get there, we need our muscles to be warmed up, our range of motion gradually increased and our nervous system to be ready to attempt something difficult. If we are properly prepared, postures flow more easily and we can focus on engaging the right muscles while staying calm and grounded. The same goes for our life.I like to think of going through life as flowing from one season to the next. Some seasons are “easier”. Nothing extraordinary is going on, things are fairly routine. In these moments I like to prepare. To be proactive. I build self-care routines, and I’m extra disciplined with them. It’s easier, because I’m not dealing with any crises at the same time. I also prepare my classes in advance, newsletters such as this one. I warm up my body and mind so that when sh*t hits the fan, as it always does, I can be reactive. Reactive seasons are when life descends into chaos. Some family drama is going on, I’m moving to a new place, a few of my clients need extra support at the same time… Something happens that requires more of my energy. But I’m okay, because I’m prepared. I can keep my most impactful self-care routines and relax on the rest. I can use what I have prepared during the proactive season to make sure I’m not overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have going on. I can use my energy to deal with the main task at hand, and trust in what I have prepared to support myself. I'm in the middle of it right nowI am writing this on the 24th of September. I have a week full of classes ahead of me. Tomorrow, I’m starting a 10-day translation mission on top of my busy schedule. In a few days, I will have to move flat, so I have a ton of things to prepare and get anxious about. But today is still quiet. So it is about being proactive. I’m preparing the next newsletters, recording some podcast episodes and planning my next month of classes. Future Clem is going to be so grateful for Today’s Clem for allowing her to be reactive for a while <3 So ask yourself:In which season are you? Is it time to be proactive or reactive? Should you prepare, or should you give yourself some slack? And how can you best use your next quieter time to prepare and give yourself more breathing room when shit will inevitably hit the fan? Om, peace 🧡 Clem |
I'm a bilingual yoga teacher who helps people who sit a lot gain mobility, move without pain and reduce their stress.
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