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I would like to bring our focus to the word Ease. How can we make our world a little easier ? This blog will help you take inventory of all the things which are taking up time and worry in your life and check in to see if there is anything we can let go of to create more ease.
Ease is not laziness. Ease is the awareness and skillset to enable us to let some things go in order to concentrate on the tasks in hand. Ease is a skill we need to work on and I am about to reveal how.
Think about a time you have been really challenged emotionally or physically.
Undoubtedly this moment in your life put immense stress on your body and mind. Physically, maybe your shoulders hunched, maybe your jaw clenched, maybe you felt physically sick.
All of your waking moments may have been consumed by this challenge. Taking over the moments when you should have been sleeping, relaxing or spending moments with your family. Your mind may have became crammed full of doubts and angst.
Was any of this tension helping you judge how to react to the challenging event ? The real task in hand ? Or were the constant thoughts draining all your resources? Inhibiting your ability to assess and approach a solution in a productive way ? Can accessing ease focus your reactions in a way in which you could come to a resolution in a gentler way.
But how do we access this ease ?
Have you ever watched a gymnast, dancer, runner or another athlete move so fluidly that their agility looks effortless even though we are aware of the immense effort it took. Their movements seemed at ease as though the movement and effort became part of them not an intruder. Ease and exertion melds together. Have you ever been lucky enough to experience that feeling ?
I remember as a new swimmer I would thrash in the water - summoning all my strength to go faster using every muscle to fight the water rather than finding a symbiosis between effort and a glide, a way to work with the water not against it.
Was it still hard - oh yes - but I had more ease. I was actually becoming stronger - swimming was not lazy or easy, it became efficient and clean. An accomplishment of both the mind and body which brought me more satisfaction than any thrashing ever would.
Can we clear our mind enough to be able to step back from our doubts and angst and find out how we can become more mentally efficient by letting some things go. Stop thrashing and glide through our emotions.
We are not gaslighting ourselves, we are not denying there is a legitimate problem but instead we are acknowledging the problem and all the messengers which show up with it. Can we find the glide by taking away the noise of thrashing ? Consider the noise your conscious or unconscious reaction to the problem. What part of the noise is thrashing - unhelpful expenditure of energy and which noise is a necessity to glide through the problem and to the other side with as much ease as possible. Leaving us feeling in control and not exhausted.
Start by labeling what you are feeling - are you feeling like you are not valued? Is it anger ? Is it a combination ? You are the only one who knows. Once you have labeled it rename it as a messenger sent to tell you something. Quietly ask yourself who is making you feel that way? Is it a self induced feeling ? Or is this messenger coming from someone externally? Once you are here at this point, think about mentally taking a step back - move from your space of judgement and into a quiet thinking space. Imagine closing the door on all the periphery noise and sit with the label (way you are feeling), the trigger (who/what is bringing this feeling to your body) ? Is there a way you can seperate the label with the trigger for a moment and use some of the skills you have learnt already?
Maybe from previous newsletters ? Can you Presume Positive Intent? Can you Lens Shift? Or maybe just walk away from this feeling by Shutting the Barn Door ? Click on the underlined skills to refresh your memory or read the Mindfulness and Yoga page by clicking HERE
Maybe you can use your yogi skills?
Yoga - is the embodiment of finding and embracing our ease. Yoga is a way to intertwine ease into our whole being. In yoga we are practicing how to constantly live in the moment and notice how that moment effects our body and mind. Constantly scanning your body to see if you are holding tension; asking yourself where in yourself you can release. Using curiosity not judgement and asking is there anywhere I can release tension and enhance ease; even if it is only a fraction.
The true practice is in the release. The ability to notice that you are holding on and asking is that something I can let go of - physically or mentally. You become capable of things you have never imagined just by letting go of tension which does not serve you.
Fall is a great time to reassess if there is anything you can let go of. Just like the trees let go of their leaves for their greater good. Allow yourself to respond with purpose and ease to your environment and your body's needs.
Check in right now and ask are you holding on to any tension or predeterminded beliefs which no longer serve you? Can you let them go and find more ease in your life ?
Do you need a yoga practice to help you find more ease ? Try this one HERE
Can I help you gently investigate what is causing your tension and explore how you can find more ease ? I would love to help you on your yoga and mindful journey.
Please reach out for a consultation or join a class.
Laura McCracken
Owner of Red Cat Yoga
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