Written by Reena Amon

The moment our eyes flutter as the morning sun awakens us, when we breathe heavily after a workout, or every minute body gesture we are too busy to notice… all these are reminders that you are present on this Earth – a simple, yet immense truth that we take for granted.

Alive vs Living. Being alive is to simply exist. I regard it as the bare minimum. To truly live is what we work towards to. To live is to not only be, but to cry, laugh, persevere, cope, flirt with danger, and experience life itself. The pandemic has limited the ways for us to enjoy the activities we were used to. However, this is your reminder that you can live wherever you may be. There is so much to do and so much that we can be, and a key to unlocking life’s potential is to start from within.

The hustle culture we have been pressured to follow strays us away from finding the time to follow our breath. We take 12 to 20 breaths per minute, yet how many of those are you grateful for? I started to find time in the morning to practice yoga. The different poses and stretches not only awaken my physical body but they also ground me to gratitude and love daily.

The yoga practice allows you to communicate with your higher self in the moment of solitude. The practice stems from the ancient and sacred texts of Hinduism – the Vedas. If you allow and embrace it, yoga has the ability to create a union. May it be with yourself, with your breath, or with your body, yoga is a reminder that we have never been unconnected from these aspects of our lives, except, removes the illusion that we are separate from them. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, yoga is simply finding what feels right and following that with your breath.

This year has not been easy for any of us. There are days when an overabundance of emotions rush through. It is yoga that trains you for mindful breathing and allows emotions to pass through as simple as they are – emotions. Of course, I wouldn’t want this piece to be all talk, so here are a few of my favorite practices to get you going. Hopefully, they ignite the yogi in you and continue to fuel that passion. Here’s to days filled with gratitude for every breath we take and following wherever that gift takes us.

• Wake Up Yoga Stretch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwlSjg6ESdc)

In a day, you have 1440 minutes. Dedicate 10 of those to starting your day right by opening up those muscles. This practice allows you to let go of any kinks that are distracting you from realizing how awesome you are!

• Movement Medicine: Energy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F47hdaNXwT4)

Movement is medicine. Get clear about your intentions by involving your breath, movement, and discipline.

• Power Vinyasa Flow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRCUfumiqhk)

Vinyasa is a breathwork practice, arranging each breath to your movement to move seamlessly. This practice aims to nourish the power inside you.

References:

Bira. (2020, October 9). Curious About the Origin and History of Yoga? Here’s the CliffNotes Version. YogiApprovedTM. https://www.yogiapproved.com/om/origin-of-yoga-history-of-yoga/

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Vital Signs. Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10881-vital-signs#:%7E:text=The%20normal%20respiration%20rate%20for,while%20resting%20is%20considered%20abnormal.