Newsletter Aug 2, 2023

I heard a story that I remembered and wanted to share...

There was a farmer and one day his only horse ran away. The community came by and said "oh what a shame this happened to you" and the farmer replied "maybe".

The next day the horse returned and with more horses as well. The community came by and said "oh what a wonderful blessing" and the farmer replied "maybe".

Days later the farmers son was riding one of the horses, fell off and broke his leg. The community came by and said "oh what a sad thing to have happened" and the farmer replied "maybe".

Many days later a war broke out and the son was pardoned from the draft because of his broken leg. The community came by and said "oh what luck that he was pardoned and you didn't loose your son" and the farmer replied "maybe".

The point of this story is that we are often quick to categorize events happening to us as good or bad. However sometimes if we wait, we will learn that maybe there are multiple feelings and even purposes to be revealed later as well.

Maybe is my favoriate word because it allows me to stop worrying in the moment. From there I can be with the reality of now; discover ways to be with what is here. Even if that experience isn't joyful, it may have more to reveal. So give it time.

My yoga practice is focused on more than movement. I practice pauses in my thought with my breath. Maybe becomes is like a comma. A big pause. What else can we say about the moment? This way I can apply this way of thinking in daily life as well; which often shifts pain, anxiety and stress. Science is still studying the connection of the body to the mind. Pain doesn't begin in your thought. How we hold it in our body is the yoga practice.

How will you find ways to be with reality in your day?

Where can you use "maybe" more?

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Last week I finished teaching yoga at gym I have worked at for over 7 years. The building management didn't renew the contract and therefore didn't maintain any of the staff... including me. It was sad to leave of course, as I have enjoyed helping many there; often many with an introduction to yoga. I had one student, who I hardly knew there, who just made a donation to me on my website. Why I wondered. They specifically thanked me for helping them recover from their knee surgery and that they would miss my classes. So just like the story above, we may have disappointing news but just wait... it may reveal more over time. Maybe!

Of course I hope to see you soon either online or in person.

My social media links are also listed below (see the icons).

In the meantime stay safe and have a wonderful summer!

--Paige

Newsletter May 18, 2023

While traveling in Bali I attended a sound bath meditation and really enjoyed the large chimes someone was playing during the session. So I found some myself and they just arrived! I really like the selection of notes on these chimes and how long the ring lasts. Furthermore makes a nice complement to the bowls and when I am leading an in person session I can walk around with them as well; making sure the sound reaches the back of the room.

This Sunday I am back in person at 532Yoga in Old Town so be sure to register and hear the new chimes.

I will be at some New studios and more to come soon! Yes I have some new spaces I am going to be teaching in person! Some information on one of them is below. I begin this Monday night and could use all the support you can offer. So if you can make it I hope to see you soon!

Many people are back and ready to go to person sessions. If you aren't or maybe can't travel to see me, there are still virtual sessions available. I can customize a session for you as well; so let me know. If you prefer shorter yoga or meditation sessions lets break it up into half hour sessions and meet online. My summer is starting to book up though so message me directly paigesyoga@me.com and I can discuss price and times.

--Paige

Newsletter May 4, 2023

Bali was amazing adventure and gave me time to think and come back refreshed. I traveled safely to the other part of the world and back.

So whats next? I have some new open times to teach as the school work at doesn't have any summer classes for me. I am doing more in person and if you want to do yoga, yoga therapy or meditation I can customize a plan, meet with you and help you meet your goals.

Just reach out to me or go to my webpage directly to book appointments. I have updated the times and days open now and there will be more to come as well.

If you make any referrals be sure they let me know and I will also offer discounts to you directly for future services or workshops. I do appreciate it and hope I can do more with you.

I also do corporate workshops which can be single sessions or a series. Online sessions will be discounted so if that is preferred message me and we can set up a private link to book the appointment.

In the meantime I hope you are well and that I will see you soon!

--Paige

Newsletter April 14, 2023

Its been a long time since I went on a vacation and this one is going to be big!

I am going to Bali on a yoga retreat which is a the furthest I have ever traveled. 12 hours ahead of us and the flight will be 23+ hours when I finally arrive. So that isn't a quick trip. I haven't gone away on vacation since 2019 and this is much needed. I will be gone for 2 weeks and back taking some time to adjust when I get back as well.

However once back, refreshed and ready to go, I will be back offering workshops so check the schedule below. I am also going to do a Wednesday night workshop/series online this summer for 5 weeks... more to come. My private sessions are still available and summer will offer some more open time to book appointments as well; as the school I work at will be on summer break.

In the meantime I recorded many new videos on my YouTube channel. If you subscribe you already got the message when it released. I hope it helps you and maybe suggest it to others in need of some physical, mental or emotional balance.

Finding balance isn't easy but we can all loose it so easily. We give away our power and when we do so, taking it back leaves us with pride and energy. So how will you take back your power? Think on that especially in the world today where we can so easily give up hope. Don't. Take it back. You got this!

See you in a couple of week!

--Paige

Newsletter February 23, 2023

Many of you know that I have been dealing with cancer issues with our Cat, Moby, for the past 6 months. Although we knew the time would come, making the choice was so hard.

Last week my husband told me he couldn't make the decision and very much needed me to help us move forward. We had to let go and it was quite hard. We doubted ourselves even though all the signs were there.

We had planned for a service to come to the house but Moby quickly declined and we ended up going to the Urgent Care instead; a few days earlier than planned. Fortunately they took good care of us and he passed away in my husbands arms.

Holding on is our way of freezing instead of admitting to what is present. We use words like 'should' or 'want' and when I hear those words I am careful. That is a good time to pause and take a step back. Re-evaluate that response and consider another way to look at that. Instead think about what is holding you back?

What are you afraid of? Or... what do you need? We won't get rid of pain or hurt but once we let go

we can reduce the extra pain that holding has. I am feeling that so much right now and with that we are taking time to grieve. This will include self-care, quiet time and making sure we eat even when we don't want to.

--Paige

Newsletter January 16, 2023 - Emotions and Sadness

Many of you know my Dog Sadie but for the past few years she has been battling with pulmonary fibrosis but last week was having major health problems. Making the decision to go to the ER is never easy choice; however I think it is that way for many of us. Doubt creeps in and makes you wonder ' is this urgent or could it wait'.

Additionally we had heard that many of the Animal ER's were filled; dealing with a dog flu. So we didn't want to bother them or take Sadie to a place that was crowded with a virus. But finally, at 5am, my instincts knew it was time. We had to call many ER's till we found one that had space. Later my husband thanked me for knowing because he was too scared and uncertain to admit it.

Emotions can tell us things and then show up in the physical body but we often disregard it quite simply because we deny it. "Yoga", the word, means to reconnect and with a practice you find yourself more aware when you feel yourself pushing away. Yes we have to learn to feel again. For me it could be observing my chest tighten, breath is shallow or eyes tearing up; observe my physical avoidance. I will notice my reaction and words I am using as well; very aware of when I use words like "Want" or "Should" as that is often me covering up reality.

Instead yoga can help me redefine reality. I can be with the moment but include other facts I wasn't considering which allows for more creativity, choices and options.

Sadie improved which was a surprise because we were being prepared for the worse. I found myself trusting what my body's message and what I needed in that time. She has been home and we are quite lucky to have more days ahead. We don't know for how long but then again...none of us know that. So I continue to appreciate each moment with everyone.

The workshops I am leading this weekend are almost sold out so if you want to come don't wait to register. Also Tonight I am leading online sound bowl for Life With Cancer which is listed below as well.

Stay safe and hope to see you in person or online.

Newsletter December 30, 2022 - New Year

Different cultures have different times of the year for celebrating the new year. However many of us acknowledge the end of the year as a time to reflect and set goals; this often includes making changes to our health. Make no mistake though the diet industry is already out there promoting ways to make you feel bad for your body. Instead I like to try a different approach.

What if we could enjoy who we are and be glad for the action we take to move and enjoy the present moment? Often I work with so many who are moving in yoga but they are negatively beating themselves up and focused solely on how tight or weak their body feels. However I remind them they are taking action right now to change that; this is Karma! The action you take now impacts tomorrow, so instead of focusing on tomorrow we can focus on right now being ok.

Often though the goals are short lived but it doesn't have to be. Making change is hard but I often suggest making the goals small and reachable; breaking them down from your larger goal. I can help you do this and design a plan in a yoga, meditation or yoga therapy session.

For the new year maybe you want to do some private or group sessions so be sure to check my schedule. I do offer online and in person (in limited areas). If you don't see a day or time available feel free to email me paigesyoga@me.com and we can talk.

I hope you will have a wonderful holiday and take time to enjoy it the way you want.

Rest, recover and restore.

Happy New Year!

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Newsletter December 15, 2022 - Reaction

It is normal to react. Since the first part of our brain developed, with the brain stem, we reacted to warn and protect us. However our brain grew and developed; therefore we gained more ways to interpret experiences.

Just remember this when you are busy judging or feeling negative. Each of us does this because that is a habit. But learn to wait a moment and use other parts of the brain as well.

What else can you observe in the moment? Is there another way to respond differently or with kindness? Do you understand why you are reacting this way? Is it based on fear, anger or worry? Are you fatigued, hungry or upset? Is a response even needed by this point? Are you worried of hurting someone's feelings?

Also consider:

Is it possible that are we reacting because we are different than we wanted to be?

Or

Maybe we observed others being praised for their situation

Or even more common:

We found ourselves being celebrated only for our achievements

rather than for who we are

What if we took the word "different" and thought of that differently?

Notice times this holiday where we do react to the

messages of approval and instead check on yourself...

...learn to love yourself for who you are

because that is truly what matters.

Then find time to be with those who truly love You for You.

I appreciate you and hope you will have a great holiday and if you are stressed and need some help before the holiday I hope to see you online this Sunday.

If I don't see you have a safe holiday and happy new year!

***************************************

"Have a good day for no reason"

Newsletter December 1, 2022

Often when I teach a group in yoga and have them do plank pose, I will take all of them into variations to feel this pose.

Here is where I get to observe the emotional response in a pose. Some will react quickly that they can't do it but then blame themselves.

Others will grip and stop breathing just to prove they can do it.

First we all go from doing the pose on the hands, then lowering onto the forearms, and then putting the knees down. Some will gladly do this and enjoy the ease in the pose. Others will look at me questioning the instruction because they could do the pose the first way... or so they thought. With the knees down, I have them try to feel the back lift and they observe that they really hadn't been using the middle back muscles. Some observe that their breathing became easier. Lastly I ask them to observe other areas that were gripping; like the fingers, jaw and glutes.

Finding ease in the pose isn't a bad thing but again some will view it this way.

I stop telling them when to come out of the pose; remind them to come out of it when they need and come back in when ready. I believe in asking them to get out of their head and feel the experience. To distract I tell them I share the story about the "World Record" for plank. Did they know that both men and women won the record for plank on the knees and forearms?

So maybe we can change how we think about a pose. Did we change our attitude in the pose just because I mentioned an authority? The pose is the same but our mood is shifting.

It is about 2 minutes into the pose that they observe they could do the pose longer and with ease, however it wasn't EASY. They still find themselves sweating and using muscles they never experienced but it didn't have to be painful. So maybe there is more to the pose than simply what we can see. I then ask them to observe when they feel ready to come out of the pose; learn to trust themselves and have more independent thought. Also that it isn't failure just because they came out. They can come in and out of the pose...begin again.

This is an example of how we can use the yoga practice of asanas to learn more. We can challenge our belief, fears and listen better. There can also be emotional challenges and grief when we have to accept the reality of now as well. As I often say "Yoga doesn't care if you put your knees down... but You may"

I'm not saying don't have goals but what so many miss in yoga poses is the example of what the pose can take you through in a practice. You learn in yoga to move in a place of ease; Yes even in very challenging poses. Sometimes you move into a pose with worry but you manage to surprise yourself. You did more than you 'thought' you could. You also are reminded of presence and that tomorrow isn't promised so enjoy right now. You also learn to find joy and peace from within yourself verses if you did the pose well according to others.

Then you can apply this message in your daily life as well.

Where are you gripping, holding or adding more tension?

Where could you adjust or scale back and find ease in your life?

Would you feel like you were lazy or less productive and

is that actually true or just the way you are used to feeling?

Dod

Consider and move throughout the day observing and witnessing yourself

Then Yoga becomes a path all day in your life

Newsletter November 25, 2022 Thankful

Thankful

Next week in the United States we will take the day to be thankful.

Many of us don't wait for that single day though and find times each day to pause and step away from our every day worries and consider others.

By practicing compassion it doesn't get rid of problems but does help us have mental clarity, balance and joy.

For some I know they were shocked with a crisis nearby at the shooting at UVA this week. I am sure that finding joy or thankfulness will be the furthest thing from their mind. Unfortunately though a crisis helps us to reevaluate our lives, what we are doing, and find meaning again. Trust that in a crisis it will hurt but it will also lead you back to a path of thankfulness again...just give it time.

However we don't have to wait for a crisis to stand up for what we believe in this world. Let us begin with right now... take a deep breath out and begin again today. How will you leave your life? Will that be with memories and inspiration? Or will it be filled with regret?

You get to leave your mark starting today. Of course this will be hard for those dealing with grief but find comfort in community, get up each day, eat, go outside. Keep moving forward.

Let us demonstrate to the world what kindness, love and thankfulness really is.

Newsletter November 11, 2022

For me this was quite a crazy week.

Not only did the time change really hit me hard but on Monday morning I received a surprising call. I immediately felt the shock all over my body; angry, sad and confused. I took my own advice though and didn't react to this news but went right into self-care.

In summary a place I work at in healthcare was cutting ALL contractors and this included all my yoga services at 4 different sites. All cut immediately -no notice. There was a lot of confusion from different levels of management and then by the next day it was all cleared up and I was hired back. (Yes I felt like I knew a bit of what Twitter employees must be going through right now).

I share this to offer a day in my life and I'm just so glad that I didn't react but remained patient. I did take clam action and decided to reach out to other upper levels and make sure that this was cleared before I looked elsewhere. However something like this always reminds me not to be attached to my work.

Work is just what we do... it is not who we are.

For me my yoga is the practice of patience. I use the yoga so I can observe on the mat when my mind

is angry, irritable or upset and use that to practice awareness. You don't want to wait to learn this in the moment you need it... ..so learn how to practice patience now.

That being said one of the places I work at is on hold for the rest of the year, so I have Saturday mornings open

Newsletter October 31, 2022

I was teaching a group at the residential rehab the other day and shared with them this story:

When a giraffe gives birth they are standing up so the baby falls quite far to the ground and immediately the Mother kicks the baby to teach it to get up and walk. The baby tries to stand but falls back down. Mom kicks it again until it finally gets up and walks.

What seems like really hurtful action though is the Mother understanding that if the baby doesn't walk, then they are subject to predators; therefore trying to help it live. Now I am not saying that as humans we need to kick others but here is the point of the story... there are going to be days that are hard and challenging. Someone or something may be 'kicking' us and we may not like it... but it just may be saving our life.

Considering or listening to a different view requires us to be aware. Compassion is a learned behavior of the brain. If we don't learn it we will simply live our life in reaction states. Pause though and find times today to observe just when you are reacting and maybe say to yourself "this is the giraffe kicking me".

Newsletter October 21, 2022

I recently did a Podcast for a young woman who reached out to me on social media. Gabby is the creator and dealing with her own story about chronic anxiety and also dealing with stress while figuring out her college and career path during the challenging times of the pandemic.

She has talked about her therapy journey and how she feels that much therapy is talking but wasn't helping her physical body when she was having anxiety and stress issues.

We had a really nice discussion about Yoga Therapy and how this kind of therapy does work from the bottom up; body to brain. We had much to cover in a short time; I had a lot to cover in under 40 minutes but I was able to leave her with some tools. I'm happy to report that she is trying these and she has reported (on TikTok and Instagram) that it is helping her.

You can go to this link or go to your app for Podcasts and look for

"Not Quiet, Just Thinking".

Newsletter August 25, 2022 School is back!

School started where I work this week and I know many are starting next week as well. The excitement was in the air and many were not sleeping or eating well because of it. I know when we are excited or nervous it is hard to think about eating or sleeping but try to take steps to prepare for this. Even if a full meal isn't possible, try carrying some healthy snacks.

Already this week I have shown the students guided meditation, discussed nutrition and discussed their sleep habits. One 13 year old student shared that he is usually up playing video games till 1am, however in a few small changes he went to bed by 10:30pm and felt much better when I saw him by the end of the week.

Therefore we all need to shift from the summer schedule we had, and prepare for the seasonal change; Give ourselves more time to get to destinations, drink plenty of water and find mid-day breaks. Don't be surprised that school buses are stopping or that traffic is heavier. Add some buffer time so you don't have to be stressed. Get to your destination early and sit in the car for a minute to meditate or get a cup of tea. This way when we come across those delays we won't be so worried or reactive; plan on the delays happening. If you are having a tough time sleeping begin your sleep routine by getting to bed a bit earlier; take an evening shower, do a face mask, turn down the lights and go to my YouTube videos and watch some of the meditations.

Hope this helps and be sure to have a great weekend. (for no reason!)

This Sunday is the monthly online Sound Bowl and Meditation for 1 hour at 7pm EST. Register on my webpage under appointments. Hope to see you soon!

---Paige

Newsletter Aug 17, 2022 Candland and Depression

Anyone remember the game "Candy Land"?

I heard an amazing analogy with this game as it relates to chronic depression and wanted to share it with you.

With a state of depression you may want to simply stay at the base of the board and not move on. The experience of depression can be a lack of feeling or emptiness. However with medication this can help you start to move the pieces across the board. As you start to travel, sometimes this is through "angry-place", you may not want to keep moving but then you get to travel only to find yourself in "sad-ville". But don't give up hope; you are learning to feel the feelings instead of avoiding them. Oh sure there will be other places as see and visit; at times that will feel strange or odd; "Joy-town" or "Excitement-Street".

Fact is many don't understand medical depression. You may think depression is sadness but it isn't. Depression was the place where you didn't experience feelings and now on medication you are going through the motions of your feelings. Therefore you are going to have days you don't want to travel across the board - it would be so much easier to just remain at the base and not move.

However theres no a magic pill that will do the work; YOU have to do the work and keep moving. The pill was just to get you started. The prescription is kind of like filling up gas in your car, but you still have to take control of the wheel and step on the pedal.

I really like this explanation about depression; especially chronic depression. Many don't understand it correctly and think of it as 'having a bad day' but it is so much more than that. Each day for the rest of your life may be work but please don't give up.

Remaining healthy is always going to be work. Often because as humans we are dealing with many external pressures. We put ourselves lower on the list of what is important but taking action means we put in effort and work to get where we needed to be.

If you want to explore more healthy habits that may help reduce stress or anxiety be sure to see my new series starting soon. It is online for 5 weeks and will only allow 5 women. Register to hold your spot. Also see my newest YouTube video that has over 40 minutes of a yoga practice for you to experience.

Hope this helps and be sure to have a great week! (for no reason!)

---Paige

Newsletter Aug 1, 2022 - Running up that Hill

I heard that squirrels plant nuts in so many places that they can only retrieve 20% of what they plant.

They are so anxious and worried others will find their nuts that they hide them so well that they can't find most of them.

However nature also has purpose and meaning to all this. The nuts that remain become trees.

So thank you squirrels for helping to plant!

Everything is how we look at it. Sometimes we can't change someones thought, view or ideas, but what we can do is plant a seed. Another way to look at this story is that we can be focused on the failure and miss the fact that seeds are growing. Often those I work with on mental health issues are quite focused on the way they "thought" they should be and with yoga therapy we can begin to bear witness to the seeds.

If you are dealing with some chronic anxiety or stress then maybe we can plant some seeds together. Try new tools at home and return to discuss what you began witnessing more. Be sure to see the new group series information below starting in September.

Hope this helps and have a great week! (for no reason!)

---Paige

Newsletter June 26, 2022 - Build resilience

It has been quite a stressful week for so many and I am not here to debate which side you fall on with politics, religion or laws.

The lessons of yoga and meditation may need revisiting though it is easy to fall into the trap of hopelessness and despair. We need to be grounded, center and open to what needs to be done or actions to take.

When we are stressed, fatigued, exhausted, angry or overwhelmed we are limited in our behaviors and reactions. This doesn't mean we want to bypass the significance or urgency of these feelings. But it does mean that we are building capacity to respond skillfully. This way we can show up in our voices, actions and votes.

I hope I can help some of you tonight either with the LWC Group or Sound Bowl/Meditation Workshop. If you can't make it tonight maybe a private lesson would help. See the sale going on as well.

Remember you are not alone.

---Paige

Newsletter June 19, 2022

I spent the past year needing to figure out where to get my hair cut, as my hairstylist of 18 years retired last year and I wasn't sure which direction to take. But by improving my awareness I clued into my response to make a choice... let me explain.

The word awareness is a simple phrase but really complex practice. Fact is as humans we will let things get in our way of making choices. We think about things being right or wrong, for example. Some find it hard to make a decision. So what if we start to enter in responses like "maybe" when we pause with the thought? Therapists use a scale called "Stages of Behavior" to identify where someone is in their mood or treatment. So when we can go from denial or poor awareness, we can shift into weighing-in or considering with thoughts like "Maybe".

Lets take the situation with my hair. I knew I would need it cut again and I had many decisions to make. Occasionally I would sit and meditate on the problem and asked myself "Can I narrow my thoughts to this moment?" - to be present with right now. Sometimes the answer was yes and other times no. The point wasn't to make myself sit with the answer I wanted or to increase my anxiousness by thinking about the problem more. Instead I would sit and observe my present self who has a decision or problem; observing how it showed up in my body. Notice the wording here...I am not the problem - I am just experiencing it. So next step: Which part of my body was having a problem? Sometimes it was showing up in my chest, throat, breath, hands and even emotions. Finally I learned to sit with the feeling which really became... uncertainty. Noticing that underneath all the reactions was that I didn't have an answer and I don't have to always have an answer. I also observed, that in this case, I didn't need outside help or opinions but that isn't always the case. These steps helped me move into taking an action or next steps in the Stages of Behavior.

Honestly most think that from meditating that there will be major revelations, but what I was doing wasn't observing the problem but the feelings around it. For example if I was worried, I could ask myself "Does worrying about this more help it?" Often times the answer was 'no' so I could table it for another time. This helped me when I was thinking about something and obsessing over it; this really helps me when I need to sleep instead.

What I discovered was that I had fear, worry and doubt most times, and when I was able to remove the clutter around my thought I could think clearer. I discovered times to think about things and other times to let it go. I also found myself not making choices based on those feelings. Like "that isn't a reason to do that" so what other choices could be made instead?

In this case I was able to make a choice but for some they do get stuck; this is where working with someone may help. Also it isn't important if everyone likes my choice but the decision is mine and internally I am happy; from the inside-out.

Now I have simplified something that is very complex and this is where sometimes working with someone may help; applying practices to help you observe your response, think about more "maybes" and use that to help in your daily life as well. If this doesn't make sense consider this approach to say...headstand pose. Do you do the pose? Why should or shouldn't you? How is your body responding right now to this question. Did you start off with a "F*** No!". Can you use independent thought here or are you feeling a sense of guilt or judgement? (Note I am not saying do headstand or that the pose makes you a better person. This is an example of using poses to learn more about our emotions and cognitive function). Sometimes I uses positions to help with more acute problems like physical tightness or releasing, but the thought this month is about the ways our emotions add to our problems.

I do hope to help you or maybe you have a friend that comes to mind and you want to refer them.

In the meantime stay safe and hope to see you soon! Jai!

---Yoga Paige

Newsletter June 10, 2022

I took this picture on a visit to the cat cafe in Georgetown and just loved how this kitten curled up in the basket, that was too tiny, but they didn't care. Even with all the noise around them they slept. Fatigued...sure but they learned to turn within and find some peace.

We all experience fatigue and exhaustion but sometimes won't allow ourselves permission to rest. We will tell ourselves we can't stop or that we are lazy. Others worry that if they rest they will feel worse after.

Not allowing is harmful and often can be a cause for many illnesses and disease. Which is why medical professionals suggest yoga practices. I find that many are used to over-riding what the body wants and need someone else to help them improve their awareness. The body has hormones that are messengers to the brain and that is just one signal going from the body to the brain that may be causing us to feel fatigued and tired. Over time hormones, like the cortisol or thyroid are tired of running all the time; these hormones don't stop but then borrow from other parts of the body. Often times when it becomes serious we start hormone therapy, however we may be chasing a symptom and not the under-lying problem. That is where yoga may shine a light and help you. You may have to unlearn behavior that was taught and reverse the harmful effects that are telling the brain to stress or worry at times when we need to rest. This isn't easy and exactly why you may want some private sessions.

I hope to see you and work with you again! In the meantime stay safe and hope to see you soon! Jai!

---Paige

Newsletter article May 11, 2022 - Injury and Prevention

I was working with a 15 year old at the school I work at and I am teaching him 'health and wellness'. We were talking the other day about injury and prevention. As we wrapped up I asked him his take away points and ways he could avoid injury and he responded with "don't do anything stupid".

I love his honesty and of course I wish it was that easy. Of course for a young person he see's answers as being that simple. However has a very good point; we can all benefit if we pause so we can see if the action we are about to take is, as he called it, 'stupid'.

As adults though we know that the answer is harder than simply saying it. Human kind will make the mistake of thinking and not taking action or we will take action without thinking. So how do we know which direction to take? Practices that help us to pause and listen may help. However the goal of the practice isn't to be perfect and we will experience injuries; I had one myself four weeks ago when I broke my foot. However with my injury came many choices and decisions I had to make for myself and I needed mental clarity then as well. Making time for restorative yoga and mediation became even more important for me.

As you will see I am returning to 532Yoga for Sound Bowl and Yoga Nidra this Sunday. This is a hybrid class so you can come in person or join us online. I am donating my time again to help the space raise funds. Everywhere I teach I am seeing hard economic times so anything you can spare is appreciated so we can ensure that spaces like 532Yoga remain there in the future. So if you can't attend now maybe you can spare a donation to help this small independent woman owned business. I know she would appreciate it.

If you can attend be sure to register as spaces are limited and they are starting to fill up.

Be sure to check my new video that has some yoga practices to help your health and if you register on Youtube to the account you will be notified when I post the next video.

In the meantime stay safe and hope to see you soon! Jai!

---Paige