Meditation, yoga and how they help me.
When I was in 7th grade, I started dance. Rather, I started dance again. I had taken a class when I was 5, but quit because I copied my older sister, who quit because she didn’t like the costume. But 8 years later, my desire to be a famous ballerina was reignited when I met Miss Mary. Miss Mary was a wonderful teacher, she even offered a few private lessons so that I could catch up and be in a class with girls my own age.
I loved it. I loved the structure of ballet, the whimsy of jazz and tap. I loved how you could teach your body to bend and stretch and move with the music. I loved performing – I believe that’s where 90% of my current self-confidence came from. I soon realized the odds of me being a famous ballerina were slim, but I danced regardless. I danced because I loved it. I took formal classes all through the last year of middle school, high school and even into college.
But with college, came changes. I couldn’t make it to the studio as often as I’d like and I chose new clubs and classes over dance. It was around this time that I discovered yoga. The first yoga class I ever did was a p90x dvd I borrowed from my boyfriend’s roommate. If you know anything about P90x, you know that it’s not an easy program. The yoga was an hour and a half long and VERY challenging. I was sweating into different postures, feeling the similarity of some dance movements, and I loved it.
I eventually started going to a yoga studio and discovered the more calming side of yoga. I found that the flexibility came naturally for me, but I was still challenged with new postures. As I learned more about yoga, I learned more about the mind, body connection. Moving with your breath, controlling your movements as you would control your breath.
It wasn’t until a few years later, after a pretty serious break up, that I discovered meditation. Dance and yoga had already become a way of meditating for me – I could go into the studio for an hour and be fully present, the stress of classes or work washed off with each move. But I had never just sat still and meditated. It did seem a bit weird at first, and it took me a while to just sit without thoughts like “why am I doing this, this is silly” and “Did I remember to lock my door” or “what am I going to have for dinner tonight” from constantly interrupting my practice.
Now, years later, I’m able to sit still for quite some time and have worked meditation into my daily routine. I like to practice in the morning. I find taking a few minutes of calm really sets me up to be in a good head space for the rest of my day. Just as I prefer to practice yoga in the afternoon or evening. I’m able to de-stress and let go of anything that had happened earlier. And throughout the day, I find I’m able to use the tools I’ve learned in both to help in a wide array of situations. For example, if I’m in a situation with an irritating co-worker, or I’m stuck in traffic, I’m able to come back to my breath. Breathe, pause. If I’ve been sitting all day, I try to get up, stretch, practice my breathing and practice a posture to relieve any tension. I’ve also found that when I meditate regularly, I sleep better. These are just a few ways in which yoga and meditation have helped me, and I’m grateful for both practices.
If you’re interested in yoga or meditation, here are a few tips:
- Start small. You’re not going to be an expert yogi or be able to sit perfectly still for a day right from the start. Try breathing, just focusing on your breath and only your breath for one minute, then work up to 3, then 5 etc.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help or use your resources. Everyone has to start somewhere and what’s great about the yogi/ mindfulness community is most people are caring, empathetic and willing and able to help. As a result, there are tons of resources people have already put in place. For meditation, I use the app calm – I’ve used this app for about 3 years and I love the narrated meditations along with the fact that I can track my progress. I started with the free app, but eventually upgraded to the subscription. For yoga, I’ve found a local studio that I love. Nearly every town has a yoga studio now, you might have to search around to find the one you like best, but most have beginner classes and some even offer trial sessions.
- Embrace the uncomfortable. Moving your body into unusual positions or sitting with your own thoughts is going to be weird at first. Move with the weirdness, sit into your feelings. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
Erin A Clark 