If you were one of the lucky ones whose life was not been affected much by the pandemic in 2020, it is very likely that you've started to feel it now in early 2021... It's been almost a year since we have hugged a friend, and about 3 months since we have not met anyone outside of our household. Generally the New Year brings hope and excitement, but this year it was different - many of us are realising that "Covid Fatigue" is REAL.
For me, last year wasn't bad - it was scary during March and April when businesses all around us were shutting down and people were pushing 2 carts into Costco and fleeing with 3 years worth of toilet paper. I started to work
from home, so, not bad. I didn't see my friends much anyways, maybe once every month or 2 since life was busy, so I didn't really feel isolated. Then, ok, my kids' daycare closed down so I had 3 kids under 5 at home for a couple of months while I tried to juggle working from my home office. That was hard, but at that point I was grateful that I still had a job and that everyone was at home safe.
Summer wasn't so bad, case numbers were going down and people were out and about, so it (almost) felt normal. Then came Fall, then Winter and..... well, here we are, experiencing a serious case of Covid Fatigue.
It's no wonder mental health has become a bigger problem throughout this pandemic. We miss interacting with others and doing fun things. Maybe the number on the scale has been creeping up since the pandemic began (and this in itself would have contributed to the mental health problem).
Many of us have been working from home since the better part of a year. Working from home means snacks and goodies are plentiful just down the hall in the kitchen. Boredom means we hear the box of cookies screaming our name. Since we can't hug anyone we are downing our sorrows in our new best friend, Wine, like Bridget in Bridget Jones Diary ("Aaaaallll byyyy myyyssseeeellllf....." I hear Celine Dion in the background....).
It is no news that physical exercise and meditation are one of the most effective remedies to fighting depression and stress. Just by doing what our bodies were designed to do (moving), we can change the chemical balances in our brain and send happy hormones running through our bodies. Sure, we can go to the gym or go for a walk outside. But yoga is different.
What makes yoga different than other forms of physical activity? Yoga focuses primarily on mental and spiritual aspects of our Being. It focuses on our breath. The breath is powerful. In partnership with the heart, the breath and heartbeat are literally what gives us life. But the breath is also a tool. Google any way to instantly release stress and the first item of any "how to" list will probably be "Take a Deep Breath". And it works.
You can try it right now. Close your eyes. Take a moment to allow your latest thought to drift from your mind. Then take a deep breath in, past the chest, all the way down to the bottom of your belly. Pause. Breathe all that air out, nice and slow. Allow your shoulders to soften as you exhale. Keep your eyes closed. Then open. Magic.
And yes, we do move in yoga. And yes, you will get stronger, increase cardiovascular health, and become more flexible. However these physical benefits are considered more a byproduct of yoga practice. We primarily focus on the inner Being. The outer Being just happens to improve too. Talk about a good side-effect! Through yoga practice we constantly work on aligning our mental, spiritual, emotional and physical realms and create perfect harmony within ourselves.
If you have not practised yoga before that last sentence probably sounded like something you've heard out of a New Age book. But peace, joy and harmony within yourself is actually meant to be your true state, and it goes back to the beginning of mankind. It's just that we get really caught up with the outside world and get disconnected from our joyful selves. When you first come to a yoga class, you may have a hard time shutting off your brain. While lying in Savasana, maybe you cannot stop thinking about what to make for dinner or that you have to go to the store and get paprika for that chicken dish you want to make. You realise that your balance is awful and that your Tree Pose looks more like Tree In A Wind Storm. You had NO idea that yoga was so hard. Isn't yoga supposed to be easy?
Or maybe you are ahead of us and have been trying to keep up your yoga practice through the pandemic. Maybe you've tried to practice virtually from home and decided that it's hard, especially with (as noted above) the box of cookies screaming your name and the couch looking oh so comfy. Maybe you have little kids at home like me who will climb all over you while you're in Downward Dog (pets may be substituted here). Or you have older kids who fight over the remote in the other room while you try to rest in Savasana. Or maybe you don't have kids or pets, or maybe your kids are disgustingly well behaved, and you don't really have an excuse. We fall off the wagon. And when that happens, it is extra difficult to get back on. Especially right now with so many excuses appearing valid.
Yoga practice is just that - a practice. It is a journey. We embrace and accept where we are. Anything else is, quite frankly, madness. At your yoga studio, you are always surrounded by friendly, happy, amazing people (because that's what practising yoga does to people). If you want to start a journey into well being, to being happier, more peaceful, physically stronger and healthier, within a friendly and inclusive community, your yoga studio of choice is the place to commit to.
We need yoga now more than ever!
Right now, as we battle a serious case of Covid Fatigue, we must stay apart and stay safe - and we must also fight back by committing to the practice that makes us simply feel better, be better, and have more to give the people we love around us (I am sure many of us have been not so nice to our "household" members lately....). Because the more we have, the more we have to give. The people we love deserve the best of us, not what is left of us.
Did you know that it is our right to feel good? We are meant to enjoy our lives! We need to make ourselves a priority! We are important and worth it!
Take the time today to make a commitment to your yoga practice - whether it is at home virtually or in-studio. All studios are operating with strict new safety guidelines in place to keep everyone safe. Even if you never do test positive for Covid, you may very well have let it take a toll on your mental, emotional, and physical well being - don't let it take you down!
If you've never tried yoga, or haven't practised in a while, make sure to start today. It has never been a better time to start focusing on yourself. If you're a yoga veteran, you know what I'm talking about!!
Commit to your yoga practice and I promise, it will transform your life from the inside out.
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