Rut-Ro: How to Make Your Practice Come Alive Again

Yoga ruts.

They happen.

Just like ruts with everything else we have in life--whether it be our job, relationships, exercise, eating--you name it. It's hard to stay dedicated to the course when inspiration seems to be in hiding and our friend, WillPower,  just isn't strong enough to carry us on his back.

The good news is that the ruts don't last forever. The bad news is that they will happen again. Whether they are currently happening right now for you or not, one thing I do know about yoga and about life, is that it is filled with both peaks of lightness and inspiration and also valleys of apathy and disconnection.

So, how do you get from here to where you want to be?

1) Own it! Wherever you are right now in your practice---both on and off the mat--realize that it's exactly where you are supposed to be and that it's OKAY. It doesn't mean that you're a bad yogi because you don't feel like practicing. It doesn't mean that you are doing something wrong. It just means that you need to pause--find your breath--and take a little inventory inside your heart.

2) Change it up! If you are a regular at a yoga studio and take the same classes every week with the same teacher, switch it up! Try a new studio or a different teacher. I know for me, making myself get out of my comfort zone and trying something new often ignites an inner spark. Or maybe it will just allow you the opportunity to meet new yogis in your area and that alone is pathway for inspiration.

3) Challenge yourself. If you see yourself as a level 1 student and have only been taking level 1 classes, it might be time to bump it up! Who cares if you can't do hand stands in the middle of the room or even push up into a full backbend--often times being around students who are able to do those postures are inspiring but also it's inspiring to give it a shot yourself. You might just surprise yourself.

OR, if you see yourself as a Level 2 or 3 student who only goes to Level 2 or 3 classes, take a beginners class. I most often have my "ah-ha" moments either taking or teaching a basic level 1 yoga class. I personally wish we could do away with "levels" all together because for a lot of yogis it defines how "good" or "advanced" they think they are--when in reality, the most advanced yogi in the room is the one who is taking child's pose in the back.

4) Do an Instagram Challenge! Yep. You heard me right. For months and months I made so much fun of people who participated in those silly challenges. And then I found myself doing one to essentially "mock" those who did them (yes, totally un-yogic like I know) and what I found was that they truly motivated and inspired me to practice on a regular basis and to pay attention to what I thought I knew. It also forces you to be vulnerable. Nothing like posting a pic of yourself falling over or attempting a posture you can't even remotely do to demonstrate that there is no such thing as a perfect posture and that laughing at yourself is therapeutic.

5) Give yourself a break! If you practice 5 days a week, chill out. Take a few days off. Take a month off! Explore new hobbies or pick an old one back up!

6) Get on your mat. At home, in the park, on a hill--wherever. During the lackluster lull, and the constant battle over whether or not I feel like doing yoga--if I can just make myself get on my mat and show up, I at least feel better afterwards. I don't always get an instant spark of inspiration but it does make me feel good --in fact usually good enough to get on my mat again.

7) Read--about other people's yoga journeys. In general, all of us yogi's are seekers. And we all have a pretty great story of how we found yoga. Some of us were addicts who had lost our way, some of us are recovering perfectionists who had to learn to let go of control, some come from extreme religious backgrounds and found yoga as the path way to spirituality, and some found yoga through their distorted body images and eating disorders as the way to find healing and make peace with their bodies. Through whatever ways and however people found yoga--their stories always fascinate me and inspire me.

8) Just be patient. Learn to be still--to be okay with the stillness and the period of "blah-ness" that may be describing your yoga practice right now. Sit with the discomfort. Sit with the stillness. And it will teach you just as much as inspiration if you let it.

Soon enough, inspiration and motivation will find you again. And you will experience new joys and new adventures both on and off your mat.

What are some ways that you've found to motivate and inspire you when you've been at a standstill with your practice? Message me and let me know so I can share it with those who want to hear!

With Joy and Peace,
Jen



*This post was inspired by questions and comments I receive from YOU in my inbox. Got a question or comment about yoga? Email me and hopefully together we can dig deeper to gain a better understanding of certain subjects, find a solution, answer questions, and help others out by sharing it with them.*

why, hello 2015!

I've always loved New Years. I love setting new goals and dreaming big about what I want my year to look like. I've always set New Years Resolutions...maybe it's a first born-partially-type-A thing but there is something magical about it. I know most folks don't feel this way about New Years or about Resolutions so if you don't "feel" me on this one, I understand:) However, a few years ago instead of setting resolutions (which can be broken) I started setting "Intentions" which has a more gentle ring to it and doesn't quite bring about the same amount of shame, guilt, or fear of failure that "resolutions" does.

You can read about my past New Years Intentions here, here,  here and here.

So, what's on the agenda for 2015?

After spending the past week writing down ideas and intentions, I realized that the main thing I want to accomplish in 2015 is letting go of things that don't serve me. What does that mean? It means I want to do less of the things that make me feel guilty, sad, and bad about myself. And do more of the things that make me feel whole, attractive, smart, and good about myself. 

For starters, I want to:

eat more whole, real foods. less processed junk. my life for the past year has consisted of basically nothing but processed foods. i don't even eat salads anymore.

get rid of cable. because i rarely actually watch tv. sometimes i have it on for a noise factor but the 15 minutes i spend watching the Today show in the mornings before work doesn't justify the amount of  money i pay comcast each month. it makes me feel guilty.

read one article a week about my profession (occupational therapy). 

read one article a week about yoga as related towards specific impairments and deficits. 

spend less time on social media. 

listen to at least one podcast a week during my runs. 

spend more time on my mat and less time filming my mat for instagram. the challenges i participate in are great as far as they truly do encourage me and inspire me to get on my mat and to let go of the limitations i set for myself in my head. but they also take me away from being in the moment of my practice and make it more about the pose and less about the practice. if i'm really concentrating on my breath during my practice, instagram pics don't really fit in there. plus, sometimes it makes me feel fake. and less authentic. and i hate when i feel that way.

re-read my favorite classics... and read Moby Dick (for the first time).

call one person i love a week. if you know me then you know i don't text or call people. they text me and they call me and i might text or call them back--but i never initiate conversations. and it's not because i don't think about the people in my life or love them--it's because i hate the phone. there's something about it that makes me feel guilty and obligated and i just don't like it. and so i rarely think about it when i'm at my house. i'd rather play on the internet and read articles than return a text. but the people that are in my life don't operate like this or feel this way so it's important that i reach out to them and show them i love with by writing a text or making a call.

have more adventures. i've been talking about doing travel therapy for a year or so now. and although i do have a pretty good groove here in Jackson at the moment, my plans are to begin traveling this summer. unless of course the universe has different plans for me. but it's time for me to go and see and do and experience. and then maybe i'll come back and buy a house and settle down;)

work towards mastering the transition from bakasana (crow pose) to handstand and from handstand to crow pose every day. work on the tools that will allow me to make this transition possible (like core work and strength) so that maybe, just maybe, by the time 2016 rolls around i will be able to demonstrate that consistent, daily practice really does make a difference. and that hard work pays off.

keep a one sentence journal a day.

listen more.

talk less. 

Whatever your intentions or resolutions are for this new year, I encourage you to make them achievable. Make it less about the number on the scale and more about the way you feel in your own skin. Make it more about the people in your life and less about the things in your life. Set goals for your insides instead of just for your outsides. And be gentle with yourself. Learn to love the things you despise about yourself. Learn to let go of that which no longer serves you.

I'm working on a teaching schedule for the new year and waiting on a possible location to open up before I really announce it but I will be doing Pop-Ups again if a location can be provided. I'll also be subbing for some local studios and teaching private lessons. So if you are interested in any of those or have suggestions about locations for donation-based classes, then please don't hesitate to let me know.

I'm excited about this new year and all the unknown things we will learn together as we continue to walk this journey side by side.

So now I will ask you...what are your intentions for the new year? What will make you feel better about yourself and your life? Think of that list and then make those things your intentions. And think about the things that make you feel bad about yourself and do less of those. It really can be that simple if we'll allow it to be.

With so much love, gratitude, and admiration,

Jen