One of the biggest benefits I have gained from my Yoga practice over the years is deepening my level of self awareness. I would go as far as saying this is what we are really practicing when we get on our mats.
We observe the breath, the mind, the sensations of the body, the distractions, the annoyances, the joy, the pain….the experience of this moment.
When practicing this regularly on the mat, it becomes second nature to also notice what is happening off the mat.
In a moment of self awareness we can self regulate, we can offer our self and others compassion. We can listen deeply to what we really need.
I will share two different examples of the benefit of this I had in just in November;
I was asked to teach Yoga at a Fat Boy Slim weekend in Butlins last month. A very different scenario to where I usually teach! I was watching FBS play on the stage I was due to be teaching the next morning and fear came over me, how on earth was I going to teach in such a massive room, to people who are not used to the way I teach, and with a headset on!!!
These days I don’t usually get so fearful when teaching as over the years like with anything I have settled into what I do and feel comfortable with that. So this actually felt exhilarating to feel the fear! Over the years I have seen it as a sign for growth. So first things first as I noticed what we going on I reminded myself that “fear is just excitement with out breathing”. I remembered my first tool…..the breath.
Next I reminded myself that I just have to be myself and do it my way. Something that I like to encourage everyone on my teachers courses to do! I also remembered the power of grounding, to feel my feet on the earth.
It’s amazing how many tools we learn in Yoga that really are tools for our life.
So I showed up, chose to teach from the floor not on the stage and was just myself. Even though I was on a sticky massive dance floor I surrounded my mat with candles and shared from my heart.
It was such an amazing experience, and people said some lovely words after it.
And so to my second very different experience……
At the end of November I was blessed to teach a retreat in the Atlas Mountains. The day I travelled there was such a joy, I had so many lovely interactions with people along the way. The funniest being the security guard at Gatwick searching my bag to find my oracle cards and the proceeding to ask for a reading and getting his colleagues involved!!! I went to bed in my high up mountain top room excited for the next day when the guests were due to arrive.
I got up early for breakfast eager to go explore and tucked into my breakfast of fresh bread and almond butter……at least that is what I thought. Next thing I noticed was the tickling and swelling in the throat….I sign anaphylaxis. It turned out it was not almond but peanuts, for which I am allergic!
A reminder that life can change in an instant….one day highs the next lows,.
I proceeded to manage my reaction with breath work, antihistamine, EFT tapping, Reiki, affirmations and a huge support from my body expelling the unwanted invader! Now I am not saying this was the best way to deal with it, if I had been in a town with someone else I probably would have called an ambulance and asked them to stab me with an epi pen. However I was high up a mountain on my own with the chef who didn’t speak very good English.
I am grateful for the tools I have learnt and the ability to be able to have the awareness of what was happening without getting caught up in the fear. Yes part of me was scared but the part of me that was aware was able to support myself.
The gratitude afterwards for my body, my higher self and God for getting me through that was immense. I felt like I have been given a new chance at life!!
I would also just like to mention I did have an epi pen on me that I was ready to use if I felt I really needed it. I am not at all adverse to medicine.
Two very different experiences but supported by self awareness and other tools learnt on the yoga mat.
As I am sitting here I notice my back starting to niggle, a sign to move, to not sit at a computer for too long. Yet another helpful moment of self awareness.
I hope this blog serves you to inspire you to keep up with a regular awareness practice whether it’s breath work, yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, dance or something else.
Lots of love x
