returning to zero on the stress scale

Rest & Renew Yoga on Beacon, Fridays 5:45-7pm Restorative Yoga, Be Luminous, Wednesdays 7:30-8:45

​Restorative is all about support. All yoga, of course, can be supportive, and  in powerful ways. And while that is true, Restorative Yoga provides an aspect of deep rest that is particularly important in today's world. At a time when we are all so busy, either with our own set of lists of to-do's, or the needs of work, family, friends, a practice of simply being in our bodies in stillness, and quiet--with acceptance for what we experience--this can affect people profoundly. 

​One student came twice, in 2016. She reported adding legs up the wall to her daily routine, specifically to combat migraine headaches. She told me she doesn't get them anymore.

​Another student reported initially feeling tired, as she let go of the immense amount of habitual holding and tension she had become accustomed to over the years. It was as though she finally realized how tired she really was. Then, after attending regularly, she tells me she feels better, has more energy for the rest of her life. The practice, she says, changed everything for her. 
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I know that when I practice at home (which is not always easy, as there is so much to do!) I feel I come back to a state of deep alignment with the calmness in my center--that calmness is there, even in the roil of stressful times. It isn't always possible or easy to find a grounded state. I certainly didn't feel grounded today, for example, but I also know how to look and find that state again when I forget it exists.

For me, finding that sense of rootedness takes two practices, Restorative Yoga and Feldenkrais. These modalities enabled me to befriend myself in stillness, understand my patterns, find ease in movement, and find more  real grounded-ness in myself regardless of what happens around me. I can more easily hear my intuition when I practice, and when I teach.

I remember being told that after a stressful event, we establish a new normal, but can never return to the state from where we began. This might look like this: You begin with a stress level of zero, then you have a car accident. Your stress spikes to 9, and then drops after some physical therapy and yoga to a 2 or 3. That is your new normal. 

​I don't believe this anymore. 

​Restorative yoga and somatic work (Feldenkrais) can bring me back to zero. 

Information on the upcoming Restorative Yoga (Trauma Informed) training here or contact Jodiboone@gmail.com

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