mental health

Gratitude

yogideetz1 Comment

The year has flown by. I looked back at my post in January, at the goals I had set forth for the year. Here’s a reminder of what I set forth for myself:

  • Pay off 3 more of my student loans.
  • Sell half of the books in my online bookstore.
  • Do yoga asana and meditation 4 days out of the week.
  • Walk 1 mile each day.
  • Cook at home 4 days out of the week.
  • Meet 75% of my reading goal for the year.
  • Publish six posts in 2025.

So, what did I accomplish so far in 2025?

  • Pay off 3 more of my student loans. – I actually only have 3 loans left! BIG WIN.
  • Sell half of the books in my online bookstore. – Sold OVER half the books I had on sale.
  • Do yoga asana and meditation 4 days out of the week. – On average I do a 30 minute asana, pranayama, and meditation practice 5 days a week.
  • Walk 1 mile each day. – I was walking 1+ miles a day for a while, but work travel seems to have paused that for now.
  • Cook at home 4 days out of the week. – We actually cook at home 5-6 days out of the week!
  • Meet 75% of my reading goal for the year. – I am currently at 87% of my reading goal for 2025.
  • Publish six posts in 2025. – FAIL (but I’m okay with that)

So…I met a lot of goals. The one goal I hadn’t made and yet I seemed to excel at this year was practicing gratitude. I have not only kept a gratitude journal throughout the year, but I have also made note of my contributions to others, even the most minute contributions. It’s really helped me understand not only what I benefit from but how I also benefit others.

So, as we approach the end of this year, I’ve come back to ask you all, what are you grateful for? How have you benefited others in your life?

New Year’s Thoughts

yogideetzLeave a comment

As we begin a new year, I see a lot of reflection on the past year, successes and short falls as well as commitment to new year’s resolutions and new goals. It has always been a mainstream belief that failures or short falls are bad and reaching or exceeding one’s goal is good.

What is we see “failures” as opportunities to understand challenges in a new way and plan for more realistic goals in the next year?

Here are some ways I have failed this year:

  • Did not pay off my student loans.
  • Did not sell all my books in my online bookstore.
  • Did not do yoga asana or meditate every day.
  • Did not meet my daily steps goal every day.
  • Did not cook at home the majority of the year.
  • Did not exceed my reading goal for the year.
  • Did not post on my blog each month.

But are these all really “failures”? I see them more as opportunities to understand what prevented me from reaching those goals and pivot, change my mindset to set myself up for success.

So in 2025, I hope to reach the following goals which I feel are more attainable:

  • Pay off 3 more of my student loans.
  • Sell half of the books in my online bookstore.
  • Do yoga asana and meditation 4 days out of the week.
  • Walk 1 mile each day.
  • Cook at home 4 days out of the week.
  • Meet 75% of my reading goal for the year.
  • Publish six posts in 2025.

Set yourself up for success in 2025. Understand what’s realistic. It’s okay to push yourself, but push yourself within the realm of possibility!

Happy New Year!

World Mental Health Day

yogideetzLeave a comment

This month, among other health awareness days, we honored World Mental Health Awareness Day. The purpose is to raise awareness of mental health needs and to hopefully garner support, financial and societal, for mental health treatments.

Throughout my years as a yoga practitioner and instructor, I have heard many say yoga is good for mental health. While there are many ways in which yoga can support with mental health needs, there is also room for different kinds of supportive therapies and treatments for mental health needs.

Every aspect of yoga, from asana to pranayama, can support with mental health. And it’s not always going to be a one size fits all. Some folks may benefit the most from asana, others from pranayama. This doesn’t mean one should practice a single part of yoga, but possibly emphasize that part a bit more in their regular practice. Most will likely benefit from a combination, the full incorporation of all yogic practices. Similarly, some folks may need talk therapy or other forms of western medicine. Supporting mental health doesn’t have to be a choice between one treatment or another, it can and should be an overlapping of different types of supportive therapies and may evolve just as humans evolve.

Yoga can support with a great deal of things:

  • Calming the mind and body
  • Increase mental clarity
  • Increase physical awareness
  • Developing empathy
  • Practicing acceptance

In my experience, yoga has been a great mental health suppot and sometimes I do need therapies or treatments that are more westernized. That’s okay. We shouldn’t judge ourselves or others for doing what we need to in order to get better.

As 2024 comes closer to an end, I hope we can all move away from judgements of others and support one another in embracing what is needed to get through the day (or month or year).

National Yoga Awareness Month

yogideetzLeave a comment

September has been dubbed “National Yoga Awareness Month”. The intention is to raise awareness of the practice of yoga and it’s numerous health benefits. While I tend to agree, yoga is a practice many may find useful and the benefits are immeasurable in my own personal life, I’m wary to join into the monthly “celebrations” honoring yoga as I find the western tendency to segment yoga into “parts” is antithetical to what yoga really is.

Yoga is a practice with multiple pieces. Many follow the eight limbs of yoga:

  1. Yama – duties directed towards others
  2. Niyama – duties directed towards the self
  3. Asana – physical postures
  4. Pranayama – breath practices
  5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of one’s senses
  6. Dharana – focus
  7. Dhyana – meditation
  8. Samadhi – enlightenment

All these limbs have further practices within them. Individually, they may have numerous benefits for the mind, body, or spirit. Together, they have immeasurable benefits to the mind, body, AND spirit. See the difference?

When we take one piece of the puzzle, it may be interesting, but we aren’t really understanding the bigger picture or how that one piece fits into the puzzle. However, when we take all the pieces together, with patience and time, we see the beauty of it all, we see the full picture. The practice of yoga, incorporating all aspects of the practice, allows us to live our full selves, grow into our fullest beings. These practices give us the tools to be the best versions of ourselves, live with empathy, love, and grace, embrace all that humanity has to offer while understanding the bigger, spiritual picture.

So this month, as we raise awareness of the practice of yoga and it’s numerous benefits, I challenge you (and myself) to focus on those aspects of yoga where you may not have as much practice, where you may see minimal emphasis, and try to dig deeper into that practice. See what it opens up for you.

Yoga for All – How Can We Make Brave and Expansive Spaces?

yogideetz1 Comment

As we approach the end of Pride Month, I can’t help but notice all the social media posts promoting “inclusive yoga spaces”, spaces where communities are “safe” to be themselves in their fullest form. But what does a “safe” or “inclusive” space really mean?

In my experience, even spaces that are labeled as “safe” or “inclusive” have some kind of hierarchy or leader. When we’re trying to develop a community, shouldn’t we all have equal say in the group or circle, equal input into what’s happening? Shouldn’t each member of the community feel responsible or in charge of decisions? Likely, in many of these “safe” and “inclusive” spaces we enter, we are prone to the decision of others, following along passively.

Perhaps we should think about making spaces that are “brave” and “expansive”. Anyone trying to develop community can’t guarantee a space to be safe for everyone. No matter what we do, how many safe guards we make, triggers are everywhere and we can’t prepare for every single possible trigger for every single person who shows up. So what if we try to make spaces brave? A space where community members can feel willing and able to open up, push themselves in a way they weren’t able to before. And also create space for those who may not want to push themselves, but observe others in their ability to do so as an example of what they can work towards or open up to be. And what if we created spaces together, collaboratively, where there is no hierarchy or need to “invite” others to join, but there is an open door or no door at all. There is always room for anyone to join in and be part of the space, equally as important as those who came before.

As we work to build more equitable, expansive spaces for a diverse array of practices, it’s important to also make sure voices are being heard. Think about the space you want to create, who are you inviting to create the space with you? Would anyone be able to access and benefit?

Some communities to consider:

  • People living with disabilities
  • People living with chronic illness/pain
  • LGBTQ+ community members
  • BIPOC community members
  • Non-native English speakers
  • Immigrant/migrant community members
  • People living with different body types
  • People who have previously experienced incarceration
  • Youth/Transitional Age Youth

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It may inspire some thought into who is being represented and where there are gaps. It’s also important to recognize the intersectionality of individuals. Just because someone looks like they represent one community, does not mean that’s the only perspective they can have or should contribute.

Pranayama for Mental Health

yogideetzLeave a comment

Many of you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In many ways, Yoga is the perfect topic to discuss this month. There have been many studies showing the health benefits of yoga, from the physical benefits of asana to the mental health benefits of meditation. One thing that may not get as much attention is Pranayama and the mental and physical benefits of the various Pranayama practices.

Pranayama, as B.K.S. Iyengar calls it, is the yogic art of breathing. In his book, Light on Pranayama, Iyengar says “Pranayama is a conscious prolongation of inhalation, retention, and exhalation. The practice of Pranayama develops a steady mind, strong will-power, and sound judgement.” Pranayama is one of the eight stages of yoga, an integral part of any practice.

There are many different types of Pranayama practices. Some are great for increasing energy, some are great for bring about a sense of calm, and others are great for creating balance. Generally when it comes to breath practices, if the focus is on longer inhales and shorter exhales, these types of Pranayama increase energy and bring a little heat to the body. If the exhale is longer than the inhale, these Pranayama practices bring a sense of calm to the body, triggering our parasympathetic nervous system, our body’s natural calming system. A more even breath, inhale to exhale, bring energetic balance to our systems.

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to offer a few Pranayama practices that have helped me in my own mental health journey as I’ve grown my yoga practice.

  • Nadi Sodhana – this has been the most helpful to maintain calm and still my mind. Whenever I’m feeling stressed or anxious, this pranayama practice helps bring me back to the present.
  • Kapalabhati – great for when I’m feeling low in energy, helps me start the start with a little bit of exhilaration.
  • Diaphramatic Breathing – this was very useful to me during panic attacks and when I was in triggering situations. It helped me feel grounded and connected to the present moment.

I practice these Prayanama techniques fairly regularly and have seen a significant improvement in my mental health. I hope they help you too!

Women’s History Month

yogideetzLeave a comment

As the world recently celebrated International Women’s Day and as we continue to celebrate and honor Women’s History Month, a question that has often come up in my yoga sadhana, where are all the women in yoga history?

This question has come up before and continues to come up. Most of my mentors and teachers in my yoga studies have identified as women or non-binary. So when we look at the history of yoga, where are all the women?

It’s an interesting and important question. When I first started learning about yoga, I often read a version of yogic history where only men were allowed to practice for a long time and it wasn’t until white women became interested that women were then “allowed” to practice yoga. I find this really hard to believe, especially given the cultural importance of women in the history of India and other South Asian nations. If they were so important in the culture of a nation, why wouldn’t they be integral in the development of these practices which have been so intertwined with culture.

As I continue to study this topic, a part of me turns to the history of Tantric and Bhakti yoga which often call in the feminine divine as well as feminine devotion. I wonder if this erasure of women in mainstream yoga history is part of the impact of brahminism and colonialism in India and other South Asian countries.

Ultimately, at this point in my sadhana, I don’t have a clear understanding, sorry to disappoint you all. However, I have committed to learning more about the precense of women in the history of yoga and I will share my findings with you all.

Stay tuned!

New Year, Same me

yogideetzLeave a comment

New year, new me…right?

Wrong!

Much like the beginning of 2022, this year is all about going back to the beginning. Returning to the start of my yoga practice has been tough. Unlearning a lot of asana focused aspects of western yoga while still trying to get some movement into my body has been a real struggle in 2022. The movement focused health mentality has really become deeply ingrained in my mind. Luckily, with so many programs focusing on rest, I’m reminded that rest is also a self-care, healthy habit.

So here I am, starting 2023 relearning ancient yogic practices not related exclusively to movement. I’m also trying to start each day by doing something for myself. Lately it’s been doing some mild stretches and making sure I make breakfast before starting work. During the days, I walk as much as I can, slowly building up to a daily mileage goal that is realistic and achievable.

Small steps…it’s all about small steps back to wellness.

Mental Health Awareness Month

yogideetzLeave a comment

Over the last few months, I’ve really gotten deeper into my own personal yoga practice. Perhaps this is why I’ve neglected my writing. I’ve become engrossed in my morning meditation, asana, and pranayama as well as the evening journaling and recapitulation. While my stress and anxiety has not gone away completely, I do feel much more capable of handling triggers as they arise.

Hence I want to talk about Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout the month of May, social media, healthcare centers, and many other entities will be sharing information on how we can better improve our mental health. There are some really great resources out there.

What does yoga have to do with mental health? Yoga, in its full form, can be a great asset when managing mental health triggers. While yoga itself is not a complete solution, it can be an asset when finding oneself in situations where stress, anxiety, or other needs surface.

Yoga asana, pranayama, and especially meditation can be tools we use on a regular basis to help us make it through tough situations. This, paired with regular therapy or visits with medical professionals, can truly turn the tide and improve mental health.

Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Mental Health Resources for Children

New Year, New You? Maybe not…

yogideetzLeave a comment

The new year is here. So many of us may feel such a sense of relief that 2020 is over. All the pain, all the frustration, all the wrong. It has to be over, right? A new year brings opportunity for growth, for change. As the old saying goes, new year, new me!

Maybe not…

2020 brought on a great deal of pain. COVID-19 came and spread with such voracity, no one saw it coming. So in this new year, do we think it will just go away? Does making our traditional resolutions make COVID gone? Does the existence of multiple vaccines make it possible to go back to the way things were?

I think not. Time, like many things, is a man-made construct. This idea that a new year will bring immense change is a large burden to place on ourselves. Yes, 2021 is going to provide changes and opportunities. We’ll have a new president. We will hopefully have greater access to the COVID vaccine making herd immunity a real possibility. We may have some realistic resolutions in place.

But let’s look back at 2020 and think of some of the good that may have come out of it. We saw social justice in action. Some of you may have joined your first protest. Some of you may have voted for the first time. We developed a vaccine in ground-breaking time. We used our voices to make changes that might ultimately improve our communities.

For me, here are a few intentions that I started in 2020 that I plan to carry into and throughout 2021:

1) continue taking care of myself through good foods, meditation, and yoga
2) spend more time with folks who empower, support, and unconditionally love me
3) take more screen breaks
4) spend more time outside
5) watch less tv

What are some intentions you want to carry through 2021?