Yoga and sobriety - a match made in happiness (for me)
Last week I wrote about being honest and how it’s an important principle of living a yoga lifestyle. And you might wonder what I mean when I say, “living a yoga lifestyle”. Well, the point of yoga is to clear the mind of busy thoughts. A yoga class is the perfect way to do that. You can’t be thinking about your shopping list or where you’ll be in 5 years time when you are in the flow of a yoga session. But, we can’t be doing the physical practice of yoga 24/7. So there are plenty of other ways to clear the mind:
taking some deep breaths (pranayama)
having a digital detox (pratyahara)
meditation (dhyana)
being ethical, because it takes a lot of brain space to be unethical! (yama) ⬅ and that’s where honesty comes in.
(You can download my free ebook about the different ways to practice yoga here).
Well, if I’m being honest, the past week was a huge struggle. I travelled for work. Sounds simple, but travelling is hugely triggering for me. I find airports overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Travelling alone makes me feel, well, lonely. Back in my corporate days I travelled all the time. Every other week (or more). It made it impossible for me to have hobbies or develop romantic relationships because I was never home long enough to put time into them. So, instead I developed a new hobby and relationship. Wine.
Back then I was a Qantas Club member so the bar was always waiting for me when I got to the airport at the end of a long day of meetings. And I’d get free wine on the plane. And when I did get to catch up with friends we’d always have wine too. This was also when I was suffering badly from endometriosis so wine was a great pain killer and mind number. (There’s a difference between having a mind free from busy-ness through yoga and a mind that’s numb from regular wine, believe me!).
This week’s trip was different because I’ve been alcohol-free for more than 3 years. Instead of numbing my anxiety about travelling alone with wine, I had to feel it. And that’s okay! Instead of reaching for booze, I went for a walk. I wrote some poetry (an absolute first for me) and I curled up in bed with a good book. When I was leaving, instead of hanging out for a few extra hours at the airport bar, I asked the hotel staff if I could wait in their lobby. They did me one better and gave me a key to sit by the pool. It was glorious.
I am so grateful that I get to live a sober, yoga lifestyle these days. I have a lot more hobbies than I used to. And I have these moments of pure bliss, like the one by the pool, more and more which means I am happier than ever. I have resilience and can cope with these triggering moments. It feels good.
If you are sober-curious, feel free to send me an email (click here) if you have any questions about how to quit. I’m not an expert by any means, but my experiences may be able to put you on a path to improving your relationship with alcohol.
Yoga Pose of the Week
Crescent Moon - I LOVE this pose. Partly because it is named for the moon. But mostly because it is very grounding. I love feeling my feet on the floor while I stretch my entire body. Plus, you can do it anywhere (if you don’t mind looking a little silly, I guess). I like to inhale and stretch my arms above my head and then stretch to one side on the exhale. Don’t forget to do the other side!
Yoga Philosophy of the Week
Even though I often say that yoga is more than the physical practice… I LOVE the physical practice. The Sanskrit word for this is asana. Some scholars say it translates to “pose” and others say it means “seat”. Fun fact - asana was originally added to the yoga practice to help students stay seated comfortably in a meditation position for longer.
Mindful Moment of the Week
Okay, more honesty here, and it’s a bit embarrassing. But when I was in Perth for training, I looked at the moon and remembered that even though my dog & I were far away from each other, we were still under the same moon in the same time zone. It was comforting. I took a photo and this is it.
