Finding Equilibrium in Unsettling Times
June 16, 2020
Unrest in the outside world can bring difficult feelings to the surface. It may seem that anywhere you turn you’re faced with disheartening news or major conflict, making it hard to feel stable and grounded. Balancing commitments to your family, your community, your job, and your personal life sometimes results in yourself coming in last.
There are a few strategies you can use to create balance and equilibrium in your life during unsettling times (yes – practicing yoga is one of them!):
Prioritize Your Yoga Practice
Yoga is often included in lists of ways to engage in self-care. This is probably because the benefits of a yoga practice impact the whole person. When you commit to a consistent yoga practice, you’ll see positive change not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
During stressful times, prioritizing your yoga practice is more important than ever. Schedule your practice times out a week in advance, whether you’re planning to practice at home or in the studio. Write down these practice times in your calendar or planner – this holds you accountable to your own self-care and helps you maintain a level of consistency that will keep you grounded.
Connect With Your Community
This may be challenging as we continue to practice social distancing, but many communities have found ways to connect both in-person and online to serve a broad range of needs. At Uptown Yoga, we’re hosting a book discussion group to stimulate conversation and connection around current issues and to bring education and awareness around topics of social justice. Joining a community of people in this way helps you maintain the connection to others, offers purpose and structure to your time and helps bring balance to your life.
Set up Digital Boundaries
The new normal of connecting online is a double-edged sword: while it enables us to be a part of our family, social, and work circles from home, if left unchecked, consuming too much digital content can leave you feeling scattered and anxious. A constant barrage of news stories and social media feeds pulls you away from the present. Consider what a healthy balance looks like for you, and set digital boundaries for yourself. This might mean limiting yourself to 15 minutes a day on social media platforms and 15 minutes of reading the news (or an amount of time that works for you) – or you may be at the point where you need a full digital detox and need to take a break from everything but work emails for a week. Notice how much time you’re spending online and how it impacts you, and adjust accordingly.
Our community is everything at Uptown Yoga. If you’re feeling unsettled and need to find equilibrium, our classes are available to you both virtually and in-person. If you’re returning to the physical studio for the first time, you can find our new procedures here. Whether you’re joining a class or a book discussion with our community, we’re here to help you stay connected and grounded.
