Hello anxiety, my old friend…
"Oh, it's you again. Hello, anxiety."
This week I’ve been reminded, once again of the ways anxiety and stress show up for me, or should I say creep up on me. There's definitely a sense of bubbling-up happening then its like BAM! I'm in a headlock having a ruff n' tumble on the bathroom floor or pillow fight in the bedroom.
As a mindfulness and yoga teacher, you may think it's strange for me to be so open about my messiness but as the founder of this movement, I see it as an important message and an ice-breaker for a conversation we need to have. A conversation with ourselves, our friends, family and our anxieties.
Awareness, compassion and some simple tools can help you move forward with less drama because let's be honest there's enough in the world already so why bring more of it in ourselves? Let's ease the load and lighten the mood. Anxiety is not exclusive, it's readily available to anyone with a conscious mind.
Even with a mental toolkit of ways to release myself from the grip of anxiety and stress I can still be derailed and suffocated by it but I am so grateful for the awareness I’ve built up because it allows me to step in and say " hang on a minute, it's you again, what do you need from me to send you on your way?"
By lightening the mood I am not trying to devalue your anxiety but to shift the perspective.
The most important thing to know right now is you are not alone. Then to understand it's not about getting rid of anxiety and never experiencing it again, it's accepting you can send it on its way, come back to feeling like yourself and be better prepared for the next time it shows up.
Inspired by the feedback from my last workshop and my incredible clients, two things are happening this month I want to share with you.
The first thing I'm rolling out is a monthly 'Toolkit tips: #3 ways to deal with... ' starting with anxiety, of course! It's such a beast of a topic so I 'll focus on 3 simple positive steps to move forward which I'll share over 3 days. If you're already on the mailing list this will be sent to you automatically. If you have friends or loved ones you believe would benefit from these tips and our newsletter, please send them here to sign-up!
If you missed the virtual workshop in June, fear not I have created a mini 'Self-Care Series' of monthly workshops focussed on yoga, mindset and breath practices to boost your wellbeing. The first part of the series will be 'Body-Connection' on Saturday 18th July 09.45am -12.15pm. More details available here.
It was not only my experiences which inspired me to step up and do this work I hope to share with you all, but it is also the challenges of everyone around me in this community. Self-care begins with a desire to feel good and an awareness to see what needs our attention. Big Love Movement is a platform for creating awareness towards mental wellness and to share empowering tools to encourage positive wellbeing.
Stay safe, stay in flow and I'll see you on the mat or in real life soon.
Becki
