Sometimes when we are on the cusp of change, it can feel like the weight of the world rests on our shoulders.
Much of what is happening around us can feel out of control. Standing up and speaking out for what is just and right gives us a sense of purpose, an opportunity to take back our power.
Frequently, change comes at a slower rate than we would like. We have the choice in these times to persevere in coming together and uniting, or to isolate in despair and self-protection. To open our hearts to something greater or to withdraw further into our silos.
What the pandemic and the #blacklivesmatter movement has revealed is how we are all inextricably connected. Our actions, unconscious or deliberate, impact each other. Moving forward, we have an opportunity to create a better, more equitable world for everyone.
When the weight on your shoulders feels unsupportable, the challenges daunting, there are self-care tools to support you in being the positive change you seek.
The mindful tools of yoga and meditation can bring you back to center, even in the heaviest moments. They allow you to release trauma, grief and anger and focus your energy more productively on supporting others who need it.
In the dark days following September 11th, I first found the power of loving-kindness meditation in a life-changing book by Sharon Salzberg. Repeating these simple phrases redirected my thoughts to a more loving place, and gave me a sense of renewed hope and faith in humanity during a time of crisis and fear.
In times of heaviness since then, I return again and again to that practice of loving-kindness. It has the power to shift the way the world feels to me, to fill my environment with compassion and positivity regardless of the circumstances. The practice enables me to actively choose to uplift with lightness, hope and connection rather than drag down by spreading negativity and fear. This does not mean ignoring injustice or challenge; it means creating a receptive space for the solution through opening my heart.
The practice of yoga also lightens the load by retraining the mind/body/spirit into vital and powerful alignment. How we stand affects how we feel and also how we are seen. Shoulders back, heart open to the world, we are stronger in body and feel better physically. Our stance shows that we come from a powerful place of alignment and integrity. Heart open, resolute, ready to face whatever comes.
This week’s GloSeries video, Easing Shoulder Tightness, helps you practice releasing the weight of the world through mindful and physical alignment.
Stay strong. We are in this together.