6 Soothing Yoga Strategies Helping Me Through the Pandemic
COVID-19 has changed my practice, and that’s okay.
I’m a yoga and meditation teacher, and a parent. What does my home practice look like in a global pandemic?
To be honest, it looks very different. It feels very different. Taking care of myself can’t be a long, indulgent process right now.
My pre-pandemic yoga practice was a sweet, luxurious balance of privacy and community. It was relevant to a life of rhythm and routine. It was slotted in carefully between parenting in the morning and afternoon, and a full schedule of teaching while my son was at school or in bed.
I was consistent with meditation because that’s how it worked best. Sitting for at least 10 minutes in stillness felt generative, and had the potential to be cumulatively transformative. Making sure I carved out a set amount of time to be absorbed into deep self-awareness was possible, and felt necessary.
My current yoga practice is relevant to what’s happening now. It is triage. It sustains and comforts, returning me to emotional balance over and over.
I’m going back to the most familiar, gentle breathing exercises. I check in with my body multiple times a day, noticing the state of my heart, gut, lower back, shoulders and jaw. Recognizing that stress is there, without judgement, is my first step.
I stubbornly advocate for just a few minutes to put my body and mind back in touch with each other, because I know what will happen if I don’t.
My anxiety, left unchecked, seeps into my family members.
Together in our little apartment, we are all physically safe, but it doesn’t feel that way. It seems urgent to stay on top of the news, but if I glaze over my own care and maintenance, it won’t be good for anyone. It is so tempting to check out, go down a scrolling spiral, and forget the present moment. But then the next thing I know, my whole family is doing the same. We’re all snapping at each other more, and even the cat is howling.
“Working parents were suddenly left with no childcare, and those who had the fortune to be able to continue employment from home were now charged with caring for and educating their children while also trying to achieve their job responsibilities… And when the adults’ coping mechanisms have fallen by the wayside, how can we help our children remember theirs?”
-@Nikki Kay, After Months of Isolation, the Kids Are Not Alright
I have no choice but to surrender to the reality of the moment.
Just the fact that I’m never alone means my practice is not going to be private or serene. I have to do it anyway. Of course, there are days that I don’t, but if I keep it simple enough, I will do something.
I want to share with you six of my go-to self-care strategies from yoga. These are some of the most soothing and accessible, based on my experience.
To ease my anxiety, yoga offers so much more than poses. Breathing patterns, walking meditation, restorative postures and gentle movement are available even when life is overwhelming. (Please note that none of this is medical advice. If you want medical advice, read this.)
Any mindful movement counts.
I snatch small opportunities between work and parenting responsibilities. There’s less time now, so I make the most of what I have. I roll around in bed before admitting I’m awake. I roll around on the floor of the living room and my son runs past. He might stop for a little Acroyoga: flying on my feet.
I practice walking meditation during my son’s Pokéwalks.
Feeling my feet on the earth, one and then the next. I say to myself “I am home” on the first step, “I have arrived” with the next. Noticing the soles of my feet, I swing my arms naturally and turn up the corners of my mouth in a little smile. It helps me to think of walking like an aimless tiger, so that I get my whole body involved in the action of enjoying the walk.
I use Dr. Gail Parker’s simple affirmation practice:
“Ask yourself how you would most like to feel… Receive it however it comes to you… Inhale the feeling until you are completely filled with it. Exhale the feeling until it surrounds you.”
-Dr. Gail Parker, Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma
Lying on the floor, I put my legs up on the couch and fling my forearm over my eyes despite the clutter, dishes, and emails piling up.
Sometimes I combine this restorative pose (viparita karani) with breathing patterns (pranayama). I use breath as the first line of defense when faced with strong feelings. When extremely upset, about to flip my lid, or mired in despair, I use one of these emotional triage tools from my toolbox.
Below are 3 breathing exercises that have been in my rotation during COVID-19, because I find them both soothing and focusing.
It isn’t necessary to sit still, only that my spine feels long and my lungs are unrestricted and available for breath. Sometimes I’ll lie down, walk, or wash the dishes while practicing these breath patterns. I usually feel more emotionally balanced by the fourth or fifth round.
Balanced Belly Breathing:
With a hand on your belly, count to five as you breathe in and fill your belly like a balloon. Count to five as you slowly deflate the balloon, breathing out. Repeat for 10 counts or as long as you like.
4–7–8 Breath:
Breathe in counting to four, suspend your breath gently for a count of seven, breathe out slowly for a count of eight. Never force any breathing practice, especially holding your breath, and stop if it makes you feel more anxious.
Cooling Breath for Anger:
Stick out your tongue and curl up the sides like a U if genetically possible. Breathe in through or over your extended tongue. Bring your tongue in and breathe out slowly through your nose. This one looks pretty hilarious, and laughter is calming too!
To be honest, sometimes the best thing I can do is cry in the shower. Crying is a physiological mechanism we evolved in order to release our big feelings. We release stress hormones through our tears. Even if I’m not flipping my lid, as a parent the shower is one place I can get some self-care time! Starting hot and ending with cold is a great nervous system reset.
“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where the power is.”
-Tibetan Saying
We need our meditation, yoga and self-care to be responsive to the world we live in right now.
Your practice may not look like it has in the past. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with it. Take refuge in a few moments of stillness, a few conscious breaths, a grounding walk or a luxurious stretch before bed. Whatever you do, may it serve your emotional balance, so that you can be present with what is.