Namaste home, friends.

In a recent all-company Zoom meeting a colleague noted that she thought all this stay-in-place might result in a calmer, more focused life. Like, somehow, all those fitness and meal-planning goals would suddenly come to fruition with this newly found “free time” that would inherently accompany working from home.

But… while we all feel fortunate to be working in a time when many cannot, this full-time gig with kids in the middle of our workplace(s) has heaped unforeseen amounts of stress and anxiety on top of what we were already experiencing. (And don’t even get her started on this home-schooling that’s theoretically happening.)

Yeah, everyone’s a bit more on edge. And that got me thinking about some of the many wellness programs we’ve worked on with our clients. And the quote “if you can’t spare 30 minutes to meditate, then do it for an hour” (or something like that) keeps popping into my already crammed and distracted brain.

So, let’s calm down for a minute. Or seven. Or 15. Or whatever time you are willing and able to allocate to doing a little bit of yoga or meditation. If you do, here’s my promise: even if it’s just five minutes you’ll be amazed at how you can continually add to that, day after day. It adds up and you’ll quickly see the benefit to your focus and general attitude. It’s not magic, but it works. Word.

Yoga and meditation go hand in hand. I actually think of yoga as meditation that has a specific focus/purpose. You have to engage with your breathing and body in the present moment. It’s hard to be somewhere else when you’re remembering to inhale and exhale at certain points of the poses. And it’s easy to follow the path of your breath, bringing an awareness of how you’re feeling.

Still here? If you’ve read this far, then you’re probably curious (or desperate) enough to try this. And you should. In your home office, on your bed, in your kitchen, in your backyard, in an empty part of the park in the sunshine. The nice thing about this little sequence (view below or download the PDF here) is that you can do it at your own pace in your old sweats, no fancy yoga outfit required, no specific reps or time commitment required. Do what feels right. And there’s no judgement! So maybe also make a mental commitment to not judge yourself, and to just be proud that you’re giving yourself this time.

Here’s something else to remember when you do this: be careful how you talk to yourself, because you’re probably listening. Try to make a point to be as nice to yourself as you would be to a good, dear, stressed-to-the-brim friend. You’d be really encouraging to her/him, right?

Do the same for yourself.

Be kind and breathe. 

Namaste, friends!