A few years ago I was teaching yoga in a local gym, when a student approached me seeking guidance on managing her anxiety. She asked which specific yoga poses could help her. Curiously, I inquired about her daily practice, only to learn that she felt too anxious to practice at all.
The purpose of any discipline, be it prayer, meditation, Yoga, or Qigong, is to connect with your inner self. This connection taps into an unwavering, peaceful presence that resides within you. By establishing a regular practice, ideally daily, it becomes easier to access this infinite source of calm.
The long-term benefits are profound. When you cultivate a sense of stillness and peace, it feels like returning home to a place you instinctively know you belong. You can carry this sense of calm with you as you navigate life’s journey.
Of course, as humans, we will still experience feelings of sadness, anger, and depression. Acknowledging these emotions is essential; they are part of the human experience. However, your practice allows you to move through these feelings more quickly. Embrace them after all, they are real and valid. With your discipline in place, you’re more likely to remain more positive as you move through the challenges of your day.
Can you take seven to ten minutes every day?
When you care enough about yourself to commit to a short time every day for your practice – whether that’s running, martial arts, or chanting – it becomes easier to remain centred, react less to external triggers, feel generally stronger and feel more in control of your life.
What you experience in your practice is eventually translated into every area of your life. For example, in the ancient art of Qigong, we learn to move slowly with relaxed breathing and in time we approach all our daily activities in the same way, thus gaining some self-mastery.
Over time we develop resilience as we realise that emotions are fluid; nothing stays the same forever, including how you feel in any given moment. Whilst we can’t escape illness, loss and life changing events we’re able to handle them in a more robust way.
Your Practice as an Anchor
Consider your practice as an anchor during life’s storms. Whilst many external circumstances are often beyond our control, building a daily routine fosters a sense of balance and inner strength that will serve you well throughout life.
Just before lockdown I started my teacher training in Qigong which I’ve added to my regular yoga practice. I cannot sing it’s praises more highly; it is a remarkable practice and there is a huge body of scientific evidence to prove its efficacy.
It’s an easy practice to learn… you just have to keep practising.
If you would like to experience some of the wonderful benefits of Qigong. I am holding a mini-Yoga and Qigong Summer Retreat in a beautiful setting in Bromley, Kent. Contact me at sue@thestresshacker.com for more information.
