Hi there,

So this past month has been a big lesson in rest for me.

I’d been getting sick with the flu on and off.

Each time I got better I kept operating just at the limit of my energy, maxing out as much as I could. (Do you do that too?)

Then I got COVID last week and had no choice but to cancel everything I was doing.

That’s the thing: I had to be knocked off my feet to truly accept to step off the ride. 🙇🏻‍♀️

And I had A LOT of resistance to that!

Which is interesting because I KNOW how important it is to listen to the body, to rest and wind down.

It’s something I advocate for all the time in my classes.

This got me thinking about why I was running around so much.
What’s it all for? What was I trying to achieve?

I think most of us have this impulse to grow and improve our lives in some way.

And while we might think we know what external pursuits will get us there, what we truly want is feeling a certain way.

We’re really after a state of being rather than a state of things.

Which is why building an inner container for feeling happy, confident, fulfilled is way more powerful than any arbitrary goals.

When we relax into life… we’re already where we want to be.

Last month I talked about Sadhana ~ the conscious practice of tending to our inner self.

And quite frankly, lately I'd been struggling to stay engaged with my personal practice.

There was so much to “get done” that it became another thing on the list of things "to do”.

But this past week, when everything had to stop, I surrendered.

I let go completely of all the things that could or should be, and made space for all the things that were.

And in this space, I got to taste again the sweetness of simply being.

Without hurry or distraction.

Despite the pains & aches from being sick.

Behind all of it, there was so much bliss to be experienced. 😇

Some practices that got me through long days of recovery:

• Ayurvedic self-care routine of neti pot, brushing, and Abhyanga self-massage with oil
• This Iyengar Restorative Yoga sequence for Colds (it never fails to improve my breathing)
• Journalling about the expectations & beliefs I want to let go of
• Sitting in open-awareness meditation (here’s a guided recording by Sally Kempton if you'd like to try)

I hope this letter has inspired you to be kind to yourself :)

Until next time x

Lou

PS: For my Sydney readers, we're running the last Restorative Yoga & Sound Healing event of the year next Thursday Dec 22nd in Bondi. Sound bath with intuitive vocals and yummy passive poses is exactly what we need during the holiday craze. There's still time to book early bird discounted tickets through this link.

PSS: I'm also running an event to kick off 2023 with a balance of Yang & Yin practices on Jan 2nd, 11am at My Asana in Vaucluse. We'll start with some core play towards crow & handstands and end with restorative poses to lead us into the new year with intention. You can book your spot here.​