Blog Post Title One
Happy New Year beautiful people (it still counts mid month). I’m late to this month’s Newsletter because I took my own advice from December and brought it into January to “give myself permission to do less.” As most of you know, I just got back from an eventful birthday trip to Canada with my childhood best friend. My afterthoughts on this trip remind me how important my consistent yoga and mindfulness practice is and how it is the gift that keeps on giving both on and off the mat. This month’s newsletter is for reflections and intentions.
My childhood friend, Kristen, and I booked a spontaneous trip to Calgary Canada on New Years Eve. Our goal was to explore a new place, get lost and spend plenty of time in nature hiking the rocky mountains, ending the cold days in a hot tub or hot spring. While we managed to snag some decent deals on hotels and air bnb’s with a hot tub and book a gondola to a hot spring, everything fell apart by day 2. We had been keeping an eye on the weather because we knew it was going to be cold. What started as a low of 2 degrees at night quickly changed to -40 degrees during the day but only for the exact days of our stay. The day after we left the temperatures were expected to be in the 30’s. Positive 30’s. While I’m tempted to turn this trip into a short story book, I'll spare you all the details and focus on the main takeaways.
-Adaptability/ Flexibility
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware, in the moment, unattached and without judgment. I used to, and still can be, effortlessly irritated. Any minor inconvenience would throw me into an anxious spiral of wishing things to be different-usually things that were completely out of my control–and let it ruin my whole day. Through mindfulness and yoga, I have learned to go with the flow, hopeful, unattached and even just a little less critical. Instead of wishing things were different and throwing a pity party in my favorite sweats and fuzzy robe, I was able to adapt to my situation and make the best of my trip. A big part of my mindfulness practice has been the understanding that I cannot control what happens around me or to me, but I can control how I respond to it.
-Gratitude
Even Though I didn't get to do all the things I wanted to do to make the most out of this trip; even though I couldn't be outside for more than 20 minutes at a time, and when I say 20 that's a bit of an exaggeration because it was more like 5-10; even though majority of the trip was spent inside or in the car, I had one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Throughout the whole trip I had this lingering sense of gratitude. This does not mean there weren’t some sprinkled in disappointments or moments of “f*** this,” but overall, we had so much fun. We both repeatedly acknowledged how lucky we were to be exploring a new place with each other. We had car concerts, playing songs from our youth that sparked colorful emotions and were erupting in endless giggles. We coffee shop hopped to munch on delicious pastries and defrost with local coffee. We thrift-shore hopped and connected with locals. My “attitude of gratitude” practice started when I first began teaching in high schools and juvenile halls in 2018. I was so nervous and would wake up weighed down by anxiety. In the mornings I would pour my cup of coffee and immediately write a list of at least 5 things that I was grateful for as a way to get a head start on any negatives that would inevitably pop up. I learned this from a study that proved for every negative thought it takes 5 positive thoughts to counteract it. Our brains are trained to focus on the negative. It’s what helped us survive as a species. If something bad happened that threatened our safety, we had to remember so we would learn and not repeat that mistake.
-Mantras and affirmations
Another thing our brains love are patterns. This is why its hard to change our habits and we find ourselves slipping back into our old ways. Ahmmmen anyone with New Year's resolutions that don't last past the second week of January. It’s ok, you’re not alone. I have been using positive affirmations and mantras to help me keep myself accountable and grounded for years. All of my mantras from the past couple years revealed their highest potential on this trip. Our brain is a muscle. When we practice, we get better. When we use repetition, it becomes muscle memory. The following mantras showed up for me again and again on this trip, organically.
“I’m {we’re} doing the best we can”
“I’m stronger than I think I am”
“I give myself permission to do less”
-Breathwork/ body awareness
Another muscle memory appreciation moment. When we use the same coping mechanisms enough times, our body will begin to go into autopilot when we need them. Once we would get inside after clenching through the cold- we would pause, wiggle, shake and release with big exhales-sighing out our mouths, and oftentimes screaming and wiggling. This would then end in laughter from the ridiculousness of the situation. Wiggling and screaming, although it can look and feel silly, is a highly effective way of regulating our nervous systems.
-The vibe of your tribe
-Humor/joy/play
As California girls, we experienced such extremely cold weather conditions that the cold in and of itself, was the event for the whole trip. Our eye lashes and hair immediately turned white from being outside for 30 seconds. This is something I never even thought of being possible. My first thought was, we can die out here. My second thought was, “what a privilege to be able to get so far out of my comfort zone.” We were both surprised by the ease we approached the whole trip with. While I never need to be this cold again in my life, I’m thankful for the opportunity to witness something new. As I come out of this trip feeling like a survivor, I am stepping into 2024 with confidence in myself and the tools I have learned.
My intention for 2024 is to build my business as a Therapeutic Yoga and Mindfulness coach. I am endlessly grateful for the way these practices have improved my well-being and am passionate about paying it forward. Stay tuned for more information on group classes, workshops and other offerings coming up this year. I am also accepting private and group privates and events by request. If you know anyone who could benefit from my services, please don't hesitate to send them my way.
Sending so much warmth, now that my body temperature is back to normal, and hoping for a year of ease, patience and endless gratitude for us all.
Happy New Year beautiful people (it still counts mid month).
I’m late to this month’s Newsletter because I took my own advice from December and brought it into January to, “give myself permission to do less.” As most of you know, I just got back from an eventful birthday trip to Canada with my childhood best friend. My afterthoughts on this trip remind me how important my consistent yoga and mindfulness practice is and how it is the gift that keeps on giving both on and off the mat. This month’s newsletter is for reflections and intentions post trip.
My friend, Kristen, and I booked a spontaneous trip to Calgary Canada on New Years Eve. Our goal was to explore a new place, get lost and spend plenty of time in nature hiking the rocky mountains, ending the cold days in a hot tub or hot spring. While we managed to snag some decent deals on hotels and air bnb’s with a hot tub and book a gondola to a hot spring, everything fell apart by day 2. We had been keeping an eye on the weather because we knew it was going to be cold. What started as a low of 2 degrees Fahrenheit at night, quickly changed to -40 degrees during the day but only for the exact days of our stay. The day after we left the temperatures were expected to be in the 30’s. Positive 30’s. While I’m tempted to turn this trip into a short story book, I'll spare you all the details and focus on the main takeaways.
Adaptability/ Flexibility
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware, in the moment, unattached and without judgment. I used to, and still can be, effortlessly irritated. Any minor inconvenience would throw me into an anxious spiral of wishing things to be different-usually things that were completely out of my control–and let it ruin my whole day. Through mindfulness and yoga, I have learned to go with the flow, hopeful, unattached and even just a little less critical. Instead of wishing things were different and throwing a pity party in my favorite sweats and fuzzy robe, I was able to adapt to my situation and make the best of my trip. A big part of my mindfulness practice has been the understanding that I cannot control what happens around me or to me, but I can control how I respond to it.
Gratitude
Even though I didn't get to do all the things I wanted to do to make the most out of this trip; even though I couldn't be outside for more than 20 minutes at a time, and when I say 20, that's a bit of an exaggeration because it was more like 5-10; even though majority of the trip was spent inside or in the car, I had one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Throughout the whole trip I had this lingering sense of gratitude. This does not mean there weren’t some sprinkled in disappointments or moments of “f*** this,” but overall, we had so much fun. We both repeatedly acknowledged how lucky we were to be exploring a new place with each other. We had car concerts, playing songs from our youth that sparked colorful emotions and were erupting in endless giggles. We coffee shop hopped to munch on delicious pastries and defrost with local coffee. We thrift-shore hopped and connected with locals. We shivered our way around town and found silver linings. My “attitude of gratitude” practice started when I first began teaching in high schools and juvenile halls in 2018. I was so nervous and would wake up weighed down by anxiety. In the mornings I would pour my cup of coffee and immediately write a list of at least 5 things that I was grateful for as a way to get a head start on any negatives that would inevitably pop up. I learned this from a study that proved for every negative thought it takes 5 positive thoughts to counteract it. Our brains are trained to focus on the negative. It’s what helped us survive as a species. If something bad happened that threatened our safety, we had to remember so we would learn and not repeat that mistake. Our brains still hold on to negatives, wether we are in immediate danger or not, so counting our blessings really does pay off.
Mantras and affirmations
Another thing our brains love are patterns. This is why its hard to change our habits and we find ourselves slipping back into our old ways. Ahem anyone with New Year's resolutions that don't last past the second week of January. It’s ok, you’re not alone. I have been using positive affirmations and mantras to help me keep myself accountable and grounded for years. All of my mantras from the past couple years revealed their highest potential on this trip. Our brain is a muscle. When we practice, we get better. When we use repetition, it becomes muscle memory. The following mantras showed up for me again and again on this trip, organically.
“I’m doing the best I can”
“I’m stronger than I think I am”
“I give myself permission to do less”
Breath work/ Body awareness
Another muscle memory appreciation moment. When we use the same coping mechanisms enough times, our body will begin to go into autopilot when we need them. Once we would get inside after clenching through the cold- we would pause, shake and release with big exhales-sighing out our mouths, and oftentimes screaming and wiggling. This would then end in laughter from the ridiculousness of the situation. Wiggling and screaming, although it can look and feel silly, is a highly effective way of regulating our nervous systems.
As California girls, we experienced such extremely cold weather conditions that the cold in and of itself, was the event of the whole trip. Our eye lashes and hair immediately turned white from being outside for 30 seconds. This is something I never even thought of being possible. My first thought was, "we can die out here." My second thought was, "how do I know if I have frost bite?" My third thought was, “what a privilege to be able to get so far out of my comfort zone.” We were both surprised by the ease we approached the whole trip with. While I never need to be this cold again in my life, I’m thankful for the opportunity to witness something new. As I come out of this trip feeling like a survivor, as dramatic as that might sound, I am stepping into 2024 with confidence in myself and the tools I have learned.
My intention for 2024 is to build my business as a Therapeutic Yoga and Mindfulness coach. I am endlessly grateful for the way these practices have improved my well-being and am passionate about paying it forward. Stay tuned for more information on group classes, workshops and other offerings coming up this year. I am also accepting private and group privates and events by request. My classes at the Buddhist Center in the mission will be starting back up in February. If you know anyone who could benefit from my services, please don't hesitate to send them my way. I am looking to expand and grow, so any referrals would be greatly appreciated.
Sending so much warmth, now that my body temperature is back to normal, and hoping for a year of ease, patience and endless gratitude for everyone.
Honoring the Light and Dark sides of us all,
Aubree
Yoga/ Mindfulness for Trauma & Mental Health Specialist
mindfulskulls.com
