AVOIDING BURNOUT

Greetings friends! How is everybody doing? Some of you have messaged me saying that you’re feeling the burnout. It’s the end of the year, we’ve all been through it, haven’t we?

If you’re feeling burned out, this message is for you!

My name’s Mae and today we are journeying into week 2 of our 8 week yoga program here at Kerrville Yoga!

Last week, we took it “EASY” and explored our “why.”

This week, we’re going to explore avoiding burnout while transitioning from point A to point B.

For most of us, 2020 has not been easy. This year has shaken us up so much that feeling burnout is going to be quite normal. Okay? It’s normal!

So having a deep understanding of your reasoning behind what it is that you’re doing, who it is that you’re doing it for, and how you plan to continue to move will help cut through the noise and give you a foundation that will allow you to move forward with clarity.

If you feel hopeless, anxious, or depressed, I have good news! You are a human! There’s nothing wrong with you! You are living, breathing, and feeling the world around you as it is. Feeling burnt out is just your body, mind, and soul telling you that it’s time to tap the breaks and get back to the basics.

The best way to avoid burnout is to take care of yourself first.

One of the key elements of our discussion today is how we keep moving forward once we’ve gotten started. Well done for beginning with your breath! Just like breathing, avoiding burnout is a daily task.

Now, you might be thinking, it’s a little early to be addressing something like getting burnt out in just our second week of the program, but I happen to have a bit of a background in studying this sort of thing and it’s never too early to start preventing yourself from hustling into exhaustion.

My reason behind this script dates back to my days as an actress on the stage.

During the run of a show, there is something known among the theater community as “second show slump.”

The first show, we’re all hyped up, we’ve been preparing, we’ve been practicing, we’re ready for the audience. The second show, however, we’re all a little relaxed, yeah? On the second night, everyone feels confident enough in their abilities to perform that they stop keeping up with the little things like going over lines, rehearsing blocking, or warming up their voice that make a huge difference when it’s time for “places.” This energy among the group is almost never as explosive as it is on the first night, so there is an inevitable slump that the show will experience.

This doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the second show is even better than the first. But for the most part, the second time around just isn’t as good as the first.

In our yoga practice, we might feel a slump, so to speak, after we get going. So before we start to relax on our mats for more stretching, I encourage you to check in with your basic needs.

No matter how motivated you are by your “why,” if you do not take care of yourself, you won’t be able to show up.

How are you sitting right now? Your foundation anchors you to your breath. So notice how you are grounding yourself.

The diaphragm sits like a parachute, attached at the top to your sternum and at the bottom to your lower back. How you are sitting determines how well your breaths will go. Your seat is your breath foundation.

ROOTED IN PEACE

Yoga Journal submits, in a quote from this article that, “From the core to the floor, we root down. This creates total body integration, or the movement of all parts. With total integration, we start to move with more ease and purpose. When you build a solid structure from the ground up, stress, imbalance, and rigidity melt away, and you begin to expand in new directions.”

The importance of creating a strong foundation on the mat translates to your life off the mat. Instead of being pulled in many different directions, you learn to stabilize yourself. Steady gaze, steady mind, and stable foundation. Good rest. Plenty of nutrients. Frequent hydration.

GROUNDING DOWN

Have you rested? Have you eaten? Have you been drinking water? How are you maintaining your machine? Take care of the bare necessities so that you can connect to your body.

To transition from an EASY seat into a TABLE:

First, extend the legs to STAFF

Get the blood flowing to the backs of the legs. Pad the knees. Wiggle the toes. Curl and point the toes, push to the heels and bring the toes towards the face. Circle the ankles.

Breathe.

From here, extend the legs out, maybe find a gentle forward bend, bringing the awareness from the back into the hips and legs.

Pause. Feel the foundation.

Bring the knees in and up, feet wide to the sides of your mat, and carefully dip the knees to the right until your left knees are behind your right foot on a soft and flat surface.

MERMAID Bring the right hand down behind you, the left hand up, and push the hips forward.
Change Sides.

Feel your breath like the tides.

Slowly make your way from MERMAID to TABLE

With the shoulders over the wrists and the knees beneath the hips, we create a stable TABLE.

Your second pose is TABLE.

Imagine your TABLE as your pilot light. You need to keep the fire burning in your belly at all times.

Get down on the ground, using a cushion if need be, and create a ninety degree angle with your knees, hips, and ankles. Your toes can be down or your toenails. Explore the movement in the arms as you reach the elbows towards each other.

CAT COW

This movement stretches the back and abdominal muscles

Arch the Back - Exhale CAT

Lift the Heart - Inhale COW

Repeat the stretches

Breathe

Feel the spine

Notice the foundation beneath you.

PLANK to CHILD

This movement brings the energy to the crown of the head and back down to the base of the spine.

Inhale PLANK

The idea is to find a space to activate and become rigid. Let the flames start to build.

Feel the energy at the top of the head, press to the hands, lift your knees off the floor. Notice the energy rise!

You can feel the core in PLANK and next week, we’ll really dive into more core goodness, but for today, our theme is channeling this energy not burning it out, so feel the stability beneath you, feel the burn, but don’t let the flame die out. Notice how you are supported. Let yourself release and refresh.

Exhale CHILD

Drop the knees, feel the energy move to the base of the spine.

Here, you notice that the world is calm. You can go into your shell. CHILD’S pose has a lot to offer, but it’s one of those that might also not be so easy for you. I advise stabilizing onto your elbows if you feel too much compression between the hips, legs, chest, or if the pressure at your head is too much.

The idea is to find a space to surrender and soften.

OM NAMAHA: Kneeling

Make sure the knees are padded accordingly.

INHALE - Reach the arms up overhead, come standing on the knees

EXHALE - Bring the hands down to the ground, lower back down to CHILD

So how do we avoid burnout through the rest of our practice? By lifting our hearts and taking a breath! Don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t let your confidence blind you. Find balance between Inhale and Exhale.

Make your way back to seated.

From here, you can feel the stability beneath you, ready to support you in the future when you feel tired. You can plug in. You can practice mindfulness and recharge your batteries by breathing.

Confidence is high!

The crazy nature of today makes us long for an opportunity to rest and recuperate. Quieting the media and materialism, yoga is an effective way to give the mind a break and the body some love.

Yoga means union; balance thought with movement. Let go of stress in the mind by getting to know the body.

Focusing on strengthening, stretching, and relaxing, this beginner program helps us experience each breath with a graceful inhale and exhale.

Let’s journey together!

Meet me here next week for part 3: Core of Strength: Invigorating movements that tone.

If you’re in Kerrville, I also have a few opportunities for you in the new year to do yoga with me:

Beginners are invited to join the

8 Week Beginner Series

LIVE at The Yoga Space TX

Thursdays 6:00 - 7:15pm

January 7 - February 25

$100 for the series

To reserve your spot email

kerrvilleyogaspace@gmail.com

Not ready to commit to a full $100 series?

Come to the brewery and try

Small Batch Yoga and Beer

January 23, 2021

11am-12:15pm

At Basement Brewers of Texas

The cost is $10 for the day

I only have 7 more spots available so email me today at

pose@kerrvilleyoga.com

to reserve your spot and FREE BEER!

You deserve it! Remember the key to avoiding burnout, take breaks often. Just be. Cheers! Merry Christmas! I’ll see you New Years Eve!

Namaste