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Yoga + Mindfulness

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Gabrielle Bernstein

Time Didn’t Heal My Emotional Wounds. This Did.

In the yoga world, ‘kula’ is a sanskrit word that refers to community.
November 11, 2019

I had a good cry today, reflecting on LMU’s 10th

I had a good cry today, reflecting on LMU’s 10th annual Yoga Day, the waves of emotions + weight of producing such a monumental event all catching up to me. Monumental not only because of the milestone but even more significantly: welcoming Rev James Lawson, a living legend + pioneer of nonviolent resistance during the Civil Rights movement, as our keynote speaker.

My tears weren't sad tears but humbling sobs of gratitude. For the many educators + leaders that came together yesterday because of their shared love for + commitment to Yoga and, as such, a critical examination of its history + how it's practiced today. I knew the conversations wouldn't all be "rainbows and sunshine" (which was kinda the whole point—not spiritually bypassing the rain/storms required to make a rainbow), and I'm deeply moved by their courage, convictions + individual expressions of our inherent divinity.

As I let the gratitude wave wash over me, more kept coming:
🌊 for the support of @amyinyoga, the GA team + many volunteers that showed up and supported my vision (through all the obstacles Ganesh placed on our path), acknowledging that it's not always easy for me to receive support
🌊 for full circle moments with last year's GA team, @serenitysayeon + @tainaberardi, who paved the way + continue to trail blaze with inspiring panels/presentations
🌊 for being in the same room as Rev Lawson, let alone getting to hear his inspiring speech and shake his hand. At 93, he's still shining his light so brightly
🌊 for my root teacher, @hannah__muse: all the seeds of yoga philosophy, social justice + personal growth she's planted within me (not to mention introducing me to @jaiuttal’s beautiful Bhakti voice!)
🌊 for @kennygrahamyoga, whose words during my first 200-hour YTT about how all the different colors in a rainbow reflect the same light source, inspired the theme of this year's event
🌊 for a fateful trip to India, where I crossed paths with @ashleymckeachieyoga, sending me on an entirely unexpected trajectory (@lmuyogastudies)
🌊 for cleansing tears + ocean waves
🌊 for planning messy, beautiful events + this messy, beautiful life far beyond anything I could've ever planned
🌈

ᒪET'ᔕ ᑕᖇEᗩTE TOGETᕼEᖇ :: @ilanaingbe

ᒪET'ᔕ ᑕᖇEᗩTE TOGETᕼEᖇ :: @ilanaingber and I are getting ready to welcome cohort ✌️ on a 12-week journey to unblock + reclaim your creativity. Link with all the juicy deets is in my bio. ᒍOIᑎ ᑌᔕ!

ᗪᗩY 11 :: A few of the ways I keep my body hea

ᗪᗩY 11 :: A few of the ways I keep my body healthy from the inside out:

🥣 kitchari cleanse at least once a month (lately more)
🍋 lemon water in the morning
🍵 tea > coffee
💧 morning shatkarma practices, including oil pulling and neti (nostril cleansing)
🌿 herbal supplements
🥒 lemon + cucumber + mint + aloe - infused water
🍏 eating seasonal fruits + veggies
📱 limiting screen time
🙃 allowing my experience to be what it is (all thoughts + feelings are welcome, no shaming allowed)
👂 listening to my body's cues + paying attention when something doesn't feel right

This list is not exhaustive, nor is it always consistent. But these are grounding practices (keyword: practice) that bring me back into balance and health—especially when I’ve made unhealthy choices.

Sharing a prompt from last night’s writing group: tell me about a time you’ve ingested poison / something toxic—literal or figurative, intentional or unintentional—and how you digested it, whether or not we were able to transform it (a la Kālī 🔥).

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#AWorldOfWellBeing #BreatheTogetherOnline #JennPrughYoga

ᗪᗩY 10 :: The last time I bathed in a forest,

ᗪᗩY 10 :: The last time I bathed in a forest, I unknowingly walked away with plant oil on my skin that would manifest as a rare “black spot poison ivy” reaction (that then became infected). First poison oak experience ever! I won’t traumatize anyone with the photos, but I am still healing three weeks later. So here’s a photo of me pre–forest bathing (and moon howling) this past Halloween. PSA: Be safe out there friends. 🌲

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#AWorldOfWellBeing #BreatheTogetherOnline #JennPrughYoga

Late to the body-moving party (day 6) :: One of th

Late to the body-moving party (day 6) :: One of the things I missed most during quarantine was the pool. Swimming is one of those activities that lights my inner child up and brings me back to many happy memories.

Years ago, I lived in a swanky apartment complex with all the amenities, including a luxurious pool. I felt frustrated that, between my full-time teaching job, side hustle, and adulting responsibilities, I felt like I never had time to use the pool, even on the weekends. I remember my roomie at the time, @lowcountryhighstyle, asking in a concerned voice, "But when does Katie get to swim?" She had a point. Filling my cup was often an afterthought, at the bottom of my never-ending to-do list and often neglected completely. I've since learned that if I don't consciously put myself first, the to-dos will continue piling on and jumping the line.

Did you know this type busyness is a trauma response? Many classify as flight / fleeing from yourself, but the more I sit with this very common experience, I see all four responses intertwined:
FIGHT shows up in the aggressive, resentful way I tackle the things on my to-do list
FLIGHT is the way I abandon myself to tend to everyone and everything else
FREEZE is the numbness and disconnection from self I need to sustain my other commitments
FAWN is the people-pleasing urge that underlies the busyness
(On the note of trauma, I watched an incredible documentary last night: @dr.gabormate's #wisdomoftrauma, and I highly recommend.)

Today, I put me before all else. I rode a bike 5 miles (total) to swim laps at a community pool. After my laps, I pressed my cool body into the hot cement, the way I used to do when I was a little girl, and let myself be embraced by the warm earth and air. During Day 3 of the challenge, I mentioned how it can be hard for me to tap into my senses, but on my ride home, the fragrant rose, jasmine, and lavender bushes I passed kept me company. A couple blocks later, I wiped something off my cheek: a ladybug that landed on my hand and hitchhiked a little further. These little inner child delights continued the rest of the day. 🌸🐞

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#AWorldOfWellBeing #BreatheTogetherOnline #JennPrughYoga

ᗪᗩY 9 :: Two years ago to the day, my dad and

ᗪᗩY 9 :: Two years ago to the day, my dad and I were leaving @pioneertownmotel to embark on the next leg of our cross-country road trip. Next stop was Grand Canyon. Final destination: my dad’s hometown of Delavan, WI by way of Sedona, AZ, Taos, NM, and Cherokee Village, AR, where we’ll soon be returning to visit family for the 4th of July. This time, we’ll be taking a different route, exploring CO and WY, and trading the desert for the mountains. I can’t wait for the adventure, wind in our hair, and down time living the lake life. (BTW, my dad was the ultimate Instagram dad, taking photos of me in yoga poses throughout the country. My practice has evolved since then, and yet I’m still doing the same morning sadhana and will be leaning on my practice for grounding while en route.)

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#aworldofwellbeing #breathetogetheronline #jennprughyoga

ᗪᗩY 7 :: It is so easy for me to get caught up

ᗪᗩY 7 :: It is so easy for me to get caught up in work or swept away by the flow of inspiration that I won’t stop and take breaks (hence not taking 15 minutes to move yesterday). There are a number of ways I bring myself back to presence, but lately these two have been actual friendly reminders to slow down, to attune to their needs for snuggles and, as a result, my own needs as well.

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#aworldofwellbeing #breathetogetheronline #jennprughyoga

Piper 💜 @jonique_janda #tbt #nofilter #auntie

Piper 💜 @jonique_janda

#tbt #nofilter #auntie

ᗪᗩY 5 :: Things that make me happy: 🌿 fre

ᗪᗩY 5 ::

Things that make me happy:
🌿 fresh herbs
🍵 homemade tea
🍋 infused water (my latest fave recipe in comments of my last post)
📦 CSA boxes (I miss @spadeandplow so much. 😢 Since I’m no longer local, I’ve deferred to the first produce box I ever tried, @farmfreshtoyou. My Sac-based family and I have visited their farm to pick our Halloween pumpkins—straight off the vine! 🎃 I also love @imperfectproduce_)
🪴 community gardens (especially when they’re just down the street and next to dog parks, like this one)
🏡 friendly neighbors that share their yummy produce grown in the community garden (while my dad and I aren’t quite ready to commit to a plot in said community garden, we often come home to bags of assorted surprises we gratefully accept. 🥬🥕 How beautiful our world would be if we all shared our resources in this way)
🌱 the current backyard assortment our yellow thumbs (lol) are experimenting with: 🍅🫐
♻️ composting! (Just ask my former preschool students)

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#aworldofwellbeing #breathetogetheronline #jennprughyoga

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