Allow Yourself to Go with the Flow of Life

How’s everyone’s Thursday going?  Anything interesting happen today?

For this post, I’m rewinding a few days.  We can talk Monday, then get really excited afterwards because it’s really almost the weekend!

Monday Night Floor Hours

On Monday night I worked my floor shift at the Y.  In case you are wondering what a floor shift entails, let’s take a looksie:

• From 5:05-5:25, I teach a 20 minute Core Strength class.
• During my entire shift, I walk around and help members with form, equipment, complaints, etc.
• Jess, another new Y health and wellness coach, works at the same time as me so we’ve been using the time to exchange fitness ideas.  Jess actually inspired the inchworm in my Schweaty Spring Workout from Tuesday night class, so you guys can thank her for that!
• Facilitate “Get Started” appointments.  Get Started is three free sessions of individualized, one-on-one coaching support where a health and wellness coach will help members “get started” and will continue to personally monitor progress through monthly fit checks.  During my shift there are three time slots for potential Get Started appointments.  These not only make the time fly by, but they expose me as a new personal trainer to potential new clients as well.
• Other:  Make sure the facility looks clean, tidy up magazine racks, organize weights, refill cleaning solution, and close down when my shift ends at 10:30 at night.

Of course I need to be ready for the unexpected as well.  This Monday night, the 7:45 yoga instructor didn’t show up for class.  I didn’t want the class to have to go home, so I volunteered to step in and teach a low impact core class that would incorporate some moves from what I’ve picked up at Prana.  I figured that would be better than nothing, right!?  However, there ended up being a certified yoga instructor TAKING the class, so she actually ended up teaching the class so everyone could get a full yoga class like they came for.  Despite this, my director still asked me to sit in and make sure everything went smoothly and that the fill-in was teaching correct form.

Sweet!  I got to take an unexpected class!

That was my first reaction anyways.  Once I was on the mat and realized that the class was Kripalu yoga, I definitely did not feel as excited.  Here’s a little description of Kripalu yoga:

Kripalu is a gentle practice that urges participants to hold poses to explore and release emotional and spiritual blockages.  Focus on learning the postures and exploring your bodies abilities while holding the postures for an extended time, developing concentration and inner awareness.  Practice meditation in motion in which the movement from one posture to another arises unconsciously and spontaneously.

Gentle?!  Ugh.  Normally I’m not one for yoga unless it’s a heated power yoga class in more of a vinyasa flow style.  I get antsy if I’m not sweating, and it’s just not my thing.  I like to be moving and get my heart pumping.

I will be the first to admit that I had a bad attitude going into this.  But you know what?

It was exactly what I needed. 

Monday wasn’t exactly the greatest day for me.  I didn’t sleep a wink on Sunday (tossing and turning) and then I overslept on Monday morning, which I never do.  I was exhausted and didn’t feel well all day.  It was just one of those days where I felt like I couldn’t accomplish anything and nothing was going “like it was supposed to.”  You guys know what I’m talking about.  So I think getting to take a yoga class where I could just lay there, relax, and BREATHE through the poses ended up being the perfect remedy for my Monday blues.

Plus, the fill in instructor did an amazing job improvising!  As we were preparing for shavasana (the final pose in yoga), something she said really struck a chord with me.  She talked about how yoga really brings out a sense of community in people, and how even though the instructor didn’t show up that night, nobody got mad.  Nobody complained.  Everyone just sort of embraced the situation and made the best of it.

She then said this:

“We just allowed ourselves to go with the flow of life.  And we should try to do that every single day, no matter what the situation is.  The flow of life.  Let it happen.  Because however it does, it’s beautiful.”

And that got me thinking.  I know that during shavasana you are supposed to clear your mind and just focus on the present — relaxing, breathing, and releasing tension in the body — but during this particular shavasana my mind wandered to one of my biggest faults, overreacting.  When things don’t go according to plan, I often can’t handle it.  I feel anxious, I get overwhelmed, and I completely overreact before taking a step back to think the situation through.  It’s something I’ve been trying to work on for a long time, and I’m definitely taking these wonderful words and putting them in my back pocket for when I find myself overreacting next.  I think they will definitely help the Type A in me see the positive in wherever the flow of life is taking me that day.

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Have you ever had a coach or instructor say something during class that really struck a chord with you personally?  What was it?  What are your thoughts on a more meditative type of yoga?  Are you Type A like me?  Do you think what the instructor on Monday said could help you in any way?

Embrace whatever tonight has in store for you!!