Leaning In with Lauren Hanna

Namaste Dear Community

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the conversation around “Surviving” the global pandemic.

I know a lot of you have been working really hard to survive.  And I know it’s been challenging to keep it together. And I know some of you are struggling.

In the Yoga tradition the great sage Patanjali teaches the practice of praktipaksha bhavana, which translates to apply the opposite,  as a method for healing.  What can we do to heal the intense contracted energy that is helping us to survive right now?  We can let go and lean in and ask for support.

What happens when we get into survival mode is that our energy gets focused and intense.

We feel contracted and tight in our physical body as well as emotionally.   These feelings are necessary for survival, but they are hard to sustain for any length of time. The longer we are in the contracted state, the more difficult it becomes. 

This can only last for so long before we start to feel edgy, depressed, angry, the fire of these feelings stokes the flames of our inner intensity.  We feel restricted and limited in our choices.

If you’ve been feeling this way, I promise you if you apply the opposite, lean in and ask for help, it will allow you to soften and release some of the pent-up energy you’ve been holding on to in survival mode.

I know many of you are mothers, teachers, healers, and feel responsible for holding space for your family, communities, students and friends but we all need support.  And even if you are only holding up yourself right now, for some of you,  even that can be too much.

It can be hard to ask for help because we don’t want to burden anyone with our troubles, and we want to keep up a good front. I promise that if you reach out and share and ask for help it will very likely lift the intensity and allow you to actually feel better, lighter, more hopeful.

Here are some resources to go to lean in and receive the support you need right now:

Friends + Family

Reaching out to a friend or a loved one right now is important.  Take some time, call a friend, don’t complain, but let them know how you are feeling on a deeper level.  Allow them to

listen, and to let you know they hear you.  It’s important to have your feelings validated,

to hear that it’s okay to feel whatever you are feeling. 

Healers

If friends or family aren’t available, reach out to your Yoga teacher, therapist, healer of any kind. New York State has free mental health counselors available for you.

Pets

Other beautiful options for leaning in are to connect with your animals. If you are blessed to be quarantined with a pet, snuggle up with them tell them your worries, your fears. You’ll be surprised how wise and supportive a pet can be.

Nature

My go to for support is always nature.  Talk to the trees, the birds, the skies, the clouds, the moon and stars.  Share from your heart and ask for help, for support.  The universe works in powerful ways and I promise you the energy of nature listens.

Spirit Guides

Whether you  believe in the concept of spirit guides or not. You can take a chance and reach out and ask them to listen to hear your challenges, to share support.

Ancestors:

We all have an ancestral lineage. Our souls are connected to them and our ancestors are always there looking out for us.  They can be a great source of strength.  I like to think of them as my team, so I know I am not alone in this soul’s journey.  Reach out to them ask them for support.

lean in and trust that they are holding you.

Universe or God

If you are a believer, then you know the Universe has your back. So, breath in, breath out

let go and surrender to your highest power and ask for help. 

Whatever place you go, wherever you decide to lean in for love and support, know and trust that you are not alone, that you don’t always have to be the strong one, and sometimes

the best way to survive is to ask for help.

Sending you all love and support,

Lauren