rethinking appreciation #23

yoga is as close to a miracle drug as the world has ever known. 

i believe this despite my limited experience with drugs, miracle or otherwise. 

I took my first class years ago when yoga was only a thing for granola eating hippies. i appreciate everything it's done for me mentally and physically. 

i want to focus on one specific function of yoga that just happens to be the first two coping skills. 

to recap, the 4 coping skills: breathe, body awareness, rethink your situation, positive self reinforcement. 

yoga is all about breathing and bodily awareness. 

you aren't just touching toes and bending like a pretzel. you are paying attention to your body as you move. 

what part of your foot is touching the ground?

is your stomach tight or loose?

are you breathing through your mouth or nose?

when you practice breathing and body awareness, you get better at both. same as every skill.

then when you need to breathe and calm down, you have already put in the practice. 

the goal is not to break into downward dog or warrior pose every time you're frustrated. the goal is to calm yourself down so you can better handle what is bothering you.

when you take control of your body, you can take control of the situation. 

yoga trains you to do just that.  

without a prescription.

or a co-pay. 

or a hangover. 

for information on individual therapy, contact me at bradleyjabel@gmail.com