back to basics

keep it simple

Forget about enlightenment. Sit down wherever you are and listen to the wind that is singing in your veins. Fell the love, the longing and the fear in your bones. Open your heart to who you are, right now, not who you would like to be. Not the saint you’re striving to become. But the being right here before you, inside you, around you. All of you is holy. You’re already more and less than whatever you can know. Breathe out, look in, let go.
-John Welwood

*Photo by Ashley Mead at Sangha Yoga Shala, wearing Hyde organic yoga apparel.

I recently had an aha and DUH moment with an applied kinesiologist doctor I’ve been seeing for several years that was so simple yet almost hilariously profound. Whenever I visit I learn something new, but this experience was almost like re-learning something I’ve known all along.

I asked him about my low energy levels lately – having just started teaching earlier classes, my body is getting used to its revised schedule, and alongside seasonal allergies I have been feeling a bit sluggish.

Since I’ve been working with him for a while now, he is familiar with my eating habits and general routine, so he simply asked about my current work schedule. I replied the way I normally do, laughing with a side of discontentment, telling him I work almost all day every day unless I’m eating, commuting, practicing yoga/dancing/exercising, or sleeping.

His response was a heavy dose of enlightenment: we have lots of fancy tools we work with [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][yoga, meditation, chiropractic adjustments, cleanses, tapping, acupuncture, herbs, etc], but the body has an amazing ability to heal itself if we give it what we need. These essential components of survival are just air, water, and sleep.

He didn’t discount the other dietary, energetic, physical and mental tools – they are important and can have incredibly healing impacts on our lives and our wellbeing, but they are secondary to the stuff that keeps our physical bodies intact: air, sleep, water.

So his answer to my conundrum: work less, get more rest, and you’ll have more energy. No supplements or special foods to eat more/less of, just friggin’ relax.

Easy, right? How did I miss something so simple? As someone who toots the horn of self-care, I felt a little ridiculous for not giving myself that essential space to reboot and refuel my gas tank, but was also so thankful for the reminder. Sometimes we need an outside source to spark that something within us we might recognize, but haven’t yet put into action [or inaction, if you’re me].

After that visit, I went back to basics and checked in with myself. I took a look at my schedule from a bird’s eye view and saw how slammed my days were from morning to night, and set an intention to stop stressing about how much or little I work. I honored the herbal supplements and clean foods that keep my body feeling good, but recognized that they wouldn’t be effective if I didn’t get enough air, water, or sleep.

When we go back to basics, we allow ourselves to move past any outside layers of avidya, or delusion, and uncover the truth or see things more clearly. For sensitive bodies, for example, many powerful healing herbs can sometimes be too much of a good thing [I learned in that same doctor’s visit that my system couldn’t take any more of my beloved matcha lattes for a while]. They serve a purpose for a time to bring our body back into balance, back to the way it should be if we fulfill its basic needs.

Same goes for any healing technique or trick or practice – they are imperative tools, but they won’t work their literal magic if our body’s basic needs are lacking.

For example: I am eating like a champ, but have low energy because I’m wiping myself out without time to recuperate. Some of us may be sleeping and resting well, but we’re not eating in a way that fuels our bodies, and so we’re not feeling 100%. Perhaps some of us live in an urban city where we don’t get much fresh air, and no matter how much physical activity we do to stay fit, we feel foggy.

Whatever the case is for me, for you, for all living species: give us the basics, and the other tools will support us by bringing us back into a balanced, full, energetic state.

Here are some basic tips to strip away the fancy stuff and feel better, inspired by my doctor:

• Take time during your day, week, month and year for yourself. Meditate or sit still for a few minutes each day, do something non-work related during the week/month, make plans to travel somewhere or try something new throughout the year.
• Tired? Take a 10 minute nap. I’ve been practicing this recently instead of powering through heavy lids; it feels rejuvenating even if it’s quick.
• Remind yourself that, if you’re in bed, it’s time to sleep. Sometimes I lay awake at night, mind racing. When I shared this with a friend’s husband he replied, “It is inconceivable to me to go to bed and NOT sleep. The bed is for sleeping!” Understood.
• Wake up with a smile or mantra to start your day off on a fresh note. I used to wake up anxious about the day’s to-do list, but now I say to myself, “I’m up, new day!” even if I’m not totally feelin’ it… Sometimes we have to fake it till we make it.
• Breathe. The quality of our breath dictates the quality of our mind. Notice your breath right now – how does it feel? If you’re struggling for air, can you take a moment and create an easeful flow? How does it feel to breathe calmly, and can you maintain it?
• Drink water. All day, every day, more in the morning/afternoon than at night. Make hydration just as, if not more important, than eating. Sometimes when we feel like we’re always hungry, it’s our body telling us we are thirsty.
• Smile. Because why not? It feels good and makes others feel good, too.

What do you do to bring things back to basics? I would love to hear your practices, tips and experiences – please share!

Read the newsletter for a hearty and healthy spring recipe, event updates, music and more.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]