“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.” ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How do you end the majority of your days? Do you find it easy to just let the day be what it was, let it go, and then go to sleep in anticipation of what tomorrow will bring? Most likely, you spend some time — maybe even LOTS of time — mulling things over in your mind, worrying about whether or not you made the right decisions and creating stress for yourself. It’s hard to let things go, because life puts so much pressure on us, constantly giving us more and more to worry about.
However, taking some time each day to center yourself — to focus on one thing that is important to you, for instance — can do wonders for helping you deal with the pressures and stress life throws your way. You can practice centering yourself in a variety of ways, like focusing on your breath, meditation, journaling — there are lots of ways. The important thing is to find an activity that helps you focus on what it is you’re trying to accomplish.
From a physical aspect on our mats, we often refer to our core as our center. Our core is made up of the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, the erector spinae, the glutes and the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles provide stability and support for our bodies — it’s our foundation that helps us move and bear weight, so it’s important to make sure it’s strong and supple. This week in class, we’ll be focusing on poses that strengthen our core, and we’ll also spend time digging in to how the core works in each and every pose we do.
Learning how to incorporate a strong focus on the core when we’re on our mats will not only help you avoid common injuries, but it may also help you cultivate intelligence and strength beyond the mat — with centering yourself.
Namaste,
Melanie
SC Yoga Girl 