At Inner Connections Yoga & Wellness-Pawleys Island, we dedicate every day to supporting our yogic community by guiding practitioners towards living a more balanced, healthier, and happier life. Yoga is much more than just asana, a physical practice. The lessons we learn “on the mat” integrate with our daily lives, positively impacting our lifestyle. National Yoga Awareness Month invites us to honor this beautiful practice and enrich our lives with a healthy practice for longevity and vitality.
Join us in celebrating yoga throughout the month of September with these inspirational suggestions.
Learn something new. This month I am introducing yoga poses to do before your feet hit the floor in the morning. I am calling the series, “Wake Up with INTENT.” Join me as we take a journey using a sample of yoga asanas to awaken your body, breath, mind, and essence. Welcome a beautiful new day each time you practice before you even get out of bed.
The poses will appear for a short time on MY STORY on Facebook and you can also find it on our blog page, Off the Mat, at www.InnerConnectionsYoga.com or www.PawleysIslandYoga.com. Join ICY for a deeper dive showing how to incorporate yoga into your daily life.Take your practice somewhere new. One of the amazing benefits of a yoga practice is you can practice anywhere—even standing in a bathroom line on an airplane on your way to India! This month, try taking your yoga practice somewhere new. This could be as simple as taking your practice to a local park or practicing a few poses in a pool, sauna, or steam room. Enjoy the new sights, smells, and sounds of a new space or place as you connect to the earth and your practice in a different locale.
Share the gift of yoga. Have a friend who has never done yoga? Reach out and share the practice with him or her during National Yoga Awareness Month. Invite your friend to one of our classes at Waccamaw Recreation Center or attend a yoga workshop or retreat. September is perfect for outdoor yoga, and you can still join one of our beach classes at the north end of Pawleys through mid-October. Remember, we offer a complementary yoga class to residents of Pawleys Island who have not taken our classes before—so invite a friend to join you for a class!
Surround yourself with your yogis. For some, our fellow yogis are our lifeline. They are more than just studio acquaintances and mat-neighbors. Supportive, inspiring, and motivating, they can be one of the best parts of being a yoga practitioner. Celebrate your yogis, and the practice that brought you all together. Gather for a potluck farm-to-table style dinner party and express your gratitude for one another. Revel in the good vibes and good food. Another option is to join John and Jeanne at their home once a month for a yoga class. After, stay for Chai and Conversation.
Take a mindful moment. Our day-to-day lives can get hectic; it is important to take the time to pause, turn inward, refocus, calm our racing minds, and breathe deeply and mindfully. When we are not on our mats, finding the time to take a mindful moment is not always easy. Offer yourself a few spaces in your day to enjoy a 5-minute break to go outside for a mindful moment. Listen to a short meditation on your phone, walk and take some deep slow diaphragmatic breaths or repeat your intention for the day as a reminder of how you are choosing to walk in your highest good. Be present and connect to peace.
Express yourself. Journaling is a great way of calming our minds and clearing our heads. Getting your thoughts and feelings on paper can help clear stuck energy. On nights when your mind is racing and you are unable to sleep, reach for a journal instead of your phone. Write about your day, what you are grateful for, and your intentions for practicing peace and presence tomorrow.
Spread love, joy, peace, and presence. Be someone who makes others smile. Practice kindness. Go out of your way to hold the door open for others. Smile at others and share a joyful greeting. Share sincere compliments and spread love wherever you go. Be present and listen with a joyful heart for those who share with you. You could be responsible for turning quite a few days around with a smile, a kind word, or a moment of sharing the beauty of life with another.
Have a beautiful National Yoga Awareness Month!
Namaste
Jeanne