Getting down to breathe

Current events got a lot of us taking small shallow breaths!
It is Summer and the kids are with me all the time. I have been reading the news and telling myself that I didn’t have time and privacy for my meditation practice. It has not been a good combination! This week something shifted and I knew that I needed to find a place to really breathe. I went to dance class and that is powerful medicine. An article game up in a social media rabbit hole moment about how the Thai soccer team survived. Their coach described teaching them meditation. When he was a Buddhist monk, he had meditated in caves. They meditated and they are alive.

My meditation practice came back strong after reading that. I just did it, got up before the kids and meditated. I was imagining the intensity of being trapped as a young child or teenager in a dark cave with very little oxygen and being able to keep safe from panic and terror. What amazing ancient wisdom! And now more than ever we need to create more opportunity to learn from each other. If I forget self care and dropping down into my body and my breath, I am spreading more stress to my kids, to the people in my life. I need my yoga and meditation practice to find a place below the fears, anxiety, frustration and uncertainty of what is happening in the news and in my own challenges.

Their coach shared a practice grounded in ancient wisdom. Over the years in Cuba, I have learned from a cultural wisdom about patience and being able to laugh even during times of struggle. It is a deep honor for me to be working with a project to bring people together to learn and share their yoga practice.

Next Summer in Trinidad de Cuba, Cuban yoga students and teachers will join international students and yoga teachers to immerse ourselves in the alchemy of the practice during a yoga teacher training. Join us! This is a collaboration between Las Aguas Fund, Alchemy Yoga School and Cuba Wellness Adventures. It is an amazing way to connect to the magic of Cuba for two or four weeks. Send us a note to ask questions or share thoughts! We would love to hear from you!
Let’s create more places to get a deep breath.