Top 5 Simple Ways Yoga Can Create Long Weekend Feels On The Daily

How good does it feel to rest?

To recharge and take some time to connect again?

If you’ve had some downtime this long weekend, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

There’s something special about this time of year.

The Easter long weekend presents the perfect time to unwind, relax, reset, connect and feel human again.

But it had me thinking, why can’t we feel like this all the time?

•  If only all weekends were longer...

•  If only we had more time to relax...

• If only we felt this happy all the time...

In a world full of so much busy..

so much pace..

so much doing...

Taking time to slow down, recharge and really rest can feel urgent but also a bit unfamiliar.

For me, being able to relax and be in a state of calm was something I had to learn.

It has been a continuous practice over time and yoga has been my best teacher yet.

Here are the top 5 simple ways yoga has helped me feel calm and connected on the daily, not just on a long weekend.

1. Mindful moments connecting to my senses. Eg. Noticing the magpie calling out in the morning

2. Grounding. Feeling my bare feet on the earth and connecting to nature.

3. Meditation for peace and connection. What started as a difficult 2 minute practice has now evolved into a 20 minute daily practice I look forward to.

4. Listening to what the heart wants rather than the head for increased happiness

5. Gratitude. At the end of each day, I write down all the things I’m grateful for which helps reset my mindset to focus on the positives in each day.

The yoga poses (or asana) are just the beginning.  Through the movements and breath work, we get to release stress and tension so we feel calm and connect to daily habits that feel good.

Yoga teaches us how to feel calm, not just in the 60 minutes in class, but far beyond the mat.

And if I could choose the one best yoga pose for rest, it would be Savasana (Relaxation Pose).  

This is the last pose in yoga where you get to lie down, surrender, rest your bones, rest your mind and let the body recharge.

Sounds just like the perfect long weekend feeling to me!