Body-Mind Connection=Yoga

A huge part of yoga for me is stress management. Us Type A's need yoga to avoid spontaneously combusting in a wigged out bomb of stress and anxiety. Seriously.

 Our attempt at photographing a circle Warrior III at Yoga in the Park last Saturday!

Often we don't really "see" the connection between brain-body interaction. For some reason humans have fabricated this theory that our brain and thoughts are separate from our bodies... even though our brain is the central operating mechanism for the rest of our bodily functions.

Nothing shouts brain-body connection though, like hives. Let me tell you a story about hives and stress (woohoo!).

Four years ago, when I flew across the country to British Colombia, by myself with two suitcases and my guitar (which was swabbed at the airport btw... ya know for drugs and STUFF, it was really fun), I landed at the airport and was greeted by my now-MOH (wedding lingo for Maid of Honour... seriously). To which I immediately burst into tears of exhaustion and anxiety. What the eff was I doing?

Between the cab ride from the Vancouver airport and her apartment in East Van (yep, Commercial Drive... she lived on the edge of sketch town) I had started absent-mindedly, between sobs, scratching my legs. Sat down on her couch and took a look at my legs- they were covered in hives. Holy crap, I had never had hives before in my life and here I was, 24 years old, stressed to the max and covered in itchy white bumps. Great.

They ended up spreading all over my body, including my arms and lasted for three weeks. I had to wear long skirts and cover my arms for therapy while living and working in Vernon... in 40 degree celcius weather (100F). Basically, they only went away when I started to adjust and de-stress.

Fast forward four years and wouldn't you know it, my arrival from NYC in Halifax at 3am last week resulted in lots of itching. A quick look confirmed that yes indeed, the dreaded H-Monsters were back. I'm pretty sure I dropped an F-bomb or two.

I thought I was managing my stress, but these white itchy annoying things have made me realize that really I was ignoring the stress. Barreling through busy weeks and even busier weekends, neglecting my Yoga practice. I just have so.much.todo for the wedding. Three weeks... makes my hyperventilating button start up.

But I frigging HATE hives and having itchy legs 24hrs a day.

So. I need to re-evaluate my plan of attack. Events have been delegated, bedtime has been earlier (I need lots of sleep just to function regularly) and I made a conscious (failed) effort to attend a yoga class this week. Didn't happen, but I'm hoping for next week. I'll actually choose a day and Andrew will come with so I'm more likely to follow through. I've also decided to play and sing a few evenings next week.

I let yoga pass since I have so much on my agenda, but I really cannot be the "scratching bride". Just because I have a lot to do each evening in order for this wedding to be ready doesn't mean that I should sacrifice something that helps me refocus, ground and centre during this time of bonkersness. Having the wedding all ready won't help one bit if I'm a blubbering mess of stress-ballity.

This Harvest Moon, Fall Equinox, I am taking a moment to announce publicly that I have let yoga slide and I am taking my yoga back.

Have you made some resolves this Harvest Moon?

article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com