Conserving Prana
After discovering that I have an autoimmune disease I am now conserving prana or lifeforce energy in yoga and exploring the healing benefits of holding back.
I have been purposefully holding back my power and energy in order to conserve my lifeforce.
It was my good friend and fellow yogi, Susana Wolds, who suggested this idea because she learned about it in her Yoga Therapy course.
It's one healing theory that I am exploring and so far I feel better after trying this a few times. I have been taking a little time off when the symptoms start to appear and I listen to my body and rest. I take a lot of restorative moments at home to relax and de-stress. When it's time to build back up I go to yoga at 50% capacity.
I notice that I have more sustained energy, less fatigue. I literally look and feel better when I do this. I'm preventing the symptoms from surfacing by slowing way down and staying in a high vibration in my mind and my heart.
Having moments of deep healing rest is one way to tap into our bodies healing mode in a restorative practice, and theres also a way to restore ourselves in this type of modified moving practice I'm navigating now. The way I teach is becoming more healing as well. I'm much more interested in a healing practice that massages the vagus nerve and provides us the ability to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system response. To rest and digest. That's the money.
So often we are told to show up, give it our best and push to our limits to grow and transform, but for people that need healing and want to build up their power, that may not be the healthiest choice. That's what I'm noticing for myself as I navigate this uncharted territory in my own health.
I'm modifying every posture while maintaining a slow steady breath. It's surprising how different the practice can feel when you hold back.
I'm using blocks for support in practically every posture. Showing up at 50% is just enough to give me an outlet for my mind, and an ability to move some energy for my physical body.
I look forward to my 50% capacity increasing through time so that I will get back to 110% again. The past few days have been showing me I'm not quite there yet, but I'm also really onto something with the diet. I'll share next time. I'm starting week 7 of my elimination diet and finding out some major gems of wisdom about all of this.
I look forward to sharing this kind of moving practice with my students that need the healing.
And so it is...