Just Show Up

Aaaaand, it's November:  the holiday season has “officially” begun.  Shopping, cooking, entertaining (maybe), wrapping gifts, houseguests (possibly), travel (who knows), social engagements (am I ready for that yet?).

Do you feel your blood pressure rising or your breathing becoming short?  Same here.  I'm going to set one goal for the next two months:  just show up. Just Show Up. It really doesn't matter if you've bought the perfect gifts, cooked perfect food, or bought the perfect outfit.  What does matter?  Your presence.  Being there for friends and family (even if this year it is -- again -- over Zoom).

Maybe this month is when you finally decide to carve out (pardon the turkey pun!) some time to take care of yourself for just a few minutes a day. Like five minutes. I would like to invite you to Just Show Up -- in your comfy bed, on the couch, in a chair, next to the kitchen counter, wherever! Here are some ideas:

1. Before you stumble out to the kitchen to make your coffee or tea in the morning, can you sit up in bed, re-close your eyes, and take five mindful breaths?

2. Before you pour that glass of wine and fire up Netflix in the evening, can you sit on the couch and take a few side body stretches?

3. Is it a chilly Saturday morning, your body is stiff, and you can't seem to get going? Come to your hands and knees and take a few rounds of Cow-Cat (you can also do these seated).

4. Maybe it’s Sunday afternoon and you are starting to stress out about the week ahead. Take your legs up the wall or settle into child’s pose for a minute or two. Breathe.

Just. Show. Up. You'll be glad you did!

Want some more suggestions? Contact me at jennie@jenniemacgoyyoga.com. I’ve got a gigantic list I’d love to share!

You Do Not Need Fixing!

“You don’t need fixing.”

-- Greg Lehman, physiotherapist, chiropractor and strength and conditioning specialist

I studied with Greg Lehman as part of a yoga and strengthening course I took with Kathryn Bruni Young. I learned so much about pain science!

How often have you struggled physically (or mentally) and thought, “My body (or brain) has got to get fixed!”? I’ve been there many, many times.

Now obviously, if you have a broken bone, tear, or severe sprain, you’re gonna want to get that fixed! Likewise, if you are dealing with mental health issues, please see a qualified therapist. But once you’ve done those things and have them under control, what if you are still struggling a little bit? Your yoga practice can help you build resilience to a variety of physical and mental challenges.

How, you might ask?

Well, a thoughtful, mindful, slow-paced physical practice can help you gain greater body awareness and truly learn what movements make your body feel good. This awareness can perhaps help you better manage persistent pain. For example, when trying a variety of yoga poses, you might discover that folding forward really helps with your low back pain. Or that externally rotating your shoulder is what hurts your arm. And if you are truly present in your body physically, your mind focuses on that instead of some of the intrusive thoughts rattling around in your head! 

Breathing techniques and meditation are also forms of yoga: it’s not just the warrior poses and slow stretches! Calming breathing techniques help settle the body and the mind, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Meditation takes practice, but over time can truly help you pause an unhelpful train of thoughts. Meditation does not have to last for several minutes to be effective! Focusing on your breath for five seconds is a great place to start. You can always build up to longer periods of time. 

So please remember that you do not need fixing. You are a perfect human being who just might benefit from some yoga to help live your life to its fullest!

Me? Meditate?

I’ll admit it: meditation did not initially appeal to me. When I heard the word, I pictured a person sitting with a very straight spine on a cushion, eyes closed, chanting, and in a trance. I would think to myself, “I’ve got no time for THAT!”

But as I started to practice the physical side of yoga, I began to explore the mental aspect. Yes, meditation can look like the image I described above. But it doesn’t have to.

Want to know what my meditation practice looks like? Well, it looks different every time! Sometimes, I wake up, make my coffee, and sit for a minute on my sofa with my eyes closed. I start the Breathe app on my Apple watch and try to keep my attention on my breathing for one minute.

Other days, I do a walking meditation. Whether it’s around the neighborhood or along the shore, I try to spend several moments noticing each time my foot connects with the ground. Or I stand gazing and the waves and try to keep my attention on them. Or I walk on a nature trail and try to keep my attention on the sounds of birds singing.

All of this is meditation: anytime you can interrupt your thoughts, or tune into your body or breath, you’re meditating. Does it have to last 30 minutes? Heck no! Sometimes my meditation practice lasts only 1 minute: it still “counts” and it still helps me calm down, redirect my thinking, or just pause and breathe.

Want to give meditation a try? We can spend part of a private yoga session learning how. I’d love to introduce you to this type of yoga (and it is yoga!)

Yoga is Like an Onion

Every time I peel an onion, I am reminded of my yoga journey: more than the poses, more than the meditation, more than the resting, yoga has given me the space to learn about my true self.⁠

Over the years, I've peeled back layer upon layer upon layer of walls, false beliefs, and stories about myself -- similar to the layers of an onion!⁠

It didn't happen magically on my mat one day. In fact, I wasn't even aware of it as it was happening (and it continues to happen!).⁠

Upon reflection, I can now see that it was in June 2015 that I truly began to uncover the real Jennie that slowly got buried over the years.⁠ Over the past six years, yoga has allowed me to open up to my true self.

Here are a few of the biggest revelations I've had:⁠

~ I'm braver than I thought.⁠
~ I have more patience than I imagined.⁠
~ I'm not as risk-adverse as I used to be.⁠
. ⁠
I can't say these thoughts were revealed in some spectacular way during a yoga class. But I do believe that spending time (whether it was five minutes or 60 minutes) connecting to my breath, body, and mind gave me the chance to ALLOW these truths to be revealed. ⁠

Would you like to explore tapping into the real you? Click on the Private Sessions tab and find a time for us to work together!

What Instagram Reels Taught Me About My Yoga Teaching

Have you heard of Instagram Reels? Have you heard of TikTok? Both are platforms for sharing short videos about practically anything!

I learned recently that Instagram was really encouraging its users to try Reels. As a small business owner trying to grow her yoga business in a new part of the country, I thought I’d give them a try. What have I learned after posting several Reels?

I LOVE TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOGA POSES FOR THEIR UNIQUE BODIES!

I’ve never been a typical yogi: I didn’t discover yoga until my mid-40s. I’ve never been very flexible. And I deal with various aches and pains on a daily basis. But guess what? I fell in love with yoga! The more classes I took, the more I realized that I just had to share yoga’s goodness with others. From helping to keep my joints mobile to learning calming breathing exercises; from listening to teachers’ soothing guided meditations to working on my balance, I knew so many people that could benefit.

But I wasn’t very interested in reaching the young, thin, bendy crowd. I wanted to share yoga with folks who were like me — and thankfully there are many! I use all the props when I practice, sometimes skip poses entirely, and love brief, guided meditations to help me de-stress.

Are you anything like me? If so, I’d love to share with you the many benefits of yoga. You can check my availability at https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/BWJHSG.