Now that November has arrived, it feels to me that while the year is winding down many of our lives are speeding up. We may have more commitments with year-end tasks and the holiday season approaching. This hustle and bustle can feel invigorating but also fatiguing if we don’t get a break from it.

Perhaps you have heard the adage that you need to slow down in order to speed up. Even if it sounds like a cliché, I think it is helpful advice to keep in mind.

When life’s demands have us moving quickly from one task to another, yoga can offer an opportunity to slow down, even for a little while. Yoga class is an ideal time to step out of the fast lane and focus on the here and now.

What if stepping through the studio door was comparable to stepping outside of time where there is only this moment?

What if, when you arrive at your next yoga class, you offer yourself the space of a few intentionally slow breaths to settle your mind and body so that your time on the mat feels nurturing and refreshing?

What if you sent kindness and warmth to yourself by bringing one hand to your abdomen and the other to your heart centre as if you were giving yourself a hug?

What if you embraced all that you are feeling and asked yourself “How can I be a friend to myself in this moment?”

What if your practice time was a gift just for you? No obligations to anyone or anything beyond the dimensions of your mat?

What if, only for a short while, you were able to slow down?

That gift of slowing down may be just what you need to be able to feel more calm and capable when you roll up your mat and return to your day.

Om Shanti,

Nora