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My yoga routine for stress relief & self-care

by Lorraine C. Ladish November 13, 2019
written by Lorraine C. Ladish November 13, 2019
In the past I would let stress get the better of me. Today as I felt my stomach contract, I realized I needed to clear my schedule for yoga and self-care. #yoga #selfcare

We all have stressors in our life. Only in the last year, I´ve experienced a whole lot of grief and loss. Then there are other stressors I face at times like a client´s late payment causing cash flow issues, or the challenge of raising teens, close family members having health problems … 

Although I practice yoga and mindfulness daily, there are some days where I just need an extra dose of it all. Today I could actually feel my stomach contracting and starting to hurt in response to a whole lot of stress, brought on by all of the above.

I´m fortunate that I work for myself and I can make my own schedule. As soon as I realized that stress was taking over, I cleared out two hours to take care of myself. I knew that if I didn´t do that, I´d probably end up in bed doubled over in pain. Plus, I wouldn´t have the mental or emotional clarity to produce work of any significance.

I also know from experience that if I don´t set aside some time for self-care, my body will find a way to make me do it. I remember the times that pushing through bronchitis made it worse, or when five years ago I was so stressed out but couldn´t relax, that I ended up with shingles.

Today I did not let stress slide. I took care of it. It didn´t cost me money, only time and dedication. And at the end of the session I felt like I´d stepped out of a spa. I felt pampered, and worthy, relaxed and renewed. And, I was able to face my stressors with mental and emotional clarity and focus on work. So much so, that in just a few hours I accomplished what it would usually take me a couple of days to do.

In the past I would let stress get the better of me. Today as I felt my stomach contract, I realized I needed to clear my schedule for yoga and self-care. #yoga #selfcare

Set aside two hours
I set my phone on Do Not Disturb for two solid hours and resolved not to check email or social media or anything else. Keep in mind that I work online, so this one´s a biggie for me. I pretended I was stepping into a studio.

I set up my yoga mat, bolsters, blocks, blankets, eye pillows and essential oils, just as I would if I were going to teach or take a restorative class. Then I tuned in to what I needed. My thoughts were all over the place and I felt a rush of anxiety. 

Slow, mindful vinyasa flow
I know that a slow, mindful vinyasa flow gets me out of my head, so I practiced that for an hour. Here is a 16-minute anti-stress flow with Patrick Beach that you can try. Mine was way longer because I had the time. By the end of it I was feeling much better, and my mind was quieter, but I still had the feeling of contraction in my stomach, so I knew I wasn´t done.

Short restorative yoga sequence
I listened to some Liquid Mind relaxation music and practiced a 15-minute restorative yoga sequence. It was pretty similar to the one I follow when I have a cold, with a heart opening pose, a couple of twists and a supported forward fold (click on the previous link to see it all). I applied lavender essential oil on my wrists and in addition to the blocks and bolsters, I actually covered myself with yoga blankets. I can´t begin to tell you how comforted I started to feel. And yet … When I was done I knew I needed something more.

The real meaning of "asana"
Photo: Phillippe Diederich

Yoga Nidra for the win
I´ve been practicing yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, for around four years now. When I can´t get myself to a class (which is most of the time), instead of guiding myself through it, I usually listen to a guided yoga nidra practice by Madhav that is available on apple music and also as an app for smartphones. I usually choose the 30-minute version, but when I´m short of time I will use the 20-minute and even the 10-minute version.

This is the perfect close for a self-care yoga session where one is addressing stress. When dropping into yoga nidra, there is a sweet spot where I can feel I´m not awake but I´m also not asleep. It´s like hitting a reset button deep inside. Everything relaxes, the brain and the body.

When I rolled over on my side after yoga nidra, I felt like a new woman. The tension in my belly was gone and I was able to tackle the rest of the day without hesitation.

I hope that if you´re feeling at the end of your rope or burned out, you will also be inspired to carve out some time for yourself and follow the videos, articles and apps I shared here with you. I promise it will make a difference.

In the past I would let stress get the better of me. Today as I felt my stomach contract, I realized I needed to clear my schedule for yoga and self-care. #yoga #selfcare

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Lorraine C. Ladish

I’m a 21st. Century Communicator, helping empower women and others to achieve their goals. I am the founder and CEO of Viva Fifty! a bilingual community that celebrates being 50+. I’ve worked as an editor and social media coordinator for a number of online publications. I’m a content creator and regular contributor to NBCNews, Huffpost, AARP, Babycenter and Mom.me. I’ve contributed to People en Español, La Palma of The Palm Beach Post, Purple Clover, Latina magazine and Redbook . My latest book on embracing age was published by HarperCollins in 2017. But most of all I am a woman, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a writer, an entrepreneur, a yogini.

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About The Flawed Yogini

About The Flawed Yogini

Yoga & Wellness

I'm Lorraine C. Ladish, bilingual writer, mom, wife & yogi. I started my yoga & wellness journey at 12, with a book by Richard Hittleman. I have a huge flaw, an addictive and compulsive personality. In the long run, this turned out to be my biggest asset. I learned to channel it into leading a creative and productive life. At 61, I'm committed to sharing my journey to inspire others to channel their flaws into positive things and achieve greatness.

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