Quieting the Storm

While I could happily spend several days at home without going farther than the mailbox, it's entirely different if a blizzard keeps the plows from clearing my street. Being snowed in feels more like being trapped. It shortens my breath, speeds my heart, and fills my mind with thoughts of accidents and emergencies.

And that's when I know it's time to make room for more yoga.

Whether facing literal storms, or more figurative ones, yoga calms my mind and steadies my breath. When my anxiety is at its worst, it can seem nearly impossible to settle into meditation without first burning off the excess energy.

For me, that means vigorous vinyasa, including challenging standing balance poses that force me to turn my entire focus on staying upright.

During the recent blizzard, I tried to make the storm part of my practice as well. I moved some furniture out of the way, brought my mat by the windows and considered what I do like about the snow.

I watched the snow falling in large flakes and drifting into soft white banks. I watched crystalized designs form around each pane of glass.

After a good warm up, I pulled out my camera and let the captured silhouettes help me check my alignment, refining some familiar poses and feeling the subtle changes in my body.

The blizzard became a beautiful background, and the focused practice settled the storm that had been brewing inside. By the end, it was easy to slip into a deep savasana, feeling the chill of the icy windows just inches away.

Later, when it was time to head outside for another round of shoveling, the snow seemed lighter, the wind calmer. Instead of being afraid of what might go wrong if there was an emergency, I looked down the snow-filled street and saw that there were possibilities for walking, if not for driving.

I knew that if we did have an emergency, I would breathe deeply and find a solution. Because that's what yoga has taught me. Deep breaths. Mindful movement.