Short yoga breaks to feel stronger and more vital

Would you like to feel strong? Would you like to feel vital? I am yet to meet a person who prefers to feel weak and drained, yet this is how many of us move through life.

What does it mean to be strong? How is strength measured? Do we measure it by how much we can lift or by how much we can endure? Feeling strong means different things to different people. For one person, it means being able to go up four flights of stairs without reservation and to lift a toddler. For another person, it might mean being able to eat common foods without having an immediate digestive reaction. For somebody else, it might mean being able to carry on a conversation with an estranged critical parent without an emotional breakdown. These are examples of different types of strength: physical strength, physiological strength, and emotional strength. We need all types of strength to handle whatever life throws at us. Fundamentally, being strong means being capable of doing things we want to do in life without major strain. The type of activities and things we want to be able to do varies from person to person, and it boils down to the feeling we have on the inside – you either feel strong and capable to do it or you don’t.

The same applies to vitality. Vitality is hard to objectively measure with blood tests and nasal swabs, but you can certainly feel its absence. Vitality shows up in how rested you feel in the morning, how excited you feel about your tasks, how smoothly you move through your day, whether you have a spring in your step, and how optimistic is your general outlook on life. More than just our energy level, vitality is the oomph that carries us forward and elevates our daily experiences.

Strength and vitality often go hand in hand, and we feel the best when we experience both simultaneously. Strength infused with vitality is the definition of health and well-being. Both strength and vitality need to be attended to and maintained regularly, every day. We get stronger by doing things that appropriately challenge us (physically, energetically, and mentally) and we become more vital by doing things that move our energy and make us feel fulfilled. Summer is a great time to choose activities that do both. I hope that this summer you take time to tune into your body, participate in activities that recharge your batteries, and spend time with people who inspire you.

This summer we will be sharing short (under 20 minutes) yoga practices to strengthen your body and move your energy. You can do these practices any time you need a pause or a boost. Please sign for HappyU newsletter (if you haven’t already) to get notifications as these practices get released. And let’s start with a simple practice that doesn’t require much effort.

Relieve hip stiffness and drain anxious energy when you feel tired and antsy

Do you ever feel like you are so tired at the end of your day but still full of antsy energy? Try this short yoga practice to shake it out! This practice is done entirely on your back, so it is not energetically demanding. It helps relieve hip stiffness, drain unwanted anxious energy, and connect to your heart center.