The other day I had a rare moment of feeling ill, a cold virus was sneaking in heavily. I caught myself wanting to push through, but I knew that it would be better to cancel my yoga classes for the day. I needed rest. Yet, to be honest, I am not normally one to cancel any of my obligations. As an entrepreneur and self-employed business person, I often felt that burning the candle at both ends was the only way to etch out a living in this wellness industry.

So when faced with the threatening onslaught of the cold bug, I paused to feel into what would be right for myself, and heard loud and clear, “cancel work today”.

I struggled with that all too familiar inner battle between meeting outward obligations and honouring my body’s true need for rest and healing. Realistically I knew that it was just silly to continue to push through. How many times have I told my own clients and students to take proper care of themselves — to rest when they need it, and to stay home to nurture more? It was time to practice what I preach!

So I ask you this, as a Wellness Professional, are you walking your talk? Or pushing through?

Are you resting and recouping when you are tired? Are you keeping your own life/work/play in balance, or simply telling others to do so? Are you living an easeful lifestyle? Or are you making yourself feel ill in the process of serving others? Are you one of the many “broken-down healers” in our world? Why?

The problem is, that most of us are taught to push past our limits in the name of service. We were praised for overextending ourselves – for showing up and giving more. Perhaps you too, have a background thought that you are never doing enough. And so, you add in more.

Maybe you take on more in the hopes that it will bring you success – pushing through the inner alarm bells that warn against overscheduling. So you add another class, take on another client, or work through the lunch hour. On the road to “build our careers”, we end up exhausted, resentful and just plain tired of the cycle that seems to be getting us nowhere.

Worse, in all this doing we can’t possibly be making wise choices from a clear place of perspective. Our intuition, inner wisdom and guidance are usually way off when we are not properly rested. We make mistakes in judgement, unable to truly discern what our next best move might be.  And it doesn’t matter how much yoga you practice, if you aren’t caring for ALL the parts of yourself, body, mind and spirit, you will not be at your best.

I see this all too often in my peers, and I have lived it many times myself. But there is a way in which you can take back your power and work from a centred, grounded place, make clear decisions and thrive well in all the aspects of your life. This is where we must take our yoga practice off the mat and into other areas of our life.

And we embrace the wisdom of yoga’s wise sister, Ayurveda – borrowing from an ancient science that understands what it is to live as a whole being. Our body, mind & spirit all require our attention in order to achieve not just balance but greatness. When we operate from a whole and complete centre, we can make wiser decisions for our businesses. Our clients begin to notice that we are teaching from a place of having done our own growth work, and they will feel our authenticity.

So what does it take to get there?

Patience, self-study, care, diligence, yes, but also the wisdom and tools to support such growth. There is a path toward this that can make figuring all this out much simpler — one that is in sync with your body’s rhythms, with nature, and the circadian cycles – which we experience each day, whether we are aware of them or not.

If you own a body, then this path shows you the way to support, nurture and care for it in a way that is loving and gentle and totally in sync with those natural rhythms – It’s like a blueprint or template for total wellness. And along the way, as we learn to care for our body, we also learn to care for our thoughts and build the skills to support a clearer thinking mind. We learn to experience higher levels of intelligence, intuition and awareness. Imagine what kind of Wellness Professional you can be from a place like this! Creating daily schedules that honestly work to fill you up so beautifully, that you have the energy to support and work with others from a grounded Wholeness of Being.

Body Thrive is that path. And Cate Stillman has distilled the complexities and top attributes of Ayurveda & Yoga to create a program based on 10 valuable Habits for owning and operating your body. I have experienced such a wonderful shift into a wiser, healthier version of myself as a result of this program. And I am so grateful! Over the past two years, I have loved the level of vitality and clarity that I am experiencing. So much so, that I have trained and certified as a Yoga Health Coach myself, in order to share this wisdom with others.

So, let’s take a peek at one of the Body Thrive habits that may inspire you to nurture yourself deeply so that you can really show up for your own students and clients. The habit is about starting your day right – setting yourself up with the best practices first thing each day in order to positively affect the outcome of the rest of your day. This is a lot like putting your own oxygen mask first.. Take a few minutes in the morning to do the things that would really support you before the demands of life start chipping away at your reserves. When we take this time each morning to fit in this kind of self-care, we ensure that it actually gets done. Rather than planning it for sometime later in the day, when we actually risk skipping it altogether because life got too busy and we ran out of time for our own self-care.

Here is an example of what it might look like to start your day off on the right foot. You awaken to your alarm on time, arising feeling content and well-rested. You move through the bathroom routine and move to the kitchen to make hot water and lemon — setting up your body’s digestion and elimination in process. While the kettle is on you sit for a few minutes in silence, taking in the stars in the sky or maybe the sunrise and enjoy the quiet serenity of the morning. There is no rush to begin the day. Perhaps you can fit in a light meditation, then you move through a few sun salutations and postures to awaken and stretch the physical body, awaken your breath body and steer your thoughts towards gratitude. Next, you move back to the kitchen to pour your hot water into your favourite mug while you sit for a few more minutes sipping on your water and maybe journalling out your thoughts or reading something inspirational…taking your time to savour this magical time before the world awakens and the rest of your day begins. Imagine how you would be able to respond in the world, how you could show up for your family, your clients, or students if each of your days began this way?

You would feel more grounded and in-tune. You would have a sense of ease, rather than the need to rush. You would likely make fewer mistakes and your capacity to hold space for others would be greater. You would likely feel more patient and kind. What a lucky world it would be if you gifted yourself this kind of care each morning so that you could show up serving the world at your best.

Sound like something you want? Go grab a copy of the book, Body Thrive. Check out Cate’s online videos, her podcasts and her programs, then sign up  –  There is a wealth of knowledge which Cate shares generously, genuinely and with detailed clarity. This stuff is a game changer. It’s time to take your wellness career to the next level. And maybe, you too might like to learn more about taking your career in the direction of supporting others to learn how to fully show up for themselves with this kind of deep and effective care in the world. Go to yogahealer.com to begin your journey!

The language of sensation

Our body speaks to us through the language of sensation. This is the language of tiny impulses expressed in many forms through all of the layers of the body. And just like any other language, it takes time to learn and our understanding deepens over time. The Yoga classroom is where I began to learn this language and feel the sensations of my body. Through learning this language yoga has become my personal sanctuary. My place to create deeper states of wellness through attention and focus to all the layers of my body.

The Koshas

Kosha means sheaths or layers of our body in yoga philosophy. They range from dense to subtle and are interconnected without any real separation. Together, the koshas form a treasure map for the journey of self-discovery. You will notice as we go through the koshas the influence one has to to the next and the power of a consistent yoga practice.

The Annamaya Kosha – Physical/food layer

There are many routes to the yoga practice but in the west most enter through the physical exercises known as asana practice. This layer makes up our physical physical body ( bones, muscles, organs, etc.) This is the layer directly influenced by the physical practice of yoga. Here is where we deepen our understanding of the more physical sensation through yoga asana practice. Feeling your feet on the floor and touching the sky above you. When grounded in this kosha, physical awareness is opened and you will find your posture naturally aligns.

The Pranamaya Kosha – Energy layer

This layer is also affected by the physical practice and related to the breath, the nervous system and your inner world. The breath is used to unblock stagnation in the whole system, and believe me, we all have it. The breath directly affects the nervous system. Think fast shallow breathing and its correlation to anxiety and fear. Now think of how a slow, deep and rhythmic breathing pattern soothes your whole being. When breathing practices (pranayama) are regular, deeper connection and control of the nervous system is achieved.

The Manomaya Kosha – Mental/emotional layer

This is where the impacts of your yoga practice can be reflected almost immediately. When physical exercise and controlled breath are combined (the previous two layers) balance and flow are restored to this layer fairly quickly. Ever feel calm and content right after a yoga class? This kosha is related to our sense of self, our mind and our relational capacity. The manomaya kosha is an easy place to get stuck and accumulate stagnation. Do you know someone who is all in their head? The practice of Japa yoga or repeating affirmations directly affects this layer by untying the tethers of the mind which so easily get wound up. When balance is cultivated here, our senses begin to shift inward and the internal language of our mind is understood.

The Vijnanamaya Kosha – Intuitive/wisdom layer

Consistency is your ally. This Kosha is the seat of our intuition, or our higher connection. After months or years of regular practice you will notice things begin to shift.  As the layers become more subtle our awareness expands and the language of our body goes beyond the five main senses. This layer opens up when the previous three are active with a regular yoga practice to help keep them clean and flowing.

The Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss layer

Oooommmmmm. This most subtle layer is our seat of bliss. The center most kosha yet its the most expansive in its experience. Regular meditation helps connect with this layer and to maintain these expansive qualities. Think interconnectedness and vastness for the sensations coming through here.

Compassion, awareness and curiosity

As we practice yoga and meditation our old stored emotions, habits, experiences and just plain old stuff comes up. When it does come up, inviting a sense of compassion is key. Presencing this is what the practice of yoga is designed to do. Imagine looking back after decades of practice and having the mental clarity to learn the deeper lessons of the choices made earlier in life. After all, yoga is a powerful way to learn the language of sensation so get curious about what it is saying.