Summer Meditation - Feeling Into Agitation, Anger + Joy

Happy Late Spring/Early Summer Yogi(ni)s,

I just recorded my latest mediation offering on how to allow intense emotions, feelings and frustrations move through us. I've been noticing this a lot lately in classes. As we move into the summer season we can easily waiver between feeling light and fun and frankly just pissed off.

This practice will actually allow you to eventually move toward joy. There are no shortcuts! We often want to think our way through emotions, and process the stories over and over again. But at some point we have to allow these emotions, and even the pain be felt - in order to move through it and get on the other side.

This time of the year in particular I notice my anger start to flare up more, and my passions too. Especially when it seems like everything is falling apart. This is a cue into what you care about, and our work is to not push aside these emotions. How do we dance with them? And let it all change us, and bring us closer to ourselves?

3 Cooling Practices for Summer

Summer and me have a love/hate relationship.

I crave the freedom to play, to explore, change up my routine and get outside a lot more. But, I often find myself face to face with struggle during this season. In the summer in particular I come face to face with desire and craving. As a fiery person (and a pitta in Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science) by nature I crave excitement, activity and social gatherings. But I can easily overdo it and wind up feeling depleted. 

Listen to your energy, and if you are present you will begin to learn when it is truly enough and you need to rest (or when you have the energy to continue). Make plans if you like but let go of the outcome in the moment. Have fun and live fully!

+++ Here are 3 yoga poses to help cool your mind + body if you find yourself feeling anxious, overheated or ungrounded this summer.

We often forget that we have tools available to us wherever we are - whether you are traveling or at home, to feel more rejuvenated and present all summer long. 

Take at least a few minutes for each pose below, and you will feel refreshed and relaxed at the end of this practice:

P.S. Learn more poses + ways to feel refreshed this summer in my upcoming Extended Restorative Yoga Workshop with Live Music in San Francisco on July 30th at Yoga Tree Stanyan. Pre-register at http://goo.gl/l2x8Dd.