Hey It’s Jenny, your home yoga hype girl!
Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I share insights from my personal practice & the best online yoga resources, handpicked just for you.
Today’s newsletter is the 9th, and final, issue in a series about change. To read previous issues, check out the Monthly Theme Archive.
We’ve reached the end of our series on change. Over the last couple of months, we’ve explored a wide range of topics. From the intentional change we implement gradually and systematically in our own lives to imposed change that just happens to us, whether we like it or not.
I’ve written extensively about my personal experiences, the ways they’ve shaped me and how they fit into the larger theme of change. I researched widely, gathering numerous resources along the way. Many of these have been incorporated into the newsletter. Others didn’t make the cut. Not because they weren’t valuable, but because they didn’t quite fit the subject matter, or I simply ran out of room.
Today, I’m offering the best of what I left out. This is your bouquet, made up of the handpicked and carefully curated content I’ve gathered along the way.
Enjoy!
Change Your Life - One Tiny Step at a time | Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
12 Minutes
This video is one of the first resources I found with when I was preparing to write about change. I’ve watched it multiple times and actually intended to devote an entire issue to the neuroscience of change.
Unfortunately, that did not happen. Fortunately, these guys do a pretty thorough job of explaining the process in an informative and engaging way.
If you like this video and want to dive deeper into the concepts within it, check out James Clear's Website. Jame’s Clear is the author of “Atomic Habits” and his website is chock-full of useful resources.
I was introduced to James Clear’s work by my mentor, Erica Jago and it’s been very helpful for me. I’ve implemented a lot of the strategies in the book and they definitely work.
Out of all the tools I learned in Atomic Habits, habit stacking has been the most effective. If you’re interested in learning more about how to use habit stacking to build routines in your own life, download the official Atomic Habits App: Atoms. It has a habit tracker that’s super simple and easy to use. I just started using it to track my morning writing practice.
Yoga for Resilience ~ How to Use the Three-Part Breath technique | Christy Naida Linson
13 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly
The nervous system is a hot topic right now, and for good reason. WebMD, among many other sources, estimates that a whopping seventy five to ninety percent of doctors visits are caused by “stress related ailments and complaints”.
And when it comes to stress, the nervous system holds the key to relief.
Take a moment to clench your fist, as tightly as you can. Feel how quickly the tension builds up in the muscles, bones and tendons. Now imagine walking around with your hand like that all day long. It would cause some problems wouldn’t it?
Well, that’s how must of us are walking around. Only, instead of our fist, we are holding massive amounts of tension and stress in our nervous system.
That’s why Yoga Nidra is so effective. It gives us the opportunity to unclench, relax and rest. This Pranayama practice from Christy Naida Linson does exactly the same thing, using the three-part-breath technique.
I spend a lot of time waxing poetic about Yoga Nidra because it’s part of my personal practice, but there are lots of other ways to unravel your nervous system and find relief from chronic stress.
Pranayama - or breath work - is one of them.
Three part breathing is a good place to start. If you enjoy it, you’re in luck! There are tons of pranayama practices to explore, like the one below…
How to de-stress with Bhramari Pranayama | Mint
6 minutes long | All Levels | Beginner Friendly
Bhramari Pranayama - or Humming Bird Breath - is another quick and powerful practice you can do to alleviate stress. I am always amazed at how peaceful I feel after practicing it, and it doesn’t take long at all to reap the benefits. Even just a couple minutes has the power to pacify the most stressed out mind.
The tutorial above is thorough and informative. It does involved a complicated mudra - or hand placement - that might take a couple of tries to perfect. It’s worth the effort!
If the mudra is a little much, then try this: Bhramari Pranayama For Stress Relief after watching the first video. It’s a very short example of an alternative hand placement that willl probably feel more accessible.
Daily Morning Yoga for a Fresh Start (with Affirmations) | Black Yogi Nico Marie
16 Minutes | All Levels
Every day is a fresh start. That’s the simple message behind this invigorating class from Black Yogi Nico Marie. Though it’s advertised as a morning class, it’s wonderful any time of day. I just finished practicing it, at 1:15pm. I wanted to shift from scroll mode to writing mode and Nico’s class gave reset I needed.
When it comes down to it, every moment is an opportunity for a fresh start. Sometimes you just need a little help to get there. This class is short, so it’s a great reboot for those times when you need to redirect, but don’t have the motivation to do it on your own.
5 Min NO TALKING Morning Yoga At Home (Ed Sheeran Tenerife Sea) | Yoga With Bird
7 Minutes | All Levels
With a world of information at our fingertips, it can be tempting to look outside of ourselves for answers. Especially in times of great uncertainty. I am guilty of it. I often turn to google, reddit or TikTok for guidance.
It’s so easy to rely on other people’s ideas and opinions to tell us what we should do. We often overlook our own inner knowing.
That’s where yoga comes in. The purpose of our practice is to turn inward and tune in to our intuition. The most powerful thing we can do when facing the unknown, is to get quiet and listen. Our internal compass will always point us in the right direction.
This class by Bird, provides an opportunity to connect with that internal compass through self led practice. It’s a “no talking” class, which means the teacher will be practicing but she will not be cuing you verbally. You are your own guide.
Can you step on to your mat and trust your body to tell you what it needs? Will you spend five minutes following your inner knowing and letting your body cue your movement?
I am very aware of how hard it is to let go of external cues and go with your own flow. I am a yoga teacher and I still struggle to show up for self led practices. I love the container and the comfort of being led through my practice by another teacher. BUT… when I do decide to show up, with nothing other than my mat and a few moments to spare, something magical happens.
My body starts to tell me what it needs and how it wants to move. When I trust those internal cues, my practice serves me on a very deep level.
If you enjoy the freedom of the first, self led class from bird and want a longer session, try this one from Arianna Elizabeth…
Self-Flow | *no words* | Soothing Piano Music
13 Minutes | All Levels
Pick one of these classes this week and allow the teacher to be a companion, but be your own guide. You may never look at the screen and that’s okay. Close your eyes, let the video play and lean into the movements your body craves. You might end up in child’s pose or savasana the whole time. And that’s okay too!!
Just hit play, step on your mat and see what happens.
That’s all for today!
I hope you enjoyed today’s resource filled issue. May you find time to practice this week and may your practice be satisfying on every level.
I’ll be back next Sunday to introduce a brand new theme!! Woohoo!! Get excited. It’s going to be so good.
Until then, have a wonderful week my friends.
Much Love to you and yours.