weed much?

One thing I hear often from my students is, “my low back is killing me,” and on further investigation, it all began with a little yard work. Simple tasks like weeding can keep a body in positions that don’t support the core for long periods of time: enter low back pain. Focusing on just, “getting done” leaves little room for protecting your sweet hard working self from muscle soreness, fatigue and even injury.

I’m not a big believer in multi tasking, but this morning I found that pulling weeds doesn’t have to suck. It started out like normal, bent over a patch of landscaping overrun by clover, crab grass and other unnamed intruders. The abundant Spring rain had brought with it so many weeds, the task felt insurmountable. Committing to rid my yard of just a small portion of overgrowth was what got me started. Having a regular mindfulness practice came in handy as it helped me notice, early on that as I moved along my low back began to ache and the back of my neck felt pinched. “Hello, body, thank you for speaking up!” The yoga teacher in me perked up. What would feel good to the body and make this work possible? Wide angle forward fold, of course. Positioning myself with a wide stance, the current targeted patch of weeds toward my heels, I was able to release my neck and let my head hang… Ahhh…natural traction. Adding some side lunges helped me shift to the next areas. SW-EET leg stretch! Mixing it up with garland pose, and goddess legs, I managed to actually start enjoying the process. Somewhere along the way I realized I had automatically deepened my breath as I began to incorporate the yoga poses. I may have been imagining it, but the work seemed to be going faster and before I knew it I had tackled a huge space. What was weirder? I wanted to do more. The birds were playing in the fountain, neighbors said hello… it was really lovely. Once I moved to another area beset by wild botanicals on the side of my patio, I enjoyed cobblers pose, locust, sphinx and cobra. The bonus with those backbends was the coolness of the awning shaded concrete supporting my front body.

Communing with nature, taking on a dreaded huge task, and taking care of my body? WIN WIN WIN! I am thankful for my companions of yoga and mindfulness. As integrated parts of my life they guide me even in the hum drum of yard work to enjoy all that life has to offer.

Have you found your practice supports your life in surprising ways? I’d love to hear about it. Send me message or leave a comment!

If you are ready to get some more yoga and mindfulness in your life, join me on the beach at Trader’s Point July 27th for a special yoga event benefitting the Patachou foundation. OR get in on super early bird pricing for my yoga & mindfulness mini-retreat Saturday September 14th. See you on the mat!

Did you know, I offer a mindfulness experience called Modern Day Mindfulness for local businesses and organizations? I am happy to say, I am adding Mindful School programming starting in August! If you would like to bring the program to your office or school let’s talk.