9 Steps to Hygiene as a Daily Practice

Tags

COVID-19, daily practice, daily yoga, handwashing, hygiene, public health, self-care, yoga healing, yoga health, yoga practice, Yoga With Paul

The past six months have taught us a lot of hard lessons about interconnection, vulnerability, risk and self-sacrifice.

As the Covid-19 pandemic rolls on, showing no sign of abating at a global level, we are having to adjust to a long-term reality. Wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining social distance are not temporary measures. They must be a daily practice.

Photo by Fran Jacquier on Unsplash

In yoga, we practice daily (or as often as we can) because we understand the importance of positive habits for our body and mind. We understand that every day our body ages a little bit, potentially gets a little bit weaker; every day we face mental and emotional challenges that tax our patience and cause stress.

Every day, we have to make effort to do right, be kind, support our loved ones, do our work, care for the environment and those around us. None of these are one-off or occasional things. They must be daily practices.

These 9 steps to hygiene need to be a daily practice too.

1. Wear masks.
2. Discard tissues and food wrappers properly.
3. Do not touch surfaces unnecessarily.
4. Maintain social distance.
5. Was hands.
6. Use hand sanitizer.
7. Avoid crowds.
8. Don’t go out if feeling unwell.
9. Respect people’s space when exercising or relaxing outdoors.

We all look forward to returning to a more normal life, but until then, let’s care for ourselves and those around us by dedicating ourselves to this daily practice.

Read more: The Karma of Taking Care and Agency in an Uncertain World

 

 

Spring Refocus: Meditation

Tags

beginner meditation, daily practice, how to meditate, meditation, mindfulness, self-awareness, spring clean, yoga meditation, Yoga With Paul

Spring always brings new energy. This makes it the perfect time to take stock of the year so far and refocus our attention on what is important. Meditation is an important practice — yoga itself is only moving meditation — but one that it is easy to let slide.

For a lot of us, yoga is easier to stick with thanks to the energising physical element. Sitting meditation, on the other hand, can seem dull or difficult or unimportant.

However, it has many proven benefits, and the discipline of practicing meditation is in itself a growth experience. So why recommit yourself to meditation practice this spring?

Whether you’re returning to meditation, or a beginner, this guide from Zen Habits has insightful, inspiring tips to help make meditation part of your daily routine.

1. Sit for just two minutes. This will seem ridiculously easy, to just meditate for two minutes. That’s perfect. Start with just two minutes a day for a week. If that goes well, increase by another two minutes and do that for a week. If all goes well, by increasing just a little at a time, you’ll be meditating for 10 minutes a day in the 2nd month, which is amazing! But start small first.

2. Do it first thing each morning. It’s easy to say, “I’ll meditate every day,” but then forget to do it. Instead, set a reminder for every morning when you get up, and put a note that says “meditate” somewhere where you’ll see it.

3. Don’t get caught up in the how — just do. Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use … this is all nice, but it’s not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. If you’re comfortable on the ground, sit cross-legged. It’s just for two minutes at first anyway, so just sit. Later you can worry about optimizing it so you’ll be comfortable for longer, but in the beginning it doesn’t matter much, just sit somewhere quiet and comfortable.

4. Check in with how you’re feeling. As you first settle into your meditation session, simply check to see how you’re feeling. How does your body feel? What is the quality of your mind? Busy? Tired? Anxious? See whatever you’re bringing to this meditation session as completely OK.

Read the rest of the guide here.

How do you maintain a meditation practice? Share your tips in the comments!