Monthly Theme: Tranquility.

It’s Saturday afternoon. The house is particularly quiet and I have space to do something I love, which is writing to you. I open my laptop, slide my feet in an electronic foot massager, take a sip of ginger lemon tea, and think to myself, “Now this is tranquility.” In a full house and life, having a moment of choice to do something that nourishes me, like writing, puts me at ease. The unexpected space between feels like calm waters reflecting something often overlooked. Peace of mind. Bonus time usually means forsaking sleep or a workout to squeeze in time to slow down and savor the moment.

How often do you get bonus time that you fill with something that fulfills you? How often do you experience space between?

This month at Pranayoga, we invite you to do just that. Our theme is tranquility. Tranquility is defined as a state of peace and calm that is uncluttered by noise, worry, or violence.

I wonder... if I’m not feeling tranquil often, does that mean most of my time is spent with noise, worry, or violence? I reflect on times when I over-schedule, people-please, or imagine all the things that could go terribly wrong. These are all negative habits that can be broken through the tool of awareness.

Yoga would say that our being is naturally tranquil, therefore we simply need to remove what is keeping us from realizing this state. We simply need to shine the light of awareness on our serene nature and claim it as our own, against the current of our modern lives.

Here are some practical ways we can establish more tranquility this month through lifestyle and routine with yoga and Ayurveda.

1. Declutter your environment. A tidy space is more peaceful. For example, my little room is more organized than other parts of my home, and it feels good.

2. Schedule time in your calendar and on your to-do list to not have anything to do. I realize that this will not happen every day, but even 1-2 times per week can feel great.

3. Set your relationships straight. This means forgiveness and healing past hurts, from others, to others, or from ourselves.

4. Lean into letting go and being here now. Tranquility only happens when we are desire-free, and not wishing for something other than what is.

Remember, tranquility is a state and we know that we cannot will ourselves into a state of peace and calm, but we can certainly create rituals or routines for tranquility to arise. We can also consciously use our imagination to imagine a place we have been or just dreamed up that is a safe and harmonious place for us. If you have a hard time with visualization or relaxation, well, that is what we are here for!

The opposite of tranquility is stress, and nothing helps us to become more resilient to stress than meditation and conscious relaxation. Meditation activates our bodies’ “rest-and-digest” functions, which counteracts our “flight-or-fight” responses. Integrating meditation and yoga nidra into a daily routine has been linked to lower heart rate and blood pressure, which may lower your risk of heart disease. Experiencing tranquility can help heal our hearts as peace and calm are the opposite of our stress response.

Tranquility of the heart. We are excited to introduce Yoga Therapy for the Heart training this month. In honor of American Heart month, we will explore yoga therapy for heart disease into all aspects of our well-being, open to yoga teachers, wellness professionals and those living with or at risk for heart disease.

https://www.pranayogaschool.co...

Join us in this month of peace, calm, and compassion as we create space for harmonious relationships within ourselves and others.

Om Asato Má Sadgamaya

May all beings be happy and free.

Love,

Dani.