3. Take a Yoga Class

Hey guys,

I'm back!! Feeling a little better and more centered since last week. So before we get into the actual topic, let's talk about last week.

Last week I was feeling emotionally drained. Hearing bad news, after bad news is a lot. Hearing about death after death is a lot. Then, on top of that, I had a health scare. I received GOOD NEWS about the health scare, but after all of that worrying,

quite frankly,

I just wasn't feeling it......

With the direction that my life is going in now, I find myself wanting to connect with family and friends more than I normally would. I feel that now is the time for me to nurture relationships and build stronger connections with those that I care about. Wanting this has had me spending more time with people, opposed to somewhat secluding myself away as I normally would.

This can be A LOT, for me. It's just entirely TOO much energy.....

Being an Empath can be emotionally draining. Unfortunately, you start to feel what other people are feeling a little too much and become a sponge for bad energy. This is one of the reasons that I find it hard to be in relationships. I genuinely like to be alone. It's peaceful, it's happy and I control the energy.

Unfortunately, life is not the same as it once was for everyone and the energy of the world is weighing down on everyone at once. At times like this, I need to preserve a little of me for myself. Although I still want to strengthen connections and build relationships with my loved ones, I have to get back to protecting my energy. It's important for me to remain balanced, in order to reach my full potential daily and to remain Naturally Happy.

This past weekend I have done some small things to recenter myself.

1. I spent some time with my man.
2. I cooked a slow meal, Gumbo.
3. Meditated and cleansed my energy.
4. Did some self-guided Yoga

I wanted to recenter myself and rewrite this blog to be authentic. Being unbalanced interfered with my ability to be my authentic self. Fear of coming off as "anti-social" or "acting funny" has kept me from secluding myself. But now that I have had time to think about it and fully set my intention, I have realized that I'M OK WITH THAT..... It's ok to reserve a little for self and to take a step back. It's ok to recharge. And lastly, it's ok to not want to be bothered. Being present has taught me to be more involved with those around me. But it has also reminded me to stay true to myself and to be alone sometimes.

Ok, now we can talk about Yoga...

Learning Yoga has been both interesting and educational for me. Growing up, I knew nothing about Yoga. I always saw it as some middle aged white woman's activity, and never thought that I would have a use for the practice. I know, ignorant right?

It wasn't until I got into meditation that I learned about the spiritual connection to Yoga.

My first introduction to yoga in a different light was through Instagram. On instagram you can find people of all colors doing just about anything. Which is why I love the platform so much. There I would see black people of all shapes, sizes and shades practicing yoga, speaking of intention, manifestation and healing. I became intrigued. I started to follow different people and businesses to learn more. With learning more came the introduction to Chakras, crystals, singing bowls, spiritual cleansing, spiritual healing, journaling, etc. I learned that these practices can be life-changing by helping with mental health and stability, trauma, acceptance, forgiveness, and the list goes on.

I started with meditation and it grew from there......

I took my first yoga class back in 2019 at 612 Jungle. 612 Jungle is a Black Female Owned Hip Hop Yoga Studio located in Northeast Minneapolis. I was attracted to this location because it is described as a "Hip Hop Yoga studio". For me, this incorporation of the Hip Hop culture turned the practice of yoga, into a Black Woman's activity. LBS

So, at the time, there was a special on Groupon for 10 passes at a discounted value. The studio is clean, peacefully decorated, dim, and warm. There is a very welcoming energy from the time you step into the room. Before anyone has the opportunity to even say hello, you can feel the vibes.

I believe the first class that I took was Trappin Lite. Baby, that class kicked my ass. LOL.... Much to my surprise, Yoga is a full workout. It looks so easy, but it is actually very challenging. The most challenging part for me is controlling my breath. But the class was relaxed. The music paired well with the movements and poses, and flowed beautifully together track to track. The Owner, Gabrielle Roberts is an amazing instructor. Her tone fits the energy of the room. She also walks around the class and helps you adjust into your poses correctly. The class was very beginner friendly being easy to follow and slow paced, yet it also provided room for those that were regulars to move ahead of the new comers.

Earlier this year, I purchased another set of 10 classes. To date I have participated in Hustle & Flow, Trappin Lite, and SOULIT. Although I like all of the classes, Trappin Lite w/Nicholl Holas has been my favorite. I like the way the she encourages her participants to push their bodies into more difficult poses. I highly recommend this studio for anyone that loves Hip Hop & R&B and wants to get into Yoga.

My experience with taking yoga classes has been great. I originally started taking the classes to balance and align myself, along with my meditation. So far, they both have proven to help me with anxiety, calming myself, relaxation, balance improvements both spiritual and physical, mindfulness and being present. During the quarantine, these classes were very helpful with keeping myself active and maintaining my weight. For more information about 612 Jungle, please visit their website, you can find the link below.

More recently I have gotten more into self guided meditation. After taking the classes for awhile, I started to feel like I no longer needed to be guided and could guide myself. I also felt like I was in a sense graduating from the classes.  But honestly, I don't like it much. it just isn't the same. Also, it is very hard to guide yourself through a yoga routine when you are so imbalanced. I think I am going to go back to taking the classes, so that way I can get fully back on track. For me self guided yoga was like taking a dance class with no other participants, its pretty boring. I enjoy hearing the breath of others fill the room. It's very calming and helps with the flow.

Below you can find a resource for self guided yoga routines. click around a little on the site, you might learn something. This site is all about meditation, yoga, healthy eating, mindfulness, etc. See below.

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to share with you all. Hopefully this can encourage everyone to save a little something for yourself, it's ok. Thank you for bearing with me during a time where I just needed a moment.

The love was definitely received.

Thank you for reading. I'll talk to y'all Friday.

Question:

What do you do when you just need to resave a little for yourself?

What helps you reset?

COMMENT YOUR RESPONSE OR REVIEW BELOW. THANK YOU

612 Jungle- Owner, Gabrielle Roberts

Website: www.612jungle.com

Instagram: 612 Jungle

Due to Covid-19 612 Jungle has been forced to temporarily close their location and resume classes virtually. All virtual classes are donation based. Please, if you participate in one of their classes, make a donation. For more information please visit their website

Additional resource: Mbg Movement

 Have Recommendations for companies that I should add to this series?

Comment below places and things that I should try, that will pair well with the Self Care list. Click here to see the self care list: 10 Ways to Self Care with K. Cole

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