Did you know that one of the best ways to lower anxiety is to practice interoception; the skill of paying attention to the sensations in your body? This simple practice of shifting your awareness from your mind to your body can calm your nervous system and reduce ruminating thoughts and anxiety. It also strengthens a part of your brain called the insula which is the center of the mind/body/brain connection.
Read MoreOn Monday mornings, I take a look at my schedule, goals, intentions and to-dos for the week. There are some weeks when I do this and I honestly feel crushed by it. And there are other days when my week looks exactly the same, and I feel great and excited about the challenges in front of me. Why is that? Why do I have such different responses to the same situation?
Read MoreI am just back from my own personal retreat and am reminded of how important taking time for myself is. When my daughters were old enough, I made a personal commitment to doing this at least once a year and I am always blown away by how much I learn and how much energy I return with. I just came across another, “top reasons to go on a yoga retreat” article and the reasons didn’t quite resonate with me so, fresh from my own retreat, I thought I’d write my own.
Read MoreI tend to see the world through the lens of abundance versus lack. But somehow I seem to have made an exception for time. Without being conscious of it, over the years, I’ve allowed intense busyness to creep in, out of some skewed idea that I’m running out of time. And so the pursuit of all the things I love (and many things I don’t), and the fear that I won’t have time for it all, has created a false construct that preferences lack over abundance.
Read MoreI was having a moment of deep appreciation for my yoga practice the other day when during shvasana, I realized that yoga is one of the few familiar and comfortable places in my life right now.
Read MoreBeing busy - it’s an old and boring story I’ve been telling people for years and one which I’m ready to re-write. I think it’s safe to say that like most of you, I “do” too much. I thought it might be a useful exercise to ask myself why. Here is what I came up with:
Read MoreWelcome to rachelposner.com: The Nature of Yoga. The seed of this site was planted many moons ago but it took the support, love and brilliance of Wanna Johansson to bring it to fruition. Isn’t that how it is sometimes? We talk a lot about support. We spend hours in therapies of one sort or another exploring why it is so difficult to ask for help.
Read MoreLast summer I led a yoga and nature retreat with Beck Shatles and Wanna and Toby Johansson. I’ve been home for just over 2 months and as I begin to plan for our next Costa Rica Retreat in May, I am asking myself, what made it so magical? And more importantly, what magic am I still carrying with me? While a retreat can be an incredible experience in the moment, it should also nourish, support and inform our lives moving forward. So how did it change and grow me? Was there a magic ingredient?
Read More
