Yoga for Psychological Flexibility

It absolutely does not matter if you can touch your toes.

It matters if you can handle the challenges, the pain, that life throws at you.

How can you handle pain (without it turning into suffering)?

Well, through the cultivation of something called psychological flexibility.

Yoga, a practice we often think more of in terms of physical flexibility, is a brilliant tool to help you develop this mental skill.

The best person to learn this all from? Dr. Emily K. Sandoz. An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) expert, and regular yoga practice.

Emily started her practice with limited financial resources, 3 children, and 10 minutes a day that she found on a yoga mat at the foot of her bed.

Put your ear buds in, start doin’ the things (in my house this means dishes, tidying toes, and maybe… painting my nails). Perhaps by the end of this Wisdom for Wellbeing podcast episode you will find yourself rollin’ out your yoga mat. Or, simply doing a little mindful movement to check in with you.

Enjoy!

~Kaitlin Harkess

embodiedpsychology.com.au / wisdomforwellbeingpodcast.com

Morning Yoga

yoga can be really amazing for postpartum bodies and minds

Like A Tree

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful. - Alice Walker

Another day of the @capturinggratitude project - and my sister @summitjewellery is visiting. We had a beautiful lunch @cherrydarlingsbakehouse, which we ate outside in the beautiful sunshine (it was our first stop after the airport... as it is every time she visits!) I love spending time with her - as we get to let out true weird sides shine.

In addition to being so grateful to have such a wonderful family and special sister, I feel so grateful to have soaked up family time in the sun and to have reflected on one of the lessons of nature today. Namely, the beauty that exists in imperfection - and the reminder to show up. How empowering to show up as oneself - raw, imperfect, and in that, absolutely brilliant.

So, today - embrace your natural brilliance. Be like a tree!

Photo credit to the multi-talented and lovely @blackspruce_woodworking.

Text by Kaitlin

Joy To Be Found

Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul. - Linda Solegato

This was yesterday’s moment of gratitude. (I’m practising @capturinggratitude this week): sitting with a cup of tea, noticing the light streaming through the window, illuminating the outdoors in green and, what turns out to be a beautiful table of homage to our darling cat, Cashew (and the biggest gratitude to the amazing painting and sketch by @gracedrawsdogs @gracemackayart and the photo by @elisedphoto - check out these talented ladies Adelaide).

What I’m enjoying most about #capturinggratitude is taking the time to deliberately reflect on, and celebrate, what might seem like simple moments - because, it seems there is so much joy to be found.

I’ll share today’s moment in my stories I think... but let me say, it’s a beautiful day! Have a think, what are you grateful for today?

Text by Dr Kaitlin Harkess

Capturing Gratitude

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. - Ashley Smith

Gratitude. Getting out to the park and watching the joy flow. The simple pleasure of watching wonder unfold as the sun shines. I know I always feel better after I’ve been outside. It soothes me - particularly if I take off my shoes and truly connect to the earth. I hope with all my heart that Charlie will be able to do the same as the years go on. It should not really be a fight... but I’m grateful that we are waking up and standing up for our Mother Earth. Thank you @capturinggratitude project for shining light on this cause.

What will you do for your soul this week? If you’re anything like me, I recommend kicking off those shoes and grounding down to the magic of our planet.

Text by Kaitlin

Be Yourself

The human being who does not wish to belong to the mass must merely cease being comfortable with himself; let him follow his conscience which shouts at him: 'Be yourself! What you are at present doing, opining, and desiring, that is not really you. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Eek! Being oneself is hard work. It’s so vulnerable to open and expose the depth of our being...which is not always aligned with the ‘status quo’. It makes sense in evolutionary terms - we would not survive out on our own, we needed the tribe for protection. So, to have been ‘outcast’ was death - and hence the emotion of shame is SO UNCOMFORTABLE (it evolved to make sure we did not step out of line from the tribe). The trouble is, sometimes (depending on our tribe) there is a disconnect with our own truth in favour of this ‘keeping up appearances’ - it certainly does not feed one’s soul.

SOME OPTIONS

• Develop a new tribe that feels in more alignment with you, or where you feel safer to express yourself.

• Find unique ways to honour your history and nurture all parts of yourself.

• Practice making peace with those shame feelings, with being vulnerable - be it through reflective practices like meditation and journaling, or with the support of a safe friend or therapist.

• Remember: all these emotions, the big feels that often hold one back, they are HUMAN - everyone feels them, even if the triggers are sometimes unique.

So, the challenge is, figure out what you need to grow. What requirements do you have at this moment? Go as slow as you need, remember, there is no finish line we are racing to - the magic is in the movement.

Beautiful art by @howamifeelingg

Text by Kaitlin

The Shadow Side

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. — Sir Francis Bacon

The shadow side. It can bring a lot of shame. But as we recognise that this part of oneself is a shared experience - it human - we can, perhaps, connect in it.

I totally get that sharing a side of oneself that feels dark, hideous, and soooo far from ‘Instagramable’ is not a walk in the park. But, it may also be the case that you find when you open up about this part of you, the light comes flooding in. In fact, I think that this is why therapy is so important- it creates the conditions to share... and to find that someone can hold space for all of you - the full range of your emotions and experience.

Perhaps the best first step in making peace with this part though, if not speaking to someone, is journaling. As the ink flows you can introduced the shadow side and see if what unfolds on the paper could use a little nurturing itself. A little love. A little self-love for all the pointy bits.

Inner Listening

I have been a seeker and I still am, but I stoped asking the books and the stars. I started listening to the teaching of my soul. – Rumi

Can you relate? I certainly can. Seeking brought me to a B.A. in Philosophy and Comparative Religion, then on into post-graduate studies in Psychology. I truly do believe knowledge is power. But, I have learnt that some knowledge - wisdom, in fact, is best found in the silent moments of observation, in honing the 'sixth sense', which, I also believe, is 'muscle-like' in nature (i.e., we have to practice trusting our gut). I have not always got this right, but when something has gotten difficult I often find in reflection, that there were warning signs I repressed.

This week, could you create some space to let your souls shine while you listen?

Captured by the lovely @afterduskphotography

Wearing beautiful bamboo clothing by @ethica.activewear