Originally appeared on RunPals.club
Sometimes we need to just slow down and breath. Take it all in. Appreciate what’s going around you. Relax. Breath. Focus.
Ok, I’m not gonna get all Namaste on you. I love a bit of yoga and/or Pilates and as part of Red January I’ve been doing regular evening yoga sessions with the boys, but I’m not a yogi. I’m not all zen. I just love the extra time with my fam to sit down and relax.
Tonight’s session, after a lovely cross country hilly run yesterday, was just what we needed before the week ahead.
Picture the scene – boy 1 has lots of energy, but also lots of homework. Boy 2 has lots of energy, no homework, but has a cold. Baby 3 has a cold and won’t leave her momma. So our house resembles much what I’d imagine if bambam and pebbles finally hook up in Flinstones of the future. Nothing but love, but lots of loud noises and things getting knocked off tables/shelves/counters by flailing clubs used as battering rams against elder/younger brother. Yep, quite mental. Lovely. But mental. Oh and add in the baby cry whenever baby 3 leaves her momma… fun times!
So, I tried a new session on tonight’s yoga before bed routine. And it was genius.
There were two sections.
The first was about challenging the “I can’t monster” and the second was climbing into the “zen den” for some proper chill time.
Have I mentioned these videos are for kids? Yea, totally aimed at them, but, we can learn so much from them too.
Sometimes the way things are put across to kids at such a simple, honest and open level, is something we can all learn from. There is no hook ups. No hidden dramas. Anyway…
I’ll leave you to enjoy the videos at your own leisure, but the first section had me really thinking about our running.
Whenever we try something for the first time, whether that’s running a fast pace, going your longest distance or entering your first race, we’ve all had that little but powerful thought creep into our minds, “I can’t do this.”
We all get it. It’s happened to every single one of us at some point, but, It’s how you deal with it that really counts.
So how do you deal with it?
It’s pretty simple. A bit like Obama’s election campaign, but tailored slightly, just tell yourself “Yes I can”.
Tonights “zen session” reminded me of when this happened on the Mince Pie Run late last year. There was one hill that was feeling particularly tough and our pal Jon was giving us all positive thoughts. Encouraging us to block out that unhappy unhelpful “I don’t know if I can do this” voice. And it worked. I could do it. We did do it.
Next time it happens to you, try it. It’s so simple and may sound a little flowery to some of you, but you’d be amazed at how much of an affect it will have on your mental state, the next time you run.
I’ll come into breathing on a future post. For now, this week, don’t focus on what you can’t do. Focus on what you can!
Happy Week Pals