EVOLVE

BY SARAH JANE WROBLEWSKI (SHE/HER)

Over the last three years, we have been pushed to expand beyond our containers of comfort as individuals and as a community. First, it was a matter of survival as we recovered from the pandemic, violence, marginalization, and the loss of personal freedoms. Now that we know we can “do hard things” (to coin a COVID buzz phrase), we answer the call to redefine ourselves and our place in the community.

During the pandemic so many of us changed the way we worked, restructured our family units, and confronted the stability of our mental health in a crisis. Maybe we quit drinking, bought a rowing machine, got a dog, or created a “pod.” Healing practices across the board saw an increase in business in 2021 and 2022. The isolation of lockdown provided a perfect incubator for exploring health and healing through individual yoga therapy.

Yoga Therapy in the Viniyoga tradition supports a discipline inspired by the pañcamaya model, which acknowledges five parts comprising our whole: body, breath, mind, emotions, and behavior. If we practice yoga only to improve our physical flexibility, then we ignore the potential for expansiveness in our breath, or openness in our attitudes, or authenticity in relationships. Yoga Therapy also understands the effects of stress on our systems — so having worrying thoughts about the pandemic impacts not just the thinking mind. They also show up from a worn-down body, disrupted sleep, low frustration tolerance, and hopelessness. Working with a yoga therapist is like making a blueprint of yourself and building a yoga practice personal to your growth. Everyone has different structure, history, challenges, and goals, but the practice can be personalized to bring optimum benefits to the individual. By adopting a practice embracing these five elements, the individual can expand beyond a single, or even dual, dimension. We can evolve into better versions of ourselves.

Communal baths show up in health rituals around the world and connect human beings through the practice of self-care. However, in COVID time, many of us became nearly phobic of gathering in groups. Re-connecting with other humans and sharing our discoveries complements the very accessible introspective self-inquiry of the last few years. So elemental is the act of cleansing and purifying, doing it in a community synergizes and heightens the benefits. Water holds the ability to erode, on a physical and energetic level. We can use it to move emotion and soften tissue at the same time. When a group of strangers enter the baths in a therapeutic way, they make a commitment to heal together. This happens first on an individual level and then becomes collective. a

Beyond the communal and cleaning properties of water, the positive effects of body work drastically increase when a client does a steam, sauna, soak, or cold plunge before or after the treatment.

It is ours to choose how we will evolve beyond the COVID age. In our socially distanced, individual-screen, disconnected world, we forgot our ability to impact our communities by gathering, clarifying, and raising the vibration of healing for all. It is time for us to move within and beyond the self, and remember we belong to each other. We can use the ancient practices of yoga and communal bathing to adapt to modern challenges. By integrating this wisdom, we commit to self-care and share in the process of curative connection. +

Annie rushed through the busy coffee shop, steaming latte in one hand, phone buzzing in the other. She let out a “whoosh” of a sigh as she dropped into her seat. Apologizing for running late, she began a litany of excuses, making it clear she was everyone’s go-to person for getting things done.

She had always been that person, no matter how exhausting, and she did it with a smile. But life changed for Annie. Her parents experienced health issues as they aged. Her kids got older and would soon be leaving home. Since the pandemic, she realized her values changed — she wanted to be more intentional with her time and energy. She felt a new chapter brewing for her — things she wanted to do, passions to explore, purposes to be discovered.

As our conversation flowed that day, Annie suddenly looked at me with wide eyes. “What if I’m still becoming? What if … all the hard and heavy experiences over the last few years have led me to this moment? What if I’m evolving into the person I’m actually meant to be?”

I’ve had countless conversations just like this over the last couple of years. I’ve watched young moms wonder what they will do as their kids become more independent. I’ve watched career women decide the constant climbing isn’t enough anymore; they want their contributions to “mean something.” I’ve chatted with couples who achieved their dreams and are ready for the “next big thing” to work toward together. Every single conversation comes down to: What do you really want? And what’s next?

As a Joy Coach, I get to guide people through getting absolute clarity about what they really want for their life; assessing the challenges standing in their way and providing a safe space to create forward movement, build momentum, and celebrate with joy as they create a life they love. Each person’s journey is unique, but I always start with these five steps: