PUT YOUR MASK ON FIRST
DOING YOGA: ISSUE 2
by Bett Bollhoefer

"The mastery of one in Union extends from the finest atomic particle to the greatest infinity.."
~ YOGA SUTRAS: 1.40

“Put your own mask on first!” Flight attendants know that things work best when you save yourself first, then reach out to save someone else. Yoga is the perfect way to take care of yourself so that you can truly be there for those you care about.

Have you come to the end of a week and realized that you didn’t get to fit in any of your planned health goals? Did you prioritize the needs of family, friends and work over your yoga practice? When you focus on others' needs and forget to meet your own you lose your boundaries. Over time you can feel more and more burned out. Set boundaries and stand up for your yoga practice so you can be a resilient person with the resources to be there for others.

“In my life, gifts that I receive from [my yoga] practice impact my relationships and community in a reciprocal exchange of care. For that, I am most grateful.”

Mindi Marcus, a teacher with Mountain Yoga and a somatic therapist, shared her own story of self-care. For Mindi, daily practice is a refuge. On the yoga mat, she is able to lay bare all that feels too heavy to hold and contact the spontaneous joy and awe that comes from deep presence. She shared, “when I connect with my body and my breath, a sweet communion with the subtle and sublime emerges. Yoga invokes deep listening and while it is a form of ‘self-care,’ I realize I do not exist as ‘self’ outside of relationships. In my life, gifts that I receive from practice impact my relationships and community in a reciprocal exchange of care. For that, I am most grateful.”
Our family members and coworkers learn to do the same for themselves when they see us acting out this value. You create a more resilient world by creating a more resilient self!

PRACTICE: Put yoga classes and other wellness activities on your calendar at the beginning of each week. Check your calendar first thing in the morning and follow through with what you’ve planned. By using the calendar as a habit-making tool you set yourself up for success in your yoga practice — and your yoga will support your life!

​Bett Bolhoeffer is the newest addition to the staff of teachers at Mountain Yoga and coach of our 2023 Yoga Challenge and author of "Yoga for Life: Creating a Daily Practice." ​  After two decades working in the tech industry, Bett is now committed to a life as a full time yoga teacher.  Bett practices yoga every day.

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