When I get onto my yoga mat in the morning and start crying, I’m now relieved.

I’ve been through it enough times to know that when I connect with the more painful to feel emotions, it’s transformative.

So even as I sit there and move through my morning practice quietly crying or full on sobbing, I know it’s all part of the process.

The last time it happened, I even smiled as it was happening.

By the end of the practice, I definitely felt better but the tears and wobbles helped me connect with that vulnerable, scared, isolated part of myself that needed some extra care that morning.

I use a range of self care tools when feeling wobbly. Soothing self-talk is so important, along with strong movement so yoga is a wonderful tool for me – and if it appeals, you – to benefit in several ways. There are many many more ideas in the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing and you can also use the search function or be your own self care coach link on the site to help you access different self care tools to play with for your mind, body, heart and soul.

I also often choose different crystals to wear – that day, I went with a whole new crystal cocktail accepting all the energetic support I could get from them.

But today, am remembering how scared I was of yoga when I first started practicing in 2001. After more than a decade of symptoms and a year of hospital tests, I was so grateful to have surgery for the finally diagnosed endometriosis but when I still had pain and was told I’d have to have the surgery every couple of years, I decided to try alternatives.

Yoga brought immediate pain relief but, it being a psycho-spiritual practice meant it was releasing long buried emotions that I needed to learn to deal with sober (I had to stop drinking that year because alcohol exacerbated the pain).

So I’m waaaaaaaaaaayyy better off now knowing that tears are just a part of the cycle.

I no longer get washed away in what feels like a tsunami of emotion but can be more present and use it all as information.

I’m sharing this because I hope it helps.

You might have had tears or shaking (normal trauma release. When we can accept and acknowledge our body’s amazing capacity to heal it’s less scary) during yoga.

Maybe during a massage?

Yoga and massage both work with the fascia – that membrane that covers the whole body, just under the skin.

It’s where emotional memories are stored so no wonder that a touch or movement in a particular part of the body can suddenly release memories and emotions.

Knowing how the body works will hopefully help you continue with your self care practices, even when they make you feel worse before you feel better.

It is so worth it.

And if you’d like my support, you can find out more about some of my services and get in touch to book a free consultation.

Big love,