Self-Awareness

An introduction and the importance of self-awareness and why it can help to meditate in times of uncertainty.

You can read the blog, or click here >>> listen to the podcast <<< and enjoy a meditation with me.

Self-Awareness

Hi! I am Karin and I am very excited to start this new blog body-breath-mind Yoga with Karin. Since it is the very first blog, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and what I intend to share with you.

ABOUT ME

My first professional path was becoming a psychologist. And as a clinical and health psychologist I worked with people who suffered under the influence of alcohol addiction. I saw every day, how people who lived a life out of balance chose dysfunctional coping mechanisms for themselves and lost control.

After 10 years I changed professions and became a freelancing actress. Here I started to understand the importance of being in the moment, but also had to find a way to deal with the uncertainties and pressure of the business which put me on the path of Yoga.

And with COVID I made my final professional switch to YOGA. Just weeks before I lost all ground to stand on within the acting world, I had decided to become a yoga teacher, did my training, became certified with Yoga Alliance International and began to build my online business.

What was meant to be a journey just for me – to be able to take better care of my self when touring my theatre shows, became my leg to stand on, the moment the pandemic hit. And it helped me. It helped me physically and mentally. And it gave me a new direction for my life. I had been doing Yoga on and off for many years, but when I found Vinyasa Yoga and started to practice on a daily base, that´s when I started to feel the benefits of Yoga and could experience how nourishing it can be.

So now here I am, I have been teaching for 2 years, I am continuously learning and growing with Yoga and am happy to share some of it this way with you.

WHY I WANT TO DO THIS?

I feel like the times are challenging. Frustration, limitations, fears and patience that is running out is everywhere I go these days. It is challenging to cope, to stay positive, to focus on what you can change instead of what you can not change. Lockdowns, restriction are daily companions now, and they often lead to anger.

I try to focus on myself these days. What can I do to enjoy my life: enjoy healthy and nourishing food, enjoy a walk in the fresh air, enjoy a hot bath or a cup of tea, plenty of sleep. What can I do to make myself feel good. It is often the little things, that make the difference. We just have to think of it, give it our attention and do it. I also enjoy doing Yoga, because it calms my mind and strengthens and mobilizes my body. I enjoy the calming effect of breathwork and looking inward with meditation.

In the podcast you can find on this page as well, I would like to invite you to join me in some meditation and breathwork sessions.

I aim to share content, that hopefully you will be able to relate to, to enjoy or find interesting. And there will be guided meditation, relaxation and breathwork sessions to join in if you will listen to the podcast.

SELF-AWARENESS

Today I will share a guided meditation session with you and before we start, I would like to talk a little bit about non-judgmental self-awareness and why it can help to nourish this self-awareness. Well, it is the first step to realizing how you really are, what you really feel and what you really need – without judgment. And this is the base of taking care of yourself… treating yourself with kindness and self-acceptance.

And yes, if you have cultivated kindness for yourself, it is more likely you will be able to treat other people the same way. And then the people we treat with kindness are more likely to treat us with kindness AND others… and on and on it goes. And just like that: the world becomes a better place. But for now, let´s just stay focused on yourself. For change starts within yourself.

If you are struggling with allowing yourself to be happy – be patient.

To understand you are worthy and you deserve to be happy is a mind-shift that can come with time.

But please keep in mind, if you are struggling with mental illness, like Depression, Yoga or Meditation is NOT a substitute for medical care. Do not hesitate to get help and see a doctor or therapist of your choice.

For now, I will ask you to keep an open mind, if you feel like it, join the meditation and stay with your awareness with yourself. I will guid you through the meditation. All you need to do is to follow my voice.

For the meditation find a comfortable position in which your spine can be neutrally aligned but you can relax and let go your muscles. This can be a sitting position on the floor, your back can be free, or supported by a wall, or you can sit on a chair. But you can also lay down or stand or even walk. It is really up to you and you may want to try different ways to find the one that suits you the best.

Keep your awareness with your breath and with you. If you mind wanders, let your thoughts come and go. Don´t hold on to them, just bring them gently back to your breath and feel the in- and exhales.

Podcast at 6:32 MEDITATION: “Thoughts, Senses and Whole Body”

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

To close this session, let me name a few benefits of meditation. If you practice regularly and over a long period of time, meditating can

Reduce stress
Control anxiety
Reduce negative thoughts
Help you listen to yourself
Help you redirect and maintain attention
Improve sleep by helping relax and control runaway thoughts

Source: www.healthline.com “12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation” by Matthew Thorpe, MD, PhD and Rachel Link, MS, RD

Thank you so much for being interested in what I do. If you want to learn more about me or what I offer, take a look around in my digital home or go straight to >>> booking <<< for my monthly yoga courses.

Categories: : Yoga & Meditation