Just the hard stuff
In life and in practice, introducing a new series.
Hey hey yoga darling!
Welcome into the new rhythm and series I am soft launching to this little nook of substack! On the first friday of the month, you can expect a new pre-recorded class, journaling prompts and personal musings.
The pre-recorded practice of “Just the hard stuff” entails the most physically demanding moves of the vinyasa sequence I am teaching that week. This snack-sized yoga class series stems from my current quest to conquer this season of (relative) hardship and feeling supported by strong movements that inspire outer fortitude.
And as most of you already know, wherever I am is where I invite you to be as well.
In other news,
Farch was and is hard.
The entire experience of this 2025 calendar year up to this very moment, has felt hard. Whether it’s news of this drama or that news of that death, it seems like a constant cycling of shock, drop, pivot and get aaaaalmost all the way up to stand before something else shocks me, drops me to my knees and forces a pivot.
I know it’s the year of the snake and all but this shedding of the old and giving birth to the new, is no easy feat when you’re more human than you are reptile. Change is transformative of course, but let’s also talk about how tiring it can also be.
So to recap, it’s hard to human but there is much to be enthused about, inspired by and grateful for. It’s a matter of being fussy over your choice lens and where you declare your attention.
I’ll openly admit to feeling the weight of hardships at home, in my career AND feeling grateful for countless, magnificent blessings. Hard times and abundant blessings are not mutually exclusive and depending on where you let your attention veer, realities can either elevate your state or stink up your space.
Let me let you in on this great little hack I picked up from another space-holder.
It’s called the “And Practice”.
When you are in a state of resistance or challenged by a hardship, try naming the disturbance and following it up with something that you are genuinely grateful for.
An example:
“I feel low on myself because I am working less than I want to, AND I am grateful for the new space I now have to build a more sustainable career on my terms”
So far, so helpful. This is not the bypassing method of suppressing negative emotions, this is the acknowledgement of that which teaches us resilience and that which teaches us thankfulness and how they can co-exist.
The reason I’m talking about hard times and helpful tactics, is to tie in the series of pre-recorded classes, titled “Just the hard stuff”. Invite your awareness onto yourself before assuming this class to be the right choice my loves. It’s not every day that strong movements will be the optimal way to serve your needs so your discernment is needed. However, if you happen to also feel that placing your mind in your muscles and upregulating with self-awareness is an aligned way to heal and train for life’s hurdles, then this class is for you. This moves at a quicker pace than normal and is missing the element of tender space-holding until the very end so adapt as you need or pause me until you want to join back on the fiery fun.
Remember to make this workable for you, to flex your no thank you when you need and to be loyal to your body’s conditions and capacities. And do enjoy the awkwardness that is my panting, bad jokes and pretty poor angling.
On today’s agenda (of physical torment), we have the following;
forearm core with block between the legs (just watch, it’ll make more sense)
high to low boat (anyone else loathe these as much as I do??)
high pushup to low pushup with hold* (tell your triceps I’m sorry)
sphynx lifts (satan made but effective)
tap push up (now I’m just being mean, don’t even do these)
This is a tiny token that I extend to those of you that either can’t make it to class or that desire an extra dose of the heat inducing stuff, delivered by me 😉.
Get your journal..
This month’s edition of journal prompts are simple and I encourage you to sit tenderly and patiently with yourselves before putting pen to paper. Intend to come from a friendly, transparent place of wanting to see and help yourself. With every little bit that you learn and accept of yourself, the more connected you become, the more consciously you can create your days and lives.
How do you feel right now?
How do you want to feel today?
What do you want to see in the world today?
Gratitude Bank: name everything you appreciate, small or large, alive or inanimate until an entire page is filled
More joy, more love and more blessings are on their way to you.
Your yoga teacher loves you,
Mar xx