Getting A Yoga Boost

Huh! I was to get my second covid vaccination on my partner’s birthday. I didn’t think much more of it except for the fact that we’d be forced to stay in town. We used to take day trips to beautiful places to mark special occasions before Covid. But we figured it didn’t really matter this year because we weren’t going to go out of town. We were content to do one of our favorite hikes in the serene Bosque Forest along the Rio Grande after not hiking for a couple of months.

Instead of hiking, we’ve been busy bees buying a home, planning our move, packing, moving, unpacking and such. We also took on an energetic and sweet puppy named Mocha who has had our full attention.

I stopped practicing yoga and instead focused on getting stuff done for the move. Each day I didn’t practice, I felt my body, mind and breath tighten and become dull. Huh! I remember during past moves feeling stronger, with all of the physical demands of moving. This time, I didn’t feel stronger but gradually more tired.

Then, the day after my second covid vaccine shot I was taken down, forced to crawl back into bed and sleep the day away. We had to cancel a birthday party gathering that evening. Even though I longed to socialize with these friends I only felt like returning back to bed. I felt weak, nauseous, and achy. Advil and sleep helped.

Even though I knew rest was the remedy after the vaccine I kept pushing on…so much to do and be done. On day 2, I thought I would surely be all better so I raked up the wind blown leaves all around my house and filled up a 30 gallon garbage can. Then I collapsed back into bed and slept. On day 3, I reflected “huh, this is real..It feels like I have the flu with body aches and extreme fatigue.” So, I learned to took it easy. I realized I drove myself to physical exhaustion getting ready for the move and not taking time for myself and my yoga practice to regenerate. Then, on the day of the vaccine, I went for a hike after not hiking for a while. And after one day of sleeping the flu symptoms away I spent hours gardening.

I had to admit to myself that it’s been challenging, in the midst of a year of covid and a long to-do list, to take the time I need for my yoga practice and self rejuvenation. Going back to the mat, I feel better. My back pops and releases. My body, mind and breath feel open and lighter. And I remember why I practice. Not because I should but because I need it to feel normal and well. Did yoga seem like a luxury I couldn’t afford? Was that really true? Is getting stuff done more important to how I feel and exist in my life? I can admit to myself that this is part of my work and will continually challenge. I’m clearer now why I practice and after I practice. And I’m grateful to anyone that motivates and helps me remember why I practice yoga.

Leah Greenberg Flaks is a lover of Iyengar Yoga and has been practicing since she was 19 years old.

Leah is based in Albuquerque, NM and teaches public and private classes focusing on physical, mental and spiritual wellness.

Leah and puppy Mocha walk the Bosque River Forest

View of Sandia Mountains from Bosque River Forest

Leah practicing the clasp in Marichyasana III

Leah’s Teacher BioMay 28, 2017
Leah’s Teaching ScheduleMay 28, 2017
Who Is Leah?December 13, 2015

Blogs of Interest

Getting A Yoga Boost

Huh! I was getting my second covid vaccination on my partner’s birthday. I didn’t really think much more of it except for the fact that we’d be forced to stay in town. We used to take a lot of day trips to mark special occasions to beautiful places before Covid. But we knew it didn’t really matter this year because we weren’t going to go out of town. We were content to do one of our favorite hikes in the serene Bosque Forest along the Rio Grande after not hiking for a couple of months.

I stopped practicing my yoga as I focused on getting as much done for the move as possible. Each day I didn’t practice, I felt my body, mind and breath tighten and become duller. Huh! I remember during past moves feeling stronger, with all of the lifting, packing and physical work. This time, I didn’t feel stronger but just felt tired.

Then, the day after my second covid vaccine shot I was taken down and I crawled back into bed and slept the day away. We had to cancel a birthday party gathering that evening. Even though I longed to socialize with these friends I only felt like returning back to bed. I felt weak, nauseous, and achy. Advil and sleep helped. Even though I knew rest was the remedy after the vaccine I just kept pushing on…so much to do and be done. On day 2, I thought I would be all better so I raked up the wind blown leaves all around my house and filled up a 30 gallon garbage can. Then I collapsed back into my bed and slept for a couple of hours. On day 3, I was saying to myself “huh, this is real..It feels like I have the flu with body aches and extreme fatigue.” So, I took it easy. I reflected how I drove myself to physical exhaustion getting ready for the move and not taking time for myself and my yoga practice to regenerate. Then, on the day of the vaccine, I went for a hike. And after one day of sleeping the flu symptoms away I spent hours gardening.

I have to admit to myself that it’s been hard in the midst of a year of covid and a long to-do list, to take the time I need for my yoga practice and self rejuvenation. Going back to the mat, I feel better. My back pops and releases. My body, mind and breath feel open and lighter. And I remember why I practice not because I should but because I need it to feel normal and well. Did yoga seem like a luxury I couldn’t afford? Was that really true? Is getting stuff done more important to how I feel and exist in my life? I can see this is part of my work and will continually challenge me but I’m clearer why I practice and after I practice. And I’m grateful to anyone that motivates me and helps me remember why I practice yoga.