I was hit with a CRACKER migraine recently

I had to cancel all classes, rug up on the couch and wait it out... It was a long 2 days.

I've come a long way in managing migraines, which I've had since 3 years old.

What triggers them is unclear, but when they hit this hard, it's often a sign I've pushed myself too far.

I haven't respected the need to switch up my routine to match my energy, hormones and mood.

Doing the same thing week-by-week might work for some, but it doesn't work for me.

It reminded me of the yoga idea of brahmarcharya.

In Nischala Joy Devi's translation of this yogic principle that came about 1000s of years ago, she speaks to the idea of living with balance and moderation.

And in doing so, respecting our vital energy to unlock more life force.

Living with balance means letting go of all or nothing thinking, which I think we're all guilty of at times.

"I must work out for 60 minutes or not at all"... Surely there is a midway between 0 and 60 minutes, right?

Since learning about brahmarcharya I've often come back to the mantra:

"I am respecting my vital energy".

Be it the season of life, the current flow of hormones, or the state of your physical energy and mood – we often have forks in the road of our day that either go with the flow of our energy or push up against it.

My invitation for you is to let go the expectations, inner judgements, and black and white thinking about what you 'should' do.

Instead, respect your vital energy.

If you're feeling completely depleted and burnt out, perhaps a vigorous vinyasa flow isn't what you need... Take the extra child's pose!

(Put it into practice with my latest 30-minute flow yoga on the topic here.)

Quick note: it's not easy to balance our vital energy in a society that champions over-productivity and ignores our nervous system health. But let's do what we can to defy those norms!

Go gently.

Warmly,

Verity