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| [via teen vogue] |
I recently started this new yoga routine in my "studio" (aka my apartment) and my favorite part so far is at the start of the practice, when you move into a forward bend, and the instructor—Kathryn Budig, pictured here on the left—tells you to let go of anything and everything that's causing you stress or worry. To do this, obviously one part is focusing on your breath, yada yada yada, but the real kicker is that she suggests shaking your head around, as if you're literally shaking all that shit out of your body, and out of your head.
What's bothering you? Shitty job? Neighborhood dudes sexually harassing you while you walk down the street? (Or is that just me? Grrrr.)
Shake it out, as Florence Welch might say.
As I lean over, grab my elbows, and start shaking my head back and forth, it's like it's actually all falling out of my head, and away from me. All of the stress, all of the anxiety... all of the feelings of RAGE from getting called a "cocky bitch" for not smiling at some dude CLUCKING at me and following me down the street ... just gone. (Side note: Men, don't do that. Don't follow women down the street. You will not get smiled at. You will get scowled at as I imagine dropkicking you in the nuts for annoying me, insulting me, and flat-out scaring me as I try to mind my own business and walk down the street.)
Bye, asshole! You're no longer in my brain. And then for the next 30 minutes, it's just me, my yoga, my breath, and most likely, tripping over the cat a couple of times and falling down.
I highly recommend it. And if you don't want to do yoga, then probably dance around your living room to this. Should have a similar effect.
Shake it out, cause it's hard to dance with the devil (or some punk ass on the street) on your back.
