Get A Grip! (Or Maybe...Don't)

If we're not pulling our hair out because of quarantine this weekend, it's going to be because we're tired of the Virus-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named posts on social media... or we're figuring out how to grocery shop online... or we're so flipping overwhelmed about the fact our entire world flipped upside down in a matter of weeks/days/hours (circle whichever one applies to you). 

And when we're pulling our hair out, our loved ones come to the rescue. They grab our shoulders, look us right in the eye, and shout: "GET A GRIP!" 

Of course they have good intentions, but the words they choose are interesting. "Get a grip" ... hmm...

So we have a grip on something — for example's sake, let's use a specific brand of coffee creamer. Your favorite coffee creamer. Because it's your favorite, you're holding it tightly, planning your routine around it, expecting it each morning. Figuratively you're "gripping" it tightly enough that it stays in your possession. You've got decent control over it. You can move it, toss it, drop in, hug it. Whether the "thing" is coffee creamer, or five crayons, or a computer mouse because you hate your laptop trackpad, you've got a grip, you've got control, and you're good to go.

Or are you?

Consider the moment you approach the cooler at the grocery store, and you scan the shelves for that same friendly label you've come to know and love... and then, dang it. You notice they're out. First you question whether it's true: "Could it be? Are there REALLY no more or did they move it to a new cooler?" You scan, and pace, and then frantically grab an associate and ask WHERE IS THE VANILLA SOY CREAMER, PLEASE?!

The associate confirms they're out of stock, and mentions that there's been a shortage of that exact brand and flavor lately, and they don't know when to expect more in stock...it could be weeks... months... maybe August. When you check your phone, you notice Amazon isn't even doing shipments of it for two weeks, and apparently the price of one container of your coffee creamer costs $87?

Weird.

So although you weren't physically holding that coffee creamer in your hand in the grocery store, figuratively speaking, you had a grip on it. You shaped your entire morning routine around it. It defined you! And so naturally it stands to reason when you hold tightly to something, you have that something to lose.

Let me say that one more time:

When we hold tightly to things in our life, we have things to lose. 

So when we take this simple example and extrapolate it to the current climate of the world, it would seem nature is slapping us in the face with this simple truth... the tighter we grip to "the way life is," the more we have to loose when life changes.

Especially when it changes without our consent.

I was listening to an online meditation from a friend of mine on Facebook, and she spoke about this concept. I loved how she put it; When we're attached to things in our external environment, things outside of ourselves, and we create our life to be centralized around those things, we realize at some point that things outside of ourselves can be taken from us. Anything! Any one! At any time!

I think about the people in Tennessee recently who went through a wave of devastating tornados. Their houses just simply plucked off the foundations, swirled around and smashed down.

Demolished. In an instant.

Things like that — or our recent shake up with the world — can feel jarring, unfair, and life-altering. Maybe it's not the coffee creamer that puts us over the edge, but something more impactful like losing a consistent paycheck. We assume, either way, big or small...  our life from here forward will just get worse.

But if we loosen our grip on "the way our world is" we can start to peek around the corner. We can start to allow creative energy to flow, we listen to the whisper of our heart, and we pivot. We get a glimpse of how our life could actually be BETTER down the road. Different — no doubt. But better. Ultimately, life is not happening to us. It's happening for us. 

To see that glimmer and get out of your own pity party, I'll tell you this: The only way out, is in. Practice. Meditate. Yoga. Of course you need to exercise and get your blood pumping... but I'm talking about the practices that allow you to focus on the inside job. Especially today when there's no one around to care what you look like other than your family and your pets (quarantine perks?). It's important now, more than ever, to really sit with the uncomfortable and do the work.

And you guys, I'm speaking from my own depth of experience... not as someone who is above "needing the practice" anymore, but as someone who is diligently working on a daily basis to hold it all together. No one is exempt!

When we practice, we are cultivating a strong internal culture, and strong sense of ourself as a human being. And your commitment and dedication to your internal practice is something that can never be taken from you. No one can take meditation away. No one can take away your learning... your insights... your gut instinct.

It's the ultimate lifeline... GRIP YOUR HEART OUT, BABY!

And even with quarantines and closures, here at Yoga Hive, we've got you. We're completely running online, with some of your favorite teachers and more to come. Hear what Shayna had to say about her first online class with us...

"I wasn’t sure about yoga online. The thought of doing yoga over the web seemed like just too much... but I tried my first Yoga Hive class LIVE on Zoom today and it was not what I expected. It wasn't just another recorded yoga class. I could see and hear the friendly instructor the whole time. I could see other students in the class and say hello. I felt the love and energy, just like if we were all in the same room. It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend trying a Yoga Hive Live class online.  I’ve learned that resistance can show you what you need the most." — Shayna

And if you're like Shayna, wondering if online yoga feels anything like the "real thing," we've created a whole explanation page on our website about what these online classes look and feel like. CLICK HERE. While we could never say this before, you now can bring your dogs... your kids... and your cats to yoga. Even your ferret, Paul. He can come, too. 

On Monday, we will merge online yoga schedules for all five Yoga Hive studios around the country. You'll be able to use your pass at Yoga Hive Montana to take classes with teachers at Yoga Hive Wisconsin and Yoga Hive Colorado. Click here to see the current schedule and stay tuned over the weekend as we add more for Monday onward!

Money?

Oh yeah. That.

Well, to be honest, we could use some too... but we know that yoga is the most important factor here. So we are offering a QUARANTINE SPECIAL (couldn't help it!). It's $44 for unlimited yoga for two weeks of online, LIVE classes with Yoga Hive using Zoom. Your cousins in Missoula and your grandma in Rhode Island can even buy this pass and join the fun. Share the zen — not the virus!

Don't have $44 but desperately need yoga? Or a CLUE about where your next paycheck will come from? Reply here with what you can pay. Your message goes straight to my inbox and will be completely confidential. We GOT YOU. 

In light (and openness to the possibility of enjoying a new coffee creamer in the future),
Mollie