Mission Impossible: Survival of the Mind

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Hello, reader.

Recently, my hometown of Storm Lake, Iowa suffered a terrible storm.  Thankfully, no mascot namesake (Tornado), but Derecho-level winds skated through our town, tearing off roofs and walls- yes, roofs AND walls!- from businesses, causing trees to push through walls of homes or unroot completely, and let’s not forget the amount of glass broken from windows and doors.

Some businesses survived and some struggled even more. Safe Harbor Yoga has had its own struggles to work through. From early on, it had to find resilience and strength in its message, its purpose, its life.

Dr. Brené Brown inspires us to enter the arena, be bold, and face fears, even when the going gets tough.

As I ponder this notion and reflect on SHY’s beginnings, I am reminded of Dr. Brené Brown’s quotes about stepping into the arena and how, if you're going to enter, you prepare to get kicked around. You’re going to have to fight for your life. 

But it’s also true for us as people- as someone also living the human experience. I can think of numerous times it finally felt like we were getting somewhere and then something happened to set us back.  The mission began to feel… impossible. The furnace broke in the middle of winter, a deer tried to play chicken with the car and took out the front fender. That thing you never thought would happen did and you had to figure it out quickly.

Family members became ill or even passed. Family members were born. And so much more.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: To thrive, not just survive.

SHY’s beginnings come from a teacher’s mind. Someone who devoted their life to teaching others not only how to get through the day, but how to cope with what life may throw at them. It started through teaching music, grew to teaching mindful education in the schools and mental health facilities, and now resides in teaching the people of a community who helped to shape it with hopes of one day offering yoga therapy.

It makes sense my brain strayed to the work of Dr. Brene Brown. She is a research professor, author and renowned motivational speaker . Her work delves into feelings and emotions like vulnerability, courage and empathy and how, after examining them, we can often find a more positive outlook on life. Odd, isn’t it? How we first have to accept vulnerability to thrive and not just survive. Not strong, not brave, not worthy. In fact, sometimes, we have to feel the exact opposite in order to find those very same things.

This is where a consistent yoga practice can come in and how the SHY studio wants to help those who attend classes thrive.  Know these practices aren't a magic "fix" somehow making the problems you may face disappear, but they can help you to navigate through them. The arena Dr. Brown refers to in this setting isn’t one of the seven wonders of the world, but something much smaller…and much more affordable. A mat.

Dr. Brown emphasizes being actively engaged rather than critiquing from the sidelines.

Your mat. No weapon, no fancy gadget, no armor. No shoes, even- something I actually love about the practice. Most people will turn this mission down. Being alone with your thoughts is scary and overwhelming. Deciphering the messages of life, recognizing the emotional attachments and then choosing how you react is no small task. This is why most people find strength in a yoga class- it’s the acknowledgement you are not alone- everyone there is fighting for the same thing. 

But showing up is oftentimes the hardest thing to do. Being authentically yourself- the good, the bad and the ugly- and staying accountable for your actions, your feelings, your thoughts, means you have to be honest to the one person who has the best BS detector- YOU. And you may not like what you find.

And if that’s not scary enough, it’s non-competitive, which means there is no blame game. The only person who is going to compare you to the next person is yourself. And yes, comparison is the thief of joy. Those who aren’t doing this work are going to judge it, change it, alter it, kick you around to see their way of things. But, if they’re not in your arena, does it matter?

With all that in mind, it makes sense why many find this mission, this work, impossible. It would take a special agent to even try to decipher the codes and break through.

If you choose to accept this mission, check out Safe Harbor Yoga’s class offerings.  If one doesn’t fit, reach out. You may just find your own Benji or Luther, finding a way to help.

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