Money as a Yoga Practice?
Let’s take a deep breath.
When money is the topic, many people find they hold their breath and brace for impact. It’s a subject with modern roots steeped in oppression, greed, and trauma.
In so many ways, we have put money at the center of everything and above all else. The undercurrent of belief is that more money will fix all of the problems, no matter what. And let me be clear - having enough money solves many problems. But more money is not a guarantee of anything. Ignoring it and trying to walk away from the systems we live in may be an option for some, but not many.
So what to do instead?
What guarantees peace, freedom, and skillful means with money is having a clear and conscious relationship with the practice of your money, yes, but also knowing yourself as well-resourced and capable instead of thinking that money is the solution to problems that really have very little (if anything) to do with money.
As my therapeutic yoga teacher Susi Hately says, “The pain is rarely where the problem is.”
Let’s talk about pain.
I know I’m hitting all the high points of polite conversation today, but hear me out. Let me tell you something about physical pain, because all of our pain (mental, emotional, energetic) shows up in the body in some form or fashion. And let’s be clear - money creates and perpetuates pain.
Pain on any level makes it challenging to think clearly about anything other than getting rid of it. Pain makes it difficult to harness our energy for what is most important: taking the next right action.
As I’ve been studying therapeutic yoga, I have been studying the science of physical pain. Interestingly enough, there are no pain receptors in the body. That’s right. No pain receptors in the body.
However, all over our bodies are danger receptors that send messages to the nervous system when danger or threat is perceived. If those messages reach the brain via the spinal cord, the brain sends pain signals to various parts of the body. Whether you are “really” injured or not doesn’t matter (we could have a whole discussion about the fuckery of this language of “real” or “not real” pain as it relates to injury, illness, or stress). The bottom line is that nurturing a regulated nervous system reduced pain.
Even the pain in our relationship with money.
Saying yes to a money program centered on Yoga Nidra is not only profoundly restful but also an infinitely practical approach to supporting a healthier relationship with money.
When you commit to being on your own side by tending your nervous system, you are on the side of clarity, peace, and right action. When you tap into the truth of your capable nature, you can enter into a relationship of power with money and resources instead of feeling an imbalance of power with money.
What would it be like to feel well-rested with money?
How would you move through the world if you felt resourced?
What kind of shifts would you be courageous enough to make around money if you felt clear and compassionate with yourself and your capacity?
I’d love for you to find out.
Join me to practice money differently.
Join a fantastic group of women for Get Right with Money: Yoga Nidra Edition - an energetic and practical healing container for artists, creatives, coaches, and service professionals who are ready to experience money differently.
