I Can't do Yoga: What is Yoga?

“Stop doing Yoga, follow Jesus.” That was the message I received from a man on Facebook. I chuckled at first but then realized that most people have no clue what Yoga is. Because some religions have embraced Yoga, others think it’s a religious practice. But Yoga is a system of breath practice, meditation, guidelines for behaviors and thoughts, and, in some cases, movements that improve our physical condition.  Yoga is a way of connecting us to our thoughts, actions, beliefs, and physical health. But can you achieve similar benefits from other systems of well-being? I think the answer is yes. If you follow a system of practices that brings you closer to who you are and more connected to the world around you, Kudos! Keep up the good work. But if you feel disconnected from the world around you, stressed out, unsure of what your beliefs have to do with your health, and uncertain about what to do next, Yoga can help you.
A simple place to start is your breath. I’ve put several links below where you can learn easy breath practices that can be an excellent addition to daily life. If movement is where you want to begin, I suggest Genius Breaks. When I wanted to teach Yoga to my colleagues and students, I knew I needed to get my Yoga Teacher Certificate. As I was learning how to teach Yoga, I realized I needed an easy way to reach people without the barriers of beliefs. Because many people think Yoga is a religion, they say, “I can’t do it,” and I needed a way of changing that can’t into can. Then, I discovered the book Genius Breaks by Dr. Suzie Carmack, a high school classmate of mine. I connected with her through a Facebook post and found that she wrote the book I had searched for. In Genius Breaks, Dr. Carmack makes learning Yoga easy, safe, and effective. Let’s learn what a Genius Break is and how to create one that works for you.

Check out Dr. Suzie Carmack’s YouTube Series  on Genius Breaks

Genius Breaks: Taking Care of You During Your Workday

What’s a genius break

1. Created by Dr. Suzie Carmack, a genius break is a 2–10-minute break in your day when you consider your mind, body, and heart while moving your joints through the proper range of motion.

 Why should I do them?
1. Waiting until we have the time to connect with our mind, body, breath, and heart usually means we don’t
2. Sometimes, we plan to take care of everything and everyone else but ourselves
3. Scientifically, movement and breath are medicine

The 2/4/6/8/10 Method with Chakras (energy centers)
1. The knee and elbow Joints move in 2 directions (feet & legs: 1st chakra- respect)
2. The spine moves in 4 directions (back & abs: 3rd chakra- commitment)
3. The hips move in 6 directions (hips: 2nd chakra- gratitude)
4. The shoulders move in 8 directions (upper back & heart: 4th chakra-courage)

More Chakras
• Mouth, ears, arms: 5th chakra- kindness)
• Forehead: 6th chakra- insight)
• Crown/top of head: 7th chakra- community
• Archetypes/aura: 8th chakra- consciousness)

​Move all 10 fingers and toes and do 10 minutes of Genius Breaks daily!
 
Designing a Genius Break with ABCE

Step 1. Assess the time you have now (2-10 minutes), set your intention, and assess how your body feels.

Step 2. Breath and Bones (move with the 2/4/6/8/10 method)

Step 3. Centering communication (Self-Talk Themes)

Step 4. Experience (engage, embrace, embody, and evaluate)