How Yoga Can Help You Alleviate Stress and Be More Present On Your Wedding Day
The stresses of planning a wedding can lure you away from remembering your intention.
Rather than focusing on why you are celebrating your love, your mind can fill up with thoughts of, “Is everyone going to like the food?”… “Is Becky going to be mad at me for not inviting her sister whom I met once 10 years ago?”… “What if all of the out-of-towners are upset over the cost of hotels?” These are natural worries that may come up throughout your planning process, but when you come back into your heart and follow what feels right for you and your partner, the people who truly love you will support you in whatever way they can.
Yoga To Alleviate Stress
Getting onto your yoga mat is one way to help you reconnect to the present moment and remember your “why.” Yoga also can bring you and your friends together and create a safe space for you to bond. From laughing at each other as you fall over in Warrior 3 to releasing past emotional states in pigeon pose to resting in stillness in savasana, the journey of a single class has the potential to bring you right back into your body. When we are running from distraction to distraction, we so often forget to appreciate the beauty that’s within and right in front of us.
Even better, when you learn to utilize some of the breathing/mindfulness tools off of your yoga mat, you can remain calmer and more graceful as you move throughout your day. On the morning of your wedding, before you start being pulled in ten different directions, try to set aside 10-15 minutes for meditation. Sitting in stillness, connecting to your breath, and remembering how filled with love you are can set the tone for your entire day.
Don’t you want to embrace and enjoy all of the people who are coming together to celebrate YOU rather than drown in stress?
Having some of the closest people in your life gather in one setting is something that might never happen again. We often don’t realize until we look back that the things that mattered most were: how much your belly hurt after laughing; the way your partner’s eyes sparkled when you walked into the room; the music that moved people from their seats to the dance floor. Yoga is a practice that helps us appreciate these memories while we’re creating them. After all, the present moment is where life only exists.
Wedding Day Meditation
I suggest meditating on your wedding day right when you wake up. This way, you can get it done before all the activities of the day begin to beg for your attention. If you don’t have a room to yourself or a quiet corner in the house, step outside and sit under a tree or even in your car.
Once you’ve settled into a comfortable seat, set a timer for 10-20 minutes (preferably with your phone on silent or airplane mode), rest your hands either on your knees or in your lap, and close your eyes. Think about keeping your spine straight and your shoulders rolled down and back as you hold yourself up with confidence.
Begin to breathe into your low belly, actively deepening each inhale and lengthening every exhale. Sealing your lips shut and breathing in and out through your nose activates ujjayi breath, which can soothe the nervous system and calm the mind.
If your mind begins to wander off in thought, bring your awareness back to your breath. There is a technique that can help keep you present called “Box Breath,” where you breathe in for a count of 4, hold it in for 4, exhale for 4, and hold it empty for 4. You can repeat this a few times or for the duration of your practice if you’d like! You can also decrease or increase the count number depending on what you feel comfortable with.
The goal of meditation is never to completely empty the mind, for that would be like asking your heart to stop pumping. Rather, focus on becoming more intentional with the thoughts that you do have. The trick is to continue returning to your breath.
