Hello Reader,

What are the things you do that you know don't really serve you?

Things you wish to change, but it somehow doesn't seem to stick?

Let me share

In 2010 I found a lump in my breast. I was sent to the surgeon who decided to do a biopsy by removing it completely. It turned out to be benign. But before the surgery I had decided that it was time to quit smoking. Even though I had failed at it many times before, I went cold turkey a few days later. From being a heavy smoker, starting my day with a cigarette, to experiencing terrible withdrawals while waiting on the biopsy results. It felt like the world was trying to crawl into my skin with every sound or movement. Every daily decision had to be re-evaluated. There was no ease or flow in any of it. For weeks I felt exhausted, raw and alone.

In 2021 I was fed up with always feeling anxious, snappy, moody, overwhelmed or pretending to be fine. I struggled to work and was consumed by brain fog. My sense of self was really suffering and I felt very trapped. There were lots of external factors contributing to this (hello Covid and more) and by nature & through experience, I will probably always be prone to anxiety. But in my learning about the nervous system, nutrition and more I realized I had some changes to make on my side too. One of the biggest culprits was my two cups of Ceylon tea with sugar on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and then only having breakfast much later. A simple shift, yet I cannot tell you how many times I stood at the kitchen counter with a cup of tea I just made completely on autopilot, that I had to throw out.

Maybe this is familiar to you too. Or you recognize it in your clients, if you hold space for others.

Something you know needs to change, something you've probably already named, but somehow you're just not getting there. Sometimes it's a tangible action, like a habit or a routine. But sometimes it's more subtle than that: a sense of self, a way of seeing the world, that needs adjusting instead.

And all of it has physical, electrical and chemical grooves in your brain and body, for better or worse.

The brain in its workings is quite complex, but for the sake of simplicity here you can consider that there are two main networks that help us navigate the everyday.

One fast, efficient and energy-wise which autopilots up to 65% of what we do, without a thought or a pause. Think driving the same route home. Making a cup of tea. Putting yourself down when things don't work out. Snapping at your loved ones when you feel overwhelmed.

The other network is slower and very heavy on using metabolic resources. It becomes more inaccessible when we are busy, stressed, feeling tired or overwhelmed. It comes into play when we face novel challenges or new tasks. Like making a cup of rooibos tea instead and learning to savor it. Or sitting gently with your disappointment when things don't work out. Taking a deep breath and asking for help before you snap.

So in other words, when we are at the threshold of conscious change.

This is the hump we struggle to get over, again and again. The mountain that feels impossible to climb. And often the place where we give up, making it about our own shortcomings instead of seeing it for the biological limitation it is, that simply needs more time, support and capacity.

Yoga Nidra for me is the foundational practice that can support us through this. Because it gives way more than what it takes. And that matters when you feel like you don't have much left.

It nurtures the brain and body, as well as the more subtle aspects of heart, mind and self. It is the practice that catches us when we feel empty or worn. And it helps us find our way again while our biology is still catching up with the new reality we are creating.

If you are keen to learn more about the intricacies of this practice, what it does to your brain, how to guide it and how to adapt it for your own work with different individuals and groups, my upcoming nidra training might be just the thing for you. The waitlist is currently open and I will be sharing the full course details there next week. Since it is a small group training, I am only offering 4 Early Bird spots and people on the waitlist will have first option.

And after the novel challenge of writing this email, I think it's time for a short nidra practice.​

Much love, Liezl

PS. I really wish I knew about Yoga Nidra when I gave up smoking! Thankfully I found it not too long after during my first trip to India, but that's a story for another day.