Nourish Note

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When was the last time you had a quiet moment without reaching for your phone?

No scrolling. No checking messages. No filling the silence. Just being there, with yourself.

I’ve been thinking about this because I recently wrote about something I never expected to become such a big part of my life: my smartphone.

I didn’t get one until 2013. (I finally gave in when my phone provider offered a smartphone for free. I’ve upgraded since then, but that first phone lasted me for years.)

And while I appreciate all the ways technology makes life easier, I’ve learned that my attention is one of my most valuable resources.

Every notification, app or alert has the potential to pull my attention away from where I am.

The question I keep coming back to is: How do I stay connected to the world without losing connection with myself?

After 15 years of teaching yoga, can you guess where I rarely see a smartphone?

On a yoga mat.

That’s one of the reasons I love yoga. You create a space to turn inward and practice being present before bringing that awareness back into everyday life.

Yoga has a name for this: pratyahara, which means “withdrawal of the senses.” It’s about pausing the constant stream of input and creating space to notice what’s happening within you.

In a world that’s constantly asking for your attention, making space to simply be matters.

Yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda, takes this idea a step further. It invites you to pay attention to what you’re taking in through your senses — what you see, hear and experience — and notice how it affects your energy.

What you take in throughout the day can either leave you feeling nourished and grounded — or scattered and depleted.

I share more about this idea in my latest blog post, including how yoga and Ayurveda can help you create technology boundaries in an always-on world.

A New Feature in Nourish Note

In college, I studied journalism and wrote an advice column for my community college newspaper. I loved the idea that a simple question could open the door to a bigger conversation.

Now I’m bringing that idea to Nourish Note.

Each month, I’ll answer one reader’s question about yoga, Ayurveda or self-care.

Maybe you’re looking for a morning routine that sticks, wondering where to begin with Ayurveda or curious about how to bring the calm you experience in yoga class into the rest of your day.

What would you like to know more about? Hit reply and send me your question. It might become the inspiration for a future Nourish Note.

With gratitude,
Julie

P.S. Join me for a free in-person Cool and Calm Yoga class on Saturday, August 29, at Green Hills Public Library District.

P.P.S. Fall registration opens later this month for Ayurvedic Yoga + Yoga for Self-Care. Classes are held at 7 p.m. CT on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the option to join in person at the Bloomingdale Park District or on Zoom.