In And Out Of My Comfort Zone By Louise Applebome

By Louise Applebome

I admit it.

It’s the truth.

I am not one who often likes to emerge from my comfort zone.

In fact, the COVID lockdown was fine with me because it allowed me to stay home…in my ultimate sanctuary and comfort zone, and to be a shut-in.

I had built-in excuses not to travel; not to accept invitations near and/or far; and to get all my food and provisions delivered. 

Blissful isolation.  

But, we hear and read a lot about isolation being potentially harmful, particularly for the older set. It may escalate senescence…speed up the aging process. It can also lead to depression. So the conventional wisdom is that being too reclusive may not be good for our physical, mental, and/or spiritual health. 

So, we’re faced, once again, with a balancing act. 

How much time alone is too much? Isn’t the quality of that alone time also a factor? Being with others doesn’t automatically go into the plus column. There are good and bad human interactions. 

In fact, it’s in solitary meditation and stillness that many of us find enormous joy and connection to loving Light. Slowing down is essential for heightening awareness and cultivating the ability to pay attention to ourselves and others around us. Spending all our time in motion, in activity, with a crowd or just a few may simply be the great escape from true connection to our inner life and the essence of others. 

Too much time alone, however, can also be detrimental. 

I was recently invited to step far out of my comfort zone. It would mean not only being in a large crowd, indoors (which even before COVID was off-putting for me) but also speaking in front of the assembly. My immediate reflex was to say “no.”

But I also knew there were compelling arguments for saying “yes.” So I knew I had to “meditate” on the offer, to seek counsel with those whose opinions I trust and to not be too impulsive in my response. I asked for and was granted a few-day reprieve before committing. 

I spent the next few days on proverbial roller coasters and seesaws. 

My home, my refuge will still be here. The ones I love and who love me will not have abandoned me. I won’t have to accept every challenge that comes down the pike. But nor will I have to let “no, leave me alone” be my default response. 

An ongoing yoga practice can also provide that refuge and quiet place to regroup and pull away from the barrage of noise, din, and chaos that often surrounds our lives. It’s in those quiet moments that the mind gets to slow and to calm down. And as some of the clouds, fog, and clutter are lifted, clarity and confidence may be revealed. Instead of knee-jerk reactions or hasty, poorly-considered decisions, one is better able to take the panoramic view, to factor in their well-being and that of others…with patience, reverence, and love.

Yoga also teaches us that it’s good for the brain when we change things up. For instance, if your natural inclination, when sitting cross-legged, is to have the right leg in front, it’s a good idea to consciously swap it out and to occasionally start with the left leg in front instead. That mere diversion from routine rattles the neurons a bit. And, that’s good for helping to keep the brain nimble. 

Varying the yoga poses you do and the order in which you do them would be another example of giving the brain an extra nudge and boost.

Stimulation for the brain may also be a good reason for stepping out of our comfort zones. 

Bottom line: I did accept the invitation to appear in front of a large audience. 

As one friend put it: “Ha! You’re going from being anti-social to taking center stage.”

Leaving my comfort zone, routine, cocoon, indeed.

All in the interest of brain health; physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and love and generosity.

I’ll take those as compelling reasons for coming down on the side of  “yes.”

Namasté 

Louise Applebome, 69, is a Certified Yoga Instructor in Dallas. After “retiring” from a vibrant and varied professional career, she became a yoga teacher. She teaches all her classes on Zoom right now and accepts students, young or older, from wherever they are, both geographically and in their pursuit of a yoga practice. Louise will help you stay fit and flexible, and release tension, aches & pains from the body…and the mind. Her yoga studio in Dallas is del norte yoga. You can reach out to her at [email protected].