It’s natural to find yourself feeling a little more introspective and reflective at this time of year. Like all living things, we pull inward through the quiet, dark days of winter, preparing for new growth in the year to come.
When we look back on our blog each year, seeing what people were looking at and engaging with most, the topics sometimes seem rather eclectic, not really suggesting any pattern that jibes with the zeitgeist. Often though, distinct themes emerge.
That was certainly the case this year, where nearly all of our most popular posts reflected one of two topics. Both arise from the consequences of nearly two years of pandemic life. The first of these is self-care. The second is practical ways of addressing the social, emotional, and mental health challenges that youth are grappling with.
Frankly, we probably would have been surprised to see anything else, and not only because we blogged about these topics a bit more frequently than others. They also reflect the commitment to children’s health and well-being that we’ve seen and heard from educators, counselors, and other helping professionals in the Yoga Calm community.
They understand that, just as having their own yoga practice helps them better use Yoga Calm in the classroom, clinic, or other environment, practicing self-care prepares them to better tend to the needs of the kids they work with, while also benefiting themselves personally in the here and now.
Of course, knowing that and putting it into action can sometimes be challenging, which is one big reason this blog exists: to provide support, guidance, resources, or sometimes just simple encouragement.
Here are the top 10 new posts of 2021, the ones most viewed by the thousands of guests who visit our site each month:
- Yogic Breathing May Help COVID Long Haulers
- “Hope Is Nature Talking to Us” : 6 Tips for Nurturing Hope
- Teaching Mindfulness to Kids Through Story & Art
- Making a Real Commitment to Students’ Mental Health & Well-Being
- 7 Tips for Telling the Difference Between Triggers & Tantrums
- Caring for Others by Caring for Ourselves
- Why You Should Have a Breathing Sphere in Your Back-to-School Toolkit
- Some Reflections as We Near Earth Day 2021
- Slowing Down & Thinking with Your Heart
- Missing Body…Investigation Underway
Is there something you’d like to see us blog about in 2022, whether to help you in your own personal or professional development? Let us know in the comments!
Meantime, all of us here at Yoga Calm hope you have a wonderful winter break and a happy, healthy start to the new year!
