Before we get into this, I just wanted to let you know I’m not blind 😎 😂

Tell me I wasn’t the only one freakin’ out all Monday! I almost went for a walk outside, and then I got scared of the eclipse 🌒 and sat my ass back down 😂

The amount of stuff I learned from my 7-year old daughter about the solar eclipse was embarrassing. And I just kept nodding like I knew what she was talking about 😂😂😂😂. I swear, if it wasn’t for her paper plate cutout sun-glass thing-a-ma-bob I would have missed it all together.

Did you get to see it? I freakin hope so! So cool

Anywhoo…. Welcome back to the Joy Code, where we play with the overlap of yoga and personal development to help you show up BIG for your week and your life! This week is no different. Let’s jump all the way in and have an incredible week.

Take what’s useful. Leave what’s not. Let’s go!

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Here’s what you can expect in today’s email…

➡️ The missing link in your (and almost everybody else’s) training

➡️ Key lesson from NCAA Champions, Bree Hall and Raven Johnson, on ahimsa and aparigraha
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➡️ Yoga insights: How to handle the scrutiny and the pressure of college sports with grace and joy

➡️ The Weekly: Your mindset inspo round up

Click if you prefer to read it on the blog?

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It’s the quitting for me

MARCH madness was so dope to watch and experience, especially on the women’s side, but here’s the thing that was so damn upsetting….

The number of players who talked about how hard the season was and how many of them were on the verge of quitting.

I know we’re supposed to be looking at the viewership (18.4 mill for the championship – Hello!) and cheering about NIL this and NIL that, but man, I was floored by how stressed and heavy it all felt.

Angel Reese with death threats, Caitlin Clark with all the pressure in the world, Raven Johnson, so distraught over the public ridicule from last year that she was on the verge of leaving the sport for good.

Shout out to all the new exposure, but yooooooooo this is not sustainable

The Take Away

Which brings me back to you.

The goal is not to play small or shrink from the spotlight. The goal is to embrace the pressure, AND the stage, while still maintain your joy. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Looking back on the tournament, here are 3 places (3 different teams) where yoga would have made the difference.

… Reminder: the mission is to step into the arena as the highest version of yourself, not the smallest, and to meet the moment at your best.

The Yoga of It All

INJURIES – UConn had 11 players on the bench due to injury. Dare I say, a consistent yoga practice would have made a difference.

And I’m not just talking about asana (poses), because that’s you-know … obvious. I’m talking about the rest of it.

When you acknowledge the need for both sthira (stability) and suhka (ease) in all things, you stop pushing to the point of breaking.

When you embrace brahmacharya (moderation) you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all.

And when you lock in on svādhyāya (self-study) and satya (truthfulness) and asteya (non-stealing) and tapas (discipline) you take more ownership of how you train and take care of yourself.

BURN OUT – Bree Hall, from South Carolina, stood on the confetti filled floors of the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio and told reporters after their championship win, that at one point, “I almost quit,” she said. “People don’t know what we go through.”
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There was a look, and feel, of relief on her part, but I couldn’t help but think, damn if you’re “losing” who’s winning? And I say “losing” because here she is a starter on an undefeated championship team talking about walking away from it all!

Here’s what could have helped (even a little)…
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​Ahimsa (non-harming) is the first step in a yoga practice. You only get to burnout when you skip (or ignore) this. Ahimsa shows up in how you talk to yourself, the friends you keep, the food you eat, the sleep you prioritize, the social media comments you don’t read, and the joy you allow yourself on a daily, weekly basis.
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​THIS part is missing in almost every player I watched.

Hot Take: Journal about ahimsa (non-harming or non-violence) every day this week. Write about how this shows up in your life in all the ways – your relationships, conversations, observations, thoughts, whatever. And notice what’s possible when you practice non-harming on a regular basis. Circle back and tell me what you learned about yourself (and others).

SHAME/RIDICULE – More exposure, more comments, more trolls. Last week we talked about Raven Johnson from South Carolina and the ridicule she got from Caitlin Clark ​waiving her off.​​

Today, we get to share the other side of that story. For this one, let’s switch it up and show how she did in fact use yoga (whether she realized it or not) to overcome.

Raven used all 10 of the Yamas and Niyamas to finish out what she called the “revenge tour,” but the one I loved to see the most was her use of aparigraha (non-attachment).

I read an ​article​ about what happened after last year’s final four and how Raven went into a depression of sorts, watching the game over and over again, refusing to come out of her room from the humiliation.

But then something changed.

For her it was her teammate taking her to church (ishvara pranidhana – surrender to a higher power). For you, it could be anything.

She gave herself a moment to wallow and then she got to work. Shooting 200 three-pointers every practice (tapas), watching game film (Svādhyāya), elevating her defense (satya). She returned a new player.

And the best part?

When the championship trophy was lifted, she said enough. “The revenge tour is over.” She let it go.

Don’t be motivated by embarrassment

Raven started with fear. Fear that others would make fun of her, fear that she didn’t belong on the big stage, fear that this moment in time would define her career.

But when she chose love, she grew.

It doesn’t mean you don’t have fear. It means that you don’t let it over power you to the point of paralysis.

And seeing her hoist that trophy over her head on the big stage was truly a beautiful sight to see.

TL;DR

I know, this was a long one today. And if you read all the way down to the bottom, all the extra imaginary bonus points you can handle.

What I want you to see is that you can handle hard things. That when you show up for your challenges, you grow. That we can learn from players like Raven, and Angel, and Caitlin. That hard things don’t have to be so hard if we prepare for them.

As always, take what’s useful, leave what’s not, and choose love when you know that fear is always an option.

Until next time…

Rooting for you BIG,

A-

The Weekly

• News: July Workshop (Yoga + Personal Development) Loading… Living Your Yoga – When Discipline becomes about peace and not shame: ​Click to learn more​​
• Mindset Inspo: ​Click to watch​​
• Post of the week: ​Click to read​​
• Come practice with me: ​Click to save your spot​​
• The Player Coach Reframe: ​Click to view​​

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As always…

Rooting for you BIG,

A-

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Psst. Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can work together:
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• Regain your confidence with AP Meditations
  ​Crush pre-game nerves and train your mind to compete with my sport-specific meditations, designed to help you play free. ​Grab your customized playlist today! ​​
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• Take my FREE masterclass: From Pressure to Power
  ​Learn how to turn your anxiety into fuel and unlock an invite into AP Foundations in this free training coming soon.
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• Come practice with me (in person or online!)
  ​Every Saturday at 8am I have an All-Levels yoga class at YogaView in Wilmette. ​Reserve your spot ​in person or log in to zoom class online.