Lessons from the mat (and a Jos Louis)

👋 Hey, welcome back!

I’ve got a Jos Louis in one hand and a pile of yoga props in the other, so you know we’re about to get into it.

Thank you for all the love on last week’s letter. Seriously—it means a lot.

This week, we’re staying with the idea of discomfort—and how the mat can help us get curious, not compliant. We’re leaning into the mat as a sandbox—a place to play with trust, boundaries, and rest without shame or judgment. And then we take what we learn there out into the world.

🧘 On the Mat: The Mat as Sandbox

Yoga doesn’t ask us to get it “right.” It asks us to notice.

The mat can be a space for exploration, for learning the subtle (and not-so-subtle) difference between what challenges us and what harms us. When we treat it like a sandbox, we give ourselves permission to try, to shift, to mess up, to pause—and to do all of it without judgment.

Maybe we try a new pose that feels awkward. Maybe we skip something entirely. Maybe we add a pillow, a pause, or an expletive. All of it counts. Because the goal isn’t the pose—it’s the practice.

And here’s the key: What we learn on the mat isn’t just for the mat.

Each time we notice when to back off and when to stay with something…
Each time we decide to rest when the world says hustle…
Each time we listen to our own cues instead of someone else’s instructions…

We’re building confidence in something bigger.

We’re practicing boundary-setting. We’re practicing self-trust. We’re practicing a kind of agency that doesn’t need to be earned, just recognized within ourselves.

And the more we practice it here (imagine me pointing down at the mat), the easier it becomes to bring it into our lives and relationships out there (imagine doing the pointing-everywhere-else thing).

Because yeah—your mat is a sandbox. And in that space, we begin to uncover the stories we carry—about our bodies, our limits, our worth—and give ourselves the chance to rewrite them.

🔍 Macro Lens: Restorative Yoga & the Reflexive Rebellion

Let’s talk about rest—not as recovery, but as resistance.

In a culture where we’re taught that productivity equals worth, choosing rest is a radical act. And when we lie ourselves down in a restorative pose, fully supported, eyes closed, doing nothing, we aren’t just stretching. We’re confronting doxa.

Remember doxa? Those deeply embedded cultural beliefs we mistake for truth? If you’re new here, we unpacked that in last week’s letter, and how it shows up in our bodies and our practice.

"Busy = important." "Output = value." "Stillness = laziness." "Care must be earned."

These are the cultural beliefs we’ve absorbed without consent. They're not neutral, they're not personal, and they're not actual facts—they're the logic of capitalism, ableism, and white supremacy written onto our nervous systems. And like any dominant narrative, they thrive in silence. In unexamined repetition.

But yoga—especially restorative yoga—gives us space to notice those patterns. And that noticing? That’s reflexivity (my yoga friends might also consider this part of Svadhyaya).

When we slow down enough to feel what comes up in stillness—impatience, guilt, a compulsion to do—we’re meeting the doxa head-on. And every time we soften into the support beneath us, and say “I don’t have to earn this,” we’re writing a new story in real time.

Restorative yoga becomes a practice of unlearning. Of dismantling. Of remembering what was never actually true.

Rest isn’t selfish. It’s sacred. Stillness isn’t empty. It’s full of insight. Your worth? It’s already intact.

💸 Why Rest Isn’t a Luxury

We’re taught that rest is a reward. Something you earn after being productive, after doing enough, after proving your worth. But what if that’s just... capitalism talking? (Ahem, see ↑)

In a society obsessed with output, choosing rest becomes an act of refusal. A declaration that your value isn’t measured in metrics.

This is why I teach restorative yoga. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s necessary.

Rest can be deeply uncomfortable, especially if you’ve been taught your whole life to override your body’s signals. But remember, discomfort isn’t the same as harm. And learning to let go of the voice that says you should be doing something else? Learning that you can be loved for who you are, not just what you offer others? Learning to listen when your body says, "I'm tired"? That’s where the shift begins.

Because rest isn’t selfish (it needs to be said twice).
It isn’t a break from the “real work.”
Rest is the work.

🗓️ This Week’s Practice

🎥 Prop-Supported Restorative Yoga + Radical Rest Affirmations
🗓️ Sunday, April 13 at 9 PM Eastern
 📍 https://www.youtube.com/live/HdnCOuVlYAc?si=cfue2Qv5fWYhUVF9
Suggested props: 2 large pillows or 1 bolster/couch cushion; 2 small pillows or 2 blocks; 2 blankets/towels

We’ll move through a few supported asana and pause with affirmations like:
“My value is not tied to output.”
“My body is enough, as is.”

Whether you're joining from bed, a chair, or the floor, you are so welcome here. Come as you are, skip what doesn’t feel good, and know that rest is always an option.

Did you miss last week's live? No worries, it's right here whenever you want to practice.

🍩 Fat Tuesday Favorite

You might remember that every Tuesday over on Instagram, you would see a Fat Tuesday post, where I would share a little joy and eat one of my favorite foods on camera. This week, it is back! I’m throwing it back to my very first video and enjoying a Jos Louis. Iconic, nostalgic, chocolatey as hell—and absolutely delicious.

Because feeding your body and enjoying it is a form of resistance, too.

✨ Upcoming Workshop For Teachers: Making Rest Accessible

I'm so excited to be one of the facilitators in the upcoming Restorative Yoga Series: Making Rest Practices Accessible, hosted by Accessible Yoga.

This series centers the vital practice of rest, especially for marginalized folks navigating the daily grind of systemic stress. Rest isn't always easy. Trauma, anxiety, neurodivergence, chronic illness, pain, and lack of access can all make it hard to just relax. We'll explore how to create rest practices that actually work for all kinds of bodies and needs.

I'll be leading a session called Making Yoga Accessible to Folks in Larger Bodies alongside an incredible lineup of teachers, including Tamika Caston-Miller, Indu Arora, Rodrigo Souza, Theo Wildcroft, Tejal Patel, and more.

Here’s what we’ll be diving into:

🌼 Adaptive rest practices (think chairs, couches, beds, and beyond)
 🌼 Yoga Nidra, the nervous system, and the anatomy of rest
 🌼 Trauma-informed, body-affirming ways to create comfort
 🌼 How we can resource ourselves and our students through rest

🗓️ April 24 – May 27
🕘 Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9–11 AM PT
📺 Replay access for 1 year & 20 CEUs upon completion
 💸 Tiered pricing, payment plans, & scholarships available

👉 https://www.accessibleyogaschool.com/a/2148079271/pwMvo5F7

📬 You made it to the bottom!

Thanks for being here. This newsletter is a labor of love, a living practice, and a little piece of rebellion. I’m so glad you’re in it with me.

In rest and resistance,
Shannon