Welcome to week 4 Friday Round-up.

Yesterday's class numbers turned out to be quite small - "small but mighty" said one of the participants.

Between the four of us we couldn't decide whether it was Garth Brooks or yet another bout of passing flu that shrunk last Saturday's class attendance.

As it often happens, smaller class size leads to more intimate exchanges; this, definitely, turned out to be the case for us yesterday. We talked about a few off-the-mat things; one of them I would like to share with you today.

I do not even for a second doubt the effectiveness of our on - the - mat practice: I've seen it work time and time again for so many people.

Yet, I am of a firm believe that what we do outside the boundaries of a yoga mat is of vital importance. I have never viewed yoga practice as an end all be all goal, but rather a way to develop tools for skillful living.

Benefits peak, and healing progress becomes exponential when our on-the-mat and off-the-mat lives converge:  when we are able to apply our on-the-mat tools - like mindfulness, body awareness, mindful breathing and movement - to our off-the-mat life.

Thus following query - and PAIN CARE YOGA challenge of this week: I wouldn't have been able to share my observations with you - or even have these observations - if not for the practice of mindfulness.

I want to talk about the science of screen-free time, and invite you - if you are willing - to create some dedicated screen-free time in your schedule.

I personally found disconnecting incredibly challenging - both because a lot of my work happens to be on a screen of some sort, and also because whenever I am stressed or anxious I am drawn to a screen like a fly to the honey.

There's enough research to prove conclusively that screens are changing the way we interact - we can certainly see it in our own lives - but are there any other consequences to the ever increasing screen usage?

It took me a bit of time to see what was right in front of me: screens and computer interactions change the way human nervous system works (how did I not see this before I honestly don't know). Understanding this is of particular importance for those of us who live with a sensitive nervous system.

I want to linger with the idea of a sensitive nervous system for a moment longer, and propose that for many of us who have been gifted with a touchy nervous system, persistent pain is just one facet of our lives. For most of us - myself included - there's also insomnia, touchy digestion, and the ever-unsettled state of mind (anxiety, guilt, and worry are my friendly monsters:). Many sensitive nervous system folk are influenced and affected deeply by our external environment. Once we acknowledge that, managing our surroundings, including screen usage, becomes imperative if we want to live the life of peace and balance.

I've seen a few of my friends just dropping off FB. They do it for a month, or so, and then they reappear - and with a vengeance. Technology isn't going away any time in the future - if anything, we will be surrounded by more and more screens and digital interactions. So I believe, the trick isn't to stomp our feet in an ultimatum - "I hate facebook!" - but rather to manage our screen time mindfully on a daily / weekly / monthly basis. And, of course, the value of a long disconnect cannot be overstated - as long as we can understand that this is just a temporary pause.

So today, this week, and going forward I want to invite you to create clear boundaries about your screen and screen - free time.

This sometimes is easier said then done, so here are some ideas:

~ start small

~ define exact day / time / amount of time when this is going to happen

~ avoid worlds like "try, aim for " - they are just escape words

~ get accountable

I am thinking of creating a FB community or a group (not sure yet) in which we can hold each other accountable. I know, sounds completely counter intuitive - but remember, our goal is to leverage technology to our advantage, not to avoid it.

Here are some interesting sciency articles and videos on screen usage:

Amy Cuddy on how Your Iphone is Ruining Your Mood and Your Posture

Simon Sinek on Millenials and Dopamine High

Jacqueline Howard on How Internet is Changing Our Brain

In the spirit of screen time management, this is it for us today!

Lots of hugs!

Julia