Welcome to the one hour where you can let all of life go.
“This will be interesting,” I thought, but let’s do it! You see, I don’t do yoga. Quite honestly, I’ve never liked any yoga class I’ve tried. I do pilates.
How did this all happen?
You’ve heard it a million times, just like I have.
S-E-L-F-C-A-R-E
The simple two words that we as moms tend to forget about. Ok, well, we probably don’t forget about it; it’s still in our minds, it’s still on the to-do list, or the I-should-do list, but it isn’t making the calendar right now.
Life is happening to us, the kids calendar is taking over our own, the clothes hamper seems like a bottomless pit, the house always needs cleaned, and is there really a bottom to the dishes in the sink? Oh wait….throw in there for me being an entrepreneur, a mom of three and one with special needs, a wife to a wonderful husband, and friends? Sometimes I wonder what they are! There’s just a lot going on that many times take priority over ourselves unfortunately.
What Happened on the Yoga Mat
As I sat there for the first few minutes with eyes closed and I breathed as the instructor spoke to us, an amazing thing happened—my mind went blank. I don’t know about you, but it’s a very rare occasion for my mind to be blank. Shouldn’t I be thinking about the day? We have 4 activities! How is this all going to work? Next week! Oh yes, there’s so much I need to figure out for next week also.
No….my mind was blank. This was foreign to me and I wasn’t quite sure what to think about it, so I decided not to think about it and just go with it. For 60 minutes, I moved through the poses as the instructor led. My body did things I haven’t done before. With each stretch, I heard the instructor say “Let it go, focus on you.” Mid-stretch I heard her say “Breathe into this—release the tension, release the stress, let your body go there.”
Breathe
Ironically, I’ve taught the importance of breathing for 18 years, yet I realized I haven’t been breathing. I’ve been holding my breath for a long time. Just breathe, let the air come into your body, and allow it to exit. It’s amazing what a few deep breaths of air can do for one’s mind, let alone the wonderful benefits to the rest of your oxygen craving body!
In times of stress, tension, and not taking care of ourselves, we don’t breathe. We hold our breath, our shoulders or back starts to hurt, maybe your neck—something carries the tension taking place. The pain starts and the mind begins to wonder. Breathe, let the air come in, and let it out.
Life is Happening for me
I found myself back on that same yoga mat every week. I’ve driven through a snow storm to get there. It’s only once a week right now, but the benefits are great. This experience prompted me to put myself first in some manner every day, though it may vary in what I do and how long I do it.
I feel more in control and less like life is happening to me, but rather life is happening for me. Life is always happening for us. It’s a matter of stepping back, breathing, and emptying your mind occasionally to allow the goodness of life to emerge.
