keep calm

I have been a little anxious with all the news of what is happening in Japan right now. I am so sad for all the loss. The nuke melt down business had me in near panic yesterday. What kind of a world have I brought my children into?
This is the sort of thing that had me thinking long ago that I didn't want to have kids, because how could I bring another generation into the world with such scary things happening in/to it?

But my husband reminded me that maybe one of our kids will have the answers, that maybe they will invent a way to make it better... Thank goodness for him, oh and for yoga. For the fact that I feel better when I am on the mat and when I leave the mat. For the ability to send good vibes, well wishes and positive energy to those who need it oh so badly right now.  Thank goodness for little reminders of keeping calm...and carrying on.

yoga mat bag addition

about 12 weeks ago I started teaching on a regular basis again (post baby). Monday nights are yoga nights. I teach an all levels class at one of the best studios (imo) in town and have a sweet little group of regular students who make me laugh and re-invigorate me every time. It is a lovely way to start off the work week.

I am so greatful for my husband who does 'single parent' duty on these nights, for the studio that I teach at, for my students and for the fact that I get to practice and share something I love with others.

thanks! and a little yogi

Thanks for all the backyard love everyone! we have worked really hard to make the yard a place where we want to be- an extension of the house really. And I think that is the way it should be. We spend a lot of time outside and now that the shade is installed the couches are in place and the table set for guests we need to plan a big huge summer time bash I think. Wanna come over?!
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so we are in the midst of learning how to crawl at our house. He is getting pretty good at it but sometimes forgets that he actually knows how to move himself from place to place. It is kinda funny- I set him down. He screams (Because who wants to sit on the floor when they have a perfectly good hip to straddle?) and then I walk away and wait. A second or two goes by and then things get quite. Then I hear his little - huh, huh, huh that match the placement of a knee and then a hand. And then he peaks around the corner of the couch and giggles once he sees me, all proud like.



He is also doing this thing that makes me totally proud. (although I am sure it has nothing to do with the massive amounts of yoga I did prior to and during my pregnancy, I would like to think it does but I am sure it doesn't). He pushes up into the best little downward dog move and just this morning I saw him in plank as well- little show off hanging out in a suspended push up!

I am quickly realizing that our house is in fact, not very baby proof. That or he just has a knack of finding everything he isn't supposed to. Two nights ago he got his little fingers stuck in the heater vent by the back slider and of course has also found the shiny trash can in the bathroom and the cords to the floor lamps. We are definitely going to have to do a little bit of overhaul in the next few weeks!



It is fun though, watching him discover his world. It is one of the best parts so far!

twenty

I had big plans for this week of yellow. My head was spinning and my eyes were on the look out for all things that were the color of sunshine and lemon drops. But then life gets in the way. Work and a sick baby made the day move in warp speed and before I knew it the light was gone and my eyes were tired and just need to close.

We are on the upswing I think. O's nose is not nearly as stuffy or runny as it was just a few days ago and tonight we got in the biggest, giggling and peekaboo match yet. Oh to hear that giggle is better then all the sunshine and lemon drops in the world. He is definitely on the mend.

One thing that this week has got me doing is thinking about giving myself an assignment, but not being too hard on myself if I can't complete it- after all there are only so many hours in the day. And not being to hard on myself if the creative outcome isn't exactly what I had in mind. Just getting behind the lens and PRACTICING is worth it. (just like getting on my mat and practicing, even if it is just for 10 minutes a day)

Here's to Friday. Enjoy the weekend friends!

streeeeetch

The boy woke up early this morning, not quite 5am (lucky for me he also had been asleep since 7:30pm- that's a solid 9hrs and gave me 7hrs straight sleep, heaven!). I fed him and he fell back to sleep, little snore and all. I decided that it was just to close to the time when I would need to actually get up and start my day anyway so instead of crawling back to bed I wandered downstairs. As I waited for my tea water to boil (um, is anyone else hooked on yerba mate?) I found my ipod and did a little search for what I knew had been stored on it with the best of intentions months ago, yoga pod casts.
This is something that I have been telling myself to do, get up and give yourself time in the morning, do something for yourself so you can be the best mom/wife/daughter/coworker/person you can be. Not only that but my body has been asking me to start moving on a more frequent and consistent pattern. I have been coming home from work with headaches several times a week, I am sluggish and unmotivated to do much more than plop in front of the TV in the evenings.



So I sipped a bit of my tea and without turning on any of the lights, moved myself into the big open room downstairs. My mat is in the car and I decided to just leave it there; to get moving without it, not wanting to add any more complications or stall tactics to the picture. I tuned into a 25-30 minute practice (depending on the length of svasana I took) led by Eoin Finn. How cool is it that we have the technology to basically bring a teacher into the room with us?

Can I just say how good it feels to start my day off like this? Breathe, stretch, grow.
I am off to a fantastic start.

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If you are interested in downloading yoga onto your ipod here are a couple that I really like,
Yoga Today
Yoga Journal

On pins and needles (or teaching and learning)

I taught today for the first time since just before the baby was born. I had really mixed emotions about getting up early today and heading out the door to lead someone else through asana. Am I in a place to be teaching again? I haven't been practicing myself, so is it good to hop right back into teaching someone else? I love the client that I teach (it is a personal lesson). She is a 75 year old bundle of energy - it keeps me going to think that 75 could look so healthy and fresh. She is always is up to some newfangled-new age thing; which is really interesting and great to hear about. The downside is that I left the house this morning before the boy was awake. (I got to see him at lunch time though and that helped tide me over. To feed him and hear his giggle when I give him 'squishes' is so good. Yes, I think I could almost live off of those giggles of delight that he gives me when I hug him).

When I teach I also learn.

I learn that it is good for Daddy-O to get a chance to get the boy ready for the day and to have a turn at dropping him off at school. It is good for O to have that time with his Pops, to be fed by him, to bond with him. I learn a little bit more about just how much I love that little human being and his daddy, especially when I talk to Daddy-O latter that day and he tells me, “he is sot stinkin’ sweet in the mornings. He just smiled ear to ear when I got him from his crib”. Yep, that is why it is so hard to give that up, but sharing is where it’s at so I think it is a good lesson for me to let someone else have these golden moments with my little man.

I also learn that I have been moving so fast the past few weeks since starting back to work. I am paying the price. I have been getting the piercing stomach pains again that I haven’t had in probably 7 years or so (internalized anxiety, I am sure), my back is in totally out of wack and in pain (hunching over to breast feed and lugging around the incredibly awkward and heavy car seat have only added to this). And I am tired, oh-so tired.

I re-learn just how good I feel after I move my body. After I ask it to stretch and strengthen and to remember the motions of this posture or that. I re-learn just how nice it is to wake up and see the sun painting the white, snowy mountains pink and the feeling of the breathe moving in and out of my body with intention.

I am glad to be back at it, even if it means getting up at 6am to do so.