I skipped writing the blog last week. I tried a couple of times but just couldn’t seem to come up with anything coherent. Some days I sit down to write and within no time I have 500 words that flow together and form a theme. Other days . . . not so much.
My attention seems to be all over the place recently. The studio is and always will be my first priority, but I am currently enrolled in a Reiki II class, advanced yoga teacher training, and a year-long yoga health coaching certification program. I also work at my husband’s pizza place a few days a week and babysit a grandchild a couple of days a week. If I’m having a great week, I manage to do laundry and other basic housekeeping tasks.
I know I’m not alone. Many of you are juggling multiple priorities at once as well. Sometimes we let other priorities get in the way of the self care we know we need, even though self care is what allows us to balance our priorities with ease and grace.
In summer, we tend to stay busy. It’s a time of high energy. But with the occurrence of the autumnal equinox, our bodies and minds naturally want to reorient toward balance. We start to need a little more “down time.” I’ve noticed I’m craving different foods. In the mornings, I’ve been picking spinach from the garden as well as dandelion and plantain leaves from the yard to put in my morning smoothies. In the evenings, I’ve been craving spicy chai tea. I’m starting to crave roasted root vegetable and if this heat would let up, I would probably already have made some.
It seems as if autumn is coming quickly this year. Leaves have been falling already. Squirrels have been busier than usual in September. Take some time this week to slow down and listen to all the ways your body and mind are seeking balance. Go for a walk in the woods. Sit quietly outside for a while. Breathe and notice the changes occurring in you and in nature right now.
I’ll be focusing more on balance poses in my classes this week, so I hope you’ll join us for that as well. Balance poses teach us about all the little pieces that have to come together in order for balance to occur (both on and off the mat). Even when we are balanced, we are never truly still. Tiny little muscles are tensing and relaxing. Sometimes the only thing keeping us from falling over is one little toe digging into the mat. Some days it seems like we could stand in tree pose forever. Other days we just can’t seem to keep our foot off the mat. Usually, we’re somewhere in between.
The key to balance, in yoga and in life, is to not let ourselves get too frustrated when all the little pieces don’t quite come together. When you fall out of balance, laugh it off and try again. When you seem to be in perfect balance, enjoy it and notice all the little pieces that are coming together. And when you’re somewhere in the middle, remember that our time on the mat is called “practice” for a reason, and that in life, all we need to do is do the best we can with the tools we have at any given moment.
See you at the studio.