Do you know that feeling when you do something so effortlessly that it is second nature? Like if you grew up playing piano but were away at college for a few years and then once you get to sit in front of a keyboard you are suddenly right where you left off?
There once was a time (while I was a single mom, 12 years ago) when I was a serious yoga follower. Vegetarian, Ashram attending, Kirtan chanting, serious yoga follower. I will even admit to being a bit of a yoga snob, looking down my nose at those who thought yoga was meant for physical training. But my devotion to yoga was also a saving grace during an intense period in my life, it facilitated a lot of healing for me.
Then I met a guy, and we got married, and had a couple more kids together. I attended a few yoga classes off and on over the years, but they were more of that athletic kind of yoga I had always dismissed and never really stuck with it. That being said, deep within my heart I still considered myself a devout yogini even if I wasn’t on the mat all that much, and I pinned pictures on my Pinterest Board longing for the day I would get back on that mat.
Do you ever forget what it is that you love to do? Do you ever get so caught up in your day to day life that you forget some of your sweet spots? Like the sight of a leaf through your camera lens, or the feel of your paintbrush caressing the canvas?
Nothing was holding me back from getting back into my yoga practice. I just forgot that I wanted to do it. I knew I loved it, but I didn’t bother making the effort of finding a class that resonated with my yoga values and actually showing up.
So, on Ganesha’s birthday no less, I resumed my yoga practice. My body was a bit less bendy, but my ego also had a lot fewer expectations for perfection than it did 10 years ago. The rhythm of my breath and the routine of the sun salutation became second nature within minutes of getting on the mat. It really did feel like coming home.
The lesson I am trying to convey here is that it’s not too late to get back to what you put aside for the sake of building a career or a family (or both). Your sweet spot is still waiting for you. First, give yourself permission to do something for yourself—without the need that it be productive, or goal oriented, or for someone else’s sake. Then, take the time to creatively fit it into your life, your schedule and your budget. Lastly, show up and take action.
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What is something you have accidentally or purposefully put on ice that you would love to get back to?