Returning to the mat

After being sick with the flu for about a week, I hadn't practiced yoga the entire time. Typically I try to do some yoga every day, even if it's just for five minutes, so I really missed it. But even though I longed for it, it was very difficult for me to return to my mat. Have you ever had this trouble with any habit that was temporarily stalled?

So Saturday I putted around the house for a while and sat in my morning meditation, which I've also been neglecting for a week, yet I still didn't want to lay out my yoga mat. Finally I compromised with my ego and bribed it by turning on the TV while I dragged out my mat and began my asanas or postures. I know, I know, obviously not the most conducive way to hold a yoga practice, but I thought if that's what it took, it was better than nothing. I believe I read this idea in a Yoga Journal article a few months back about revitalizing a stalled, home practice. Obviously, you should turn off the boob tube before lying in savasana, but if having that distraction in the background is what gets you started, try it. I am a self-described TV junkie - in fact my New Year's resolution was to cut down my television watching. I don't know if I'm succeeding but at least I'm aware of the issue. :)

But back to the mat... Once I began flowing through the postures, my practice naturally developed as I drew in each breath. I didn't even notice the TV was on after five minutes, and I ended up turning it off after a while. An hour later I was chilling in savasana and feeling my baby kick - perhaps he or she was thanking me for doing something good for the both of us. We both apparently needed the release of my body, mind and spirit.

So why was I so weird about returning to my mat? Maybe it's because sometimes in life it's hard to take the first step because of the fear of commitment or what comes next. Whenever I have this feeling, whether it's with my yoga practice or anything else in life, I need to remind myself that it's just one step and not worry about the rest of it. With yoga, all it takes is laying out the mat and taking the first step of standing on top of it in tadasana or mountain. The rest of the practice will unfold as it should.

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

More gratitude

Recently I posted about my gratitude for all the unexpected presents I've been given for our unborn baby.

Now I'm grateful for being given my first blog award - I'm so stoked! It's called the Excellent Blog award and was given it by fellow blogger of My Fertility Stories, which chronicles her journey of getting pregnant. Definitely check it out! She's very positive and upbeat when most in her situation might not be - I am definitely a fan. I told her we should just keep giving this back and forth. "You're great, no you're great, no you're great!"

I accept this acknowledgment with humility and pride. I haven't been doing this very long so it gives me motivation to keep plucking away on my keyboard, and that I'm not all alone in cyberspace.

"Gosh darn it, people like me." - Stuart Smalley.

Part of the acceptance of this award is to give the "E" award to 10 other blogs. Drum roll please...

Back to your Senses

Hillary's Yoga Practice

Erica's Teacher Trainer Blog

Grounding Thru the Sit Bones...

Just Breathe

The Belly Chronicles

Superfab, Kinda drab: Life as a Twentysomething

Tales of a Pyscho Mama

I feel like crap. Oh yeah, I'm pregnant.

Yoga Gumbo

Many pertain to yoga, pregnancy, womanhood and motherhood or a combination of the topics - you can see where my head is! But each writer has a unique and entertaining voice, and I think they are all "E" for excellent!

Wanna know my secret?

Two sick days away from my corporate-day job, I ventured into work today through what appeared to be Siberia. Local school districts even called off school today due to the fierce snow.

By 11 a.m. I was exhausted. Who knew sitting in a chair was so much work, but my body wasn't used to being vertical since I've been down and out with the flu for four days. Luckily I found a sub for my yoga class tonight because I had no energy by 5 p.m. - thank you Anita for your help. I hope my yoga students will forgive me for being absent all week!

When I returned home this evening, I vegged out on the couch with my still-sick hubby. Our TiVo reminded me I had it record Oprah today to watch Louise Hay talk about the law of attraction and the secret behind The Secret. I was so excited to watch it - apparently Louise had been on Oprah 20 years ago to promote her book You can heal you Life, which is really auspicious considering she just released her movie with the same title. (Watch the preview of it below.)



Prompted by a Hay House e-mail, I wrote an e-mail to Oprah last week about how Louise's affirmations have changed my life for the better. I really believed I was going to be on Oprah (no joking!), but alas no call. I blame the flu for ruining my vibration with the flow of attraction! :)