The Confession Series (Part 2): I'm cheating

Confession - it's good for the soul, right?? I have a confession. I am cheating. I am cheating on the form of exercise that I thought made me the happiest. I am cheating on running with yoga.

And now...we have yoga. Ahhh, yoga. Over a year ago I was sitting around the table nomming on cookies with my lunch ladies and yoga came up. I distinctly remember saying, "I just don't have the patience for it. I find myself thinking about the dishes or what to cook for dinner." What I have now come to realize is I wasn't in the right class. I have now found the style I love at the difficulty in which I don't have time to think about dishes. Heck, between wiping the sweat out of my eyes and attempting to execute poses, I really don't think about a thing for a solid hour.

The really special part is my boys love joining in. Evan knows several poses and their names. He even got a note home from school one day that said, "Don't do yoga when you are supposed to be working." After laughing until tears I asked him what he was doing. He said, "I was just doing eagle," and showed me perfect eagle arms and legs. You gotta laugh at that.

  

I was honored when a fellow colleague who teaches using experiential learning, asked me to help her with a Spanish lesson. She was teaching animal names with kindergarten students using "Brown Bear Brown Bear". I came up with a yoga poses for each animal. The students spent 30 minutes practicing yoga while speaking spanish. It was too much fun and I love how fearless these students are! I got more texts/emails/comments from parents about their children doing yoga with me than with any lesson I've ever done!!

Yoga has actually taught me more than athletics and flexibility. Yoga has taught me to slow down with my expectations. Ask my mom, I have always been the type to want to get things right the first time I do it. Hence, why I never learned the piano. Both my sister and mom played beautifully. I couldn't play as good as them...hello, because I was younger and less experienced...so I quit.

Yoga has a way to humble you one second and make you feel like a strong warrior goddess the next. But like life, there are always going to be people out there who are more flexible, who are stronger, who will always be better. Instead of comparing myself to these yoginis, I now find myself being inspired by them.

Yoga also reminds me to celebrate where I am. I have a blog post that has been sitting in my drafts titled, "Just say no". I haven't finished it, because to be honest, I just haven't put my time into it. The gist is I have to start 'saying no' to some things in our life without the guilt. Yoga reminds me to do that and be happy with where I am. I can't get my leg up to my nose...no biggie. Let go of that expectation and rock where I am instead of feeling like I am not good enough. We can't make it that party because the boys are napping, that's okay. Celebrate they will be in good moods when they wake up rather than feel like I am letting people down.

The only pressure I was getting to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect teacher, was from ME and ME only. So guess who is the only one that needs to let go of that expectation?? Yup, me. Matter of fact, I really feel like I am letting go of most expectations in life. I can have goal, eka pada bakasana (flying crow) and getting Christmas cards out before Christmas, for example, BUT if those goals are met I don't have to completely lose my mind. I don't have to beat myself up.

So...I feel like I am cheating. I am cheating on running. Since starting a serious yoga practice in July, I haven't run more than 10 times. I have even made myself a yoga instagram account to keep track of my progress and grow in my practice by participating in challenges. I was in a rut with running. It wasn't making me happy like it once used to. I dreaded facing the treadmill. (Disclaimer - I know 99% of my problem was the 'dread'mill, but running after 8pm outside by myself isn't really an option.) With yoga, I love working out. I love getting on my mat. I can't wait until the next time I can practice.  I do think I will get back to running at some point, but for right now, yoga is my one true love.

I have been taking online classes at yogaglo.com. The first fifteen days are free and the classes can range from level 1-3 and from 10 minutes to 90 minutes. You can even specify what you want to work on like core, arm balances, hip, etc. I am not getting paid by them nor do I even receive a 'referral' incentive. Just one person sharing her love with another.