Yoga + Sugar = Happy

Leftover pad thai  has so far been the bright spot of another crazy-from-the-get-go workday.  Well that and the cookies--you know those little food-dyed butter cookies they make at Italian bakeries? There are some here, and I may have had one or two, and am fixating on the idea of one or two more. Oh yeah, that thing I said about trying to cut down on my sugar intake? Forget about that. That was, like, a phase dude. So over. I did have cake this weekend, but I want a do-over on that because it was just OK. This quest continues.

On the Go Me! tip I did manage to complete the yoga challenge, getting in 20 to 40 minutes of yoga every day for three weeks. OK I did miss a day, but it was only one. And Saturday I got to take a real studio class, which was such a treat. It was a 75 minute vinyasa flow, and I set my intention at the beginning of class to stay in the moment, to really savor and enjoy the session and not think about how much time was passing. It flew by! And the instructor did that thing I love during savasana when she comes around and pulls on your ankles while you're lying there all boneless. It's the dreamiest feeling.

So now that I've seen how it was hardly an inconvenience to fit yoga into my life on a regular basis, plus the improvement in form and flexibility that shows in such a short time when you keep at it, not to mention the all-around good feeling it gives me, I have the incentive to continue my practice. Maybe not every day, but the majority of days. I have plenty of DVDs and online and on-demand classes to choose from to keep me from getting bored, and I hope to throw a real class into the mix here and there. I am in no way a yoga purist, but the benefits I reap from it on my own terms are immeasurable. Even though I feel like this is something I do just for me, it comes around to being good for the whole family. Yes I do intend to introduce HR to yoga and get him in classes soon enough, but I'm really talking about the positive influence on my mental and physical health which impacts my overall role as a partner and mother.

Thinking back on my intention for Saturday's class, I feel like "stay in the moment" should be my intention for everything, every day. My mind tends to race ahead, particularly with baby progress. When he has a setback, I can only think, "when will this be over? When will he ever do X or stop doing X?" And I drive myself crazy, which can't be good for anybody. It's unproductive and creates anxiety. Also I'm sentimental, I get nostalgic for things before they're even over. Many a last day of vacation has been spoiled by me being in a funk that it'll be over the next day. All that time I could have been just enjoying, wasted. I really want to get over that. So here's where I can take a cue from my yoga practice. Stay in the moment: S.I.T.M. I should embroider that on something to remind me. I'm crap at embroidery, but that hardly seems the point, yah?

Well I've overstayed this moment today. I don't mean to be such a zealot, I'm just enthusiastic. I'll leave you with a super good song I'd nearly forgotten about.



I can't find the version where she duets with John Prine, but it's worth seeking out.