“Yoga doesn’t take time. It gives time.”
- Ganga White
Happy Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year! I wish that meant we had more than 24 hours on this special day, but it just means more light. That might mean I feel the urge to get even more done while still getting my daughter to bed even while the sun is still up. Alas, while it never means more time, I’d like to start thinking of it as a marking point in the year to improve the quality of time we spend doing things. Or better yet, the quality of time we spend just being. As Ganga White says, yoga gives time. I think maybe that means more quality time.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of changing my perspective on my yoga practice from “I can _____” to “I am______.” Whereas I used to be able to truthfully say “I can do the full splits (hanumanasana),” now I know longer can, at least not today. And it doesn’t matter. As my body changes, my practice changes; also, as my daughter grows and changes, my practice grows and changes. I’d rather not criticize myself by changing my previous “cans” into “can’ts.” After all, who cares if I can’t presently do handstand the way I used to? Isn’t it better to say, “I AM happy. I AM healthy. I AM working toward my potential for this moment?”
With that said, I’ve been down on myself a lot for not committing time to my asana practice daily. I used to be better about my meditation practice postpartum, but even that has faded. What better day of the year to re-dedicate myself to my practice than this longest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere, that is)? Here’s to taking my own advice to do a minimum of 5 minutes of yoga a day. Today, it was stretching on the mat and yoga ball with my 2-year-old.
Until I launch the weekly paid newsletter portion of Yoga Mama on August 2, 2018, I vow to do a minimum of 5 minutes of yoga a day. Until then, I’ll share some tidbits of inspiration that come with those short sessions. So, even though I currently can’t do an hour of yoga a day, at least I AM practicing!