Last week as I was at home with a sick kiddo, I read a book called Still Life by Jeff Sutherland. It is a book about a doctor who is battling ALS and loses a son during this time. He speaks about resilience and how it can help us "live more happily in our imperfect lives". This really spoke to me.

What is a mantra and how can it be of benefit to us?

Mantra = "mind-tool".

A mantra is a tool for focusing your mind to sustain attention on one thing over time. A mantra can be as simple as in, out. Although the words are simple, it is a call to action. A call to breath.

What does balance look like for you these days? I’m sure it’s taken on a much different meaning during Covid times. I listened to a podcast this week while I was cleaning the house. The podcast was "The Life School Podcast" with Brooke Castillo. It was about pre-traumatic stress and how that is something we are all facing at this difficult time. I put a link to listen to it below if you'd like.

For it certainly takes strength to have hope. This challenging time we are facing can make us anxious, but we don’t have to stay in that place. We can remain hopeful that there are better days coming and anchor our mind in that hope.

These past few days, I haven’t been feeling the most optimistic, the most calm, or the most motivated. So maybe that’s my lesson for this week. It’s ok to not always be ok. We have to endure through the difficult days to get to the sunny days.

Ever have one of those moments where you lose your cool? It happens for me more than I'd like it to. What do you do after this happens? This morning was tough in our house. I had two kids up most of the night with stomach bugs and another who fought me on going to school today. In that moment when he wouldn't go into the building, I lost my cool and yelled at him.

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." -Albert Einstein

A ship is safe at harbor but that’s not what it’s meant for: No this is not a call to get on out there and head off into the sunset on a ship. Or to get back out into the world in any fashion during this quarantine. This quote speaks to me in asking, What is it that you were meant for? What is it that lights you up? There are so many things we currently can't do, but how can you shine your light out into the world this week?

Service does not have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference

Karma yoga is about acts of service and Wikipedia defines it as "unselfish action". In a blog post from Ekhart Yoga, Tracey Cook says:

It's human to experience ebb and flow in life: seasons of transition and uncertainty; tilting between self-confidence and self-doubt; shifting levels of energy or productivity; changes in what you need or want. Death and a new life. Life is messy. And beautiful.The intention I'm working with this week is: I am flexible and flowing

“Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way.” – Cybele Tomlinson

“The beauty of yoga. It is the meeting of the brain with the body. When you are attentive, concentrated, when you feel what you are doing; there is energy. The binding of the two becomes energy. It is important to understand this. When they are together there is a great energy, which gives the body freedom and makes the mind more supple" -Vanda Scaravelli

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your life is not static. Every decision, setback, or triumph is an opportunity to identify the seeds of truth that make you the wonderous human being that you are. I'm not talking just about what you do for a living. When you pay attention to what feeds your energy you move in the direction of the life for which you were intended. Trust that the Universe has bigger, wider, deeper dreams for you than you could ever imagine for yourself." -Oprah

Time change got anyone else today?

This morning was a rough one around here getting everyone up and out the door after a birthday filled weekend and the time change. After years of kids not sleeping well over here, it pained me a little bit to have to wake my kids up this morning. I sat down to write my email this morning and thought to myself, what can I do to motivate myself and inspire myself to send out this email.

Anyone else feel like they're constantly in a state of change these days? Or continuing to feel decision fatigue?

I noticed myself in the last few weeks wanting to dig my heels in and wish things could just "go back to normal.”

My goal for this week is to act with love, to spread love, and to slow down and take some extra time to share the love with myself as well.

How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.

-Rumi

The thought of teaching others to love us is such a good reminder. If I asked you who you were going to share your love with this week, would you include yourself on that list?

Would you consider yourself a curious person? When it comes to yoga, what are you curious about? I'd love to know and answer any questions you have!

I hope wherever you are today; you can take a moment or two to find a deep breath and remind yourself that spring is coming!