My exhaustion from traveling and exposure to germs in airplanes that were small enough to swallow with my morning vitamins finally caught up with me by Friday morning. I woke up with that unpleasant realization that I was catching a cold and not just tired from jet lag. I went about my day, went to my morning appointment, ran some errands, and by dinner time was ready for bed. B-b-b-but, it's the weekend! It's only 6:00! I have this or that to do... Plus, I've been home for nearly a week and still not started my Yoga practice at home.
That is when I remembered something I'd read once about practicing Yoga:
the proper amount of time to devote daily to practicing Yoga is 24 hours
This is not to say that one should be engaged in poses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but rather that Yoga is an all-encompassing practice, as is the process of becoming well. Yoga engages not only the physical body (as in asana practice), but also the mind and spirit. In that, restfulness is indeed a form of practicing Yoga. Nourishing the body with sleep and relaxation is as important to achieving optimal health as physical exercise and activity are. Nourishing my mind and spirit by curling up in my bed with a pile of good books and a cup of herbal tea is just as effective in achieving inner peace and wellbeing as engaging in intentional meditation. In fact, the mere act of noticing and experiencing my feelings of fatigue, congestion, joint pain, and feverishness--without judgment, and frustration, is a grand opportunity to practice living a mindful life.
What I did do was create a space in my bedroom that encourages peacefulness, tranquility, and comfort. Last Thursday I cleaned up the clutter, got rid of a lot (especially things that encouraged feelings of chaos or negativity). I decided that waiting for everything to be "done" and "organized" before adding the decorations and special things that make me feel At Home to my space was essentially creating a feeling in my space that I was not At Home. The space around us has a lot to do with the space inside of us. Living in clutter, chaos, and a space that does not feel like my own leads to mental clutter, emotional
chaos, and internal disorientation.
I don't have everything unpacked or in its place. Parts of my apartment are cluttered, and other parts of it are organized. What makes a space into a Home is being near the things and people you care about. It felt great to rest in a space with some of my favorite things around me, with a hot buckwheat pillow under my stiff neck, and the soothing scent of dried lavender wafting through the room. It was fabulous last month to have a small group of friends over for a Chanukah celebration, too. It wasn't at all important that everything was not "set up," or that behind a large tapestry was a poorly hidden, enormous pile of clutter! What made it Home was being with loving people who didn't care if everything was "in its place" (or at least kept quiet about it if they did).
Tomorrow is the kick-off day of Yoga Journal's 21 Day Challenge. If you're interested in joining me and others around the world for 3 weeks of sequence videos, vegetarian recipes, and meditation/pranayama audios, click the above link to sign up and receive the daily newsletters. I am excited to get motivated and inspired as I embark on my journey toward a yogic lifestyle and overall wellness.
What I did do was create a space in my bedroom that encourages peacefulness, tranquility, and comfort. Last Thursday I cleaned up the clutter, got rid of a lot (especially things that encouraged feelings of chaos or negativity). I decided that waiting for everything to be "done" and "organized" before adding the decorations and special things that make me feel At Home to my space was essentially creating a feeling in my space that I was not At Home. The space around us has a lot to do with the space inside of us. Living in clutter, chaos, and a space that does not feel like my own leads to mental clutter, emotional
chaos, and internal disorientation.
On Saturday evening, I made a huge pot of Miso Vegetable soup. Having no appetite, I knew my body still needed protein (miso paste is fabulous) and nutrients (yay for a pantry stocked with organic veggies). I started by sauteeing some chopped onions, carrots, potatoes, kale and swiss chard in a bit of olive oil. I added about 6 cups of water, a few heaping tablespoons of miso paste, a few teaspoons of vegetables stock starter, a dash of salt and pepper and brought it to a gentle boil. Then I turned down the heat, added some canned whole tomatoes (chopped in smaller chunks) along with the liquid and let it simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes. The result was light yet nourishing and will continue to feed me through the week (and quite possibly longer if I freeze some) as I get back to my healthy self.
Tomorrow is the kick-off day of Yoga Journal's 21 Day Challenge. If you're interested in joining me and others around the world for 3 weeks of sequence videos, vegetarian recipes, and meditation/pranayama audios, click the above link to sign up and receive the daily newsletters. I am excited to get motivated and inspired as I embark on my journey toward a yogic lifestyle and overall wellness.
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