S L O W D O W N....

Yoga is a hard practice for me.  Why?  Because if you want to do it well and experience the full benefit of your practice you can't do it fast.

Anyone who knows me, knows I can't sit still.  EVER. Give me a list a mile long and a short time to do it and  I thrive under the pressure and the chaos.  It's why life as a business owner with four kids, two dogs, a husband in grad school, and a commitment to run every day usually feels full, but only sometimes overwhelming.  Taking time to BE STILL is hard for me.

The problem with a fast-paced, on the go 24-7 lifestyle is that it's counterintuitive to how we're created.  God created us for regular rhythms of rest.  We must create space to stop. Pause. Breathe in.  Breathe out.

S L O W  D O W N....

I'm racing a half marathon on Sunday and am supposed to be resting this week.  Yoga is a no-brainer for a rest week, but I talked myself out of it every day so far this week.  Who can slow down for an entire hour when there is work to be done, shopping to finish, presents to wrap, and Christmas cards to send out?

Yesterday I received the Christmas cards I ordered last week.  I was in such a hurry to get the cards ordered that I uploaded the low resolution version of the picture we wanted to use so... The Professional Photographer's Christmas photo is highly pixilated.  I am trying to see the ironic humor in it and not hyperventilate.

This morning on my run I realized I completely, 100% forgot my niece's birthday.  No card. No phone call.  No present. No remembering it was even her birthday until today - FIVE days after the fact.  Could I be any lamer?

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has officially taken it's toll.

Enough is enough.

Yoga forces me to stop the madness and just be.  It was time for a yoga session.

I got out my yoga mat. Lit my Christmas candle.  Turned on the fire. Then spent an hour stretching and meditating.

Inhale. Exhale.

Calm the chaos inside my brain.

S L O W  D O W N....

That one hour of yoga refreshed my spirit and my mind, adding new depth and perspective to this Christmas season.  After all this is the season of Advent - a reminder to anticipate Jesus' coming. There is beauty in the quiet stillness and I experienced that today.

If you feel frazzled and overwhelmed, I encourage you to take an hour to quiet your mind and be still.  You won't regret it.

Namaste.