Leading up to my wedding this past November I became diligent about practicing yoga for almost a full year. Not only did I want to get my body in tip-top shape (um, can you say yoga arms?), but it provided me calmness and stillness during the hectic and intense wedding planning months. I was consistently attending class 3x a week and by the time the big night rolled around I felt both physically and mentally strong. I had even mastered headstand, could hold crow pose for 5 full breaths and was “close” to balancing forearm stand (*disclaimer* before starting yoga – I couldn’t even touch my toes!). The meditation piece never quite took, but I’ll chalk that up to anxious genes and wedding planning neurosis. At the rate I was going I didn’t think I would ever lose momentum (something that I’ve habitually done in the past with exercise). How could I? I resigned myself to a yoga infused life and it would be weaved into my weekly schedule. I had gotten relatively good, was enjoying the benefits and had finally found a workout that I liked!
*photo from www.freepeople.com
Wellllllllll…..I hate to say this (publicly, no less!) but since back from the moon, I’ve only practiced a total of 3-4x (we got back November 23rd)! Am I a cliché or what? You know the story….girl gets in best shape of her life before wedding, declares she’s a changed woman and then falls back into old patterns once wedding is complete. Please tell me I’m not alone here! It feels like a huge disappointment and week over week I gear up and meticulously plan (and tell Dina) how I am carving out time for class (believe it or not every week that passes, I truly believe this will be the week), but I’m having some trouble. I admit – I’ve lost a little bit of my yoga mojo.
While having dinner with my best friend Mika last night (who is in fact a phenomenal yoga instructor – find her teaching schedule/contact information here!) I was whining about how I fell off the wagon, need to get back to it and how I’m such a cliché’. Her kind reply was this, “Sometimes cliché’s exist for a reason. It has not been that long since your wedding and you’re probably still adjusting to post wedding life. It happens!” And with just those wise and understanding words (coming from a yoga teacher no less!), I decided two things right then and there:
1. Be gentle on myself. Sometimes we regress for a moment and that is ok. We are still moving forward. Breath, reboot and begin again!
2. MAKE TIME FOR YOGA
*photo from here
You r certainly not alone! My wagon broke years ago,