"Find Your Balance". Heard it, many times, probably even made fun of someone who said it, and most likely, never really did it...until now. So, I have been really focused on my personal fitness and working out enough to finally (eventually), for once in my life, see the results I want. My workout schedule has been good and I'm happy with where I'm heading (or at least I thought I was)... and then I went to yoga.
I decided to go to a yoga class at my gym because I didn't really feel like working out. HaHa. I was a little late (but so was the instructor) and already feeling anxiety about doing something new. Don't get me wrong, I've done yoga before (the really hot kind where you think your going to pass out the entire time and the room smells like feet and sweat) but I haven't done it since my daughter was born and, I guess, never really felt that comfortable with the whole thing. It was time to try it again.
So here I am, anxious, tired, nervous, and in yoga. The guy behind me was wearing those rubber yoga socks, you know the ones for hard core yogis with little dots all over to help keep your footing. They look ridiculous, like alien feet from a halloween costume. Anyway, I'm definitely thinking I'm over my head, and wishing I just walked on the treadmill at a mere 3.4 mph. And then we started...
The instructor spent what seemed to be too long in the beginning of class trying to get us to just "be in the moment". She really wanted us to think about what we wanted out of this hour of yoga. I, of course, kept thinking about how many things I needed to do, and which already procrastinated tasks needed to be completed, so it was difficult to find the moment. But the longer she insisted, the more I tried to really focus. Once we started the positions and I realized how hard they were to hold for more than one second, the more I tried. Eventually, I got it. I got the point. The point wasn't really to get a good work out. The point was to find balance, to figure out where the balance was and bring it out.
I was standing on one foot, with the other behind me and over my head, as the instructor continued to remind me to relax and "find my breath". I loved it. I loved her. Skinny, little, blonde, yoga instructor and I loved her. I really found my breath, I found my balance, and I found my purpose, at least for that moment...and that was enough.
I left feeling encouraged. Feeling like I can slow down, breathe, balance, and get what I want out of each day. This is by no means a glowing endorsement for yoga, but for stopping and finding your breathe, your balance, and your purpose a little more each day.
I have been encouraged to stop for a moment and try and figure out what I want to accomplish, what do I want to get out of today? Everyday, even if for just one moment, I can stop and find my balance. I don't know why my balance was hiding, but it is hiding no more...
