Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans

Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans.   

  

You've probably heard the above quote before - most likely following an unwanted life situation that threw your world off balance. We've all experienced them - myself included. And although upon initially hearing said quote and biting the inside of my mouth, I have learned to accept the many lessons that usually come my way as a result of whatever happened.

I find that many of the students that feel so transformed by yoga are quite driven, type-A personalities. I was also born with an undying work ethic and tenacity of spirit. This got me far in the corporate world at a very young age, and probably supported my journey in opening my own yoga studio. In fact, this energy has been a gift for me in many ways...as well as sometimes, a curse.

As all of us on the path know, yoga is all about learning to balance things. Yoga seeks to create balance where there is imbalance. You can fight it, you can deny it or ignore it, but one way or another, like a ferocious river, it finds away through even the toughest stone. Yoga has taught me to slow down and be present, it truly has. But I am often so excited about the programs and classes at One Yoga, that I spend hours working and reworking them on my days off. My husband, also a workaholic, and I will often spend many midnight hours next to each other on the couch on our laptops working. When we are both "in the zone" with work, we flow well as a couple too.

This surge of energy can be intoxicating. Not one to consider myself an addictive personality, in truth I should include this side of myself. While in this energy, I do tend to go full steam ahead for long periods of time - sometimes ignoring my nutrition, well needed rest, and general relaxation and down time. And you know what always happens - every single time? Yup, you do, because it happens to you too, right? Well, this time it was an emergency appendectomy forcing me to take a week off work just before my scheduled week off vacation. Nearly three weeks away from the yoga studios! A week on the couch! No Yoga! Wow, what a way to get a reminder to slow down and smell the roses! (Of course in true fashion, four days after the operation I was trimming the roses and planting perennials and lavender in my yard, but my solar plexus soon reminded me via nausea and light-headedness to sit down again).

I've been told that I am rebellious (most notably by Baron Baptiste), but I'm working on it. Having so many of my students repeat my words back to me the past couple of weeks was another lesson. It can be very challenging to step back from your passion, but it can be so healing as well. I actually caught myself dreaming of retirement yesterday...I used to think I'd be so bored, but I have to be honest, after so long at home with my dogs, seeing friends and catching up on movies and writing, I'm kind of digging it...maybe there is something to the lighter side of life.