BEING PRESENT AND FINDING BALANCE
Hello there and happy Tuesday! I hope this week finds you being kind to yourself and your body. I'm drinking green tea with honey this morning and thinking about what it means to be growing and giving myself what I need.
But before we proceed...Fat+Happy Yoga is open for registration!! November/December classes are now open and I'd love to see you there! Get the details and register HERE!
Okay, back to the newsletter...
I got so many lovely responses to last week's newsletter! Apparently being overwhelmed and wishing the week away is not all that uncommon and it was so lovely to hear how you're planning to slow down and embrace your life a little more.
As for me, it would be so neat and tidy to come back to you with the update that I was present, grounded and appreciative all week long. But that would be a fib, so I'm here to share that my week was up, down and all around. Good thing I love to travel!
When I initially wrote last week's email, I was inspired to share because the sense of extreme stress I was feeling heading into the week was top of mind. Writing about it really helped, especially when I recognized that I had a week of joyful things ahead. And what that ultimately did was remind me to be present as often as possible. So just like I suggest in my yoga classes, when my mind wandered, I invited it back. If I found my mind straying too far ahead in the week, I would completely focus on what I was doing in the moment by saying (inwardly or out loud), "I'm here. And right now I'm folding laundry" or taking a shower or planning a class or drafting an email. Any time I would catch myself thinking ahead and starting to worry, this would immediately bring me back and ground me. I used it time and again and found it really helpful.
Outside of that, I kept coming back to the fact that everything I had on my schedule was there for fun and I was spending time with people I really care about. I had lots of laughs (it was a comedy filled week) and I really appreciated the moments we shared in rehearsal and on stage.
And finally and perhaps most important to include, I still stressed out. Definitely less than I usually do, but there was still stress and sometimes a touch of panic. There were a few tears and ultimately I cancelled one evening so that I could sit under a blanket and watch movies. I didn't participate in much beyond what I needed to do because I was at my limit.
It was an eye opening week and a great reminder that I can slow down and be in the moment any time I want to. It was also a really lovely reflection of how I've stretched my comfort zone in the past few years.
One of the big things I'm taking away is that I sometimes schedule my life for who I'd like to be, rather than who I actually am. I love the idea of being someone who is always on the go and has plans every night and is still able to get up early and leap into the day. And who I actually am is someone who likes routine, a good amount of space, and to sit with a cup of tea in silence with nothing on the schedule at least one day a week. When I don't make space for that, my nervous system really lets me know it. So I'm working on that balance so that I have more of the enjoyment and less of the anxiety.
I really appreciate the chance to be here with all of you because I don't know that I would have taken the time to reflect last week otherwise. I probably would have wished it away and then been sorry that I wasn't enjoying it more. So thank you for being here and reading this. And I hope that you are reflecting on your own life and finding the balance you need to strike so that you can be present and engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
As always, I'd love to hear about it! How are you finding ways to be more present moment to moment? Have you ever noticed that you plan for the person you think you'd like to be, rather than the lovely person you already are? Let me know in the comments below.
As you move through this week, remember to treat yourself and your body with love, respect and kindness.
Much love,
Helen xo