The Little Things

This week I did something relatively cool.  I got into crow pose and was able to life both of my feet off the ground.  Sure, it was only 4 inches from the floor, but that is the first time I was in the air.  I am not the strongest in class. I am not the most flexible in class. But, to know my downward dog is the best its ever been, to know that I can chaturanga with the best of them even though I still can’t do a REAL push up, and to know that after each class I have a sense of calm while clarity washes over me, gives me smiles in deepness of my belly.  It’s the little things in life like accomplishing a new pose in yoga class, talking to my grandfather on the phone, eating pizza at 5AM because you can’t sleep, that make life just that much better.  How can we appreciate those Friday nights out with girlfriends, when we don’t have those lazy Sundays? How can we appreciate a wonderfully cooked meal if we don’t have those evenings with take out Pad Thai?  If we don’t procrastinate/rent movies like, Bridesmaids and Everything Must Go, on a school night, then how can we ever confront all of the homework that’s piling up with a fresh new approach?  When I come to my mat and set an intention for my practice it is usually something like, “I want to appreciate the little things in life more.”  As we get older and busier, we tend to forget the things in life that truly make us happy.  I recently attended my boyfriend’s 3 year old brother’s birthday party where I learned to let go and spend a few hours jumping in a bouncy house -not worrying about school, life, or other useless stresses.  When I came to my yoga mat this week, I realized I have to stop trying to be the girl next to me doing a Scorpion pose, because one day I will get there.  Sometimes, all it takes to make us relax, breath, and let go of stress is an endless sushi dinner with your best friend, a take-out Chinese dinner served along side Netflix on a Friday night, a candlelight restorative yoga class where you leave relaxed and detoxified, or even just a phone call with your momma.  I am going to make sure that when I wake up every morning,  I am going to set an intention for my day just like I  do in my yoga practice.  When I get too stressed from either dirty dishes or too much homework, I can focus back on what I want from the day and appreciate the little things in life again.

If you saw my wine rack, you'd think, "Wow, she has a lot of red wine." Well, guess what? Its a simple thing in life that really makes an evening complete.

spring rolls put a spring in my step.

best pad thai ever, from a hole in the wall next door.

XoXo,

Lo

P.S.  Didn’t Jenny do a fabulous job on my blog?  I am now a resident at WordPress and have a header that screams, “LO!” Muah Jenny!