So, I started this whole commitment to do yoga for 31 days. Because yoga, as gentle as it may seem was stalking me and SCREAMING at me to pay attention to it and to do it.
So fine.
I did.
I threw in the bonus of ‘No alcohol’ for 31 days, too.
You know. Because I’m an idiot.
Just kidding.
So, I started yoga. Youtube yoga. Hulu.com yoga. And then my friend, Beth, and I got a groupon to Seventh Chakra yoga.
Now, here’s the thing: I was dubious.
I’ve been to a yoga class somewhere else before. I won’t say the name but let’s just say: It didn’t ‘work’ for me.
It was located in our local shopping center that has about 30 other stores. There was construction that day. In the form of jackhammers. I couldn’t find a parking spot, because it was lunchtime. And people lose all sense of human camaraderie at lunchtime. So, finding a parking spot was like trying to win at the Hunger Games.
So, after a stressed out hunt and conquest of a place to park my car. I then, walked up through all the jackhammering, and into the lobby of the yoga place. Still heard the jackhammering. I think all these years later, I still hear the jackhammering.
It was kind of like a foreign country in its unfamiliarity to me but I had 15 minutes before class started so the people in matching t-shirts behind the counter started showing me around.
It was fine in that fuzzy sort of way. Sort of like how when you’re in pre-marital counseling and the counselor is trying to get you to understand the intricate dynamics of marriage and all you’re thinking about is that you get to have sex.
I wasn’t really paying attention. It was more like, “When do I get to start yoga?” And “Will that jackhammering stop in time for class?” And then, it happened. Droves of people came in and my yoga place, turned into what I can only describe as “Costco Yoga.”
It’s a little intimidating.
I didn’t want Costco Yoga. I wanted space and healing and candles. Not designer butts in my face when we were doing Downward Dog, because we were literally crammed up each others’ ass.
So, anyway…this Seventh Chakra yoga place is much different. It’s spacious. The yogis wear turbans instead of designer workout thongs. It’s definitely not Costco Yoga.
I’m loving it.
But this isn’t supposed to be all about yoga. Sorry. I totally digressed.
The point is that once I started my commitment to yoga 15 days ago, I forgot that I was going to be inspired to take on even more self care in my life.
Because loving yourself has a momentum and energy you can’t anticipate when you’re only thinking about it. But once you engage self care, all these other places start popping up as opportunities to take care of yourself.
Like your legs. And shaving them. And your mustache, too. (Hello, mid-forties. It was so nice of all the weird facial hair and leg cellulite to show up at once.)
And your feet. Those crusty things, called ‘heels’ that you’ve been living with? Suddenly, you want to take care of those too. And you want them to be smooth and pretty, even if it’s just you and your yoga class who sees them.
And your supplements become easier to take.
And you want to eat that big arugula salad.
And you want to light that candle while you’re cleaning.
Okay, that’s a little much.
But here’s the deal: candles aren’t just for company and they’re not just for when you’re having wine at night — which we’re not doing this month.
You can light a candle when you’re folding laundry and put on the 11 hours of Tibetan Bowl music on youtube and suddenly, laundry becomes an ‘experience.’
The castor oil packs, the dry-brushing, the other self-care things that I had put away in the back of the closet the last few months, came out of hiding and said, “Hey! Me, too! I want to come to the party, too!”
So, that’s what I want to say on Day 15 of Self Care. Once you start loving yourself, you find more ways to show love to yourself.
And to others. ‘Cause I have a theory about the world: When we take care of ourselves, we want to care for others.
Seriously, and hang in there with me for about five more sentences:
When you nap, don’t you want the WHOLE WORLD to nap because of how good it feels?
When you eat healthy, you want the WHOLE WORLD to eat healthy and feel that good energy?
Heck, even when you poop, you feel so relieved, you want the WHOLE WORLD to stop being so damn constipated.
So, see? You doing yoga or whatever YOU’RE doing on your 31 Days of Self Care?
You’re pretty much changing the world.