Off the Mat w/ Marcy: When the Water Spills, Find your Footing

Have you ever returned from a break or been thrown off course by something completely unexpected and wondered, Where do I even begin?

A few weeks ago, I loaded my car to spend a few days at the beach with my family. I had my usual collection of things: a bag of books, my laptop, a few groceries, my little snack bag and water bottle, and my dog, Monte.

Somewhere along the way, I reached for my water bottle and accidentally knocked it over inside my bag. Not thinking much about it, I continued on my way.  Unfortunately, that innocent little spill had other plans.  The water seeped into my books…and my laptop.  When I tried turning on my computer, nothing.  Unresponsive.  Water damage.  Ugh!

After a month of intentionally stepping away from technology, suddenly I was getting a much bigger fresh start than I had planned.  A new laptop. New passwords or, more accurately, trying to remember the old ones. Apps to reinstall. Email accounts to reconnect. Files to find. My website. My scheduler. And somewhere in the digital universe, notes and ideas I’ve been gathering for my book.  Slowly, I’ve been piecing my digital life back together.  I’ll admit, there have been moments when something as simple as a failed password sent my anxiety climbing. I know this password. Don’t I?  Then I’d try another variation. And another. Before long, I’d begin doubting myself over something completely insignificant.  Perhaps you know that feeling.

Sometimes 'life simply knocks over the proverbial water bottle'. A relationship changes.  A child leaves home.  A career ends or begins.  We lose someone we love.  Our body changes.  Plans we’ve carefully made suddenly take a different direction.  Or maybe we simply return from vacation, look at the overflowing inbox and calendar, and wonder how we’re ever going to catch up.

When the water spills…I’ve had to remind myself of something I teach on the mat all the time.  Come back to your foundation.  When I felt the frustration building, I’d step away from the computer.  Take a breath.  Walk outside.  Feel my feet beneath me.  Then come back and try again.  One password.  One file.  One task at a time.  Not everything needed to be recovered in one afternoon. Perhaps I didn’t need to “catch up” at all.  Perhaps I simply needed to find my footing again.

This month, I’m also preparing to teach my last Summer yoga classes at Ladew Topiary Gardens and on the beach in Ocean City, MD. There’s something bittersweet about those final classes.  I’ve spent the summer teaching outside.  Watching gardens bloom, listening to birds provide the soundtrack for our final relaxation, feeling the warm summer air on my skin, and sharing beautiful moments with people who rolled out their mats beside me.

Nature doesn’t cling to a season simply because it’s beautiful.  The flowers begin to fade.  The light changes.  The evenings arrive a little earlier.  Summer slowly begins making room for Autumn.  And perhaps that’s another lesson in grounding.  Grounding doesn’t mean keeping everything exactly as it was. It means knowing where you are, even when things around you are changing.

In yoga, we often begin by noticing our connection to the earth.  Feel your feet.  Notice the four corners of each foot pressing into the mat.  Soften your knees.  Lengthen your spine.  Breathe.  Before we balance, reach, twist, or move, we establish our foundation.

Life isn’t so different.  When everything feels scattered, sometimes we don’t need a grand plan.  We simply need a place to begin.  Maybe it’s taking a walk. Saying a prayer. Sitting outside with your morning coffee. Rolling out your yoga mat. Writing one page in your journal. Calling someone you love. Closing your eyes and taking three slow breaths.  Grounding asks us a very simple question: What helps me feel steady when life doesn’t?

As Autumn approaches, that’s the question I’m carrying with me. Not, How do I get everything done?  Not, How do I get back to where I was?  But…what do I need to feel grounded right here, in the season I’m in now?  Perhaps that’s a question worth carrying with you, too. 

You’re welcome to explore the upcoming Seasoned Life Yoga offerings. Join us for an interesting Book Club discussion of Detoxify by Aly Cohen, MD. Our Zoom classes will also return toward the end of the month as we settle into Autumn.

And, as always, I look forward to seeing you on the mat, if the season’s right for you.

Until then, Sweet Friend…just breathe.

Marcy
Seasoned Life Yoga LLC

www.seasonedlifeyoga.com