50 Days to 50 Years: Day 34, The Practice
Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured. — B.K.S. Iyengar
I have never been a fan of Summer. More daylight hours notwithstanding, the miserable dog days of heat, the touristy overcrowding, and as a freelancer, the difficulty finding extra work are part of what make the months from June to September merely tolerable. So I do my best to distract myself, or plan something. There is method to the madness of all these celebrations; while I have been loving every minute of it, it has been a great tool to distract me from dwindling profit margins, an apartment with no air conditioning, and diminished energy.
My time on the Yoga mat is also a way to deal. Crazy as it sounds, heated Yoga helps me to physically manage the heated temperatures outside, and helps to increase my energy and focus. On top of my own classes, I have been a subbing machine. Last week, despite my best efforts, I did not get a chance to attend to my own practice, and I felt it, particularly in my physical body. So this week I made sure to make time for myself on the mat, and experienced not only the physical strengthening and release that comes through breath and movement, but the grounding and realignment of my mental, emotional, and spiritual energies. My practice helps to make me a better wife, teacher, and human being in general. And it gives me the fortitude to endure the hazy, crazy days of Summer.