As the holiday season approaches, my shoulders climb up to my ears in anticipatory stress. This year, however, I broke out of my usual pattern. Dewitt and I signed up for a weeklong yoga retreat taught by the incomparable Donna Martin.
As the time of the seminar came nearer, we wondered if we really had time to indulge ourselves. It seemed like we just had too much to do.
Luckily, we’ve lived long enough to recognize this for the trop it is and we got as much done as we could prior to our first meeting.
Our week was full of reminders to be mindful, to savor the present moment, to nourish ourselves. And speaking of nourishment, Hui Hoolana retreat center fed us an amazing feast on Thanksgiving Day.
Gratitude fills me now and I am flowing into the holidays. Dewitt’s favorite mantra for himself “I have so little to do and so much time” actually seems liveable as an attitudinal change.
And if I get caught up in doing, hurrying, stressing? I’ll just remember to nourish myself be it with yoga, quiet time, taking a walk. Oh, and breathing. Lots and lots of breathing.
