First off, thank you to everyone who participated in my hair survey earlier this week. For the first time ever when it comes to hair, I froze up in the seat. I did get some lighter highlights, but that’s about it when it comes to changes.
I kept my hair long for one reason and one reason only – I can finally do a top knot. As somebody who is 30% mom, 30% blogger and 30% yoga teacher (the leftover 10% of my makeup is chocolate, which doesn’t factor in here…), a top knot is pretty much part of the uniform. I finally belong!! I’m glad to know that everyone thinks it would be good for me to try short again though. I will need to remember that when the time comes. It’s not mom hair, it’s just what looks nice on me.
Now on to our regularly scheduled programming…
Fun fact: it’s August. Actually, we are already seven days into August, so its not like that’s even a new thing. I can’t believe it.
This summer has been a not-a-summer in so many ways. Getting used to Eggroll has meant less sleeping in on the weekends and more staying inside during the wee bit of nice weather we’ve actually had. And let’s not even pretend to think about camping for another year or two, OK? If we need a car full of her stuff when there is electricity and running water, I can’t imagine how ridiculous we’d be with just a tent and some diaper wipes between us and the elements!
That’s my world. In the general world, the weather has been crap. I’m really counting on a good Indian summer to make up for the lack of warm days.
In others’ specific worlds, they’ve had to deal with life-altering stress like losing a loved one or finding their first post-college job. Let’s not forgot about the other friends who are trying to sell their house and the one who is dealing with a new knee injury.
Needless to say, that Expedia commercial that talks about “this is the summer that all summers from here on our will be compared to”, might be spot on, but not for the reason they meant. The summer of 2014 is setting the bar pretty dang low.
Unless we do something about it, that is.
My Yoga Off the Mat lesson this week is to go have fun! Stop taking yourself so seriously. Sure, there might be grown-up tasks to take care of, but there has to be some ways to infuse good times into the few pre-back-to-school days we’ve got left. (This is unless you are my cousins, whose children’s school actually starts today. School starting on August 7th. Gross!! They are in Alabama. Must figure its too hot to do anything outside, let’s go back to the classroom. Still…)
If you’ve got to workout, go outside! Ride your bike with a friend. Go play frisbee. Do a round of golf, but no carts, please!
Sure, work has to get done, but could you get there an hour earlier and leave a little later? Take a walk on your lunch break? Come on, you could at least paint your toes neon pink before stuffing them back into nylons and sensible pumps, right??
Housework, well… Make a game out of it. Set a timer and see how much vacuuming you can get done in 20 minutes. Or challenge someone else in the house to a duel. You do the bathroom, they tackle the kitchen. Whoever finishes first, wins the prize. Find one of your favorite childhood movies (I’m talking to you Dirty Dancing, Cry-Baby and/or Labyrinth) to watch while you fold laundry. Seriously, it’s OK if you wait to fold until all the loads are ready. I’ll never tell.
Now is not the time to tackle new home improvement projects, nor take an online accounting course. There will be plenty of time for that in a few short weeks.
It’s also not the time to worry about perfecting your handstand in your yoga class. Should you be doing a physical yoga practice right now? Of course! But you know enough moves – go do your own session outside. Maybe you’ll move or maybe you’ll go into savasana and “meditate” on the clouds.
If you do need the assistance of a teacher, great. I can’t wait to see you in class! But don’t take it all so seriously. If you fall out of tree pose, just try again (and try not to take out your neighbor). If you step on a duck (if you know what I mean…) in wind-relieving pose, laugh, know everyone else has done it, and well, try not to take out your neighbor.
Don’t stress if meditation isn’t coming easy through the end of the month. Use that time to let your mind daydream. Notice if you keep dreaming about the same thing. Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something.
Or maybe you should paint your fingernails neon pink and sip on a pina colada while folding that laundry. Let’s get crazy yet this summer!
Namaste, friends!
