I will always think of Tayler as my little girl who used to hide in the kitchen cabinets with her bowl of Chereeos and giggle while I freaked out thinking she was kidnapped! Then I was even more shocked when it hit me that my oldest, Amanda, will be 20yrs old next month!!! 20 - how can that be?? Aren't I still 20?? Not quite...
I was 19years old when Amanda was born. Can you imagine? What the hell did I know about raising a child? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Needless to say, the stress of trying to live up to the perfect world I had created in my own mind was taking it's toll on me. One day when Amanda was about 3 years old a friend told me I needed to learn to relax and suggested I take a yoga class. And so my love affair with yoga began.
Since then, Yoga has taught me much about myself and life in general. These valuable lessons have also taught me much about motherhood. With my daughters fast approaching womanhood I thought I'd share some of my reflections on how yoga helps me in my role as a mother.
* You cannot create perfection outside of yourself - you must learn to see the perfection in what is.
* Trust your intuition - even if it's telling you the polar opposite of what everyone else is telling
you.
* Stay present in each moment of your life. Time waits for no one.
* Deep yogic breaths - It works wonders when your toddler (or teenager) is throwing a temper
tantrum.
* Take time to nurture yourself - It's vitally important.
* Learn to see the world through the eyes of a child.
* Let go of expectations
* Accept the fact that sometimes things are out of your control - at that point, trust in God.
* Love unconditionally.
Motherhood, like yoga, is a great adventure. You never know where that magic carpet will take you.
Cheering for your daughter on the basketball court. Listening to her excitedly retell what she learned in micro-biology during dinner or cuddling with your little while he sings Michael Jackson for the billionth time.
These moments are fleeting - so stay present, enjoy them.
The magic carpet may take you to the opposite end of the universe in an instant. You may be consoling your daughter on a bad grade or a broken heart or trying to explain to your 8 year old why brushing your teeth is important. In the difficult moments we remember - these moments are fleeting too. We stay present, breath deep, and follow our hearts.
I'm remembering now, Bhagavan Das' cd where he says "We are all here because of the love of our mother".
He was referring to the Divine Mother. For me, when I don't know what to do or where to turn for support The Divine Mother is always there waiting with heart and arms open. Learning from her example, I too aspire to be that support for my children. Through the yoga lessons I learn and the Grace from the Divine Mother I strive to keep my arms and heart open always.
How I know I'm not 20 yrs old anymore? Well, I have more self-confidence. I'm more comfortable with myself. I know when I need to ask for support and I know where to get the support I need. I accept each challenge as an opportunity to learn rather than feeling like I'm failing when things don't go as I had expected.
Jai Ma!
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