“Acknowledge where you are at that moment in time, and how it can change…”

On Sunday the 21st of June, I was joining other yogis in a tranquil garden to do 35 sets of sun salutations at 5am to celebrate the summer solstice. A tawny owl was hooting from a tree near us. I clearly remember the quality of every sound and how everything felt so vivid. Three hours in the zone where the notions of time and space don’t exist.

Just the rising sun, my friend the owl and me.

Today, exactly three months later, I can’t do any sun salutations at all.

And that’s ok.

Injuries are the body’s way to remind us to be mindful. To listen, to not push ourselves. Injuries tell us there is something we do that isn’t right for us, at that moment in time. It’s an invitation to slow down and reflect.

“Do you need to slow down?”

“Do you need to listen to yourself a bit more?”

Could you do with some time for yourself everyday? Could you make room in your diary for some “me” time, 1h a day to recharge? We would all be better people to be around if only we allowed ourselves to do so…

Do you manage to make some time to restore yourself? If not, why not?

If so, what do you “do” or don’t “do”?

The alligator,

– the self-loathing side of me –

resurfaced again,

to grab a take away feast:

Creativity.

I know it doesn’t look like much, but I like this painting. I painted it a while back.

If I don’t take my me time, the alligator comes back to the surface again and I feel dull, useless, worthless, aimless… Anythingless. I loath myself, and feel like I’m not good at anything. I make the list of all the things I do, and tell myself that I’m not good at any of it. I tell myself that I’m mediocre, average and well… useless. I compare myself to really talented people who are better than me at stuff, like painting, knitting… People who are fitter than me and look gorgeous, you know all the beautiful ashtanga yoginis who scatter their yoga selfies all over the Internet and magazines etc…

I’m sure we all have those days, when our insecurities come up. They might look like an alligator for me, they might look like something else for you.

Well injuries do bring them back up too. They can bring their fair share of hopelessness and darkness.

When we find ourselves in that bottomless pit, it’s useful to remember that these feelings will not last. Because feelings, by essence, don’t last.

At that moment in time, we feel ugly and hopeless. But this will pass. There is hope. Everyday is a new day, a new adventure, a new journey to embark upon. Remember. It will pass. The rain will stop. The clouds will move on. You will feel better and the sun will come out again.