The reverse smile effect...noticed :)

Too much living in the moment means no moments to catch a breath and just check in.  Tonight, I needed it.  Samantha dragged my butt to a tough power vinyasa practice.  Most who practice yoga might agree that what happens on your mat is often telling of what is happening in life.  Tonight was a struggle.  I knew it walking in the door.  The past few days have been amazing, busy, flowing, full of amazing people. But the relationship most crucial in my life at the moment is the one with myself. The yoga mat is always the place I can reconnect with that.

As I flowed through the vinyasa's, and struggled through the balance poses, every muscle in my lower body screamed, fighting to hold each pose when the burning was relentless.  I let myself out of a few, and pushed through a few others.  What was I struggling with? At last, the practice closes with Savasana or corpse pose.  A time to relax and check in, release.  In conversation with my fellow students and yogis I came to realize this was the most emotional and deep rooted part of my practice.  Often everything you struggled through and dug up in practice hits the surface, in the silence, the stillness, you are alone with your body and mind.  Tonight I knew it was time to give up the ghost... To turn over my struggles to let go of some unneeded pieces of my life, and find new space.  And there it was...

The past few weeks have been filled with dates, new friends, old friends a ton of experiences.  I had some laughs, some cries, some a-ha moments, some struggles and some pure joys.  What I needed was the time with myself to digest it all and keep moving forward. This morning I actually experienced the reverse smile effect.  I felt moody walking to work after a very late night with friends. I wasn't smiling, BUT, I did notice 3 different men who were smiling at me.  I laughed out loud to myself as I walked into the office, realizing the mood I was in was ridiculous and that I'd just missed the chance to return 3 smiles, they had made my day.  So maybe despite the moments, the vibe is still here :)

A great friend dropped by tonight as she was leaving some work in the city,  our short visit was so welcomed. A day that started out in the wrong direction has ended on a high note.  I'm smiling, thinking about the surprises tomorrow surely promises... It will be junior Friday in the city after all ;)