Joining fellow yoga practitioners in our sunny, local greenhouse on a very cold February day was a joyful way to reconnect with my local community here in the Northern Hemisphere after having been gone for two months.
It was especially joyful to find out that one of the participants was trying yoga for the first time today, on her 90th birthday! WOW! What a glowing example of someone who continues to grow, learn and stretch herself (sorry, couldn’t pass on the word play there with stretch…it’s just too fun). We all got to sing “Happy Birthday” to her. I was fortunate to be able to see her doing some of the partner poses we were doing today, this woman clearly values moving her body.
Trying new things can be scary, hard, intimidating, daunting, etc. AND, there are so many gifts that can come with venturing into uncharted territory.
It makes me think about the family caregivers who are tasked with learning new ways of BEING and DOING in this challenging role. Not much gives me more joy than seeing a family caregiver shift to new tools and coping skills when they’ve previously said things like, “I’m a worrier, a cup half empty person, a type A person, an over reactor, etc.” Seeing these big shifts happen fills me with joy because I know that their suffering will be diminished and their loved ones now have a caregiver who is doing their parallel process which will help all of them heal more quickly.
Now you may be thinking, “Wow Becky, you sure know how to have fun…going out in 7 degree F weather to do yoga on a cold brick floor in a drippy greenhouse and working with people who are living lives filled with; pain, sorrow, sadness, fear, hopelessness and helplessness.” Yes, connecting with my community, moving my body in a joyful way amongst green plants and growing people gives me joy! Sunshine on a chilly morning gives me joy. The gratitude opportunities are endless!!! So much gratitude for my hot coffee in my insulated mug, heated seats in my car (a luxury I cannot even fathom that I’m lucky enough to have), good tires on the car, sunshine, a body that allows me to go do yoga…and accompanying family caregivers to reclaim joy is more fun than almost anything for me.
Having fun is a big form of self-care that I teach, coach clients to embrace and I walk this talk. I tried a new thing this winter and spent two months living and working in New Zealand. That was a big, bold new thing. And, I grew, learned and found new levels of life balance. The sunshine, friendly Kiwis, fabulous joyful movement and beautiful scenery filled my cup so full I am excited to try more new things.
Part of the adventure of this life is trying new things and seeing what happens. Sometimes you end up upside down in a kayak in the ocean, and then you know what that feels like and as was my case, you learn that you know how to get out of that situation. 🙂
Sometimes you tip over on a heavy e-bike on a gravel path…I was glad to learn how strong my bones are!
And sometimes you get to have a picnic on the top of a mountain looking at the most stunning view you’ve ever seen and you pinch yourself because it’s hard to believe that you carried yourself to this place and get to eat a sandwich looking at one of the most incredible views your eyes have seen. Okay, this is one of the things that gives me more joy than anything. 😉 Thank you LUNGS for carrying me up that mountain!
Trying new things can shift our lives to see new vistas and find new ways to do this journey. If you’re realizing that it’s time to shift to some new ways of doing things, give me a call and we can discuss.
