I DIDNT MAKE IT TO CLASS TODAY!!!!
Go ahead....gasp, shake your head, sit in stunned silence...I'll wait. Ok, done yet??
Yes, I didnt make it to class. I absolutly couldn't.
In addition to working a full time job, I am also a student. After getting my Bachelors Degree from Washington State University in 2001, I moved to Nashville for music. I have had a great run in the music business but Im ready for a new challenge. So, back to school I have gone....to be a dental hygienist.
My whole plan when I began this challenge was that when school started, I would attend the 6am yoga classes. That way I could do yoga, then work, then school. I was really taken aback (stunned actually) yesterday to learn the Tuesday/Thursday 6am class is no longer offered during the summer!!!! I found this out right before I walked into class last night and I was very bummed throughout class as I racked my brain thinking of ways to make it work. Unfortunately, there was just no way around it. None of the class times would work. Not one.
So thats it. Done. Didn't Make It. Failed. OR did I???
I talked to Cassie (owner/teacher) and she really put a whole new light on this situation. She could tell I was extremely dissapointed, but she told me (and I quote) "this isnt about rules, or the number of classes, making this more painful and stressful for yourself....this is about doing the very best you can with what you have. That is Yoga." After her pep talk I really thought about all the awesome things she said and decided that she was right. Yes, maybe I didnt make all 30 classes, but I finished 23 and that is dang good! I completed the longest consecutive run of exercise I had ever done in my life....not to mention 23 days straight of washing my hair! :) I could decide to look at this as a failure, or I could use this as an opportunity. Can you guess what I did???
The reality of life is that things happen. Circumstances change. Rocks drop from the sky and mess up the perfectly paved path you were walking on. So...then what???
Well then, CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR WORLD!
(A great non-profit company called Think Happy Stuff makes all sorts of fun stuff with that saying on it. I love it!)
My new thinking is this. I will do the best I can to make it to yoga as much as I can. On the days I cannot make it, I will find another "yoga moment" for myself. Maybe that is a jog, or a walk with my sweetheart, poses on my mat in my living room, or even taking a savasana in my car on my lunch break while listening to relaxing music!! :) Maybe its even going to work with dirty hair! (ok, that is stretching it)
So, a huge hug and thank you to all of those who have read this, supported me & smiled at me through the mirrors in class! You have kept me going, you are all strong, inspiring, amazing people...and I want to read your blogs!!!! So start them, and send them to me!!!!!
See you soon yogi's!!!!!
You are amazing. Amazing writer, amazing drive, amazing talent and smarts!
ReplyDeleteI've absolutely loved watching you take this journey. This is definitely not a failure. You succeeded every time you walked into that yoga studio! And the beautiful mindset of fitness, balance, and focus that you've gained is a huge success. I'm sooooo proud of you, Melissa! I'll miss reading your blog. You HAVE to keep writing!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired the heck out me. I want to do the challenge but as a stay at home mom with NO help, I have very little flexibility in when I can attend. Cassie's words are so true and make me feel better about my yoga practice. I will miss checking in on your progress. Great job! See you on the mats.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that you made it 23 days with doing school full time and also working full time!!! I did the whole work 40 hours and school full-time thing when I was in school too, and with how busy i was there is NO WAY I could have made it to hot yoga every day. I'm impressed you made it to day 23!!
ReplyDeletetoday is day 8 of my hot yoga challenge. I'm a full-time mom, so the biggest challenge for me has been working my hot yoga around my husband's work and music schedule. thankfully the in-laws have been awesome about babysitting on days where hubby works all day, or else there's no way I could have committed to this! I just quit my full-time office job to stay home with my son; I know if I was still doing my office job I wouldn't have been able to do the challenge either (too much time away from my baby!) ... either way the whole point of this long rambling is thank you for inspiring me, and good job on making it to over 3 weeks straight of hot yoga - that is something to be so proud of!!!
As I write you back you are on your 12th day!!! YAY for you! Hope you are sticking to it. Its super hard isnt it? The hardest thing isnt the actually class, its the time its the thinking about which clean towels your going to take (or if you even have clean towels),the time it takes to drive there, (and the stress if you are running a tiny bit behind), the fact that you cant really go anywhere right after class, so accounting for the clean up time....its WAY more than a 90 minute workout in your day!!!
ReplyDeleteIm sure right now you feel totally exhausted, wondering why the heck you signed up for this...yet totally strong with a resolve to finish!!! Well, Im thinking of you and counting down your days too!!! Dont forget you have people cheering you on!
AND please...if you see me in one of your classes, PLEASE say hello! Id love to meet you face to face!