Day 157. Just Right

Chyina nailed it the other day.  She was commenting on the post I wrote Tuesday about slowing down; and said she’s “equally worried about those who go so slowly, they grow moss on their feet.  And by the time they get around to smelling the flowers, the flowers have died.”

Although she never mentioned it explicitly, what she was saying is, we need to have balance in our lives.  That’s the ideal.  The goal.  And she’s absolutely right.

Easier said than done, my friends.  Much easier said than done.

We have SO much juggling to do.  Careers.  Spouses.  Kids.  Grand kids.  Aging parents.  Caregiving.  Homemaking. How does all of it get divided?  Fairly?  With enough sleep time and ‘me’ time.

Ha!  If I had the answer, I’d be taking over from Oprah.  She’d be working for me.

Day 111. Say Ohm

I’ve tried Yoga several times.  I like it well enough.  But I prefer Pilates.  While a lot of the movements and poses are the same, Pilates is all about building a strong core, at the same time as it builds your flexibility, strength and endurance.  It also puts emphasis on spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing and improving coordination, balance and posture.

The aim of Yoga, on the other hand, is to unite the mind, the body and the spirit.  It helps you become more aware.  It helps you find personal harmony.  It helps you relax.  All the while, making you more fit and energetic.

Probably the most significant difference between the two, is that Pilates incorporates both mat work and the use of special Pilates machines.  As opposed to Yoga, where your body’s own weight is used for resistance; and a lot

Day 26. Good Vibrations

I’ve taken guided meditation classes in the past, and although I no longer go, I do still meditate.  Probably not as often as I should, but I do from time to time.  And I keep promising myself that I’ll do it every day.  So I am very familiar with the sound, the intonation of Om.  I find it very soothing, and comforting.  I also like the look of the sacred symbol, itself.  So I decided, when I went to India, that I would look for one I could wear on a chain or ribbon, around my neck.

From the moment I bought it, I never took it off, even to sleep. Or shower.  Then, about six months ago, I felt like my neck was always irritated.  And sure enough, when I looked closely with a magnifying mirror, there was some redness around where the chain sits.  I bought another chain.  Same thing happened.  So I took it off before going to bed, thinking that maybe when I moved in my sleep, the chain rubbed against my skin.  Sure enough, the rash disappeared after several days.  At first I’d put it back on every morning.  And then, days would go by and I’d forget to put it on.  And eventually it just stayed in my bedside table drawer.

To be honest, I missed it in the beginning.  It felt strange, like something that had been protecting me was gone.  Sort of how you feel if you drive without a seat belt. But then time passed and I forgot about it.

Until the other day.  Life has been a bit stressful, lately.  Not life threatening.  Not life altering.  But not smooth sailing, either.  I’ve felt it.  And I’ve been carrying it around with me, which is unusual.  Wearing it, like an extra layer of clothing.  An unnecessary layer of clothing.  Which, actually, is stressful, in itself.  So back to the other day.  I woke up and my first thought was:

Where’s my Om?

The inside of the drawer where I’d put it, had become a bit of a mess (and yes, I did hear my mother sigh).  So I had to rummage through papers and little boxes and