yoga etc. #16 (planting a rose bush in my backyard)

yoga etc. #16

One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around.

- Anne Lamott

Tomorrow’s been looming over my head for days and weeks and months—maybe years. Layers of anxiety have been building up in my chest with each day, calcifying my heart. It’s a whole different experience watching the fate of my home country from 3,000 miles away. It consumes me on the inside but isn’t always a part of my every day. It doesn’t always feel so close—it’s not a part of every piece of news or every conversation. At the same time, over on this side of the Atlantic, Thursday marks the beginning of a month-long national lockdown, reminding us that after nine months, the damage of the pandemic is nowhere near behind us yet.

Life is tough right now. Tougher for some than others, always. But everyone is fighting their own battles—something we can never lose sight of. Each of us carries around our own layers of anxiety piled on from different parts of our lived experiences.

And as the days get shorter and darker, we don’t have the relief of sunshine and good weather to warm us up. It can be hard to envision a future with so many unknowns. It can be hard to even get through the day. And while there’s a whole lot that feels out of our control, there are ways we can bring warmth back into our bodies, minds, and hearts.

So today, as I sat down to write this newsletter, I started with a simple exercise. I began writing down the things I’m looking forward to as an exercise to get out of my dark spiral.

Making coffee tomorrow morning
Taking my dog on a walk where he’ll play fetch like it’s the only thing he wants to do for the rest of his life
Going to the weddings that were postponed a year
Starting a 30-day writing challenge for myself
Recording yoga classes for the friends who can’t join my live classes
Planting a rose bush in my backyard in the spring
Visiting my brother where he’ll greet me with a casual-but-loaded-with-love “Hey sis”
Going to my 10-year college reunion (which is not for several years, but I can’t wait to see all my college BFFs)

Each of these things brought me joy regardless of whether they were happening today, tomorrow, or years from now. And so, I shared this prompt with a few friends hoping that they’d get something out of it as well. Here is what you came up with.

The election being over
Making time for creativity, balance, and sleep!!
More time with my hubby during lockdown
Thanksgiving
Mulled wine
My favorite sweet potato casserole
Finishing my thesis!
Using this lockdown to continue the work I’ve started around acknowledging the emotions I’m feeling
Getting out of bed, pulling back my curtains, looking out at the crisp blue sky, and feeling alive
Nights spent with my favorite humans, gabbing about every possible topic under the sun
Hours spent in the kitchen, radio or podcast on—day made
Reading the books I had set aside all year
Getting back on track with my workouts and being healthy with my food choices
Crisp sunny winter mornings
Watching my belly grow and connecting with my baby during yoga sessions
Cinnamon scented candles burning for the next 2 months
Singing
Cooking
Writing
Hibernating
Snuggles on the couch
Exploring the natural beauty around me
Finding balance in my life and feelings
Change
Equity
All of the action paying off and creating a world in which is just for everyone living on it
Calm and peace once everything is a little more certain again with less uncertainty unnerving us all

Through this exercise, I hope you realize that there is a lot to look forward to. I hope you understand that while there is a lot to fear, there is also a lot to be grateful for. I hope you read this list and find at least one looking-forward-to that is the same as your own. I hope you see parts of yourself in this list. I hope you know you are not alone. ✨

I'm here for you—for yoga, for advice, for anything that you need. I'm just a phone call/text/DM/email away. And to my fellow Americans—tomorrow, let's vote and let's stay safe. Stay home if you can, and if you can't, please stay safe. Class times below.

Let's flow together—but apart

Morning birds 60
A love letter to my early risers; those getting their move on before the 9-5 grind.
Tuesdays + Thursdays at 7.30am BST

Foundations 45
A nod to the curious; those who have never tried yoga before and want to know more.
Wednesdays at 12:30pm + 5:30pm BST

Sunday soul 75
An oldie with a twist; 60 minutes of powerful vinyasa and a hint of yin to close out the week.
Sundays at 5pm BST

Weekly writing prompt

• Start listing out the things you're looking forward to (5 minutes). From that list, pick one and write about it in detail—what it will be like, how you'll feel etc. (10 minutes)

Other musings

1. Mask wearing—a visualization

2. How to grow a forest in the middle of the desert (literally—although it’s a nice metaphor too)

3. Gold hoops and red lips—AOC's "cosmetic Bat signal to Latina culture"

4. Inside the life of a death doula

5. Why the obsession with sex workers paying their way through college has to go

6. A failed startup received as much VC investment as all women-founded companies this year

7. The smallest ship on Earth can float down the interior of a human hair

8. On repeat: Opaline by Novo Amor

I love you x
LBC

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