Today was day 10! I have practiced ten days in a row before but for this stretch I have been very focused and diligent. It was tough to get to practice this morning. I got home from work at 8:30 p.m. and helped Sara around the house until 10:00 p.m. I got to bed around 10:30 p.m. and got up at 5:00 a.m. to make it to the 6:00 a.m. class. I felt stiff and lethargic during the first several asanas but halfway through practice I began to experience a rush of energy and clarity.
After practice I had to high tail it back home to take my son Jimmy to school. Round trip from my house to Episcopal and then back to Wilmington was 90 minutes. Plus, it took me 4 minutes for the early morning drive to the Wilmington Center for class. I don’t dread all this time in the car – I think of it as an opportunity. For the last several years I’ve listened faithfully to Zencast, which is a podcast directed by Gil Frosdal. Gil and his guest teachers have been enormously helpful in teaching me how to integrate what I learn on the mat into my life. For all intents and purposes this is truly the art of practice. Anyone can come in and work on developing strength, flexibility and balance within his or her body. Taking the principles and wisdom learned through the practice and incorporating them into your daily living is the true fruit of yoga.
This morning would have been one of those practices I would have skipped. I would have used two excuses: I have to take Jimmy to school and I worked late and need to sleep. Yet because of the challenge, I stuck to my commitment to wake up early and come to practice.
Honestly, I am writing this entry with so much energy and clarity because I simply said “Yes” this morning. Where in your life are you saying “No” when you really need to say yes? There’s an old saying: “Excuses are like a--holes, everyone’s got one.” What if you let go of your excuses? Could you take a step closer to happiness in your life? Would you feel more fulfilled if you stopped making excuses?
This morning has been a great lesson for me about excuses.
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