Hello delectable friends! Sorry for the long radio silence. I took the time for a yoga retreat recently, and it became a longer break than I anticipated! Life can be…unexpected.
I haven’t really taken a workshop break, turned off my internet access and settled in for a long, deep dive into the yoga in a long time, years really. Though I practice every day, that kind of time away was just inaccessible. And I didn’t feel like I had the time this month either, but it was planned for, paid for, agonized over and on the books, so off I went.
It was just as amazing as I’d hoped, and more on the yoga another time, but things got really interesting right at the end. Just as I settled in, it felt like it was time to leave. My thoughts turned to “re-entry” and what was next, with a bit of trepidation. And what happened? Wham! I got struck from behind, literally, out of nowhere. Was it fate, karma, Ganesh you ask? Nope, it was a car. But it could have been any of those things as well. The car accident brought me straight into the present moment and showed me more clearly than any sutra that I am not in control and that life is crazy and will throw you a curve, when you least expect it.
Suddenly I found myself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with the workshop over and most of my new friends on their way home. Boo hoo! This isn’t what I planned for! I have to admit, I was a little forlorn. A few years ago, I might have stayed that way. I might have turned inward and self-destructed a little, making things feel even worse than they actually were. I might have made sour lemons out of sweet lemonade, in fact. But this time I was determined to do the opposite. I made lemonade!
First stop: a walk on the beach. In the first moments of letdown, I almost caved in on myself, but instead turned myself right around, walked out to the blustery beach, and walked along the shore until I felt calm. 2 Hours. Yup. That’s how long it took, but when I was done I had almost forgotten I was “stuck” there by circumstances rather than by choice. I had walked up to my knees in the beautiful ocean water I love so much and got some great pictures too!
Next stop: a new friend’s house! I didn’t even have to find a hotel. I landed with a friendly host who was ready to show me the sights. How can that be bad? Ok, my spirits started to lift.
Final stop: extra yoga sessions! That’s right, the workshop teacher was still in town, and willing to work. Holy moly! Not only was I still “away” and off work, but I got extra days of yoga in a super-focused, extra-intense way. Just my idea of a good time! Here’s a new teacher I’ve only just begun to learn from and I am handed an opportunity to squeeze just a little more juice out of him. Now that’s what I call a stroke of luck!
All in all, I am happy to be safely home, back with the BHH and my sweet furry cat. Back to the normalcy of work and teaching and making chia pudding. But I look back in wonder at my newfound ability to make lemonade out of lemons, and realize I’ve come a long way. Maybe the yoga is just beginning to work!
Lemonade (or Limeade) Life Delectable Style
Here’s a nifty tip I learned from Doris Choi: stevia doesn’t taste bitter when paired with citrus. She’s so right! It’s weird. The BHH hates stevia normally, but even he can’t tell this lemonade (or limeade) isn’t sweetened with regular ol’ sugar. He drinks it practically by the gallon in the summer. And though we’re headed into cooler weather, I couldn’t resist posting this super simple recipe. Hey, you can always heat it up and add ginger for a wintry treat!
Ingredients
16 oz. Water
Juice of ½ lemon or 1 whole lime
Stevia (8-11 Drops or to taste. I like NuNaturals liquid)
Mix, heat or chill, serve and revel.
Question of the day: what do you do to reframe a disappointing situation?
