I love summer! I love daydreaming in a hammock; lying on a beach or poolside; leisurely dinners on a patio by candlelight; and my personal favourite summer pastime, an outdoor yoga practice to revitalize my body and senses. Wait. What’s that tugging on my shorts? Oh, must be my 4 year old…
I’ve discovered that when children appear, the lazy days of summer seem to disappear. Relaxing time for oneself is replaced by the zany fun in the sun that comes with being a part of a family – outdoor splashpads, cottaging, playing sports or riding bikes on the street… the list of excitement and activities we share with our children in the summer is endless.
But what about finding time for me? I’ve come to the realization that as a part-time stay-at-home mother of a boy with a very hectic program schedule (read: I am an excellent chauffeur, sandwich-chef and personal assistant), I do not have the luxury of daily, 2 hour yoga and enlightenment-seeking meditation practices. Instead, I’ve actually found great happiness in tiny practices throughout my day. A short, energizing breathing practice before I hop out of bed, some standing poses while I brush my teeth, forward bends in the grocery store aisle, standing backbends and side stretches while I stand and wait for my son to come out of preschool, the list could go on. I’m a parent; I’ve mastered multi-tasking.
I teach a yoga program for babies. The parents (most often moms) guide their babies through a series of enriching poses, designed to support their babies’ physical and emotional development. One mantra I’ve shared over and over with these moms is “yoga: anytime, anywhere”; this is a fundamental belief in this yoga program. So, if no baby is expected to sit through an entire yoga class, then why should we expect it of ourselves? By implementing my mini-practices I’m living proof that we can practice yoga anytime and anywhere.
How am I going to transfer this into our summer? The list of family fun that we have planned is pretty extensive and leaves little time for me to be alone with myself. But really, that’s not so bad. At rest stops along the 400 series highways to cottage country, I will find a grassy spot and roll around to ease the tension in my back caused by the endless hours caught in traffic. While watching my son splash in the water, I’ll try standing balances in the sand. During juice breaks in our street hockey games, I’ll sit and stretch my legs. As I watch my son drift off to sleep exhausted from the day’s fun, I’ll take long, slow, nurturing breaths to calm my body and clear my head.
I may be with my family during all of these wonderful times, but I’ll be practicing my yoga just for me.
I love summer.
Namaste.