Mindfulness, motherhood & the mundane…
What does ‘living your yoga’ really look like for us average Joes and Janes? Can we incorporate yogic living and practices into our every day?
My yoga practice is not beautiful by Instagram standards. My practice is done to the “Trolls” soundtrack and cries for “mooooree rice crackers…” My practice is wedged between washing up, session planning, teaching, laundry, studying, an office job, swimming lessons and groceries…. some days, my mat practice isn’t there at all. Often I feel very much at the mercy of routine and obligation.
I am a mother. An employee. A mortgage holder. I do not live in a converted shipping container on an off grid sustainable eco community. I live in suburbia.
I am also a student and teacher of yoga.
What does yoga really look like for the average Joe or Jane? What happens once the initial wave of yoga discovery subsides? When the Dharmabums yoga pants fade and you find yourself trying to deepen your personal practices outside of the yoga studio, integrating yoga into your “real life”? What are the Yamas to Mamas (and papas)?
The revered yoga text, The Bhagavad Gita talks of a middle path and advances the idea that to be born a human is a great blessing. This text explores the idea that humans are creatures of action. We are social. We work and procreate. We ask questions… Who am I? What is my purpose? Why am I here? It’s interesting that many of us come to yoga during these reflective moments in life.
In seeking answers to these questions, does this mean we need to opt out, move to a cave and don a loincloth? Whilst some are drawn to the ascetic life, most of us need to figure out how to be a dedicated yogi without complete renunciation of all things worldly - kids, houses, jobs, partners and friendships.
How can we be fully active in this life and enjoy all of its wonderful experiences… and still live yoga? True yoga is not something we do, it is a way we aim to live. Something we aspire to be. Yoga can, and should look different for everyone. We are all different creatures with different stories, on different paths.
In this section of my journey as a yogi and a human there are tantrums, arguments, routines, work, cleaning , negotiating and compromising… and sprinkled throughout are really lovely bits. Moments of laughter with my 7 and 2 year old daughters. Moments that seem easy and simple. These moments are the real life equivalent of quotes like “Life is Beautiful” captioning Instagram pictures of perfect looking people and their perfect looking lives.
Life as we commonly think of it is made up of events and tasks revolving around family and work. If you are fortunate enough, there will be some leisure and holidays here and there. This can sound a little grim for most, so how can we find the beauty in the mundane? How can we make space in the chaos? How can we breathe – both consciously and metaphorically? Do I have the answer?... nope. I am still trying to figure it out for myself. What I do know if that when I take a little time for myself regularly; when I make time for my yoga practices; when I go to bed early; when I do something for someone else, without an aim to gain; when I read a book instead of watching TV; when I meditate, even if it’s only a few minutes every day, when I find a smile and a deep breath in a moment that could warrant a frown, I feel good. I enjoy the little wins…. And then sometimes the perspective shifts and it feels like life is a series of really lovely moments… sprinkled with a few mundane tasks… and before you know it, life is beautiful.
This is yoga.