Leaving it all on the mat

Querida Amiga,

Last week was a roller coaster of emotions. 

Monday I was dragging to get through the day as smoke still enveloped my home and I was reaching almost two full weeks of staying inside. Wednesday the skies were blue, my windows were open, and I felt a renewed sense of energy. By Friday the heaviness of my social media streams and text exchanges were leaving a weight on my shoulders.

I’m going to be real. I was absorbing the heaviness and decided self-care would be turning off social media, turning on season two of the Taco Chronicles, and eating some rocky road ice cream. It was an evening of escapism and exactly what I needed.

The next morning when I woke up, I knew there was different self-care needed to move forward with hope and possibility. I needed to shed what was tensing my body and blocking my mind. I turned on a yoga video for 30 minutes of deep breathing and stretching. At the end when I was laying on my back for savasana, the instructor said, “Stay here for as long as you need.”

My body would not move, it stayed connected to the floor. I heard my mind say, “Leave it all on the mat.” At that moment I knew my body could not move because I was not done releasing.

I stayed on the floor. I felt the air around me tickle my skin. The sound of birds chirping mixed with the whirl of my air purifier hypnotized me into deeper relaxation. My mind kept repeating, “Leave it all on the mat.”

I have no idea how long I allowed myself to stay on the floor in that trance. What I do remember was the moment I decided it was time to awaken. My wrists turned in circles, I pointed my toes, I yawned, and allowed my body to twist on the mat as I released more energy and tension that was trapped in my body.

When I was ready, I opened my eyes and began the day with lighter energy and a renewed commitment to self and identifying steps for how I can fight for social justice. This week started with blue skies, the sound of trees blowing in the wind, and a new sense of possibility.

I am thinking about you and wishing you a week of moments to “leave it all on the mat.” May you find pockets of time for presence to reconnect with yourself and lighten your load and reconnect with possibility.

Quiero saber de ti. What can you do this week to lighten your load? What do you need to acknowledge and release to be open to new possibilities?

Un Abrazo, 

Michelle