Take It One Step At A Time.

‘Tis the season for enough festivity to fill the whole year. Concerts at school. Parties. Dinner invitations. A poorly timed yoga workshop (Really? December?). A Christmas pageant. Late nights out with friends. Impromptu drinks with loved ones not seen in far too long. Family celebrations of all shapes and sizes. And that’s just a look at my calendar for the last half of  the month! What a delightful tsunami of fun.

Though their calendars are filled with some different activities than mine, my daughters are feeling the same way. In fact, with near tears of relief when she realized that she did not have choir rehearsal tonight, my older daughter commented this morning that she had not had a night with nothing to do in weeks. I smiled and said, “Take it one fun thing at a time, my dear. And tonight your fun thing will be to relax.”

“One fun thing at a time,” has actually been my mantra this month and it’s working marvelously. I’m not looking too far ahead because to do that is to ensure a meltdown. When I do find myself with a quiet window of time, I have turned on the Christmas carols and done a little gift wrapping. While I haven’t sat down with a book in weeks, it’s OK. There will be more than enough time for that in February. For now, I am determined to squeeze all of the merry out of this season.

And this intention has gifted me with some surprising moments of happiness. As I was making the 30 minute drive out to puppy school (I know. Really? In December?), I caught myself murmuring with a smile, “That is so pretty!” as I passed a fence adorned with beautiful greenery and gold trimming. As we made sugar cookies (A.K.A. made a gigantic mess of the kitchen) this weekend, I noticed that I wasn’t in a hurry at all. I realized, curled up happily on the sofa, that I was relaxing instead of list-making as I listened to my daughter sing during her voice lesson. In each of my classes this week, I have noticed that I’ve saved time for extra-long rests in savasana.

There has been an odd, almost paradoxical feeling of spaciousness in my very full month. I have actually not been tempted to skip anything – not even puppy school. While I have woken a few mornings with a racing heart, feeling like a tiny ant staring up the mountain of my to-do list, I have not skipped my yoga practice. Each day, as I roll up my mat afterwards, I’ve felt centered, calmed and ready for the next step. My practice has been a powerful reminder that, as taking one posture at a time makes 90 minutes on my mat feel manageable rather than overwhelming, one step at a time makes even the fullest day feel manageable.

While I chose my mantra of “One fun thing at a time” to help me navigate all of the extras in my schedule this month, it has done far more than that. It has slowed me down. It has kept me in the moment. And, in doing so, it has made even things that I may not have categorized as “fun” enjoyable. This mantra of mine may just become my New Year’s resolution. I’ll have to let you know. After all, there are many more steps to take until then.

Enjoy the fun!
Amy