Dear Reader:

Can we talk about restorative yoga?  Because I had a class last week that used restorative poses for the last 15 minutes and then tonight I had a class that lasted an hour and, oh my, I cannot express how calm and peaceful and happy I feel right now.  I am not kidding.  I am, for the moment, anxiety-free.  Let me give you some pictures to demonstrate this thing which has transformed me...

Here are the props:

That green bolster looks exactly like the one I used.  

Here's what I looked like in these poses (imagine me with a blissful expression on my face):

I just want to recommend this to everyone I know.   Also, you'll need an instructor with the world's most soothing voice.  She will be at Whitetop Yoga from 7-8 on Thursday.  And, you'll need a setting sun through the wall of windows at the front of the classroom.    And, some sort of East Indian sitar music going on.  Listen, this month, I need this class to happen every day to me.  Maybe twice a day.  

Can you tell that I loved this?   Oh my, I did.  I did.   I am willing to sell all my belongings to pay for babysitters every Thursday night so that I may attend this class.   Luckily, that won't be necessary.  :)

Anyway, dear reader, it's been a rough couple of months for me with lots of ups and downs and some anxiety and depression (I'm guessing you could tell from the tenor of my recent posts).   I have been struggling.   But, you know, I've struggled before.   Life is not all struggle, but it does contain its fair share, doesn't it?   One solace to me is that I achieve many, many more moments of gratitude and peace and joy (short-lived though they are) during this period of struggle than I would have in the past.

I have been so absorbed in my struggle in recent days that I'm afraid that I wasn't as good a friend to someone (actually two someones) as I want to be.   And, when I realized how self-absorbed and mired in my own outlook I was, I felt very bad.  So, I apologized, as one should.   And, you know what, for once I am not beating myself up about it.  Brené Brown would be proud.  I felt guilt but not shame.

So, anyway, I have been thinking about ways that I can be kinder to myself and to others.   And, thinking, as usual, about perspective.   And, I read this article in the NYT and found it so, so touching.  So touching:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/fashion/learning-to-measure-time-in-love-and-loss

"When the battery in my watch died, I still wore it.  There was something about the watch which said:  It doesn't matter what time it is.  Think in months.  Years.  Someone loves you.  Where are you going?   There are some things you will never do. It doesn't matter.  There is no rush.  Be the best prisoner you can be."

Sigh.  Touching.

So, this weekend will include:  going to a play (Medea!) with a friend,  a visit to the pumpkin patch with the kids (it wasn't open last weekend!!), some reading, some practicing, some midterm-constructing, making a butternut squash/apple soup (yum!!) and a broccoli pesto pasta, drinking my new favorite hot tea - "Sleepytime Peach Tea," getting a couple of treadmill sessions in.   I'm optimistic, dear reader.   I think things are going to work out for me.   For real.   Thanks, restorative yoga!

Thanks for reading.