Salud to me! And all others following You Tuber Adriene Mishler on her 30 days of yoga programme, TRUE. Because today marks day seven of the challenge - that's a whole week of yoga my good people! A whole week of me ditching the jeans and going for leggings instead (and - check it out - leg warmers today too). A whole week of finding a slither of time for ourselves to reconnect, rejuvenate and revitalise.

Having said that I am not feeling particularly revitalised today. I guess it had to happen at some point. I've had six days of pretty much nailing each of the yoga videos that Adriene has flung my way, each time noticing some beautiful ripple effects from my practice spreading out through the day. Bursts of energy, moments of compassion, whispers of love. But today I can feel the energy creeping sluggishly at my heels, hardly even daring to surface for fear of being asked to do more than is absolutely necessary.

This is the point I often get to in one of my famous 'personal challenges' where I start to wonder if it was a good idea or not. I've basically hit a wall. It's no wonder really. Any good house wife / house husband who also works from home will tell you what taking twenty to thirty minutes out of their routine can do to disrupt the whole well-oiled machine.

And not only that, but let's remember this is also a blogging challenge. I don't usually blog every day. Once every two weeks is about how I roll so taking another hour or two on top of the yoga to fanny about in the blogosphere is starting to take its toll. I can feel the tell-tale signs that I've been spending too much time at the laptop. Creaky neck, achy spine, a twinge in my hip. Well, I am almost forty . . . you may as well wheel out the zimmer now. Actually, ditch that, I'll go straight for one of those scooter thingies. Big Lad would be well jel.

Having said that, I did manage to get through today's video which was quick, flowing and strong. In the repetitions of the pacey vinyasa flow, I had no option but to connect with my (shortened) breath and feel a kind of rush of spirit, however subdued. I used that tantalising feeling to lead me into the following moments of online food shopping, washing dishes, hanging clothes, tidying, preparing dinner, working on my website, setting up meetings, planning workshops and - ultimately - picking the Lads up from school and embarking on a marathon of after-school drama sessions.

It's not until now, that I've sat down to write this, that I've realised that yesterday, the supposed day of rest, was a pretty similar pace. And the day before that. And the day before that. And, although I am careful to plan in my daily meditation sessions so I can balance out the craziness with some stillness, it still sometimes catches up with me and bites me on my (yoga-toned) arse.

I absolutely know I am not alone in this and I often despair at why oh why it seems to be fashionable these days to be busy and stressed and have a schedule jam-packed for fear of actually having to sit still and be with oneself. I love being with myself! I rock! Yet I still seem to have every minute of the day pretty much accounted for. Why is this happening?

That's why it's soooo important that I / we / you / the world takes joy in the activities we are doing. Sometimes we lament that we don't have time to take a class in something or other, or there's not a cat in hell's chance we could sit down and chill. Well, if that's the case what choice do we have other than to find the magic in what's already there?

Like this morning when Little Lad refused to put on his shoes and I leaned forward to show him how to do it for the bezillionth time, and I caught a whiff of the dreamy shampoo he used in the shower last night. Or the glowing smile on Big Lad's face when he emerged from his drama session having landed the role he wanted. Or the soft kiss my husband landed on the back of my neck as I was working today, all the more lovely because it was right on the tattoo that he actually hates.

Or what I'm noticing now, as I write this blog post late at night: the soft glow of the lamp on my desk, the fresh scent of peppermint tea coming from my favourite cup, the smooth feel of the keys beneath my fingers and the fluttery anticipation in my chest because I'll be posting this to the world in just a minute. if we don't notice these things, then what is the point?

This morning, Adriene's email told me that tomorrow's practice is restorative and entitled 'Salve'. Please forgive me then, if tomorrow I am too chilled to make it to the laptop to write anything. There is a strong likelihood that I may just be engulfed into the yoga mat. Send out a search party if you don't hear from me by midnight.

Go well,

Abi

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#YWATRUE