Balance

Last week I visited a school that some of our Mission children attend. I was speaking with the elementary school principal and explaining how I just moved to Vietnam last month, that this was my second big move in a year, that I just started a new job, this was our first post, first time working in an Embassy, how we got married last year, etc...and she said "wow, have you ever taken that stress test? You've almost completed everything on the list!" I laughed it off, and then I started thinking about it.....

Uh oh.

One should never start thinking about all of the things that do and could stress one out. 

It's stressful. 

Hahaha. 

In all seriousness, it got me thinking. So, I went and and looked at the list again. When I was going through it I realized something; we are all stressed. Some of us more than others, but we all face stress and we all need outlets....

...then I started thinking about yoga. I had only done yoga twice since we moved to Ha Noi. I used to practice 4-6 times per week and now...well, I let myself forget about it. That's the thing; I am so good at letting myself get so busy and lose sight of what I need the most. Then I got in the vicious cycle of being hard on myself for not being perfect and not taking better care of myself....blah blah blah.

It's the same story, it comes up everywhere. It's boring. I'm sick of it.

So I decided to stop making excuses. I decided to try something and maybe not get it right.

This week I started another challenge for myself; get up at 5am and practice every day for an hour. I made it 4/5 days and while it wasn't always an hour and wasn't always at 5am on the nose, something beautiful happened; I feel like myself again. 

However, I have also not blogged because I have been "too tired" or "too busy"...so I started beating myself up about not blogging....then I realized something when I was in Garudasana. 

It's all about balance.

The beauty of balance is that it isn't perfect. It's perfect because it's not. Balance means allowing yourself to fall off course. Balance means getting back up and trying again. Balance is welcoming what is in front of you and trusting that you're on your path. Balance means keep going.

We all have things that we are working on, and we're not going to get it right all the time. So today I am recommitting to my blog, to finding a balance in everything; blogging, adapting to a new country, yoga, life/work boundaries, etc...It's a new day, and I am going to do my best. 

That's all we can do: 

Wake up and practice finding balance.

Here I go....

My morning date with my mat 

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

(May all being everywhere be happy and be free)

**Don't worry friends, there are lots of other delicious updates from this week coming soon**