Enjoying Life's Simple Pleasures: Yoga in the Rain
Autumn has unofficially started here in Oklahoma, with frequent and much-needed rain showers that drench the parched and cracked clay-rich soil. The cooling breeze and the fresh scent of the air brings relief from the oppressive summer heat, and pairs perfectly with a wafting aroma of simmering stew, spiced baked goods, and hot coffee.
It's also a time of intense busyness and stress. School is starting, schedules are changing. We start planning for the upcoming marathon of holidays and all the activities, responsibilities, and financial implications that they entail. We realize the year has passed the halfway point, and we haven't met all, or maybe any, of our goals for the year.
Yet, in the midst of all this worry and hurry, autumn is the perfect time to refocus (or focus for the first time) on self-care. "Self-care?" you say. Sounds like bullshit, I know. I remember when my former therapist would send me away from nearly every session with the words, "Take care of you." I would smile and promise to try, but I really had no idea what the hell she was talking about.
Well, I figured it out a few days ago during a rain shower that came on suddenly, from nothing to pouring in the snap of a finger. I saw this happen out my window and couldn't be be a little amused by how quickly things can change in nature. I decided to go outside, which I rarely do during a thunderstorm due to fears instilled in me as a child that left me afraid to even look out the window during a storm. I stepped out onto my porch, and just allowed all the sensory input to simply absorb. I felt the cold concrete beneath my bare feet, mist blown from the downpour hitting my face, saw the parched land soaking up the much needed moisture, heard the drops pounding the ground and my roof, the thunder shake the sky above me. I had been feeling tense from a week full of studying and tests, so I decided to do my short yoga routine that I modified to include my physical therapy exercises.
One might struggle on first glance to consider this small act of being in the moment "self-care." Most people would think about treating themselves to their favorite cafe or restaurant, watching one more episode of their favorite show, buying themselves that cute dress or killer pair of shoes, setting boundaries with others, eating a healthy diet, getting enough exercise, and seeking medical care when needed. And those are self-care practices that shouldn't be ignored. But for a productive, constantly working person who struggles with anxiety and ADD, just allowing myself to stop, for even just a few moment to actually enjoy my senses rather than be overwhelmed by them is a rare treat indeed. To tell myself that it's okay to stop and enjoy life's small pleasures that make life worth living.
It's noticing the little things everywhere that cause that little spark of creativity in us, that contain a tiny drop of beauty in an often cruel and dark existence. Those are the things that too often go unnoticed amid the buzz of our phones and their glaring screens while we walk unawares of our surroundings, the whir of traffic and the hurry to get to some destination while nature and man put on a play of evolutionary proportions. One can learn much about the workings of the human mind, and of life itself, simply by talking some time to observe the myriad of interactions taking place around you. Constantly, individual organisms are making choices, their bodies are carrying our metabolic functions, and we are climbing ever upward the evolutionary tree. How insignificant are the problems in our short, mortal lives than our part in development of our species?
That may sound nihilistic to you. But, I find it rather freeing. Our species has gotten this far. I'm standing on the shoulders of ancestors who SURVIVED all the shit we humans have put ourselves through over the ages. We are here because our ancestors were strong in some way or another. Find your strengths, whatever they may be. Use them to make our world better, to add more than you take. Appreciate the legacy you've inherited, and take enjoyment and care of the environment that has birthed it.
The goal of self-care is to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Keeping a healthy perspective of your part in the world around you and realizing that you have control over how you experience your existence, you can't help but experience a juxtaposition of relief and responsibility. This allows you to maintain a balance that keeps you grounded yet motivated.
