Show up & Breathe

I have a juicer that I used every day for about a year to make green juice (kale, cucumber, apple & lemon - an acquired taste, my husband would say).

Then I got pregnant & couldn't stand the sight of green juice, let alone the taste.

Now our son is 2 & I keep trying to get back on track with the juice:)

Before our son, it always seemed really easy.  At the time, were living in a studio apartment & I was teaching quite a few 6am classes every week.  My husband basically works nights, so some mornings I would even get up extra early & juice in the bathroom so the noise wouldn't wake him. 

Since our son was born though, juicing has been challenging. Keeping the produce stocked in the house, finding the time to juice & keeping the juicer clean.

It's the same process as before, but somehow, it seems more complicated.

Now, it may be that my life has more moving pieces than before - our 2 year old son who is always moving!  My own yoga studio to manage (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/).  But I love to drink green juice - it makes me feel better & I know it is great for me.  And honestly, its not complicated & it doesn't take long.

So what is it?  Recently I've stopped thinking about it.  Instead of creating obstacles & excuses, I just do it.  Keep the produce stocked, wash, cut, peel & juice.  And clean up afterward.  No big deal.  It only takes about 5 minutes from start to finish.

And suddenly, juicing is simple again.

It's like that with alot of things in life.  We make them more complicated than they need to be.  Our thinking mind creates reasons & stories & excuses about how complicated it is & why we don't have time & why it's ok to not have time & why other things are so much more important...so on & so on. 

I see it all the time as a teacher of yoga.  The practice I teach is so simple - show up & breath & the rest will follow.  Keep it simple - a commitment to yourself.  You don't need special clothes or a fancy mat - you don't need to stand on your hands or wrap your leg around your neck.  Show up & breathe.

Now that may mean only 5 or 10 minutes on your mat at home some days.  But other days that may mean a 90 minute practice in the studio.  

Once you quiet your thinking mind, once you feel that commitment to yourself - your body, spirit & mind - it becomes simple.  Even when the rest of your life seems very complicated (and that's when you need your practice the most).

Show up & breathe.  That's your practice.  That's your life.