Day Seven

Oh, my God.  I'm not dead.

So, the past week has given me much insight into my Self and how I work.  For starters, giving up bread and dairy has been a win.  Though I'm usually not much into meat, I have been giving in to my fast-food chicken cravings for quite some time now.  It's been nearly a month since I last had chicken.

Still, I have a long way to go.  I need to incorporate more greens into my day.  Bonus if I can get my butt out to the Farm to get some really fresh from the dirt.  After much deliberation, I decided it would be in my best interest to include wild salmon and organic eggs in my diet.  I suffered with headaches and fatigue for most of last week, and, being an overtime mommy, I reckoned with the fact that I needed some healthy form of protein in my diet to stay strong and robust for myself and my babies.  I immediately felt strength coming back into my bones as I savored a piece of salmon on Friday.  The three days I went without fish or eggs were pretty rough.  I tried to rest a lot, but it's kind of impossible with little people around.  Still, I see it as a victory and not a defeat- I have discovered something about myself, and turned an unhealthy choice into a nourishing one.  Win.

Another thing I've realized is that completing a full yoga practice at home is just not going to happen.  I did manage to get up early and meditate, so I'm continuing that into this week and building on it.  As for yoga, doing a kids workout (usually 2 or 3, really) is something that is doable, and I modify as I go along.  Also sneaking in a few crunches when the kids are in a bath or in the middle of a really good fight works, too.  I do a down dog at pretty much every opportunity, and seated twists many, many times a day.  Still, I'm craving a "real" practice, so hopefully I'll get the chance to see my friends at the Savannah Yoga Barre sometime this week and get my asana kicked alongside a healthy helping of humble pie.  Lynne and Kendall know how to get you to that place.

I think some of the best growth for me so far has been acceptance.  You see, normally I go into these kinds of situations with this overblown idea that I'm going to have a life-changing experience.  All I have to do is do everything I do completely differently.  We all know how that goes.  Maybe it's having these lovable, forgiving, demanding, inspiring little people around me all day everyday that convinced me to go a little easy on myself.  Make small changes, take stock of how I feel, and beyond all my ideas and ideals, just have a good time doing it.  Whoa, man is that a game changer.

You mean, liking my jelly belly, procrastinating, creative, loving, meandering, dancing, goofy self is okay?

Not only is it okay, it's an imperative.