When You Can't Be Perfect...

My yoga practice is not what it used to be. There was a time when I could put one foot behind my head, when I could hold a warrior pose for minutes without my legs shaking. I was strong. I was light and open.

But nothing stays the same and yoga mirrors life.

During my pregnancy, my practice shifted to blocks just as I was supported by my family and friends. When my daughter was born, my practice was just breathing in stillness while she nursed or slept in my arms. 

As I have spent the past few months learning how to be a mom, I have also been learning about my new post-baby body. I am no longer the yogini that is first to pop up into handstand or to go the deepest level of my backbend. My body has changed. My life has changed.

Today my practice is just to show up.

To get on my mat and breathe. To move my body. And not to judge while I struggle to hold a lunge or fall over while trying to do crow pose.

Did I mention that yoga mirrors life? Sometimes just showing up is enough.

You don't have to be the mom that works full-time, volunteers at the school, bakes goodies for every bake sale and still does every single load of laundry.

You don't have to be the employee who takes on every last minute project, rescues co-workers from their mountains of work, and does it all with a smile.

You don't have to be perfect at everything you do. You can just show up, struggle, and keep trying.