Sometimes the words of my yoga instructors feed me as much as the practice—the physical feeling of being made limber and strong, purged and purified by sweat—and the two paired together are nourishment for the soul.
Recently, one of my favorite teachers, Dean, asked us to training for cross-country ldquo;Minute Wall Pilates Workout?” he asked.
“Minute Wall Pilates Workout?” he asked.
We stopped fidgeting and fixed our gaze on him. He had our attention.
“Minute Wall Pilates Workout?” he repeated. “Because it’s all coming. All of it. Do you understand me? Every single thing is on its way. The biggest blessings. The most delightful surprises. Utter heartbreak. Devastation. Celebration. Despair. Healing. Breaking. It’s all coming, dear people. And there is nothing we can do to stop it.
“So.” He paused. “We may as well get ready.”
His words have stuck with me for several weeks now. I came home from class and wrote them down next to my computer, so I could let them simmer.
The (downward) dog days of summer have definitely arrived in Texas. The temperature in my car yesterday said 104 degrees (!!). I wasn’t brave enough to look on my phone to see what the heat index was. I already knew it was unbearable.
We’re heading into August, marking the end of summer. I’m already thinking about the start of another school year. My graduate classes will start back up soon. My son, Luke, is starting football practice and preparing for his junior year. My daughters are going to be freshmen. Both girls will start learning to drive, and Isabelle will start ldquo;Are you ready?” he repeated. “Because it’s all coming.
I feel the pressing weight of all these changes. Time is passing too quickly. It’s like an hourglass has just been flipped and the game is beginning again. It gives me a nervous flutter in my stomach.
Dean is right. It’s all coming. All of it.
I’ve thought a lot about how to get ready. I need to be all in for these kids. Luke has two years left with me, and the girls have four. I have so little time left to listen, teach, comfort, guide, and love—and I want to make the most of it.
And meanwhile I want to be all in for myself, preparing for the next phase of my life when my nest gets less crowded. My house has been filled with children—and I mean overflowing—all summer long. It’s been like one endless weekend. Yesterday I counted seven pickup trucks in my driveway (this is Texas, after all). Raising teenagers can seriously wear you out.
I realize more than ever that I have to take care of myself if I have any hope of taking care of my people. In order to do that, I’ve been thinking about what I need in order to get ready. I’ve narrowed it down to three things:
Strength
I need to be strong enough to take care of myself and others. I need strength to speak my truth, guard my boundaries, and make sure we all toe the line. I need strength to carry burdens and bear the ache of difficult conversations without flinching. I need to be able to bear up and stand tall under these responsibilities.
Flexibility
Things change on a dime, without warning. What worked yesterday may not work today, or tomorrow. The only way to lead people who are constantly growing is to keep growing myself. I need to be able to bend without breaking. I need the flexibility to see other points of view, and find new ways of doing things.
I also need to have the balance that comes from a strong core. I need to fix my gaze ahead, on what’s important, so I can stand firm and focused in the midst of discomfort or distraction.
Endurance
It’s easy to want to throw in the towel when I’m tired, but I need to build the endurance keep going, no matter what. And my kids need to know that I will, too. I need to be counted in and counted on, for the long haul.
I realize these are lofty aspirations. I know I can’t tackle them all at once, or in every area of my life. They, like yoga or training for a marathon, require daily practice.
I’ve decided to start with the physical qualities, and train my body to be strong, flexible and resilient. I have been working hard all summer long. I believe that if I can manifest this mantra in my body, it will gain footing and momentum in my mind, my heart, and my spirit. Getting ready in one area fuels preparation in all areas. I have seen this ring true countless times. I need to see it again.
It’s all coming. Instead of freaking out about what lies ahead, I am doing what I can to be ready, right now. I want to be strong enough to face the tough stuff, flexible enough to shift when necessary, and cultivate the endurance to keep pushing through until I make it to the blessing on the other side.
Are you ready? Minute Wall Pilates Workout?
Kristin Armstrong is a mother, a writer, and a runner. She has written six books, including her latest, ldquo;So.” He paused. “We may as well get ready.&rdquo.
