Miracles Every Day

There are two ways to live your life; one is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle – Albert Einstein. Not a Yoga Sutra or Yoga philosophy, still, words to live by.

My jet lag has recovered and I’ve had time to reflect on our family trip to The Netherlands to visit my in-laws where everything felt like a miracle. My boys 7, 9 and 11 drank in everything from the moment they boarded the plane in Newark until the moment we arrived home two weeks later. Everything was a miracle in their eyes and mine too. They found joy in the well manicured boxwoods and hedges in every Dutch yard, spotting windmills and driving by canals, noticing that biking is for transportation and not just pleasure, playing with cousins and communicating the way only children can and eating LOTS of vlaai (pie) at outdoor cafes

Biking to the store became a great joy for my oldest son, along with attending a professional soccer game and watching endless sports with his Opa. Visiting a local bird trainer and allowing one of the Harry Potter owls to sit on my middles sons head was a highlight for him, He also enjoyed bungee jumping and running with me on the flat brick roads through the farms and greenhouses. Being offered ice-cream when visiting friends and family, watching Sponge Bob speak Dutch and learning endless Dutch words himself was a highlight for my youngest son. Each day brought us something new to explore and enjoy. This was by far my favorite trip to Holland and only a snapshot of our trip.

I wanted to attend a Yoga Class while in Holland to experience Yoga with a Dutch speaking instructor, relying on my intuition and observation to guide me. But because of our schedule and the schedules of the studios it didn’t happen. Most Dutch families take a three week vacation so many studios were closed. Because Yoga is not just the physical practice, I believe I still experienced yoga through the practice of mindfulness and being present. Being present means giving your attention to everything that is happening in the moment. I enjoyed the miracle of every moment with the help of my children. This is a practice for every moment, no matter the circumstances.