Yoga, running, making excuses and life

I’m not sure if this is a post about yoga or running or making excuses in life but since this is a blog about learning to use the philosophy and teachings of yoga in daily life I’ve decided to post it.

I have an avid yoga practice. I teach 5 times a week and practice on my own in my living room, or in the yurt. (I have a yurt for a massage therapy studio) I love the physical practice of yoga but always feel like there is something missing. That something is running. I’ve been a runner most of my life but lately my running has been very inconsistent. I have a million excuses about why I can’t find time to fit in running. Honestly, I haven’t run consistently since I lived in Houston and with the heat and humidity and a full time job as a special education teacher and three small children I still squeezed it in despite the road blocks. In NJ I had the excuse of the bears. We lived in rural NJ with a large bear population. The first time I ran and rounded the corner and saw one, it set me back. I bought an air horn and put a bell on my shoe, but still never recovered from the first encounter. Every squirrel, bird or rustle in a bush left me jumpy. We moved to PA 4 and ½ years ago and I picked up running whenever it fit into life. My husband travels A LOT for work and so that became my next excuse. My kids were young, and I couldn’t leave them for a run. I’d get into a consistent schedule and Paul would leave for 2-3 weeks, sometimes up to a month to Thailand, Korea, China or Saudi Arabia, again my excuse for not running consistently.

The kids are older and I can leave them for a ½ an hour to run, but I’ve come up with more excuses, the main one being my inconsistent work schedule. Today, I’m done making excuses and am ready to commit to running regularly and longer. I’m putting it out there on my blog for friends and strangers to read. I am committing to a regular running schedule. It makes such a difference in my life, both physically and emotionally. I love the sound of my feet on the pavement. I run by corn and soy bean farms. I see turkey vultures soar, they really are beautiful in flight, and occasionally spot a red tailed hawk.

How does this all fit into yoga? Yoga teaches about being kind to ourselves and the body. It’s about learning to acknowledge where you are in life with out judgment. Yoga teaches that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. It teaches us to meet life’s challenges with calm and confidence. Yoga teaches us about mindfulness and mindfulness like all things of merit can be accomplished one step at a time. I will approach my commitment to running one step at a time which reminds me of a quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer “When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.”

I will enjoy each run, each effort and each step along the way.

Namaste’