Slow down & observe the simple things

With planning a wedding long distance and less than three months to go, the stress is kicking in. I know at the end of the day I will be marrying my John and live happily ever after. I have no doubt in our relationship. There is no doubt the wedding ceremony will be just lovely.

Where the stress comes in… communicating with guests and wedding party, having issues with the wedding party clothes, missing the food tasting due to snow, trying to start my life as a yoga teacher, juggling kids in the meantime, having misunderstandings all around, and the list goes on and on. There is always so much to think about and to plan. Even when things are coming together, my mind still races over the things I need to do.

Stress hits me easily, and hard. I become overwhelmed and exhausted. I want to sleep, cry, and eat. BUT I CAN’T! Because there is so much planning to do, and I’m trying to get fit for my gorgeous wedding gown. It’s never ending!

What does help… breathing. Taking a few moments to breathe. Listening to the sound of the breath. Closing the eyes. Slow and natural. Feeling the air flowing through my body and giving me life. Meditation isn’t easy, but listening to the breath is a beginning. It is truly amazing how that life force can calm us, or give us anxiety. The breath, God’s gift to keep us going 🙂

Stop and smell the flowers. Literally! Taking the time to observe and appreciate Mother Earth’s gifts is uplifting and soothing for the soul. Smelling flowers, my favorite are tulips, is lovely for helping you calm down and reflect. How simple is the life of a flower? Blossoming and providing beauty and incredible aromas for us to benefit from.

And of course, my favorite thing to help me relax is yoga. When I don’t have time for a full practice or to get to the studio, I like to do random asanas. Downward facing dog and seated forward fold are wonderful to help bring the awareness back to the moment and yourself. Yoga Journal is a great resource to get tips on these poses, or you can always ask your Yoga Teacher (maybe me! :))

So basically, when things get crazy and I feel like I wanna curl up in a ball… I breathe. I do things good for the soul. And you know what? I’m not angry or mad, I just am.