I had the day off today. Which is nice. I've been up to my ears in my latest show and home-front drama.
I was very much looking forward to sleeping in. In fact, I had an entire day planned for relaxation and a little Me Time. Me Time is invaluable for self preservation and awareness. Taking a little time to eat well, do some yoga, focus on breathing, allowing yourself to wash away all the emotional plaque that can attach itself during a particularly busy and stressful time in your life.
But of course, it is that one universal rule that transcends all others: whenever you expect to sleep in, you can't. You just sit there, awake (without coffee) at 5:45 AM, with your cat on your chest, allergens clogging up your air and the guilt of not going to work choke-holding your morning toast and grapefruit in the middle of your esophagus.
It just occurred to me that I might be a mess.
Can you be a mess without knowing it? Well, of course by that I mean, can you think you're really happy, living the life you want and pursuing the career you know makes you happiest, erstwhile jogging around, a walking, talking mess?
Hm. I suppose it's something to think about.
I fought my way out of bed (seriously, whose idea was it to pile 17 pillows, two blankets, my cat and myself into a full size mattress?) and made another self evaluation: I am not graceful.
As I picked myself up off the floor, I checked for rugburns... nope. Well I think we can count that as a freebie.
I decided (even post graceless evaluation) to do some yoga, and as I was in the middle of my Extended Side Angle Pose, I noticed a large collection of wasps gathering at the window. Now, Extended Side Angle requires strength, flexibility and endurance. I have NONE of those when I see bees, wasps, hornets... generally anything that is insectual and flies, and has the potential to sting me.
That was the end of my yoga. I had only gone 5 poses in!
I decided maybe to take a different approach on my path toward relaxation on my day off.
I turned on some music and did some yoga breath retention. However, during my breathing, I realized I hadn't cleaned the kitchen in two days. So I abandoned that quest and hauled it off to the kitchen.
Not only did I thoroughly clean the kitchen, I made my way through my entire house. Livingroom, bathroom, bedroom, tv room. I cleaned the cat box, washed all the laminate floors, vacuumed all the carpeted ones. Sucked the spiderwebs from the walls, sprayed and disinfected the shower. I washed the windows, threw out the garbage and sprayed "No Scratch Spray" on my rather expensive rug. I kept cleaning until I realized I was trying to eradicate my emotional baggage by eradicating the grime in my house.
But it was too late. I was already worked up. I needed some quick actin relaxin.
So where was I to turn? Sleeping in had been disqualified. Yoga was off the agenda and relaxation breathing was right out.
So I went out to the garage (the one area of my house I hadn't obsessively cleaned) and walked by the piles of boxes marked "Christmas", "Pots N Pans" and "Heirlooms". I ignored the mattress and bed frame that has been leaning against the wall since I moved in. I purposefully turned my head from the piles of books, dvds, and extra linens stacked so high that they impeded my view of the ceiling. No. I ignored all these things and headed straight for the box marked "College".
I knew what I would find there.
I hauled it into my now pristine living room and opened it, dumping the contents onto my rather expensive cat-repelling area rug. Piece by piece, I examined the contents. Programs from past performances, notes written to me from friends, performers and professors, and most of all, the three giant photo albums of my favorite group of girls. I took hours. I flipped through photo after photo, remembering the events leading up to the time each picture was shot, and the effects there after. I smiled as each brought a fresh memory of a time in my life when I was very very happy.
And before I knew it, I was relaxed, refreshed and ready to meet the day. Better than coffee. Better than a nap, looking at my happy memories was like a massage for the soul, a pedicure for my frayed nerves and like Child's Pose for my stress levels.
It was exactly what I needed. A powerful restorative for anyone, and the best part is, it's free and reusable.
And now it's lunchtime.
I will practically skip to the cupboards, in fact, maybe I'll even sprint. Who knows? I seem to have more energy now than I did this morning.
I was very much looking forward to sleeping in. In fact, I had an entire day planned for relaxation and a little Me Time. Me Time is invaluable for self preservation and awareness. Taking a little time to eat well, do some yoga, focus on breathing, allowing yourself to wash away all the emotional plaque that can attach itself during a particularly busy and stressful time in your life.
But of course, it is that one universal rule that transcends all others: whenever you expect to sleep in, you can't. You just sit there, awake (without coffee) at 5:45 AM, with your cat on your chest, allergens clogging up your air and the guilt of not going to work choke-holding your morning toast and grapefruit in the middle of your esophagus.
It just occurred to me that I might be a mess.
Can you be a mess without knowing it? Well, of course by that I mean, can you think you're really happy, living the life you want and pursuing the career you know makes you happiest, erstwhile jogging around, a walking, talking mess?
Hm. I suppose it's something to think about.
I fought my way out of bed (seriously, whose idea was it to pile 17 pillows, two blankets, my cat and myself into a full size mattress?) and made another self evaluation: I am not graceful.
As I picked myself up off the floor, I checked for rugburns... nope. Well I think we can count that as a freebie.
I decided (even post graceless evaluation) to do some yoga, and as I was in the middle of my Extended Side Angle Pose, I noticed a large collection of wasps gathering at the window. Now, Extended Side Angle requires strength, flexibility and endurance. I have NONE of those when I see bees, wasps, hornets... generally anything that is insectual and flies, and has the potential to sting me.
That was the end of my yoga. I had only gone 5 poses in!
I decided maybe to take a different approach on my path toward relaxation on my day off.
I turned on some music and did some yoga breath retention. However, during my breathing, I realized I hadn't cleaned the kitchen in two days. So I abandoned that quest and hauled it off to the kitchen.
Not only did I thoroughly clean the kitchen, I made my way through my entire house. Livingroom, bathroom, bedroom, tv room. I cleaned the cat box, washed all the laminate floors, vacuumed all the carpeted ones. Sucked the spiderwebs from the walls, sprayed and disinfected the shower. I washed the windows, threw out the garbage and sprayed "No Scratch Spray" on my rather expensive rug. I kept cleaning until I realized I was trying to eradicate my emotional baggage by eradicating the grime in my house.
But it was too late. I was already worked up. I needed some quick actin relaxin.
So where was I to turn? Sleeping in had been disqualified. Yoga was off the agenda and relaxation breathing was right out.
So I went out to the garage (the one area of my house I hadn't obsessively cleaned) and walked by the piles of boxes marked "Christmas", "Pots N Pans" and "Heirlooms". I ignored the mattress and bed frame that has been leaning against the wall since I moved in. I purposefully turned my head from the piles of books, dvds, and extra linens stacked so high that they impeded my view of the ceiling. No. I ignored all these things and headed straight for the box marked "College".
I knew what I would find there.
I hauled it into my now pristine living room and opened it, dumping the contents onto my rather expensive cat-repelling area rug. Piece by piece, I examined the contents. Programs from past performances, notes written to me from friends, performers and professors, and most of all, the three giant photo albums of my favorite group of girls. I took hours. I flipped through photo after photo, remembering the events leading up to the time each picture was shot, and the effects there after. I smiled as each brought a fresh memory of a time in my life when I was very very happy.
And before I knew it, I was relaxed, refreshed and ready to meet the day. Better than coffee. Better than a nap, looking at my happy memories was like a massage for the soul, a pedicure for my frayed nerves and like Child's Pose for my stress levels.
It was exactly what I needed. A powerful restorative for anyone, and the best part is, it's free and reusable.
And now it's lunchtime.
I will practically skip to the cupboards, in fact, maybe I'll even sprint. Who knows? I seem to have more energy now than I did this morning.
