The three grand essentials to happiness in life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

-Joseph Addison, Opening Quote, Meditations from the Mat

Day 324 – In my attempts to finish the book by the end of the year and start anew (perhaps with the meditation book or reading this one again for the third time), I have been combining some days, which makes sense in the fact that I also skip days.  However, today’s reading was just too powerful to combine with any other and I didn’t really even sneak a glance at where this might lead tomorrow (which I sometimes do).

Yesterday, I had a healthy 4 a.m. dance practice and routine Monday at school, full of snarky adolescents and disgruntled public school employees and rigorous use of Plan B.  The printer took 2 hours to get working after the break, students were pulled out of one of my classes delaying the beginning of a unit, and looming class observations threaten everyone’s composure and test one’s Plan B.  I was tired by the end of the work day, but I returned to crossfit (I’ve been pretty much off for 2 weeks).  I set a goal for my lifts and my tweaky shoulder and impossible hips.  I had every intention of eating my standard keto dinner (of steak and brussels) and going off to dance class, but sitting at the table, eating an alternative more paleo meal, I looked at Fred and Nina and said, “I’m going to bed.”  They encouraged me to go to dance, but I actually fell asleep at 7 a.m.

Falling asleep at 7 a.m. is a trigger for me.  It brings up a thousand questions:  Am I starting to go hypothyroidism again? Did I do too much?  Will I be like this tomorrow? Is the brain fog and lethargy returning?  Is this why my knee is achy and swollen? Am I going to cycle through ennui and depression again? What should I do? do? do?

Rolf describes how yoga practice is the center of his day and that by organizing his day around practice, he places his spiritual well-being at the top of his to-do list.  He writes thusly:  “I accord my physical, mental, and spiritual health their rightful place in my life.”  His teaching of yoga has given him something to love and to grow at, and his students, give him something to hope for, as he describes:  “As I watch the everydayness, the commonplaceness, of their courage, their undeniable ability to surmount obstacles, I feel as though I am being given a glimpse of the answer…about how all the big problems are going to be resolved.  Who is going to address the environment, war, oppression, hopelessness?  We are.”

And, upon awakening at 4 a.m., I humbly warmed up (with foot and arm postures), did a short 10-minute yoga-dance routine (tried it out), and then 30 minutes of a stretchy yoga.  I spent the extra 30 minutes doing the dishes, and listening to a podcast, sat down and read this quote and felt renewed and revived.  Hopefully, I am full of tears because this reading was so beautiful and not because my body is spinning into a hormonal chasm of unbalance.  This morning’s reading was a little message to myself to practice (do), to love (teach) and to hope (the world will be just fine).