Tonight I went to a yoga class for the first time in almost 2 months. I have been so busy with school, my house, and scouts that I haven't carved out time for self-care, and it's starting to show.
It was a deep stretch where we settled into poses and held them for 3-4 minutes, which can seem like 3-4 hours when your body is contorted into unnatural positions. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of this particular yoga studio, but it's close to my house and has $10 community classes on Sundays. It's been very crowded both times I've been, with 35+ people squeezed in like sardines and most of them were very noisy/chatty prior to the class beginning. Factor that into my physically out-of-practice self; it makes for a place that I was not able to fully relax and focus.
As we were settled into one of our poses, the instructor reminded us that we need to work through our distraction and fidgety natures and learn to sit with what is uncomfortable.
I reflected on several people I know who are sitting with what is uncomfortable this week. A friend whose parents are downsizing the family home to move into a retirement village. Another friend grappling with broken relationships with teenage children. Dear young friends of mine who gave birth to their first child who died an hour later. This is heavy stuff. My woes of a strenuous workload and time-sensitive house projects pale in comparison.
Yet, it is all discomfort to varying degrees. We cannot escape it. We can attempt to dull the pain chemically, we can seek comfort in religion, and we can reach out to friends and therapists. But ultimately, we have to sit with it and be still until the pain passes. Because this, too, will pass.
