My mindful non harsh day by day return to being a healthy mama

(or how I am utilizing all the best HM stuff in my life)

to begin with -- I went to this silly women's expo, mainly booth after booth of stuff being marketed and shoved at women to buy, to consume, to make their lives MORE fill in the blank -- me, I wandered looking for specific things for stocking stuffers for my 3 teens and who knows what else. One booth, last row, was a Dahn yoga center www.dahnyoga.com offering an aura pic, evaluation & free trial class for $15. Okay, I have always wanted a pic of my aura & I KNOW I need to get to some sort of center (doing my own routine of exercise or meditation has become lost in the maelstrom of my family life).

Red aura with black blockage (duh). Make plan to go in on the Monday 3 days from then.

Between that reading and the intake session, I choose to shift.
Cutting out some foods -- there is this delish choc cake and I have had but one slice the 1st night, I have stopped drinking soda etc etc. Make sure I eat edamame to up my soy.
As some of you may be aware I think I may be going thru menopause so I had begun a slow intake of black cohosh and being much more mindful of whether my reactions to my family are justified or perhaps "hormonal" based.

The one & half-hour meeting with the lady at the Dahn center was beyond words. I left knowing I would sign up for a yr. long membership and that I would commit to the 3 classes a week and the rest.
My left shoulder which comes in instead of being straight due to not only physical ailments from childhood but is compounded by stress LAY as relaxed and in proper location as my right shoulder. I nearly floated out being so relaxed. There was an intense position, which she had me hold for 10 minutes. I shook and she explained i was unblocking. Then she moved me into a 2nd position for 2 more minutes and a 3rd for another 2 minutes. My legs shook like in labour and I was emotionally affected. (I had HOPED oh how I had hoped I would be emotionally rocked by this experience). I attempted to do the positions this morning and the 10 minutes was sooo much easier. I only shook the last 2 minutes and I still felt so much better after.

Part of my homework from the center was to read chapters 3 & 4 of Human Technology, a toolkit for authentic living by Ilchi Lee.
One reason i am drawn to this place is they go beyond just a yoga class -- each class is ended with a tea ceremony (more mindfulness, more spiritual healing).
I was told that if I wanted to come to a class on wed (today) before the Thursday beginners orientation I would be able to take part in a special class their Head Master was gong to lead (this doesn’t happen often). I take it to be a signpost for me that within the week I joined there IS both an orientation & a master led class.

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my new daily mindful healthiness ---

for the past 3 mornings I have let my body wake when it was ready, I stretch out on bed and I put on headphones and mediate to some Native American flutes & drums.
I am making the will power self control choices at mealtime.

Last night when my children were fighting and I was becoming unfocused and could feel myself getting angry i kicked the kids out -- sent them to the corner to buy water and do a quick errand. I had already turned of the noise in the house. I went to shower (hot showers help me a lot). I used my scrubby bath gloves & ginseng soap. I climbed into my bed -- incense lit and headphone son and breathed and relaxed and meditated on relaxing for 30 minutes. The kids came home and I was minimally interrupted but it was fine.

Each night I have begun a ritual for bedtime and my body. I shower, then apply lotions & potions (my term) to my entire body. I have found some amazing products (some natural, some generic mainstream - but I am seeking out replacements for those slowly, don’t want to overload myself with goals). So I apply foot moisturizer and socks, I put on a night cream (all natural) I pamper and love my poor tired body and then I go to bed. I use some different audios for the meditation into sleep. I have insane insomnia & when I do turn off the TV and computer and head to the shower it is not because I am "ready" for bed, but I am trying to get to sleep by a set time to deal with my insomnia. The music is one of my tools to shutting my mind down to sleep. And it allows me another specific time for being mindful of my breathing & relaxing my stressed body.

Today I slept in, did my stretching, did the position I mentioned above, spent my cuddle time with oy when he woke up. I am going to read my chapters and BREATHE while having some herbal tea and Trader Joe's molasses cookies (allowing myself some "Luxuries" is crucial).

I am going to the Dahn center at 6 pm for the master led class. The rest of the day between now & then I am going to do my best to keep calm and relaxed. I am going to prepare dinner for the kids before I leave so I am not rushed to do it when I get back form my class. I am setting up the weekly plan -- which classes I am going to attend, when I will use 16 or Daddy-o as "childcare" for oy.

I am growing back to being healthy, slowly and mindfully.