Today I tried a new activity, standup paddle board yoga. It was my first time on a paddle board, as well as doing SUP yoga. This experience was a gift given to me, to try something new and do it on my own as part of Project Emily. It ended up being so much more than that.
We got out on the water, found our spot to practice and let down the sand bags. There were just two students and the instructor. We started by breathing and asking, “What are your goals for the next hour? What feelings do you want to let go of?”
Be strong, be smart. I am capable of success. I am as good as I have ever been and that it all I can hope for every day.
The waves rolled in under, and sometimes over, the boards, making balance nearly impossible. But, even so, with the unsettled waters, we kept breathing to find the calm amongst the waves. Let all the stresses and bad feeling roll off the board and away in the waves. Bring the calm to the board and find your centre to find the balance.
When in doubt breathe.
In life, we must not let ourselves fall into the roughness of the waves, we must hold on with every muscle in our bodies, to stand up. Sometimes we will stumble, but by remembering to breathe, embrace the waves, we can use the imbalance to strengthen ourselves and rise.