Several weeks ago I was in my favorite yoga class with the amazing Christine Burke from Liberation Yoga, now Zooming into homes everywhere - in this case my bedroom. In that class she said something that rang in my ears the entire class. It ignited my imagination, waking it from its 4 month slumber.
Since my last post we have lived in 3 Airbnb’s, managed major home repairs, repainted 2 homes and settled my mother into assisted living. We had holidays, work got really busy, I took some online classes, and ran a Creativity Jumpstart. I chose paint colors, fabrics, furniture, rugs - an endless stream of decisions to be made & problems to be solved. We oversaw a general contractor, painters, floor repair people, HVAC specialists, and movers; the list of to-dos was (and is still) never ending, the details overwhelming! And we navigated all of this in the COVID sphere.
Do you know how many colors of “beige” there are?!
During this time, even the thought of writing was difficult for me. From not being able to get comfortable in my tumultuous environment to a calendar that I allowed to fill within an inch of its life, I found myself exhausted, overwhelmed and uninspired. Everything felt too big and heavy and dark. I started writing a post in March and quickly abandoned it. At some point I decided to give myself full permission to be with whatever this was, and trust that someday the words would start flowing again.
And sure enough, on a Sunday evening a few weeks ago, when I put myself into movement in the presence of a simple prompt from a yoga teacher, the words began to move.
“Little things make a big difference,” she said.
It hit me like a ton of bricks and opened up the floodgates. Compelled not to lose the words that floated so easily through me in that moment, I turned on the recorder on my phone and captured my thoughts as we moved from plank to downward dog to warrior 2. The audio is a basket weave of poetry and the gentle commands of a yogi guiding movements and the small adjustments that make a big difference. These are my breathless reflections inspired by this simple but powerful prompt.
The Little Things
little things make such a big difference
small letters, CAP letters
flowers in the house
the way you make someone feel
purple flowers on the tree
little things make such a big difference
a smile
a red balloon
the perfect fabric
a paint color
the beige
what’s the difference, in the beige
little things make a big difference
the simple words of a yoga teacher
little things make a big difference
the daisy’s in the bathroom
taking the phone call
asking the question
trying
practicing
a positive attitude
a sunny day
forgiveness
a couple of inches on the sofa
the first rose of spring
the perfect song
Now it’s your turn. Get into motion and explore this: What are the simple little things in your life that make a difference for you? What happens when you notice them?
photo by Lynne Harris Bernstein
"beige"
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