Celebrate the "Can-Do's"

I am very lucky because I currently do much of my writing and teaching from home, so I don’t have to head out in the blistery cold, New York winter weather, unless I run out of coffee or meet a friend for lunch. The only time that I am obligated to leave the house is when I teach a weekly yoga class at a local senior center. My class is offered in the early morning, and on a recent single-digit-read-on-the-thermometer day, I pulled into the parking lot thinking that I might be the only one practicing yoga that morning. If I were faced with the choice of staying snuggly with a steamy cup of joe or attending my own class, I would probably choose the former on such a frigid day. But when the time came to start class, all of my regular participants were there! Like the image of the mail person trudging through all kinds of inclement weather, these inspired people were willing to forego the warmth of their home for a brief trek in the arctic and some time together to stretch and move to the melody of their own cricks and creaks.

Before class started, one of the jokesters in the group asked aloud, “Why are we here?”, and then immediately responded with, “Because we’re not all there!” Although that may be true in my case, truth be told, these seniors and those I regularly teach online not only have it all together, they cultivate something amazing inside themselves: strength, fortitude, and resilience. They honor their bodies and try not to get frustrated with their seeming limitations. They celebrate the “can do’s” rather than drown in the “no longer’s.”

Sometimes, we need to be reminded that our bodies have lasted through countless years and possible traumas, and the seemingly small things (namely, the ability to stand or sit with an extended spine) are just as amazing as anything else. What’s happening on the inside is what’s most important, but it’s also beneficial to take a moment, a breath, and celebrate all that your body can do and embrace all that it still has to offer.