First blizzard of the year! I am not even sure if 2012 had a blizzard at all! 75 cm of snow, winds over 100 km/h, and lack of power made for a treacherous day. We were lucky to have power restored before lunchtime. Much needed coffees were made and drank. After extensive shovelling we are relaxing under a few blankets.

The yoga mat is looking at me from the corner of the room and I am eager to place it on the floor for my daily practice. Yoga is back into my life after what it seems a lifetime of neglect. Years ago I was a passionate yogi, having yoga classes 4 to 5 times a week plus a regular home practice that included meditation. Crow pose was one of my favourite poses and I had started to do headstands with the support of a wall. Then a series of events, from a change in yoga teacher to finishing my Ph.D. and starting a full-time job, gradually pushed yoga back on my priorities list. Now, I can’t touch my toes without bending my knees and my shoulders are as flexible as cement. A year of carrying car seats, strollers, baby, and nursing in the most awkward positions certainly does not help.

About a year ago, just before Samuel was born, I got a proper yoga mat and planned to spend the last few weeks of my pregnancy stretching and meditating. Of course, baby was born earlier and I was only able to squeeze in a couple of home-sessions. Destiny, however, has a way to work itself out and a few months into motherhood I met a wonderful mom and yoga teacher. We started doing yoga together while our babies slept in front of our mats. Yes, there were short sessions between nursing, diaper changes and fussiness, but it was a start.

At the beginning of winter I started going to some yoga studios. First, just a few karma classes at Shakti, Moksha and Nova Yoga but soon I had to get a pass because yoga just makes you feel THAT much better from the inside out. The universe seems to conspire with me because at the Nova Yoga’s 3^rd Birthday Party I won a pass for their 30-day Yoga Challenge! I am hoping to go to a class every day during the Challenge but will see how that will work out between baby, Olivia Canela, and weather. I am lucky that every time I look at my baby boy I feel inspire to continue my yoga practice – more on that later.

Have a wonderful weekend, be kind to your body during these intense shovelling times and Namaste!