I have to say, it was a pretty fun filled day. I woke up early and got my hair cut. Nothing can set the tone for the day like a haircut, so I was really rolling the dice on that one. But I have to say, it was a success. I've been growing it out from a super short little pixie cut for a year and it finally looks the way I want it to look. Success.
I went to my very first yoga class next. I have been practicing yoga for about 9 years now, but I had never been to a class before yesterday. I think there are a few reasons behind that... one is that I was a dancer for many years, and being a dancer, I am very competitive and very perfectionistic. So being in a room full of people trying to learn something was so intimidating to me that I actually spent years doing it on my own by reading in books and following videos in order to learn how to do all the poses. Then, even after I starting feeling comfortable with and even good at yoga, I still preferred to stay in my house and do it because yoga brought me a peace that I just did not think I was going to get in a class full of people.
I made the decision to go to the yoga class because I really wanted to get a good workout despite my foot injury. I have to say, I really liked it. I picked a class that was an intermediate level and I felt competent as well as challenged, which was perfect. I actually felt so exhausted at one point that I had tears in my eyes, but it felt really great to be in such a supportive environment where I felt encouraged to keep going even when I was mentally exhausted.
The yoga teacher talked about "staying in the eye of the hurricane" which kind of meant focusing on balance and peace and calm. She said that sometimes life starts to feel like the arm of the hurricane: the most chaotic, furious, and destructive part of the storm. And in yoga, and in life, you have to focus on centering yourself back in the eye.
There was only one part that I would have left out at home, and that was that I had to grab the person's ankle next to me and he had to grab mine. And he was SUPER sweaty and I had not painted my toenails either. It was uncomfortable. I was having a hard time staying in the eye of the hurricane at that point.
After yoga, I took Levi on a walk and then we strolled over to Jenny's house to grab some tea at the Raging Sage. Jenny got Levi and me presents (we decided that even though Levi's adoption paperwork estimated his birthday at February 20th, we would celebrate on February 4th). Levi got a squeaky toy and treats. I got a necklace and a little knick-knack for my wall. Here's a picture of us posing with our toys:
After coffee I did a little shopping then went to church. Then my friend Laura picked me up and I went to dinner with a bunch of friends from all different parts of my life. It was so awesome to see friends from all parts of my life come together and really click with one another. After dinner we kept the party going at Che's Lounge. I had so much fun. The night came to a close and I went to bed a happy 26-year-old woman!
Levi was also very happy to be turning 2.
This was a really great way to begin a new year in my life. I know I've hit some rough times and some obstacles that I hadn't anticipated, but this birthday was a reminder of the people who love me, the things I can accomplish, and the joy I am capable of feeling when things feel like they are desperately spinning out of control, right into the arm of the hurricane.
So excited to start this new year...
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