I went for a run at lunchtime on Shore Road, it’s a good hilly run that I just love. There are lots of evergreens, views of the water and sometimes you get to see the big o’ swan that hangs around. I knew I was up for a challenging run because the weather has been just iffy enough that I’m not getting out regularly.

So when I tackled the steepest hill on the run sure enough, I got pretty tired and breathless. And it was cool, I just stopped and walked the rest of the hill. Usually I’d get all into ‘I should push myself’, ‘I should be able to do this’, ‘if I walk that must mean….’ blah-blah di blah. But this time I just started walking and I thought – today is just about just going the distance. It’s not about how fast I get there.

I do that when i’m heading to the mat too. I decide that I really should do “x” Sun Salutations or stay in a certain pose for “y” breaths and then, boy, I’ll have really achieved something. But that’s not really listening to my body. That’s alot more about listening to my head and my ego.

I’d like to get better at deciding how long I’m able to stay on the mat and give myself permission to do the poses I need during that time. I’d like to trust I’ll still find the same yoga glow, but allow it to be based completely on how it happens to flows that day. I’d like to be better at just going the distance, taking the shape of whatever poses get me there.