I'm just back from a short break, with little yoga practice and even less meditation... How hard can it be to go back to normal?
The fear
Even before leaving, I knew it was going to be tough to keep all my regular activities. Between my yoga practice, meditation and journaling, it easily takes me a couple of hours a day. I was travelling for work, so I could see long days ahead and sleep was essential.
Arriving there
I went to Toronto in Canada, so the flight was pretty long and not comfortable. The plane was delayed a couple of times and we arrived in the hotel at something like 6pm. No yoga that day as I was wrecked and no meditation either. My body was so confused.
The next day, I went for a morning practice in the hotel's gym and it felt really good to stretch out the stress of the travel and the little aches from the plane. Still no time for meditation.
My time there
After that first day, everything was crazy! I managed to get one morning practice but had to wake up at 6am. After that day, I knew that morning practice on working days was a no-go, because waking up so early was not an option when working late. I managed one meditation during the whole trip. I tried to squeeze it in the morning, but I think evenings work better for me, I find it easier to calm the mind after a full day than before starting anything.
I did another class during the day, I think it was mid-morning, when I wasn't working anymore and it did feel good but Toronto is such a big city and I really wanted to enjoy fully my time there, so quickly yoga wasn't such a priority anymore.
Coming back to normal
I am back now, after 10 days abroad. I am happy to go back to my usual days with my morning practices and meditation.
The first couple of days have been rough though. I thought that I would easily go back into it, but it turns out I need to set myself back into a regular activity. I gave a couple of classes already, and it felt great, but in my opinion, I didn't prepare them enough. I don't think the students were impacted by that, it's just my perfectionist side that is talking here. I always set the bar quite high and expect the best from myself, so knowing that I spent less time working on sequencing and making the flow perfect just annoys me a bit.
Takeaways
What I learnt from that trip is this:
It's normal to change your habits while going away and it's also the whole point of going away
Regular practices will change, but keep listening to your body and your mind at all times
It's OK to cut down on your practice, learn to prioritise what feels good. When going away, it might make more sense to enjoy the present moment rather than speed up to fit in a quick practice
Do not beat yourself up because you practice less, just accept that the priority is elsewhere for a while
Keep in mind that, when coming back, you'll need to readjust and that takes time. Patience, as often, is key
My last words will be, if you are lucky enough to be going away this summer, remember that these moments don't last forever and enjoy them fully!
Happy holidays everyone!
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