Side By Each

Deep breath and folding slowly down into rag doll.   Stepping the feet back, we will come onto our backs. Taking a moment to centre the body.    Centre the mind.

My eyes are closed, and I feel the slightest change of air upon my face. The gentle swish of something passing by upon my fingers resting at my side.

My eyes flicker open expecting the cat to have walked by, but instead Zoo Zoo has come to lay beside me on the floor.

Her eyes are closed, her tiny frame stretched out flat beside me; I can hear her deep inhales and exhales. And bringing our feet up close to our bodies, heels barely grazing our hips; stretching the knees forward and lifting our hips off the floor, we'll take some time for Setu Bandha Sarvangasana - Bridge Pose.

Deep breaths coming into the body, watching the rise of fall of the stomach.

I suppress a chuckle at the exaggerated breaths coming from beside me, and check her form.   Not too bad at all.  She catches my glance and the smile splits her face ear to ear.

"Just Breathe Mommy"

Here we lay, reunited side by each once again, after the long day of school hours has come to an end.   Mommy trying to squeeze her workout in before dinner preparations, and the girls watching a show on Disney; or so I thought.    Not a habit I'd like to repeat every day, but I try to suppress the guilt I feel for not getting my yoga done prior to their return.   This should be their time with mommy. 

"I cried for you today Mommy.  I missed you."

Every time you go - away; you take a piece of me - with you.

I reach a finger out to gently touch the tip of her nose.    I missed you too. Slowly bringing the hips back down to the floor.... keeping the belly button pulled to the floor, we'll take a moment... one breath.... ... then lifting the hips once more, if it's in your practice to do so, coming up into Chakra-asana - Wheel Pose and taking a moment we'll pause here to feel the stretch...

Pause Here.

I glance over once more and we laugh at our hair falling into our upside down faces.  So maybe we forget our correct breathing for a moment.   Maybe our focus is shaky.  Her laughter causes her body to lean to one side, and she almost loses her balance. But she catches herself just before toppling over.... resets.

Good job baby. 

So not a perfect pose. Not a perfect day.

But we catch ourselves before we topple over. Hold the moment. Breathe.

And linger awhile in the quiet; side by each.   Stretching out, stretching closer. 

Reset.

Once more slowly lowering the body, we'll come into our final resting pose, Savasana.  Softening the body, quieting the mind...

Much like our shaky wheel pose, I let my day get out of balance.  I didn't stay focused, organization went out the window, and now I am left rushing through yoga before the next task must be done.

One should never rush through yoga.

And now, an interrupting child.   Focus is gone.  Balance is shaky. 

But we hold the pose.   Breath deep.   And stretch out our fingers towards one another; stretching out the moment.   We linger.

ZooZoo, do you think you will miss mommy tomorrow too?

Yeah...I'll miss you every day. Yeah, me too baby. 

... stretching the fingers, stretching the toes, on the exhale letting go of all the tensions in the body.   Release. Relax. Slowly feel the body grounding.

Lying flat on our backs, heads turned towards one another, her tiny hand resting on my own, I realize that sometimes even I - the grown up - may need to get "grounded" in order to regain my focus. And interruptions can be good things, when you experience them side by each.

See, I'm learning.  And hopefully, these small moments mean they are learning right beside me.