Yoga

I'm a new devotee of yoga and have found it wonderfully helpful for my lower back...not to mention the fact that I can touch my toes now (I've never been very flexible). I love the peacefulness of the process - strike a pose - breathe deeply. I used to exercise at 9:30 in the morning, right after I put Grant down for his morning nap. Grace would come in and watch me stretch and breathe and stretch, and after listening to the DVD instructor a few times, she started to coach me saying, "Take a deep breath mommy. Be sure to breathe!" Then she'd pat me...so cute.

As he approached his 18-month mark in life, Grant began to outgrow his morning/afternoon nap - ah, such sorrow. I moved his nap back an hour and a half, and now I had a new spectator to my exercise routine...a spectator who became a menace after 1 minute. As I would stretch and Grace would chant instructions, Grant would climb on me, mess with my hair and crawl under my tummy all the while giggling hysterically. The last straw, however, was when he pooped in his diaper and then sat right next to my nose while Grace urged me to take deep breaths. I now get up at 5:30 am for some yoga peace and quiet, and though I do miss Gracie's help, the air is a lot fresher smelling.