Better Beauty Vermont

Most mornings, I’m up before the rest of the household for at least 30 minutes of yoga with Fightmaster Yoga and some me time. This morning, my husband had to get up at 4, waking me up as well, leading to a few extra snoozes on my alarm. Needless to say, my two year old was up by the time I hit the mat.

One option is to leave her in her room and pretend not to hear her. The second is to embrace the situation and welcome her into my practice.

Now, the second option is not quite as restorative for me, but it’s great mother daughter time. It’s good for her to see Mom exercising, even if she doesn’t understand. It’s important as a mom to not lose sight of who you are. You take on a new identity, but it doesn’t have to replace your previous identity. I started doing yoga this year to have something new to do that connected me back to me. It makes me a better mother because the time spent on myself is refreshing. I feel good in my body, my mind and soul. That trickles down to the rest of my day and my family.

We do a lot for our families. Even in modern times when our husbands and partners are supposed to be equal partners in everything, including diaper changes and dishes, that’s not always the case. I still do 90% of the shopping, cooking, cleaning and other household chores. My husband is amazing, and does what I ask, but I don’t always bother to ask him. So I’m starting to work on it. I’m asking him to do the dishes after dinner. I’m leaving him to feed our daughter breakfast to go for a run.

My work with Beautycounter is another area where I can really take time for myself. I’m guilt free because using safer products is good for everyone- the products on my skin end up on my daughter and (given her current obsession with kissing) in her mouth.

The time I spend working on the business is time I feel connected to a greater cause, other women, and I’m building time and financial freedom that will enable me to spend even more time with my family. Time is the most valuable thing you have. You can’t get it back- so spend it wisely.

The “10 minute yoga for energy” seemed like an appropriate choice this morning.  Even though when I got up I really felt like doing a longer session, sometimes life dictates otherwise. Here’s what I was reminded of today:

• Even if you snooze one too many times, there’s still time to do one thing that makes you feel ready to tackle the day.
• Progress, not perfection. A down dog over a toddler is better than no down dog at all.
• Taking care of yourself makes you a better wife, mother, friend, coworker.
• Doing work you love that inspires others benefits your entire family.

Little life lessons are all around us. This post took forever to write because my secretary was bringing me things to see, climbing up for snuggles, and generally being so cute I could hardly stand it. So I snuggled. I played peek-a-boo. I eventually had a few consecutive minutes to write. Embrace those moments!