A Week Alone
I took a 7 day vacation to the Dominican Republic all by myself. You are welcome to go ahead and start judging me. 12 years ago when I had my first bundle of joy I would have judged myself too. How dare that woman leave her kids and husband for a week to go alone on a vacation somewhere beautiful and relaxing. How selfish of her, who does she think she is? I can hands down say it’s been one of the best Yes’s I have ever said to myself. The best Yes I ever said to myself was allowing myself to fall in love with Chris. If you haven’t read Shonda Rhymes Year of Yes, I highly recommend you do, and I loved the audible version! Click Here to check it out!
I am all about momma self-care but a 7 day vacation took my self-care to the next level. I get massages and facials, go to yoga class, meet a gal pal for lunch, and go to a movie alone just to name a few things that make my soul happy. (friends if you haven’t had the pleasure of going to a movie alone, do it.)
I find myself saying to my yoga tribe in class if you are well then your family is well and you can’t pour from an empty cup you must fill your cup first, so you can take care of the ones you love. I believe that most moms are not taking care of themselves. They are exhausted, overworked, over scheduled, overwhelmed and surviving daily life. I believe the solution to this is to love yourself first. You have to make taking care of yourself; mind, body and spirit a priority in your life, so you can take care of your family better!
Some of you reading this are thinking I could never leave for a week. That’s just not possible my home would fall apart, my job needs me, and who would do the cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, car pool, tuck the kids in bed, take the kids to baseball practice and ballet and yep those were my initial thoughts too.
Let me share with you why I said yes to me and a week away, alone. It was Harriet well let me back up it was a night that Ellis had been up 3 or 4 times. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I began searching for Yoga Retreats. I was desperate for a break and thought a yoga retreat sounded like a perfect getaway. I was thinking a weekend with my girlfriends doing yoga, drinking green juice and visiting spas! (sounds amazing, right?) I mean to be quite honest the Super 8 sounded pretty good if I was alone, could sleep thorough the night, someone would make my bed for me, and I could order room service and eat in bed while watching Netflix. Hallelujah!!! Don’t tell my husband that I am so easy to please. After my middle of the night yoga retreat search I found a week long yoga retreat in Italy that included cooking classes, wine tasting, yoga, and cheese. I was sold, my husband not so much, we would have to get a second mortgage on our home so that was not a viable option.
I came across an article in Yoga Journal about a Traveling Yoga Teacher exchange program. I read the reviews for the company to see if it was legit or too good to be true and then fiercely applied to be a certified teacher with them. I needed a break from my life, like yesterday. This was my way to travel for almost free. I had to pay for my flight. I would get to do something I love, teach yoga, and be alone. They accepted me as a teacher. The excitement turned into panic. I can’t leave my family for a week who is going to teach my classes, take care of my kids, car pool, cook, clean (who am I kidding I gave up cleaning while pregnant with my third kid and have never looked back.) It just seemed unrealistic that I could leave for a week, a mom of 4 humans, who stays home with them the majority of the time. Now back to Hariette I was watching a Ted Talk before anyone else in my house was awake, part of my morning ritual, and Harriete had attended a yoga retreat. She had only been practicing yoga for 6 months at the time and at the end of the retreat the instructor said, “Hariette would you like to do a headstand” Hariette responded,”I can’t” The instructor said, “Harriet I did not ask you if you could or couldn’t I asked you would you like to.” Hariette responded, “yes I would like to” and the instructor then helped Hariette do her first headstand.
The point is don’t allow limiting beliefs to hold you back from what you want in life. It’s not about can’t it’s about what do you want in your life and If you want something you absolutely can have it. It may take practice, support from an instructor, help from friends, failure, but if you want something you can have it. In that moment I realized I wanted to travel for a week alone and teach yoga on the beach. With the help of my tribe my kids were taken care of, my classes were taught, my house well we will get back to the great flood of June 25th another day, but I came home to a rental home I had never seen, but all the faces I missed and love fiercely were there and I was well.
I will write more about my week alone in upcoming post, but I encourage you to take care of yourself momma friends. Your soul needs you to listen to what it needs to feel whole and complete. Those kids need you well dear friend. You must take time to care for yourself. Maybe it’s a night at the Super 8 or maybe it’s a week away. Do you sister and if you want me to join you at the beach my bags are packed!
With Love and Gratitude
Megan