What parent hasn’t heard that one before? I take it as a badge of honour and here’s why.
In my pre-kid wanderings, I visited several Indian ashrams to practice yoga, and soak up the learnings on offer. Always a valuable experience, I found spiritual seekers come in all flavours. There’s a range of experiences, understandings and a whole spectrum of earnestness. Some of the earnestness comes with a certain seriousness. But there are other options too. What gave me great pleasure was to see the level of laughter and joy at some of them. I’ve spent a few weekends at an ashram closer to home, on the Central Coast just north of Sydney. I remember bumping into one of my teachers for a meditation weekend, a vibrant grandma, coming around the corner of the loo block. While that could be a cause of annoyance for anyone feeling a bit grumpy, this terrific lady just looked at me, exclaimed ‘boo!’ and giggled off on her way, leaving me with the broadest smile. I took on just as much from that moment as from the learnings being imparted in classes on that weekend. I loved that she conveyed such a sense of free spiritedness, freshness and the joy things of life. We have all met them, those adults who are almost like children: Free thinkers, always interested in learning, active, playful and they laugh a lot. They are highly magnetic and beautiful to be around. At the studio we have just completed our meditation course on the chakras and we learnt it’s a sign of the chakras being in balance.
On the meditation course we started at the logical starting point, the base chakra. Our teacher Louise reminded us of how important it is to get the base needs met. Just as babies will cry loudly if their basic needs aren’t met, if you don’t have your food, shelter and safety needs met it would be pretty difficult to move onto the higher chakras of creativity, free expression, and spirituality. Getting in balance is vital to bring meaning and joy to our lives. (Sorry to use that overused word, but it’s important here, and I guess it’s much used because so many of us are sadly out of kilter). So that’s why when my children declare ‘You’re silly mummy’, I take it as a complement and I feel the reassurance in their little voices that I am on the right path.
It’s Spring, so let’s all find that joy, dance and freedom. And just because it’s school holidays and you might get bogged down in organising food and safety for little people, don’t let that stop you on meeting your own higher needs. Bring kids 4+ to class to join in or chill out on the daybed. Get teens to join in at just $12 per class. I know I too will be extra busy with dishwasher duties and microwaving frozen berries (the kids’ latest food fad) but I do look forward to seeing you in class!
Stay young, and I will think of you while I do my disco dance moves while unloading the dishwasher.
-Christina