Even if there are snakes
Even if there are snakes
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I took a bit of a break this week. I went tubing. On a weekday.
I have a standing date with a friend and every summer — we slather ourselves with sunscreen, climb into colorful tubes and plop into a river. We then float with the current and discuss everything from marriage to finances to books to the best meal we have eaten recently.
This year, the trip came on a day that felt kind of complicated. It was a little cooler than was ideal, my friend had a meeting, I had a class to teach, and we debated rescheduling the whole thing. Maybe there would be another time that would be better? There were these responsibilities, those obstacles…there is always something.
We decided to go ahead with the day, and it was the most perfect thing ever.
Lesson learned: don’t put it off.
We floated and I squealed at every single turtle I saw sunning itself on a log. (There was a lot of squealing.) Dragonflies landed on my knee. Fish flipped out into the air, making a satisfying splash as they landed back in the river.
(I will not mention the water snakes, because that ruins my whole perfection narrative and even though I happen to really like snakes, being in the water with them is creepy AF. They look like tiny little Loch Ness monsters.)
It's so easy to assume that we can just do things later. We’ll have more time, the conditions will be better, and it’ll be easier somehow, when life settles down. We’ll wait until after the big meeting, when the kids get a bit older, after the dog’s vet appointment. I’ve learned plenty of lessons over the last two years, but one big one is this: don’t assume you’ll have more time.
There is a story I love by Anne Lamott in Bird By Bird — one of my all-time favorite books. Anne was shopping with a friend, who happened to be dying of cancer. They were in the dressing room, and Anne was trying on a dress.
“I said, 'Do you think it makes my hips look too big?' and she said to me slowly, 'Annie? I really don’t think you have that kind of time.'"
None of us have that kind of time.
So just do it now. Check in with that person you’ve been thinking about. Book that visit. Tell your friends you love them. Be confident that your hips look entirely amazing.
And definitely go tubing. Even if there are snakes.
In case you want proof
I really do like snakes.
Big News for Blue Mala members
Office Hours are a crowd favorite over at Blue Mala. We get together on Zoom and talk about anything and everything you can imagine. Sometimes it’s anxiety, sometimes it’s foot fetishes, you just really never know what is going to happen. Due to popular demand, Office Hours will now be held every week!
The day and time fluctuate due to my schedule, so check out our newly posted Office Hours for July, and sign up for yoga and meditation classes here.
And if you’re not a member yet, you can get more info on all that here.
What I’ve been reading
I adore Charlotte Clymer and she’s got some great Substack articles on a variety of topics. I enjoyed this one on how to be a decent cis person.
Why I still don’t want to use TikTok
I’m being dragged onto TikTok and things like this are not really making me feel any better about being there. We have some incredible technology — and this is what someone has decided to do with it. If you watch until the end you can see how SUPER PRETTY I look with this particular snapchat filter.
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What is way cuter than that snapchat filter
In case you can’t get to water any time soon, please enjoy these few moments of ocean delight from stop motion animator & fiber artist Andrea Love. It’s mesmerizing. Sound on for the full peaceful self-care impact.
I am just now arriving in upstate New York on my way to teach a workshop at the Omega Institute. I don’t know too much about the place, but if it’s anything like the Kripalu Center (AKA the Mothership where I’ve been teaching for years) I’m in for a yoga-soaked hippie wonderland of goodness. I can’t wait.
Thank you so much for reading, friends. I am so grateful to have you as part of this sweet little community.
Now go out there and live your life. Snakes and all.
Much love,
~Lisa