Yoga, Donuts and Lists, Oh My!

Last year before COVID,  I wrote  a piece in my monthly newsletter about yoga and donuts.  Now that a year has passed-I thought I would revisit my love of donuts and dealing with stress.

This time last year, I had just completed my first trimester after I told myself that a degree in Yoga Therapy was "WHAT I HAD TO DO!".  I had the winter break off and life was normal again; if just for a brief month or so.  Fast forward to now. 

My, oh my, how things change!  

December 2020 finished a year in which I am now over halfway complete with school, I switched jobs, I telework 100%, my plantar fasciitis kills me from sitting too much, and I eat less but still weigh the same.  Sounds stressful right? Now, let's put this in perspective. Just one word is all ya need:

COVID 

The vaccine is being distributed and my number #1 priority is manhandling my parents to the front of that line.  

So when I weigh the importance of getting my parents vaccinated to my supposed stressful "issues", my issues are petty, frivolous and ooze entitlement. That ain't cute!!!  It makes me a yucky person so I'm working on fixing that--

Disclaimer: Before anyone blasts me, I also know everyone deals with stress differently. All I'm saying is...don't be a douche.

Here's What I Did To Put Stress Into Perspective

This past summer to combat this insanity (meaning my own self-obsessiveness-not COVID, it's supposed to be self-obsessive...it's a virus, self-obsession is its M.O.), I created a list of important things to remember and I plan to revise/renew it on New Year's Day. 

This list is different than a "gratitude" list because you can be grateful for everything you have and still be an ass-wipe...the richest man in the world is grateful he isn't that homeless person he loathes. So scrap that gratitude list for a moment-you can come back to it later.

We like to put the cart before the horse and gratitude lists are easy.  The real first step when dealing with stress, for me at least, is not being a self-obsessive shitty person...period. 

OR 

To put it more eloquently, if you practice what the Yoga Sutras call AHIMSA, it puts everything into perspective.  Ahimsa stems from our ability to have compassion and respect for all life.   Ahimsa is kindness and empathy.

So...back to my parents and vaccinations-if I didn't practice Ahimsa, would I care if they got COVID or got vaccinated.  Now take my parents out of the equation-Would I care if anyone got COVID or got vaccinated?   No-the only thing I would worry about, the only thing that would cause me "stress", would be that I can't lose any weight. Woe is me!

It's more than just being grateful-it's getting down there in the mud and muck with people because you "know" how it feels.  EMPATHY!!  For me, that is where REAL gratitude originates and where real stress reduction starts.  

​Here's A Snippet Of My List:

• Teaching yoga virtually is not a burden; it's a privilege. A first-world wonderful, amazing privilege. Some of my students are elderly and virtual yoga keeps them safe-end of story.  
• All my Amazon orders, they have to be filled by someone. That someone exposes him/herself/themself to COVID just so I can shop.  Ask myself: What is necessary and what is a nice-to-have item?
• Give without attachment. No one owes me something in return because I choose to give.  Never give because it makes me feel "good".
• All of my good fortune can be taken away just like that.  Reach out to others. Care!

...And so my list goes.  

(NOTE: If you read enough of my blogs, you may notice I'm list maker...gratitude lists, don't be a shit bird lists, grocery lists, bulleted lists, lists about making lists, etc.  Forewarning-I also have an unhealthy obsession with calendars.). 

Make Your Own STRESS LESS AND LOVE MORE LIST, then:

• Tape it to the bathroom mirror
• Read it every morning when you wake up
• Read it every night before you go to bed (Remember when you were little and your mom made you say your prayers before bed...she might have been onto something!)

Did My List Work?

Did writing my list and taping it to the bathroom mirror help relieve my stress this past year?  Did it make me more empathetic? Did it stop my complaints about my plantar fasciitis hurting?     Sometimes

Do I still advise (just like a year ago) yoga, self-care, getting rest, going for walks, meditating, reading, etc. when dealing with stress in addition to making lists and checking them twice?   Absolutely!

Does eating donuts still make everything better when I fail miserably, and get wrapped up in my trivial stress? ALWAYS!!!!  After-all, I am the girl with the Rewards Card for Krispy Kreme

But I'm working on it...baby steps and a few donut holes at a time.