He looked at me and I could see the thought cross the blue sky of his mind. It was a discovery, a realization, a connection. One I had been patiently waiting for. Patience is not one of my natural strengths. This had been an especially long wait.
When he was young he had endless energy. He’d flop around on his bed, swing on the tree outside, jump a bit on the neighbor’s trampoline, but always said no sports. Not one iota of interest. I was always impressed by the commitment of the sports parents, driving their kids to all the practices and games. What I later realized was that sports were an organized way that a coach could help burn off your kid’s energy. That would have been worth the driving. To my son, sports were stupid.
Last summer he started asking to take a Krav Maga class. A what? I must have mispronounced it a million times. Even as he approaches 18 he still has that physical puppy energy. Now it’s combined with the nervous energy of his mind as he navigates college applications and the realization that he’s about to leave the nest.
A friend lead us to an awesome teacher. I knew it was all about the teacher. We did one private session and then he joined a teen class. After three weeks of classes, he realized what he’d found. “I feel really passionate about this Mom, and I can feel myself getting stronger, and I‘m not in my head. It feels good…Is this what yoga feels like for you?” There were no words. No words.
The discovery of connection, with your body, of working hard to get strong because you LOVE the activity, cannot be described. When you find a resonance with moving your body in a certain activity it’s about more than physical health. That activity becomes a practice for life.
Sometimes I forget what those early days of yoga felt like. It was not love at first sight but more a slow relationship that evolved over time. These days I don’t forget. When I keep showing up for my practice, it’s like a beautiful prism catching the light and all of life’s lessons are revealed…right on my mat.
If you’ve found that activity, the one you love, you know what I mean. If you have not, my friend, do not worry, keep looking. It’s worth the patience. Keep looking.