When life overflows - Practice

There’s been a lot of screaming in my house lately. One or both of my kids often isn’t getting what they want; the breakfast of choice, a different coat, TV before school, and before I know it, it’s meltdown city.

Usually, I can stay calm… until I can’t. My voice rises, tensions build, and suddenly we’re in a power struggle.

Lately, I’ve been trying to say less. I rarely succeed, but when I do, I’m reminded of a truth that applies everywhere in my life: less is more.

My meditation and movement practice don’t make me perfectly calm or patient, but they do help me come back to myself a little faster. When I can feel what’s happening in my body, the tightness in my chest, the breath that suddenly goes shallow, I have a better chance of softening so I can respond instead of react. If I manage that, my kids often find their footing more easily.

It’s a reminder I keep relearning: presence helps. Not just for children, but for everyone we interact with. I come back to yoga again and again, not to be better at yoga but to be better at life, because it helps me remember who I want to be, even when life feels messy, loud, or a little too much.