What's Important

In the middle of wedding planning and studying for the patent bar, I have rediscovered my love for yoga.  Technically, I never stopped loving it; I just couldn't find a studio that's close to me that I loved. 

Every studio that I tried, I instantly compared to my old one.  My old one had amazing facilities and amazing teachers.  Each studio I tried either didn't have great facilities, or their instructors were sub par.  I always left feeling like I needed more.  I have finally found a studio where I feel the instructors are up to par with the ones at my old studio.  I've been trying to go every day, even when I don't feel like it - and I have to say, I never regret dragging my butt to yoga.

Yoga just helps me feel centered, grounded.  It reminds me to remember what is important in my life:  my health, my blessings, my ability to help others.

Interestingly enough, all this self reflection reminded me of a story regarding my dad.  My dad grew up in a impoverished home, where meat was a delicacy about once a week.  He had one pair of shoes, that he only wore for track (he was team captain).  After practice and races, he would take his shoes off, tie them to his backpack, and walk home barefoot.  In college, he had a girlfriend who came from a well to do family.  She would take him out to dinner and insisted on buying my dad nicer things - like suits, watches, etc.  The second she told my dad she wanted to buy him a suit, he broke up with her.  He said that he didn't need something fancy, and her behavior showed him that she only cared about materialistic things and how one "looked" - something he did not find attractive.

Often times, I find myself wishing I had the latest Chanel bag, or the latest Louboutin shoes... and then I remember this story about my dad and I remember what is important.  Material things fade and are forgotten.  I've made the mistake of buying materialistic things to make myself happy - but the happiness only lasted so long, a week, a month?  

I love this story about my dad because it reminds me to be humble and to appreciate the "free" things in life.  Lying in shavasana last night at yoga, I thought of Kevin, Momo, my friends, my parents, and I came to the conclusion that my life rocks.