Mind, Body, Soul
How do you connect with yourself?
As parents and people, we need these three words to be balanced: mind, body, and soul. These three words, when connected, make up your entire being. They need to be nurtured.
Mind
I felt bad yesterday. I kept telling my 2 ½ year old, “No,” to almost everything she did. Even I got annoyed with my own voice. At the end of the day I said to her, “the reason why I say no so much is because I want to keep you safe.” Her response, “you have poopie feet. I have poopie feet too. Look” (showing her feet to me). Riveting! I mean…
Sometimes this is the extent of my conversations. They are one-sided. My brain is about to turn into a poopie mess of mush. Last night my mom said, “Boy she is smart. She gets it.” This morning my daughter asked me, “Did you sleep with your nails on?” “Yes, sweetie. I slept with my nails on. They are actually attached to me.” Oh yea, she gets it. We have deep, deep conversations.
The other day, my friend was cleaning the house, feeling wonderful that all the kids were playing nice and they were having an easy morning. On the ball. Just as she is swifting the kitchen floor with a little hop in her step, she gets a text from her friend. “Are you ok?” “Of course,” she responds, “did you mean to send this to someone else?” “No,” her friend said, “Today is the first day of T-ball. Where are you?” “SH#T,” she texted back. Here she thought she was ahead of the game. I laughed so hard I almost cried when she told me this story. I LOVE IT! I eat it up. We are all mushy-brained messes!!!
Moms, we need to keep our brain muscles working. What do you do to air out the poopie mush? I read and write. I will read book after book. It allows me to escape, exercise the brain function (which at times is near death) and keep my mind growing and developing. Otherwise I will literally be talking in circles about fruit snacks, poopie feet, and the fact that my daughters need to be called Elsa and Anna, indefinitely. Just because we aren’t in school, does not mean we stop learning. I learn when I am inspired by books, and people, and words. What keeps your mind fresh? What inspires you to learn?
Body
I still find it amazing that I was cut open in the stomach and a human was pulled from my loins. AND, I lived to tell about it. I mean, doesn’t that seem crazy?! And this situation happens on a daily basis??!! Insane! No wonder our bodies are not the same as they were when we were 20. THIS is the reason why movement is important. Movement is everything. We need to find a place where nobody is pulling on us; a place where we can feel like our bodies are OURS again.
I go to the gym, I spin, I run outside, and I take weight classes. All great. I still do the Bar Method, which I love. It is my Zen hour. I keep going back there for those “long and lean” legs they promised. My pointer finger is tapping the face of my watch and my toe is tapping the floor. Any minute now. But anyway, I found something that I love more than anything. Dance! And, I am not and was NOT a dancer. Cheerleading doesn’t count. (Don’t judge me).
There is this teacher, Chris SantaMaria who is absolutely amazing. If you are in the area, you need to give it a try. He oozes genuine spirit and soul; an uplifting presence. He inspires with his movement and the incredible choreography. When you take his class, it makes you happy. It is fun. It is a release. It makes me feel like there aren’t 2 kids rolling around the floor at home. For once, I am in the moment. My body is mine. Imagine doing something you love while doing something good for your body? What do you love to do? How do you move your body? Is it yoga? Marathons? Swimming? Biking? Crossfit? Or, like me, do you happen to pick up a little of Chris SantaMaria’s swag when you dance?! And trust me; I know I’m not even the type of person that can say the word “swag” out loud. It would just look inappropriate. “How dare her say the word “swag” as she has crusty eggs hanging from her shirt and a sippy cup in her back pocket?” Hmmph. But believe me; I can appreciate it when I see it.Follow Chris SantaMaria on facebook to get updates on his schedule. Like him. Love him. Become obsessed. Get the t-shirt. It’s all ok. I get it. https://www.facebook.com/#!/chris.santamaria?fref=ts
Soul
What feeds your soul? Dinner with friends? Yes. Phone calls from old friends? Absolutely. Happy Hour? Backyard Parties? Music? Yes, yes, yes. All those normal, adult things fill us up. They make us happy. But, what truly feeds it? What I need to sometimes get away from with my mind and body, I absolutely run toward for my soul. My children. When I get to tell my 4 year old how beautiful and special she is before bed and she gets it?! That feeds my soul. When my 2 ½ year old turns my face toward hers and kisses me smack on the lips. That feeds my soul. I would let that go on for ages and ages if I could; endless kisses from my babies.
Maybe my days are not perfect. I don’t have the perfect body. I have tough days. I get annoyed. My girls whine and cry. My brain is a little mushy. My shoulders are sore from carrying. I need escapes and I dance it away…
But my soul…My soul is full and bursting at the seams. My girls fill me up from top to bottom, head to toe, inside and out. But remember, we have to try and balance all aspects of ourselves. So let’s try our best to understand ourselves and what we need for our mushy minds, wounded bodies, and loving souls.
I hope you all can keep your minds strong, your bodies moving, and your soul complete.
I think that balance can be called, HAPPINESS!
~Noreen Heffernan,Writer, MA in Public and Corporate Communications, Certified in PR Writer, Growing Ladies
