Studio Owner Note for September

Words of Wisdom:

“When you finally accept that it’s OK not to have answers and it’s OK not to be perfect, you realize that feeling confused is a normal part of what it is to be a human being .” ~Winona Ryder

Thoughts for September:

As I sit and write this note, my heart overflows with emotion. By my side, is me and my husband’s newborn son, Mateo, sleeping peacefully. Mateo arrived on August 6th, at 10:53am, through an all natural birth at our home. I gaze over at him and am reminded of how precious life truly is. Not even a month ago, this little human being was still nestled inside of me. And now, here he lies, in the flesh, by my side. It’s truly a miracle and a blessed gift.
My heart also overflows with emotion from missing you all at Mind Body Flow Yoga so very much. It’s funny, in all my prior attempts to sit and write our September newsletter, little Mateo wouldn’t let me. 🙂 He would appear settled and asleep, and then wake crying just minutes later. I said to my husband, “I don’t know how I’m going to get the September newsletter done, honey. The first of the month is fast approaching.” To which he replied, “Marina, you keep trying to force something which simply isn’t going to happen today. For now, just focus on the baby and on resting. Tomorrow is a new day and a new chance to write.”
Tomorrow is a new day and a new chance…I held tightly to these words and took my husband’s advice. I snuggled with Mateo and put the newsletter out of my mind. I also pictured the many faces of our MBFY community, and asked myself, “What would the MBFY community tell you in this instance?” I knew without a doubt that you all would give me very similar advice, such as, “Don’t force, Marina, just breathe, be, enjoy your baby, the studio is fine, and take it all one day at a time.” As a business owner, I think I often feel the need to have it all together. I’m learning very quickly, however, that that’s my own narrative and not at all a realistic expectation, nor one that I should demand of myself.
You see, since welcoming Mateo, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with how I can do it all and be my all to everyone and everything in my life, now that I’m a mom of 3. Babies are an immense blessing and the depth of my love for our new addition can’t be conveyed with words, but babies also bring forward a very big life transition and adjustment as a whole. There’s no manual or step-by-step instructions on how to parent or juggle it all. “Having it all together,” goes out the window. You simply do the best you can. And I am learning more than ever through Mateo’s arrival, that “doing it all and being my all to everyone and everything in my life,” doesn’t have to look or be any certain type of way. My job is simply to wake up each day that I’m blessed with, breathe, take each moment as it comes, and do the best that I can.
It’s okay to feel exhausted. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to feel confused. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay not to know and have all the answers. And it’s certainly okay to let go of forcing that which clearly is meant for another day/time. I’m learning what being present, not forcing, and creating ease means, more vividly now than I could ever imagine. I’m figuring out how to be a mom of 3 as I go, and am getting to know the precious, new little human being in our life, more and more, as the days go by. And, you know what? It’s okay! It’s okay to learn as you go.
After-all, this is life, and our yoga practice mimics life. The practice is all about learning as we go, not knowing or having all the answers, and simply showing up and embracing our body, mind, and practice for what it is on that given day. How we showed up the last time we were on our mat matters none. How we might have “hoped” to show up on our mat that given day matters none either. It’s simply the fact that we got up, made our way to the studio, rolled out our mat, and are doing the work to the best of our ability that counts. The practice doesn’t have to look, feel, or be a certain way, in order for it to be of benefit and stand for something we need that given day.
One of my very first yoga teachers would always say, “It’s not yoga perfect. It’s yoga practice.” I’m applying that more than ever now off the mat, as it pertains to motherhood and life in general with this mantra, “It’s not juggling perfect. It’s juggling practice.”
Perhaps you’re in a season in your life at present where things are changing, unknown, transitioning, exciting, yet overwhelming, etc.. Perhaps you’re in a place where you wish you knew and had all the answers or the “know how,” but simply don’t. Take it back to the basics. When you get out of bed in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror, bring to mind 3 things that you are grateful for, set the intention to simply do your best this day, remember to breathe, remember, “It’s not juggling perfect. It’s juggling practice,” and then take a look around and remember, you are blessed and you are human.
Love & Light,
Marina
About the Image:
Marina Mukandala, is featured in this newsletter issue in butterfly pose (Badhakonasana), with her newborn son, Mateo.  The benefits of Badhakonasana are as followsc:

• Stretches the inner thighs, groins and knees, improving flexibility in the groin and hip region
• Aids in intestine and bowel movement
• Removes fatigue from long hours of standing and walking
• Offers relief from menstrual discomfort and menopause symptoms
• Helps in smooth delivery if practiced regularly until late pregnancy