I’m writing from South of France, Avignon, where it’s 34 degrees. It’s supposed to be the hottest week in France of the year. Some people complain but I’m just happy. Since the last entry, I’ve left Sweden and will be in France for the next coming months. 

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Sky

It’s funny with life how we have to go through to not see any blue sky to appreciate it. Every day, I take at least 3 times of the day where I will look up to the sky and appreciate the cloudless blue coating. So happy for this, and for the fresh air! It might seem silly but there are so many places in the world where this is not a banality. Many cities in China, India, and other places too.

I love the mornings the most. It’s a bit chilly at first and almost impossible to believe it will later get so hot it’s hard to stand outside in the sun. Wrapping a jumper on and put on some tea. In the courtyard, there is this clinging plant over the wall that has blue big flowers. At night they close and as soon as the daylight comes, they open up beautifully.

When it’s as warmest the flowers almost get burnt by the sun and I’m thinking they won’t make it to the next day. But then the evening comes and they fold up to be reborn again the next day. I’ve never paid so much attention to things around me.

Animals

Then there are the animals. It’s almost like a mini zoo here. 5 cats with very different characters, one without a tail as she was in a car accident. One that’s so big I think he weights 10kg, maybe more. The cross-breeding dog that is tiny and not even half of the size of the cats (1,5 kg). Last but not the least Caroline, the turtle.

She lives in the free in the courtyard and is sleeping behind the flower pots. When the sun goes up it’s like it’s her battery, she starts her workout and walks around 3, 4, 5 rounds. I’ve never seen a turtle so fast. Curious and with her own little character she is really funny to watch.

I do my morning practice and it’s beautiful to be surrounded by life like this. I often have 2 cats and a dog, sometimes a turtle who all are curious and come to check out what’s going on the yoga mat. I decided to take up my daily meditation practice again and I think there is something about it that animals can feel.

The dog who’s always very energetic and wanting for human love just sat in front of me, resting. I feel that I haven’t appreciated or lived like this for years. Just stressing, going for objectives that I found important then, rushing through life without really opening up the eyes for what’s already there.

Motivation

Of course, life is hard sometimes. This week, I’ve had some difficulties with motivation to do my morning practice. The monkey mind comes in and I try to find all possible reasons to not practice. I guess it’s a period and also I’m really starting to miss my tribe. Teaching and practicing yoga is not the same. Although I love to teach and share yoga, I miss the group dynamic taking a class and learning more.

But I continue, even if some days the practice is shorter or different. Maybe that’s the teachings of yoga, that we continue as it’s a reflection of life. To take a moment each day to scan the body and the mind, move, stretch and have that moment before doing anything else. Then there is the routine too, sometimes I don’t like to practice, but when I don’t I really don’t feel good.

Stars

Maybe this is the strongest of the observations. Every night when we drive home from dinner, I look up again. Such a black sky filled with hundreds, thousands of stars. It’s so beautiful it’s breathtaking. How could I have forgotten? Of course, in big cities, it’s harder to see the stars as there are too many lights. But still, I used to only notice the stars maybe once or twice a year in an exotic place. Or when camping.

Now, it has become my daily pleasure to look at them before going to bed. Every day the nature and animals around me remind me of the life cycle. If I’m lucky, I can even see the moon in the daytime, that’s a luxury! So take some time, look up towards the sky, observe and take a break from life.