Did that catch your attention?? Oh My !! Well, you know that feeling when you’re in your down dog and the instructor says ”Stop clenching!” and all you can think of is ‘Oh my goodness, please don’t fart !!!”. Maybe not, but try and imagine!
So, it’s been a long few weeks since I last imparted some of my wisdom. ‘Why?’ I don’t hear you ask, well I’ll tell you anyway. Since my sojourn chez NHS, it has taken a little time to get my body and head in order (not sure the head is there yet but it’s doing its best lol). I did as I was told and ‘rested’, then I got a bit ‘rest-less’. That feeling when you think you should be out doing, working, providing, helping bring some money into the family, getting off your butt and not watching Doc Martin in the middle of the day with a plate of choccies (homemade of course). I got a bit like that (silly silly silly, I should have wallowed a little longer). I think it was basically ingrained in us growing up that we work hard, we don’t sit about (unless medically required) and no matter what we do, we ARE able to earn a living – no going on ‘the social’ for the Kilpatrick girls (me before becoming a Luck, the sister before becoming a Brown).
Anyway, the old ‘get off your butt and get out there’ kicked in and although I really want to work on my Health Coaching practise/workshops, the realisation hit that it might not be so easy to get started with not TOO many contacts UK side. So, I did what I know is the best thing to do, I asked the Universe to help show me a way to earn some money and boy did it provide. Be careful what you ask for lol.
What has this to do with farting in a yoga class? – I’ll get there don’t worry, you should know by now that I like a blether first, which leads me on to my new wee job(s).
Firstly, I’ve always thought Airbnb to be a fascinating thing and great ‘easy way’ to help bring in some wonga (not sure I like that word but am trying it on). How hard can it be?, a couple of people a week staying a few nights, maybe even a week (less housework) and all you need to do is pop it on the Airbnb system (done, and very straightforward thankfully), and wait for a few people to arrive. We have a perfect airbnb room where we are as it was my old personal training studio that I changed into a guest bedroom. It has its own door, own shower room, loo and we put locks on our side of the other doors so it’s all safe and good – Bingo !
Locks bought and put on, extra towels bought, couple of sets of bedding purchased, a few bits like a kettle, cups, mini fridge (necessity? not really but ….) etc etc etc bought, done, arranged. I have a degree in Hospitality, Hotel Management from 100 years ago so I know how to be hospitable and provide croissants, tea coffee, fruit etc, the fun stuff lol.
So, up goes our little room on site and I think, ‘oooh wonder when our first guests will arrive?’ – thoughtful emoji face! Since starting 20 days ago, there have been 13 nights when people have stayed (11 different sets of people)!! It’s fantastic, amazing, stupendous, then you realise that every time, towels, bed sheets need to be changed, washed, dried, BLOODY IRONED (ugh that’s my worst – ironing duvet covers), shower, loo, floors all cleaned etc. Now don’t get me wrong, I am so so grateful for the universe providing but housework, hhmmmm not my best (the rest of the house is a tip)! I’m now thinking of asking for it to provide a way to have those duvet covers ironed elsewhere!
‘Well, that’s a nice little money earner Elaine, what are you whinging about?’. Absolutely, but it just so happened the Universe also provided me with another little job, a 12.5 hours/week job in a lovely national, actually now, international Health Store. The people are lovely, I get to chat about all things healthy and not so healthy and I get a discount on products so it’s a ‘winner dinner’ as said in the hubsters family. Well, all except they are super short staffed so my little 12.5 hours is currently 23 hours split over 4 days. Lol, you really do need to laugh as the fabulous Universe did provide what I asked for.
So…. My 2 little part-time jobs have amounted to a much bigger full-time job – stop moaning Elaine and live in the real world – yes, I do appreciate that! The reason I was mentioning it DOES relate to farting in a yoga class, well, actually it relates to CLENCHING /UNCLENCHING – a bit Miranda’esque really, isn’t it!
And…. getting to the point …. The point is that for the last 3 weeks, I’ve now realised that a fair amount of it has been spent ‘CLENCHED’! New job, new people, making sure my airbnb room is clean and has everything required and my guests are happy (let’s not mention the girls who went out to a party, lost their handbag and my keys and woke us up at 3:30am to let them in, bless their 20 year old cotton socks), 40 min each way school runs (thankfully shared), mocks revision with the girl, big hungry boy at home, hubby visiting for a lovely weekend…… Lot’s of great stuff but still CLENCHED!
I was driving to work with my usual day dreamy – Mindful obviously not blank – mind, which is one of the times when my ‘drivvle’ I mean blog ideas always appear and there was NOTHING, NADA, ZERO !!! I’ve watched this for the past few weeks as I was missing sharing with you and still, nothing, nada, zero. I was so CLENCHED that nothing else was getting in. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a complete stress ball AT ALL, pretty happy actually, just so much stuff had been squeezed in that there wasn’t room for anything else. Do you remember the film ‘Waiting to Exhale’? I love that title!’. I was waiting to exhale, to unclench, to fart in yoga class!! Childish I know, I’m nearly done so hang on in there.
Anyway, again the point is, that we don’t need to be super stressed to not have any space to let things in or feel inspired or BREATHE, we just need to be aware and then UNCLENCH. The world is not going to fall out of your bottom in yoga class (unless you make a chicken & lentil curry and forget to put in cumin to allay any gas issues, another story). You just need to create some space with what you have going on, and you CAN find it, you might not think it but you CAN even just for a FEW minutes.
Here’s a REAL picture from yesterday. This was ACTUALLY the amount of laundry required to be done (I’m sure I did some during the week, doesn’t help when daughter tidies her room and the floor contents all end up ‘dirty’). Anyway, it’s not a nice pic really is it.
So, I put one load on (let’s face it we only have one washing machine), made a cuppa and took myself outside with a mag (an October issue not the November one) to UNCLENCH, the next air bnb ‘guest’ wasn’t arriving till night time so the room could wait a bit. It was a crisp, beautiful morning and said daughter thought it hilarious that I was sitting out in jammies, boots, body warmer and hence the piccie. And guess what – THEN CAME THE INSPIRATION !!!
We all have such busy lives that sometimes we don’t realise we are clenching and zooming through without breathing, without enjoying, without letting the inspiration in. And it is allowed, IT’S ACTUALLY A NECESSITY. What was the line in the movie Ferris Buellers Day Off?
” Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
So, after all of that, it basically comes down to one line just
STOP, UNCLENCH, FART IN YOGA CLASS & LET THE INSPIRATION IN (or out)!!
Have an amazing day & unclench (is it even a word?!?!)
Ex
(ps I did go to yoga class yesterday also, I did unclench and I DIDN’T fart, thank goodness lol)