This weekend my husband and I are leaving for a night away from the kids. Our youngest is 18 months and this will be the first time I've left her overnight. These milestones are bittersweet. I am so excited to spend some time alone with my husband, but after having 3 kids each around 10 years apart, I also know the trajectory here. Kids grow up and eventually pull away. Knowing this is my last baby makes me think twice about leaving her, even if it gives me a thrill of excitement to think about this adventure.

I often describe parenting as a gradual letting go. I recognize in me a need for my children to need me. This is most definitely my need and the longer I sit with it, I realize that this is a lesson in freedom. What would happen if I let go of the need to be needed? What are the possibilities that could arise from this new space? Would letting go of this need make me less of a mother? Would my kids love me less?

These questions are scary and also very exciting. One of my teachers says that there is a very fine line between fear and excitement and when we notice we are in fear, we have the power to choose curiosity. Perhaps the doorway to freedom begins with the ability to be curious? In the ability to make space for all the emotions.

Sometimes I get similar feelings on the mat when I practice a challenging pose or take a new class. It's easy to stay inside our comfort zones, but what would happen if we tried something new or stepped outside of a routine? How could a yoga practice, or even a life, evolve simply by disrupting a pattern?

It sure is fun to explore yoga and life through the lens of parenthood. Thanks for allowing me to share these musings. What has been on your mind? I'd love to hear what you have been pondering lately on this wild journey.

Sending Loads of Curiosity, Wonder, & Adventure,

Angela