"The world needs us strong and in harmony with our true self."

That was the main message in today's session, day thirteen of the thirty day TRUE yoga journey with You Tuber Adriene Mishler.

When I began this challenge on 2nd January I had no idea that not even halfway through my husband would be rushed into hospital with a torn lung. Or that that same husband would tell me that under no circumstances would I be ducking out of this challenge I'd set myself just because he was now hospital-bound. He's scary looking at the best of times never mind when he's sleep-deprived, morphine-dependent and grumpy. I didn't dare argue.

So here I am again. rocked up to my laptop with a much-needed glass of vino and extra heavy eyelids, having completed my 'Strength and Harmony' practice earlier today. I'm not going to say I nailed it, exactly, more like I somehow got through it. The session built on yesterday's 'Centre' practice, which was tough but nurturing at the same time. And today kinda turned the whole tough but nurturing thing into a running theme.

And off the mat, that carried on. Today was the day I took the Lads to see their Dad in hospital. Tough. But nurturing for all of us.

For starters, Big Lad decided to channel Luke Skywalker as we walked along the lengthy hospital corridors, his trusty blaster gun (i.e. hands clasped with pointed fingers) at the ready. Little Lad (otherwise known as Han Solo) proclaimed that their first mission was to "get Mummy a latte", and secondly "find Daddy's hospital ward". Couldn't argue with that.

Latte mission faultlessly completed, we climbed a live volcano on the planet Mustafar (i.e. the stairs) and then battled some Stormtroopers (or something, I was completely lost by this point) before we finally found the location of the respiratory ward.

Then the fearless Jedis pretty much spontaneously melted into soft, pliable creatures who lived for cuddles and hand-holds and snuggles with their Dad.

As I sat there next to the bed, and watched them clutch on to the most important man in their lives, being as careful as they could not to knock his tubes and various wounds, I thought about Adriene's idea of the union of strength and harmony.

Strength for me, today, was not just doing five rounds of those bloody hip-dips, it was sitting exhausted in this chair, having managed to get to this point where I'd brought my boys to this vitally important moment. My mat had helped me get here.

Harmony for me, today, was not just breathing deep in mountain posture, it was allowing myself to melt into that moment no matter how hard the practicalities were, because I knew this was true - to us, to me. My mat had helped me get here.

And now, because my strength is telling me that it's time to sleep and nurture my body, the harmonious thing to do would be to sign off and bid you all a very good night. I'm sure you'll understand why this blog post is so short, because if you're following this yoga and blogging journey with me, you know it's all about being TRUE. And if I can't be true to you, then what's the point?

Go well,

Abi

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#YWATRUE