I’ve had a constant stream of people in and out of my home since Christmas Eve and yes, I’m peopled out. Two words that showed up in my journal last night were Breathing Space. Here I am a certified yoga teacher and I was feeling suffocated in my own home.
It happens to the best of us.
And so I started thinking. How do I create room to breathe? How do I create the space to step back and take a deep breath?
The last time I felt overwhelmed in my own home I noticed the feeling first. I allowed awareness of the feeling to push back the ego who wanted to say nothing and keep plodding along. With awareness comes my ability to speak up. So I did. But this time, it was my husband who noticed and asked if I was “feeling lost in my house.”
At first I brushed it off with a laugh. Who me? No way. I’m not lost. I’m just irritable, crabby, moody, and distracted. I hate when he’s right.
Sometimes even I don’t pick up on my own feelings. After an hour or so with my journal, I realized I was in much need of Breathing Space. The constant stream of people in and out, not to mention three generations living under one roof, coupled with an out of town house guest, finally got to me.
The guest left yesterday and there’s one more large family gathering tomorrow night. Well, it’s technically the start of Family Dinner night, but this time, there will be a lot more people showing up for beef stroganoff and sour dough bread. I’m armed with awareness that I am peopled out but I also know that I can breathe anywhere. Not autonomic breathing, but conscious breathing, or pranyama. My breath is my life force and with it I can control stress and reduce tension.
To help myself find my own breathing space, I cleaned my room and rolled out my yoga mat. My intention is simple: to reignite my morning yoga practice with lots of sun salutations and breath work.
I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing to create Breathing Space for you?
Hi! I’m SGT Casto’s wife….he introduced me to your blog while they were deployed and I’ve been following ever since! I totally understand the “breathing space”. I too get worn out from visits, either when we visit or have visitors. I’m much more of a homebody…and so I’m there with you being “peopled out”. For me, I’m working on uncluttering my house. As I see clutter it just makes me feel trapped, much like I’ve felt with visitors. So I’m uncluttering, getting rid of stuff, and making time to read and relax. Next weekend we travel, and despite not wanting to go (the homebody in me is cringing!) I’m hoping that by uncluttering some of my home and taking breaths, reading, etc…I’ll have a fresh outlook on this upcoming visit.
Hi Maria,
I’m racking my brain trying to figure out if either I know or my husband knows your husband. Were they just deployed together? My husband returned home in August.
I love the act of uncluttering the house! Hubs and I have been doing a lot of that
lately and it feels like a breath of fresh air!
Yes, they were deployed together in beuring….Adam returned in August as well. He is a chaplain assistant to the 201st. I put my blog in the website part of this reply form…if u click it u will go to my blog where there are a couple of pix that may jog your or his memory. I don’t think we have ever met…lol. He just mentioned ur blog to me bcuz he knew I enjoyed blogs.
Got it! Hubs has drill today but I’ll ask him about Adam!
Hi Sweet Peggy – Happy New Year and boy I hear you! That breathing space – solitude included – is a MUST have or I, too, get really “unpleasant”. (And I, too, hate it when hubs is right, lol, got a kick out of that!) We went to a Museum last week – I picked up so much energy from the crowds – despite trying to do the whole bubble of protection thing. OMG I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Hubs was off during the week. It exhausted me. I had to repeat EVERYthing I said day after day to the point I didn’t want to talk anymore. He either doesn’t hear me or didn’t understand me – ugh, oh please do not let this man retire! It was so lovely yesterday – if I chose to say anything it was to the dogs, and I’d say it once – period. Oh the peace – the breathing space. I enjoyed my yoga and doing Zumba daily – not that great at either but sure feel good!!!
Big Hugs
Susan
Oh Susan – I so hear you on having to repeat things to hubs. Sometimes I get so aggravated and he has lost about 1/3 of his hearing, but still…I’m about to sign us up for sign language classes
I also understand about picking up the vibe from crowds of people. Happens to me all the time. And if the crowd is too big, I get claustrophobic…
I’m going on day 4 of with my morning yoga. Consistent practice as the yoga sutra says…