Reading rainbow...

Today's Intention: Ease up.

An epiphany of incredible magnitude has occurred for me in the past couple of weeks! The source for this realization couldn't come as more of a surprise.

Always a little behind the trends, I finally started to read the popular Twilight series. I had seen the the movies and was a fan. The books pulled me in almost immediately. I devoured page after page, completely immersing myself in this fictional, romantic, supernatural world.

It was embarrassing how much I was enjoying myself. I felt truly ashamed to be so enthralled in subject matter which I deemed to be trivial, adolescent, irrelevant.

While I was so busy critiquing my happiness, I hadn't stopped to notice the simple fact that life was still happening, and with a bit more ease. I've been less edgy, more relaxed, and definitely more receptive to being still. While I joked that these books were distracting me from my responsibilities, I actually began to notice that things were still getting done, just with less anxiety and force than before.

Sam, my four year old son, seemed to notice and appreciate the shift in energy around the home. Both yesterday and today, I joined him for "quiet time" in the sunny backyard. Together we enjoyed one another's company, in silence. His imagination fed by the sandbox, fort, slide, grass and clouds... mine was inspired by werewolves and vampires.

Since Sam was born, I haven't read a single book, all at once, cover to cover. Every time I'd try, I'd fall asleep. All of my selections were non-fiction, mostly Yoga-related philosophy texts. These hold great value for me; of course I do not discredit the benefits of steeping into such studies. However I am reminded that self awareness and realization comes at the most unexpected moments, from bizarre sources. These silly vampire books, and the level of obsession I am experiencing over them, has reminded me of the recurring lessons I still struggle with: Ease Up. Let Life Happen. Exert less Effort. Chill out. Lighten Up. Get swept away.