Five weeks to go.

Five busy weeks until we pack up the moving truck and say goodbye to the house we’ve called home for the past nine years.

When we moved here we had two little children and arrived in one small U-Hall truck. Now we have four exponentially growing children, a dog, and an entire home filled with furniture and all the stuff North Americans believe is essential to life.

…which is TOO MUCH STUFF!

 I know this. I’ve known it for years. And though many of my friends believe me to be a minimalist (I loathe chotskies) my closets, cupboards and spare rooms disagree.

So I’m on a quest … lightening the load.

With that in mind I’m sorting: desks, drawers, cupboards, closets, file cabinets, every nook & cranny. The first wave is now done, complete with garage sale to pass on those ‘treasures’ we’ve lovingly collected over the years. (OK fine, much of it was total junk and I couldn’t believe what people paid money for.)

When I think about the enormous task of sorting, tossing, cleaning, organizing, moving, and packing, combined with maintaining an already busy schedule of mother to four (three birthdays, one anniversary, and two extended family celebrations in the coming weeks), maintaining a website, teaching yoga in schools, and traveling around western Canada offering workshops on teaching yoga to kids and teens (four conferences in five weeks), I begin to buckle under the load.

If there has ever been a time to apply my yoga training to my daily life it is now.

By taking one moment at a time, focusing on breathing in and breathing out, and doing something each day which takes me closer to moving day, I am able to put one foot in front of the other (instead of holing up under the covers), to tackle each project with care and attention (not simply toss and run), and to treat my family and friends with loving kindness (as an alternative to terse commands, impatience & neglect).

And, oddly enough, I’m enjoying each moment.

• Reminiscing over life’s treasures brings back great memories
• Giving my gently-used items to others for their use provides satisfaction
• Teaching my children to live with less improves our world outlook
• Cleaning out the corners instils a sense of calm amid the chaos
• Embracing change and all it means encourages new viewpoints and growth

And so I awake each day and remind myself to find the bliss. That this is life the yoga way.

But right now you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve a file cabinet of papers to shred.

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