Smiles are contagious!

Here is a perfect example of why I love yoga.

It has made me S-L-O-W down.

As a busy Mom and wife I'm always rushing, always running, no time to think, to breathe, and I feel like (even though I'm ashamed to admit it) some days I don't even make the time to smile.  As a "runner" I've always been determined to reach a goal, striving to run farther, faster, better!  Disappointing myself again and again- pushing through pain, digging deeper!

Yoga changed that.

It didn't happen over night. It didn't happen in a week, a month, it's just been happening slowly, un-noticable really until one day you realize you are seeing things, perceiving things differently.  Today I went for a run and I was approaching a light.  I hoped to make it through before it changed but as I got closer I could tell I was probably not going to make it unless I sped up.

 I had a decision to make.

Old me would have for sure forced myself to run faster, make that light!  Don't slow down, you can make it in time! You'll mess up your mile pace if you sit at the light!

But today was different.  I chose to slow down....I figured why not use this light as a break for my body and just to look around me for a minute and to breathe.  To notice the leaves changing, to notice the crisp air, my breath, the people driving by and then I saw him.  An older man sitting in the back of a van smiling.  At me!  I looked closer and saw he was giving me two thumbs up and when he realized I saw him his smile grew and his eyes lit up!  I smiled back, excited to be rewarded with his joy and gave him a thumbs up right back.  As the light changed and the car pulled away my smile stayed. I realized how thankful I am that I slowed down.  That I looked around me for just a moment.  I would have missed that.  That awesome smile and warm feeling of joy!  The rest of the run I chose to smile at every runner, walker, person I passed.  Guess what? 

 Every single one of them smiled back.