We all need a little bit of om in our lives. Some of us find this through yoga, meditation, creating art. Others with running, cooking, or spending time with our loved ones. The important things is to find a moment to reflect, be thankful, and give ourselves the attention and affirmations we deserve. Often times we don’t think about our need for om until things get rough.

Unfortunately it has been a difficult week in the little Ide household. We got scary news about my mother-in-law’s cancer: it has wreaked havoc on her femur and she needs hip replacement surgery ASAP or her leg may break out from under her. This is in addition to the radiation she is receiving on her skull, and previous radiation on her spine. After the surgery she will need more radiation. Not to mention the chemo pills she takes to keep the spots in her lungs at bay. Then my 88 year old grandmother was admitted to the hospital with possible pneumonia and congestive heart failure, after being in a serious car accident several months ago.

Last, (and definitely least), I lolled about all week with a high fever and gnarly tonsils. I’m talking swamp monster gnarly. The kind of tonsils you take photos of and send to your friends and family. Thankfully strep is easily treated with penicillin. I’m generally not a fan of doctors and antibiotics (see previous rant about the pharmaceutical industry), but I have never been more grateful for these magic pills than I am now. I even got Andrew to get some when he started complaining of a sore throat. And for those of you who know him well…that is a triumph indeed.

Today I went to yoga for the first time in a long time. I had two goals in mind:
1) There are two things that can cause serious, nagging discomfort in my hips: sitting in the car for a long time, and walking/hiking a lot. The next three months of my life will be comprised of basically these two activities. Add to that sleeping on a futon mattress, and you have a potentially very grumpy Micha. And by extension, a very grumpy Andrew (happy wife, happy life!). I plan on going to yoga five days a week until we leave, in order to create good habits and open up those pesky hips.
2) I was desperately seeking om

Once on the road, it might be hard to find the time and space to keep up my yoga practice. But I think finding om will be a heck of a lot easier. What is more om-ful than sleeping under the stars, watching the sunrise from a mountaintop, or soaking in a lazy river? Today during my class the instructor kept correcting herself. She would start by saying “take a few breaths here” and revise it to “give yourself a few breaths here”. Yes. We don’t take while we seek om. We GIVE. We give to ourselves, our environment, our deities. We give thanks for all that we are given, and we spread the loving, living goodness around. So please give yourself a moment and embrace the om around you.

Namaste, young grasshopper. Namaste.