Happy Tuesday. I hope you all had an easeful loving Mother's Day regardless of whether you are a Momma or not. It's worth acknowledging it's a warm happy day for some & a difficult painful one for others.

As adults, some of us are mothers (in the literal sense) to our children, grandchildren, pets, or (in a figurative sense) to relatives, friends, neighbors, those in need, or as caretakers of the environment. Thank you for whichever way you are showing up🙏❤️.

Sometimes, it can be much easier to show up for others with compassion & kindness than for ourselves. Have you noticed how to you speak to others versus how you do with yourself? When we extend those nurturing gifts of kindness inward towards ourselves, we can tend to the inner parts of our childhood fences in need of attention & care.

Yoga can be though of like a tree with 8 branches with Asana/movement being just one of the limbs. Another limb, holds the Niyamas/restraints offering guideposts for how to live. One of the Niyamas, Santosha, is contentment. Author Deborah Adele writes: "Santosha, invites us into contentment by taking refuge in a calm center, opening our hearts in gratitude for what we do have, and practicing the paradox of not seeking."

When I notice contentment feeling miles away, its usually because I have disengaged from the present moment, abandoned myself, and started looking over the fence in the direction of comparison/lack. For me, the quickest way back to a calm center is through focussing in on a steady breath, some form of movement for connection, & listening in to hear what's going on bringing in a compassionate inner voice. Cultivating a gratitude practice can also be helpful in giving thanks.