How do you get back into the swing of normal life after a vacation? I coaxed myself out of bed to attend a yoga class and then ran around fetching mail and groceries. I knew my class this week would celebrate my brave feathered friends who are chirping outside to announce the arrival of Spring, but when I sat at the computer I was fidgety and distracted. I eventually gave up and started to cook instead.

Cooking involves all my senses and finally brought me home. Pulling out my cookie sheet and stirring sweet local honey and EVO into an assortment of nuts and grains was the most fun I’d had all day. The smell of fresh granola dispelled the gloom of a rainy afternoon. That felt good; so how about soup? I prepared a big pot of lentils with onions, letting it simmer as we ate comfort food of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and yams. Tonight I stirred in the left over sweet potatoes, a whole sliced lemon, tons of chopped parsley, and a dollop of grainy mustard. Terry added a splash of Dry Sack and the lentils were delicious with a side of Kale and pine nuts.

My cooking experience reminded me that we all have activities that make us feel at home in our bodies and our environments. I couldn’t wrap my mind around planning for others until I fully returned to my house and felt comfortable again in my own skin. This morning I asked the women at York what they do to belong in their space. Exercise in general helps them feel their bodies and connect to their experience. Yoga helps them shape their breathing patterns and also imparts a sense of control in the moment. Delving into a good book is an escape that many of the women appreciate.

Yoga is a way of life and I believe that cookingasana or novelasana can be as fulfilling as traditional yoga postures in refreshing our emotional energy so we can overcome our resistance to the activities we know we should do. Please share some of the non-traditional activities that you need to accomplish before attacking your to-do list.