April is the cruelest month.
You said it, T.S. Eliot. Loud and clear, brother.
There are two very distinct ways to view April. Spring is budding and the weather is growing ever more lovely. The scent of jasmine fills the air in Southern California, flip flops get rescued from the dank depths of the closet and my dog's birthday lands on the 11th--which means pupcakes, laughter and a rockin' dog party on the roof.
On the other hand, spring is budding and more rain is falling. Pedicures are a must. The scent of jasmine and a million other flowers with kamikaze allergen bombs fill the air, my nose and eyes as the dreaded center of April approaches--tax day.
I love America--don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help but mumble, "Damn the Man" under my breath the entire walk to UPS with my arm full of 1040 vouchers. I tried to move my focus out of the growing stomach ache and back into a place of gratitude--I love my job. I realize how rare that is and how incredibly blessed I am to wake up and share my love everyday. On the other hand, the quarterly taxes and phonebook size of 1099s I collect throughout the year sure isn't a picnic. I contemplated both sides of the coin as 'Life Goes On' danced through my head.
In my post-UPS depression I laid down nose to nose with my dog and stared deep into her tax-and carefree eyes. I wondered what she would do if the government came in and confiscated a huge chunk of her bones. The thought made me laugh--she'd grab her toy, wiggle her bottom like a banshee and follow them around, while in the process singing her cooing song and maybe even try to hump an unexpected arm. Simply because she knows there will always be more. There are no dead ends. Life has its ups and downs, its good times and bad, its jasmine perfume and ragweed from hell. It also has yoga. You have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet and do a few disciplined yoga poses to release tension. I unrolled my mat and came up with a short sequence that made me breathe, laugh, unwind and realize that April isn't so bad after all.
*the Yogitoes ySTRAP I use in the video is an amazing tool to have for your yoga practice. Visit www.yogitoes.com and use the code kathrynbudig to receive 20% your entire purchase.
Yoga for the Tax Paying Blues from kathryn budig on Vimeo.
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will have to do some research for my darling daughters.
Yeah Kathryn you are so right, life is utterly a blessing when you realize you do what you love everyday in the midst of the seemingly daunting tasks must do, LIKE TAXES. . . damn the man.
Damned if you do , damned if you don't. Pay taxes or not? Do yoga or not? hm. guess we really don't have a choice in both matters unless we want to pay for it later! heheee (okay i know im not that funny but tis kinda a pun , right?)
speaking of pedicures -- have you checked out Summer Rayne Oakes' book, 'Style Naturally'? Colleen swears by it and I know Tara is a fan as well. It's got a ton of info on natural/organic beauty/body care products.....