Meet Pippa

Meet the newest (and smallest) member of our family — Pippa.

She’s a 10-year-old chihuahua we adopted four weeks ago, pretty unexpectedly. That morning, I had been out walking with my boys, telling them how we were never getting a dog… but if we ever did, it would be chihuahua-sized and not a puppy.

An hour later, a message landed in my phone: would anyone be able to adopt a chihuahua whose owners could no longer care for her?

By the end of that day, we had met her and said yes.

We haven’t looked back. If anything, I think we should have done this sooner… but then again maybe this was always the dog we were meant to have, arriving exactly when she was meant to.

She has brought so much into our lives. She’s made us slow down to sit and cuddle her. She’s made us get out in nature for walks and then stop and look around. She’s made us take care of her. As one of my yoga students said, “Your hear expands, doesn’t it?” Our hearts have expanded and she’s moved into that space.

But what Pippa is really good at… is resting.

When she’s not out for a walk or eating, she is deeply, unapologetically resting. Curled up on a blanket, sometimes submerged under the blanket, completely at ease. Head supported, body soft, fully surrendered, this girl knows how to Restorative Yoga!

She reminds me how powerful it is to truly rest. Not collapse in front of the telly, not distract ourselves with our phones but actually constructively rest, letting the body soften, the nervous system settle and energy rebuild.

This is what we need. When we feel the first whispers of burn-out. When we feel tired. It's not coffee. It's not to push through it. Just rest. Proper rest.

This is what Restorative Yoga offers. It's a practice. You get better at it. And it really works. It helps you sleep. It helps you learn how to settle your busy mind and release the stress your body is holding.

If you'd like to experience it now, try one of Restorative Yoga videos available on demand through my website or come to a Restorative Yoga class with me. The next one is Saturday, April 9th. Sign up to my mailing list to be kept informed of others I'll do in the future.

Caragh