Transformation (of any amount) is no small thing

This week, a major celestial event took place. It has to do with the planet, Mercury and no, I'm not talking about retrograde. Here in the United States, star gazers were able to see and document, with proper instrumentation, a pretty rare phenomenon, Mercury transit. Mercury transit happens on average only 13 times in a hundred years.

This happens when Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the sun, passes in front of the sun. Similar to an eclipse, but in no way the same in visual scope. Pictures of Mercury transit look as if the sun had suddenly developed a perfectly round, black pimple that took roughly five and a half hours to move across its "face".

Still, this was no small thing as heavenly object movements go. The next one won't happen until 2032 and we here in the U.S. won't see it until 2049. I'll be 79 years old by then. I hope I remember to look up photos of Mercury transit when I'm that old.

In any case - my point is that small things can sometimes be larger than they appear. By way of significance, mostly. In a yoga practice, as the yogi works toward a particular asana, he or she can measure progress in tiny increments, depending on the asana.

Small transformations are not small. They represent lots of dedication to a practice or a regimen.

I debated with myself very strongly about sharing what I'm about to share. Please know that I think numbers on a scale are just that: numbers. I do not measure health in inches around my middle. Health is more than the physical - it is mental and emotional too. I also need you to know that I am working on the second of the four agreements (in the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz) which is "Don't Take Anything Personally" - so bear with me.

Last month, I took on a challenge. Over the course of 30 days, I eliminated certain foods and drinks from my diet. I gave up foods I love and added supplements, protein powders, etc... that I'd purchased to support my step daughter's venture with Arbonne.

I didn't have any expectations of physical transformation. I saw it more as a way to become recommitted to my vegan diet and be a good step mom.

Little did I know that I was in store for a transformation of my own.

Since completing the program, I have lost 5 1/2 pounds - weight is now 136. Goodwill stands to benefit in a big way since I also dropped three sizes - making many pairs of gently worn jeans, pants, and skirts too big for me.

I can't tell you when I weighed what I weigh now, since my earlier statement of discounting numbers on a scale is not a new thing. I might have been in the 130s when I was training for my first half marathon or dabbling in the sport of triathlon some 10 years ago but that is at best a guess.

In addition, and this is the part that I KNOW goes against taking things personally (good or bad) I've had many people notice that I look differently. This has happened after my yoga practice, when I'm wearing leggings and a bra top. The most common comment is 'your practice looks great!' So if we're being real here, how much has my practiced changed in 30 days? Probably not a noticeable amount, it is my body that changed and my practice looks better because of it.

But you know what else? My practice FEELS better. I feel better - and I wasn't feeling bad to begin with...

So for me, that is the takeaway. I feel better than I did before. I've maintained a lot of the dietary restrictions from the program. It is sustainable. And no small transformation is really small.

If you're curious about the program, comment below, message me on social media and find out more about it. If I can do it, so can you!