Long time, no sleep.

Ahh, sleep.  My old friend, it has been too long. I mean serious sleep - deep, restful, no alarms anticipated, no interruptions - just the joy of waking slightly to roll over into the deep pillows and know I have nothing else to do but sleep some more.
Sleep my friend, I have missed you.
But now, with summer vacation officially here, and my days mostly open and unscheduled, I can re-acquaint myself with you. These past few days, I have enjoyed late morning sleep, when my body wakes me naturally at 6 but I do not allow myself to respond, setting my mental alarm for 8.  It is a reverse alarm approach - I am not allowed to get up before a certain time, rather than not being allowed sleep past that time. It is an approach that erases all the stress associated with a morning schedule.
I have not yet enjoyed any naps, as the first few days of summer break have been busy with errands, Father's Day, family visits, and fun. But today, between the hours of now and later, there is nothing that I "must" do, so I may enjoy a mid-day snooze, if the breeze entices me and there seems to be a soft spot of sunlight to lay in. Either way, it will be a choice - a delicious decision to drift for a while, or a conscious choice to keep moving about my day.  Today, there will be no overwhelming, heavy-body gravity pull towards the pillow that dictates the rest of my day. Today, I may want a nap, but I will not need a nap. That is a world of difference.
What's more, the allotment of at least 8 hours of sleep per night that I have required of myself the last few days has restored my energy and my motivation for exercise.  My body is starting to wake up, literally and metaphorically. Deeper rest has led to a resurgence of vitality.  I actually ran/walked for an hour yesterday and led a one-on-one yoga session. And then walked around the fair for three hours. No nap.
Today, a 75 minute heated yoga class actually seemed appealing. It was hard, but felt good. I made it through without dropping into child's pose.  I liked it enough to look forward to going again. No more excuses, no more bargaining with myself. Just restorative sleep, followed by authentic vigor and desire for activity.
Now that's the way it should be.