How I Balance Yoga and Responsibilities

I recently asked by members on my email list what their biggest obstacles are when it comes to yoga.
One of them brought up a really good point about balancing life + yoga.

Here’s what she said:

“My biggest challenge in becoming a yoga teacher is keeping up with my practice. I’m currently a member at a yoga studio, I have a full time job that can be demanding at times leading to missed classes or a feeling of guilt because I choose yoga over work. Finding the balance is extremely difficult in my opinion.”

I love this question because

this feeling isn’t as uncommon as you think.

As more of us seek to further our yoga practice, there comes a number of roadblocks. Random obligations show up (eg. an extra assignment at work, your kids acting up, an unexpected visitor from out of town, etc.) throwing your meticulously planned schedule out the window. Then when you do get the chance to practice, you end up feeling guilty for doing yoga when there are more “important” things to do.

My neighbors often interrupt my meditation ?

I’ve certainly dealt with this issue before.

It’s important to mention that sometimes the best yoga is a...

simple self-care exercise that takes less than 5 minutes.

Wherever you are, take a few minutes in silence and stillness.
Whether it’s in the morning or in the afternoon:

Just take a moment to notice your breath.

How to balance your time, work schedule and expectations are realizations that will come from the practice of meditation and energy management. Simple routines like this allow for a sustainable mind/body practice. For me and my students, it’s made a world of difference to take a moment and mentally slow down by connecting to the breath. Face that feeling of being overwhelmed, sit with it, appreciate the challenges of life’s growth process and let it go.

So do your favorite stretch & take that deep breath,
even if its for 2 minutes in between activities.

Try it out this week and let me know how it goes.

– Ram