Confessions of a Type-A Yoga Teacher
Do less, achieve more.
This concept seems so simple, yet in our fast-paced world of fly-by tweets, jam-packed schedules, and Picky Bars on the run, even us yoga teachers can struggle to let go of the “go-go-go” and find true stillness.
I must admit, I habitually take on too much. As a first year nursing student, a coach and community manager for Athletes for Yoga, and a recovering fitness freak, my calendar leans toward chaos on any given week. I would like to say that starting my yoga practice revolutionized this lifestyle. I would like to say that completing my teacher training rehabbed my belief in the need to push harder in order to succeed. However, it was not until meeting Erin Taylor and adopting the Athletes for Yoga attitude of recovery that the notion of doing less and achieving more truly set in.
Last week, the lovely Athletes for Yoga ladies gathered to recap our winter quarter. Fresh out of finals and less than satisfied with a final grade, I was having a hard time focusing on the meeting. Leave it to Erin to pull in a #HitReset moment by reading a quote from the book Art of Attention:
“…May these practices remind you that loving yourself is the only prayer, the only practice..."
– Elena Brower
BOOM.
Somewhere in between those lines something clicked. I don’t have to get it all “right,” I just have to find the right balance. That extra workout, extra hour spent at work, extra expenditure to try and get ahead often results in simply feeling extra tired. The work that we put in must be matched with equal time off.
Whether you’re racing a marathon in April or have a knarly project to tackle at work, consider the possibility that you can still strike a balance between effort and ease. This month, I challenge you to do less, gift your body and mind time to replenish, and see if you achieve more.