People who run marathons know that the only way they can develop and maintain the strength and stamina they need to finish, let alone win, those races is through constant conditioning. For many of us, our busy lives are like a marathon that never ends, and all too often we don’t make time to stay in shape for the long run we face every day. As a result, we soon end up feeling physically and emotionally exhausted.
When I am not teaching yoga, I am immersed in fashion. Every two months, I implement fashion trends and concepts for seasonal collections, style over 8 windows, 48 mannequins, create fashion display and merchandise a 10,000 sq foot store. Our seasonal floor-sets are usually 12hr shifts and lasts up to 4 days. Add on teaching, blogging, and everything else I am responsible for, I end up exhausted, shattered and sometimes even frustrated.
It is just as important to take the “me time” you need to catch your breath, put things in perspective, and reconnect with the one person who has the power to make your life fantastic rather than frantic: YOU. Creating a rewarding life requires balance. Rest, relaxation, regular exercise, a healthful diet, and a few strong friendships or family connections are all essential components of living well and getting the most out of life. Ironically, with all the demands of work, friends and family, the part of our life-conditioning regimen that we most often sacrifice is time for ourselves.
Most people would describe me as someone who is "on-the-go." I actually am not. Although I have a lot of projects, I'm quite good with time management.
To create time, I usually make myself unavailable. I turn off my mobile, turn off IM, log out of Facebook/Twitter and close my email. Not only does making myself unavailable keep me from being interrupted, the whole routine of preparing myself and mentally deciding I’m unavailable really helps me to focus on what needs to be done.
My "me time" is very important and usually nothing fancy. Most of the time I love curling up with a freshly brewed pot of tea by the fire and read. I mostly read to create content for my blog, for articles and broaden my knowledge. When I'm not reading motivational, wisdom books, I'm usually trying to figure out Leslie Kaminoff's Yoga Anatomy book. I read to prep for my classes, for my students and to make me a better teacher.
I get asked to cover a lot of classes, write articles, attend fashion events. Sometimes I wish I could say yes to every single one of them but I cannot. How many commitments have you taken on out of obligation, because you felt they were the right thing to do – or simply because you weren’t thinking about it and said yes to them? I’m all for trying new things, but if you’ve taken on too much and are being stretched thin – stop trying to optimize and squeeze seconds out of the day, when cutting activities and projects can save hours.
With so many other people needing your attention and asking for help, it may feel selfish to insist on a little me time now and then. But just as you can’t exhale for long without inhaling, you can’t keep giving to others indefinitely without taking time to renew your spirit and give back to yourself.
Namasté,
When I am not teaching yoga, I am immersed in fashion. Every two months, I implement fashion trends and concepts for seasonal collections, style over 8 windows, 48 mannequins, create fashion display and merchandise a 10,000 sq foot store. Our seasonal floor-sets are usually 12hr shifts and lasts up to 4 days. Add on teaching, blogging, and everything else I am responsible for, I end up exhausted, shattered and sometimes even frustrated.
It is just as important to take the “me time” you need to catch your breath, put things in perspective, and reconnect with the one person who has the power to make your life fantastic rather than frantic: YOU. Creating a rewarding life requires balance. Rest, relaxation, regular exercise, a healthful diet, and a few strong friendships or family connections are all essential components of living well and getting the most out of life. Ironically, with all the demands of work, friends and family, the part of our life-conditioning regimen that we most often sacrifice is time for ourselves.
Most people would describe me as someone who is "on-the-go." I actually am not. Although I have a lot of projects, I'm quite good with time management.
To create time, I usually make myself unavailable. I turn off my mobile, turn off IM, log out of Facebook/Twitter and close my email. Not only does making myself unavailable keep me from being interrupted, the whole routine of preparing myself and mentally deciding I’m unavailable really helps me to focus on what needs to be done.
My "me time" is very important and usually nothing fancy. Most of the time I love curling up with a freshly brewed pot of tea by the fire and read. I mostly read to create content for my blog, for articles and broaden my knowledge. When I'm not reading motivational, wisdom books, I'm usually trying to figure out Leslie Kaminoff's Yoga Anatomy book. I read to prep for my classes, for my students and to make me a better teacher.
I get asked to cover a lot of classes, write articles, attend fashion events. Sometimes I wish I could say yes to every single one of them but I cannot. How many commitments have you taken on out of obligation, because you felt they were the right thing to do – or simply because you weren’t thinking about it and said yes to them? I’m all for trying new things, but if you’ve taken on too much and are being stretched thin – stop trying to optimize and squeeze seconds out of the day, when cutting activities and projects can save hours.
With so many other people needing your attention and asking for help, it may feel selfish to insist on a little me time now and then. But just as you can’t exhale for long without inhaling, you can’t keep giving to others indefinitely without taking time to renew your spirit and give back to yourself.
Namasté,
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