Creating Balance

In this busy world that treats doing more as success, introspection can be hard to justify. There would have been a time in my life that I could have talked myself into taking on too much, picking up a shift at work, taking another yoga class even though my body or mind may have needed rest. Call it intuition, or perhaps embracing my own limitations, but one benefit I have noticed from practicing yoga is that I have a much harder time ignoring my inner voice, even if it is telling me to slow down and take a break.   

Perhaps it’s the constant reminder from my teachers to listen to my intuition, or the focus on balance and equanimity sewn through classes, but as my practice has evolved I have started to trust my inner voice more than ever before. 

With every decision I make, from taking on a new teaching time slot to hosting a dinner party, I ask myself “How will this feel?”  Will I feel the balance we all crave between life and work, a balance between taking care of me and taking care of others?

Since I began practicing yoga daily, I find I am much more in tune with the rhythms and tipping points that control my wellbeing.  I acknowledge that in the winter months I’m going to need more sleep than in June.  I’ve learned that I need quiet space after teaching three classes in a row.  The realization that I’m okay with not doing everything has been one of the most liberating I’ve had.