Making time for yoga

Are you crazy busy? Is there hardly a moment to catch a breath? The day pushes on, and many of us are left anxious and rattled.

Is our significance tied to how much we work and how much we accomplish? Stop in the name of love and peace.

We must retrain ourselves to be, not just to do; to live, not just work. Don’t fool yourself; it takes time and awareness to rewire yourself. This is not an impossible task — and you can make a significant headway with 15-30 minutes of daily yoga practice.

The best advice I can give you is to make your yoga part of your morning ritual. This means getting to bed 15 minutes earlier so your yoga practice does not cut into your sleep time. The second piece of advice is to sit down with your weekly calendar and begin to cross out any activity that is not serving you anymore (this takes being brutally honest).

One of the most significant ways to support your home practice is to practice with a member of your family or a friend. Being held accountable by others can get you to the mat on the dreariest of days. Once you get to the mat, the magic often takes over after a couple of minutes, and you find yourself vibrating with the music of yoga.

For many years, my friend would come over at 6 a.m. We would sit in a yoga posture and do Jumble, the word game, in the newspaper. After sitting and gradually waking up, our bodies would often tell us what to practice. Asana practice, then pranayama, and meditation would follow. What a great way to start the day — centered, awake, internal and listening.

On the occasions that I do miss my morning practice, I notice a difference in how I am in the world. Taking that time for yourself helps you be more present, grounded, patient and open to the little moments of joy (a loved one’s laughter, the taste of a fresh tomato, the way light streams into your window) that happen all day long.