I love yoga. If you’ve been following my blog, then you know I’m now joyously studying to be a yoga teacher at Ishta Yoga. Although I’ve always loved yoga, there have been times I’ve let my yoga mat collect dust in the closet (aka: after my son was born ). I didn’t think I had time to do yoga.
The ironic truth: The more you think you don’t have time for yoga, the more you need to take time to do yoga.
As Ganga White says, “Yoga doesn’t take time. It gives time.”
In many ways yoga can serve as an empowering time management tool.
Here’s a funny story from Steve Covey’s book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” which explains why..
SEEING THE SAW
There was this guy (GUY#1) who was sawing down a tree with a very long, dull saw – and so it was taking him a very long, dull time. His friend (GUY#2) tried to get him to stop sawing – so he could sharpen his saw – thereby allowing his work to move forward more swiftly. GUY#1 declined saying, “I can’t take the time to sharpen the saw. I’m too busy sawing the tree.” Unfortunately, GUY#1 did not see what GUY#2 saw. When you slow down to sharpen your saw, you save time- by improving how you “saw” away at anything you might need to do! This “taking time to get sharp” philosophy applies to all kinds of actions – whatever you might be working on, writing, drawing, creating, playing, problem-solving, making a decision about, etc. Basically, when you take time to sharpen up, you see things more clearly, and do them at a higher level!
Yoga is a terrific time management tool, because it stills both your body and your mind – so you can see and do your life at its sharpest and highest vitality best. The time you spend doing yoga becomes time you save later – and then some!
All of this reminds me of something in a favorite book called “Slowness” by Milan Kundera. (Note: Ironically this was a slender book I sped through in a day!) Kundera explains how we live in a highly speeded-up culture. Our need for speed promotes forgetting and sleep-walking through life. For example: If you want to forget something (aka: a bad memory), you will pick up speed walking down the street. If you want to remember something (someone’s name), you’ll slow down your steps.
Kundera warns how speeding up your life not only keeps you from remembering daily details (“Oops! Forgot to pick up blueberries!”) but also keeps you forgetful about your overall life values – how in your soul you truly want to live a passion-filled, love-filled, growth-filled, fun-filled life. Meaning? The next time you find yourself racing quickly down the street, know that you’re not only running to your next appointment, you are literally running from contact with your truest feelings, deepest needs and most valuable insights.
Yoga helps you to slow down and regain clarity about your values. Yoga helps you to better see how to turn your “to do list” into a “to do what matters most” list – so you make sure you’re being a wise time manager of your day!
I know right now there are some very smart inventors out there who are trying to create more fancy-shmancy devices to save you more time – like “time-saving apps” or “time-saving technological devices.”
The ironic truth: You don’t need any more time-saving devices – which quickly morph into schedule-clogging, mind-clogging and feeling-clogging devices. Instead you need more “time-savoring devices” – which help you slow down, sit still and become more mindful of who you are and what you value for a fulfilling, happy life.
Yoga is not only a time management tool – it’s a “time-savoring device” – because yoga not only helps you to saw down those trees better and faster – it also helps you to mindfully enjoy and appreciate the sawing process!
In summary: Yoga is both a terrific “time management tool” and a beautiful “time savoring device” – because it helps to keep your energy strong, your mind clear, and your soul in the driver’s seat – so you do your life as your highest self – while enjoying the beauty of each unfolding moment.
TWEET THIS NOW: Yoga Is A Terrific Time Management Tool. Here’s why via @notsalmon
I’d love to hear your insights on the comment section below! What’s something which comes to your mind and heart when you read this time management tool – and my philosophy for why yoga is terrific at saving you time? Share your personal story about yoga or a time management tool you do! I LOVE it when you share your insights, stories and philosophies – because I love to find out about my community – and learn from you too! Plus, many thousands of peeps read this inspirational website – so, what you share could be a helpful inspiration for someone else! xo Karen
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Written by Karen Salmansohn
Karen Salmansohn is a best selling author/designer with over 1 million books sold, plus a columnist for Oprah, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Match.com, Positivelypositive, The Daily Love, and an AOL Selected Career Coach, and founder of www.notsalmon.com- a website which offers fun/feisty/inspirational books, posters, screensavers, tees, totes, mugs, journals, videos, ecards and more to empower people around the world to live their happiest life.
