Countless times I have rushed myself and my son through the house trying to get to a yoga class. Unfortunately, when I’m on my way to teach the class, I have been known to get even more intense about the time. Everyone who knows me knows that I hate to be late. Sitting downstairs on a quiet Sunday morning I can laugh at the entire concept of being frantic about getting to do something which is supposed to help me unwind and make my mind and body stronger. My hysteria about being on time shows either how very much I need yoga to help me relax, or that I need to be rushing myself to a time management class instead.
There are some things that hinder and some things that help me arrive to yoga in an orderly fashion. I’ve figured out that buying additional fitness apparel doesn’t help me get to class any faster if it’s not dried after being in the washing machine. Another tactic that doesn’t work is thinking that fifteen minutes is enough time to go from totally not ready to out-the-door. What might help is a permanent checklist on the wall of things that I need to bring to class each time – mat, music and headband (my hair will not stay in a ponytail at this time). Is it all the other unnecessary things that I bring that get in the way of the three mandatory staples?
What is also amusing is how much harder one must work to relax and focus after they have spent the last twenty minutes in a panic. I imagine that after speeding to get to a yoga practice it’s possible that you’ll work hard only to get a bit more relaxed than you were before you realized that you only had fifteen minutes to get your act together. If you’re laughing right now, then I know that I’m not the only one who has been here. Plenty of times students rush in one minute before class starts laden with apologies, nearly out of breath and with faces full of stress. I always tell them not to worry about it. Honestly, it helps me to say it to them because it makes me more patient with me.
All I can say is that it has gotten better. I often arrive super early now because that way I can guarantee that I’ll be relaxed enough to deliver a smooth class. I’m still cutting it close when I’m taking a class. Does this reveal something about me giving time to others but not time to myself? Well, that sounds like another story. I have to admit that a lot of the improvement in our routine is due to the fact that my son is older, therefore more self-sufficient (except for when we can’t find his shoes for the umpteenth time in a week).
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