how to juggle life & a yoga practice

I wake up everyday at 6:40, and it's pretty much routine. I go downstairs and hear "good morning mommy, how did you sleep?" from my boys who awoke forty minutes earlier. I go to the kitchen, put on a kettle of water for tea, coffee, and my husband's neti pot. Then I begin to make lunches for my children and give them breakfast. At 7:30 it's time for them to get dressed and brush their teeth.  By 7:45 we are out of the door and off to school. It is usually about 8:15 when I arrive back at home, and this is where my day begins.  I drink my coffee and go over my schedule. Where and what am I teaching in my classes today? Who is picking up the kids from school? What will I make for dinner? And will I have time to practice yoga at home or in a class? Let me mention that just because I am teaching yoga classes does not mean that I am practicing yoga.

I used to have the belief that "I just don't have enough time" in my day to do everything I want to get done. There would always be something "getting in the way": kids, schedules, appointments, work, dinners out (yes, dinners out!). Then it hit me that this way of thinking was limiting, not just in my thinking but in limiting the possibilities I actually do have with my time.  After I came to this realization, I started having more time to take a yoga class or finding myself at home practicing more often. It was all in my outlook. Now don't get me wrong: this does take work. You have to look at your calendar and write/type everything down that happens throughout your day - and I mean everything. By doing this, I can see if I have ten minutes, thirty minutes, or an hour. Then I can decide where I can practice or who I can practice with.

As part of the title of this blog states, it is a juggle to get it all in line and can be quite stressful figuring it all out. But each and every time I show up on my mat, even on days when I don't want to be there, it's worth it. I am a better mom, a better wife, a better friend, a better daughter, a better sister, and most of all, I can be a better teacher. If you have to make adjustments to make more time, do it! If that means waking up a half hour earlier, do it! If you have to ask your husband/partner to free up some of their time for you, DO IT! When you realize your time is just as important as everyone else's, you will not only feel better about yourself but eventually you'll free up time to take good care of yourself. Because when you can take care of yourself, you can take better care of others. 

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