One of my biggest hesitations to trying Yoga was having time for the practice itself.  Currently, I work two jobs and despite the original hesitation, Yoga has provided me with so much awareness of my time that I find I have more of it!  Yoga has become a priority in my life and has taught me to give my full attention to the task at hand.  At my full-time position, I work with college students discussing where they hope to be in five, ten, fifteen years with their career.  It’s easy to discuss their hopes, dreams, and even fears as I am more self-aware of my own. I also work within the hospitality industry at the local comedy club.  It’s easy to become frustrated in the hospitality industry even when it is supposed to be funny!  No matter how busy my life gets, I have found ways to keep my Yoga practice and have received the benefits of making time for myself.

These are the reasons why I believe it is possible (and sometimes essential) to have Yoga complement your career:

1. Prior to yoga, I was constantly uncertain of where my life was going. Yoga has allowed me to “be” and to show satisfaction in the process of discovery instead of feeling frustrated by it. With yoga, I have discovered my own awareness has passed to the college students with whom I work. Even they are more receptive and open to discussing their passions and where they want to go in their life.

2.  Since starting Yoga, my energy has skyrocketed.  The physical and emotional aspects of working with the public are significantly easier when you feel light, strong, and centered.

3. The openness and love that I feel for people, even strangers, has also drastically increased.  Throughout the Yoga practice, specifically at 502 Power Yoga, the community has accepted me fully and, even though, these ladies and gentlemen were once strangers, they are now family.

4.Yoga has provided me the confidence to learn my limits, to realize when enough was enough. Most of 2014 was spent on the sidelines with an injury.  When my body starts to show signs that it needs a break, I listen now.  The Yoga practice is just that, a practice.  The physical demands go as far as your body allows, and sometimes that requires taking time off.

5. Awareness of time and the way you spend it becomes a theme as you are with yourself and others on the mat.  Through yoga and working two jobs I have learned to truly appreciate each moment and live each moment in the present.  It has allowed for significant professional and personal growth. Both positions have become more enjoyable and more profitable for myself and my employers.

At this point I can tell when I need to attend a yoga class as my mood begins to sour, my pep in the step diminishes some and especially when my patience is low. Throughout my life, I have felt that it was imperative to be busy from waking to sleep.  I finally learned to listen to my needs, make time for myself and allowed myself to be braced by a community.

 

Written by Melody Mayes