Retro Throwback: Fitting Life into Yoga

On the weekends, please enjoy the Retro Throwback where I share my favorite posts from some time ago. Fitting Life into Yoga was originally published in November 2012.

I’m almost packed up and ready to head out for my trip to San Diego. This is a work trip, a professional conference, that I do every year following Thanksgiving. I always leave on a Tuesday and return on a Saturday. In the past, my goal has been to visit a local Bikram studio and practice once or twice if time allowed. Last year, I practiced on Tuesday, before the conference began, and on Saturday morning before I returned home. The location for the conference changes every year giving me the opportunity to try new studios each year. Fun!

Last year I spent my time at the conference doing conference things from Wednesday-Friday. Perhaps I could have worked in one more Bikram trip, but I chose not to focus on it. This year however my priorities have totally flopped. I’m practicing four times, Tuesday-Friday, only missing Saturday because of the airplane schedule.

I explained to my instructor this morning that I had arranged my flight on Tuesday so I could take the 4:30 pm class at BY San Diego. I don’t know your reaction to arranging flight times around yoga schedules, but I can tell you this: Taking a class after being on a plane all day (or in a car) is the best idea ever. Make it happen even if it means getting up early. Sleep on the plane. Class feels amazing after having sat around all day in a plane or car. I’m bummed I can’t take class Saturday after flying home, but that just couldn’t be made to work.

The instructor pointed out something very interesting. She said that when people begin practicing, the concern is how to fit yoga into their lives. You know, how do you find time to go to yoga when you got all this life stuff happening? It’s the classic question, and the reason many people cite about why they practice so little or not at all.

However, she said that eventually you progress to a different stage. The question changes to, “How do I fit my life into my yoga practice?” This is absolutely where I am now. How do I fit my conference activities into yoga? I don’t want to give up my yoga for the week, and I want to try out a different studio and different teachers. So I give up some things or I do things I wouldn’t normally choose to. For example, taking two 6:30 am classes in San Diego. Skipping out on a dinner Friday night because the 6:30 pm class was literally the only time I could make class. Basically, it means going to class even if there’s only one time I can make regardless of if I like going at that time or not.

Of course the good news about 6:30 am classes is that I am going from Eastern to Pacific time. I’ll likely be awake so I might as well just go to class. I’ve never taken a 6:30 pm class in my life. I imagine I’ll be having some room service that evening.

Fitting yoga into my life in San Diego is also a financial committment. According to some website I located, I can expect to pay 15.00 in cab fare one way from the hotel to the studio. I budgeted 40.00 per trip. That’s 160.00 dollars!!!  Plus it’s another 40.00 to pay for my yoga. Plus I’ll have to be buying water to stay hydrated. Now I’m starting to think I need more cash.

I know I will have a buddy for one or two of the trips that I can split the cab fare with, but I assume nothing. I got the cash and am ready to roll. Where do I get this money from? Well, at the conference I am getting an award for a book I co-authored. We get a check, but no one has told us what the cash prize is. I assume the money I get from winning the award will be used to pay all or most of my yoga trips. Nice example of how things just work out.

I’ll be back to blogging Sunday-ish with tales from San Diego. Take Care!