14 Things I Learned from Yoga, Business School and Ayurveda
A quick distinction between “yoga” and “yoga asana.” When I use the word “yoga” I am referring the the broad, over-arching word that encompasses the body, intellect, and spiritual nature of all living beings on their journey toward wholeness, fullness, and love for oneself, others, and the planet. When I use the word “asana” or “yoga asana” I mean simply the physical practice of putting the body into various shapes and breathing.
Yoga has been in my life since I was a child. I was raised in a yoga tradition and I grew singing songs in Sanskrit and learning about the classical Indian epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana in my homeschool program. The first time I went to India in 2011 it felt like going home.
In business school I learned to be efficient and effective with my time. Time=Money and money is energy. My A-type personality really likes that fact that numbers don’t lie and sometimes it can get a little too rigid and dogmatic when I’m “All business and no play.” I’m learning to have more fun. As my husband like to remind me, “Life is too short, Shinay.” Nevertheless, the principles of energy management are useful in their essence (true form).
My studies in Ayurveda have helped me remember that I am part of the much bigger whole. The already-present cycles happening in the universe (e.g. the phases of the seasons and the coursing of the planets) are emulated within my personal energy field and within my own physical body. The study of Ayurveda takes a lifetime, but the implementation of it’s basic principles doesn’t require that I have a ph.D.
I’m still learning about Yoga, Business, and Ayurveda. I give my attention to all three because I want to continue to learn how to be in loving relationships with people, energy, money, time, and myself.
Here are the things I’ve learned so far.
These are the things I do every day no matter where I am on planet Earth, regardless of how I “feel” about them (myself, or the situation I’m in). These are practices that get more easeful the more I do them. The bottom line is, I do these things because they make me feel better. And I like to feel good.
I’m not selling you anything. I’m not seeking approval or agreement, or trying to convert you into “my way will work for everyone.” I’m sharing with you what I’ve learned (and what I continue to learn) because I wish someone had told me sooner.
Maybe something will also work for you today!
Yoga is teaching me about limitations and freedom:
- Two minutes every day. “Practice makes practice,” as Darren Rhodes says. The details of yoga mirror the details of life. And as one of my teachers said, “God is in the details,” and “Don’t sweat the big stuff.” What I do every day is my life. Small practices done every day outweigh the grand gestures made once a century. Do something everyday to further your journey and your Yoga.
- I’m learning there’s not one “right way” to do yoga or life. And there’s no such thing as “perfect.” The asana (shapes) are only part of the yoga practice for me. Yoga is about BEing in life, and learning to live based on what I know. It took a
long time to learn this and I believe I’ll keep learning this lesson many, many times throughout this life. - As Dr. Pat Allen says, “Beware your thoughts for they become words. Beware your words for they become habits. Beware your habits for they become your character. Beware your character for it becomes your destiny.” She takes her teachings from the I-Ching: Book of Changes, and the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.
- Make yoga applicable to every-day life. The teachings of yoga through the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali are teaching me about discriminating wisdom—standing in my skin, on my path. Yoga is living in me to the degree to which I am able to live the teachings of yoga.
Business School taught me that time is energy:
- Everything has one place. From scrap paper, to books, to shoes, to the garden hose, to yoga props. When I put things in “their” place, cleaning up is easy and I spend less time looking for things I misplaced. I’m still on the learning curve of this because every time Jesse move I have, we have to renegotiate where things will live in our house. Think of it as the “Optimal Blueprint for Things.”
- Architect your space. You get to decide how you want to use the space you live in. What I mean by this is: Because I want to do yoga asana every day, I refuse every time my mother offers to buy me another piece of furniture or a “real couch.” In order to keep our living room open and clear so that Jesse and I can dance, do yoga, lie on the floor, whatever. Space is spaciousness. By design, we intentionally have kept our furniture to a minimum. If there is not enough space to dance in my house, then dancing is less likely to happen. Create YOUR space with YOUR intention.
- Check e-mail twice a day (respond to email twice a week). Once at 12PM and once at 4PM, respond accordingly. This helps me not be a slave to the “ping” of new messages and helps educate (and give permission) to my people that I do not live “on call” (or online) and this is helping us all remember that life happens more profoundly when we’re not plugged into the World Wide Web.
- Sleep hygiene. Turn off all mobile devices at night. (And then back on at 7 or 8 AM.) Do your research. Harvard Health, WebMD, Sleep Foundation, NYTimes.
- Turn off all notifications on your devices. Computers and technological devices have their own, specific use. Technology is great for communication when two people are not in the same room. NOTE: When you’re with other humans in the flesh, practice having real conversation and just being together. Leave devices in the car, purse, or better yet, at home. Don’t put your device on the table when with friends, on a date, or at your parent’s house. On weekends I don’t usually answer my phone at all. Some days I turn it off and leave it off all day. Also, it’s okay to ask your friends to put their phones away if you’re meeting them for a coffee. I’ve done this and it’s awkward at first but gets easier the more I practice.
- Clear your email inbox. This took me two years to complete but it was SO WORTH IT. I can’t tell you how easeful it is for me to check my email now. I don’t get overwhelmed, I don’t dread email, and it takes me less than 20 minutes (usually) to respond to all new emails. Here’s how to start: 1.) Make folders and file, i.e. “Taxes 2020” or “Recipes” or “Yoga” or “NY Times” and when an email comes in that fits into it’s specific category, file it, otherwise trash it. 2.) Unsubscribe from all newsletters and promotions that you don’t want, it take 20 extra seconds, find it at the bottom of each email. This is key! 3.) Delete all the rest. Once you’ve made your folders and are doing the work of painstakingly deleting all unwanted messages, you’re well on your way. If you’re not sure whether to keep it or trash it, make a folder and go back to it. (Chances are you will never look at that email again and can delete it in a year from now.) Make as many folders as you need with people’s names on them. If you want to hang onto their letters, fine, just move it OUT of your inbox.
Ayurveda is teachings me about the cycles of Great Nature:
Ayurveda means “the science of every day living.” This is how I learned how to heal my digestion.
- How I start my day matters. Waking up is easy for me. I usually jump out of bed and am ready to go, so lately I’m practicing waking up slowly, savoring the transition between being asleep and being awake. I learned this phrase from one of my teachers, “Don’t worry, don’t hurry, don’t rush.”
- Scrape tongue to remove residue. I do this second thing every morning. This is not a myth or woo-woo health fad. It actually works to decongest the lymph system and, in Chinese medicine, we see what’s going on inside our bodies by looking at the tongue.
- Drink water to eliminate fully. This is literally the third thing I do every morning. This step saved my digestion and helps me feel clear all day long. When I’m able to drink enough water to eliminate (poop and pee!) every morning I’m not walking around full of crap all day. 😉 It. Is. Amazing.
- Timing is everything for good digestion and jokes. The science Ayurveda says “It’s all about what we can digest,” (e.g. not only physical food but also impression food, our environment, conversations, news, etc.). Healthy digestion hinges on a good routine with waking, eating, sleeping, (and cuddling!) and is the key to over all well-being. When our daily rhythm is in accordance with the rhythm of the sun and other natural elements, we live in a simple way to clear stress-responses, inflammation and naturally reset and detoxify every day. Try a simple, daily routine of something pleasant, like a bath before bed, or letting the sun hit your face first thing when you wake up.
- Sneha means “sincere love,” motherly love,” and “adhesiveness.” I first learned about the use of oil on the skin when I was a teenager in high school looking for skin care products that wouldn’t exacerbate my acne. A friend told me about Dr. Houschka products. I had tried everything from intense hormone creams to urine therapy. When I was 18, I finally found something that worked—Dr. Houschka products. Their philosophy suggest putting oil on the skin instead of stripping it away. This practice changed my life. And it worked! In Ayurveda, oleation therapy is known as abhyanga in Ayurveda. It’s a simple exercise of massaging oil all over the skin to promote vitality, strengthen connective tissues, and immunological function. Since oil is food and your skin is the largest organ of your body, it’s important to think about the quality and kind of oil you’re putting on your skin. It also takes a little trial and error to figure out what works for your body. I do this every day, sometimes with just a few drops of oil. It makes all the difference in how I love my body and my skin thanks me.
Remember that the conversation is never really “finished” simply done for the time being.
Further Resources:
Banyan Botanicals, A good resource for Ayurvedic Support and Products
Bhavani Maki, Author, International Yoga Teacher Trainer
Dr. Claudia Welch, Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine Doctor
Dr. Houschka Skin Care Products
Dr. John Douillard, Ayurvedic Doctor and Author