If you know me, or have paid attention to my comings and goings on social media, you undoubtedly know I like to stay busy. Well…those who know me well, know that even that is an understatement. Truth is, I get a bit panicky when my schedule is not full. I look at my upcoming week and if I happen to have an open night or two, I start texting friends and family to make plans. The other day I came home from an unusually long day at BL…upwards of 16 hours…and my husband said…”you work hard and you play hard!!” There may have been a bit of judgement in his statement, mainly because it is not how he is wired, but also, a great deal of truth in his statement as well. In just the last month’s time, I have been to Vegas for a girls trip…had a couple of days to turn around and head to California for a combo “play” hiking trip and a “work” Mindbody conference with Chris. Then I gathered all the information from the conference to present at a bi-annual staff meeting just days later back at BL and then was completely immersed the next weekend with the Julie Run, Kicking off Yoga Teaching Training and Yoga 101. Every day in between these events, I had dinners, boat rides and concerts scheduled with friends and family. Oh, and all while having my suitcase half packed to jump on a plane to Atlanta to be there for the birth of my 5th grand child! I know, it’s a LOT!! And some of you are likely exhausted just reading this…but I LOVE it!! I re-fuel by being around people and I had never really thought of it this way until Dave said it out loud, but I DO “work hard and play hard!!”
In yoga there is a concept called the Edge. It's that place of balance that we are trying to attain on and off our mats; somewhere between too Much and too Little…between Push and Yield…or between Effort and Ease. So although I LOVE to PUSH my way through life and feel like I’m happier when doing so, I am often reminded that I need a little more Yield mixed in. Sometimes that reminder comes from my body as it did this week and I pull myself from the fitness room and climb back onto my yoga mat. Sometimes that reminder comes from my mind and I pick up the next book club book and give myself some space to slow down and chill. Sometimes that reminder comes from those around me who don’t appreciate being dragged along at the same pace that I thrive on. BUT the truth is…it’s hard work for me to slow down or to not push myself or those around me. It definitely does NOT come naturally. I know some of you can relate but chances are the other ½ of you can NOT. When studying about this concept of Finding our Edge, researchers say that depending on our personality, most of us will likely find ourselves leaning toward one extreme or the other. We either identify ourselves as more of a PUSHER or more of a COASTER. It’s how we tend to navigate through all aspects of our lives. So as much as I struggle with slowing down, others of you may struggle with getting off the couch…saying yes to social functions or committing to a daily workout. The concept of the Edge reminds us all that whatever direction we are coming from, there is a place a little closer to the middle that might bring a bit more balance into our lives. In the words of Erich Schiffman (one of the Yoga Teacher Training authors), “If you tend toward being aggressive and overly goal-oriented, (PUSHER) try allowing more surrender and yield into (your life and) your practice.” And “if your tendency is to yield and not be assertive, (COASTER) try being more adventuresome, energetic, and exploratory. Too much will be a strain and too little is not sufficiently interesting.”
There you go…are YOU a PUSHER or a COASTER?? It can be challenging to refrain from judging what we can’t relate to or what doesn’t come naturally to us. But the end goal for all of us is to just take one day at a time…one practice at a time…one moment at a time…to move in a direction that brings a little more balance into our lives.
Hope to see you on your mat!
