As a busy woman balancing work, relationships, and home life, finding time to set aside an hour for yourself each day can be more than a little unrealistic. An hour a week, however, is something everyone can do. Whether you want to spend that hour relaxing, regrouping, or reorganizing, the benefits of some ‘me-time’ are endless. Happiness is directly linked to confidence, and confidence acts as a career and relationship booster!
This week I suggest planning a weekend yoga session with some girlfriends. If you are anything like me, you constantly find yourself rushing from task A to task B without taking time to pause and reflect on what you need. You have an endless ‘To-Do’ list in your mind that keeps growing longer, and your thoughts revolve around what errand you can complete next. Yoga is great activity that allows you to press the pause button in your brain. Inviting some close girlfriends makes the experience even more fun and rewarding. Never tried yoga before? No big deal, here are a few things you want to think about when planning this next hour for yourself.
* Look online or call a few yoga studios in your area to ask about complimentary classes. Many studios want to encourage new participants, and are more than willing to let you “try before you buy.”
* Pick out some clothing with lots of stretch. You want to feel comfortable and despite what ads might tell you, yoga class is not a fashion runway!
* Ask some basic questions about what the studio offers. Do they rent mats for a fee or provide them free of cost? Are towels provided at the front desk? If not, you might want to bring your own, even slow fluid movements can make you sweaty!
* Let your friends know a week or two in advance. You know how quickly your schedule fills up, and you want to make sure that everyone will be able to make it!
* Consider a brief coffee or tea date after yoga. One of the great things about this activity is that it encourages reflection and relaxation –two things bound to stir up some conversation with the gals! Green teas served hot or cold are a great way to wrap up class.
I cannot emphasize enough how beneficial some light exercise with friends truly is. Not everyone is too keen on the idea of pounding out a couple miles on the treadmill, but a yoga class provides a much more inviting atmosphere. Another point to remember is that yoga is not for everyone. Try a few different classes with and without friends and if you still cannot get interested do not sweat it. Exercise is supposed to make you feel better, not worse, and you will find and activity you enjoy. Of course, you can always tune in to tomorrow’s post for a new and different idea on how you can take an hour for yourself!
