I love practicing and teaching a power vinyasa flow, adding chaturanga challenges and strength building sequences. I have a lot of energy. I enjoy long runs and spending time in nature. I am also a huge believer in giving my mind and body a break and lazing. I am part action and part lazy and I like it!
Being lazy gets such a bad rap. Quoting to the best of my ability, one of my friends told me – “We are the generation told we can do anything so we feel like we have to do everything!” It is a balance self-discipline and self-care. Sometimes doing nothing is exactly what needs to be “done”! Here are 7 things I have learned that only lazy yogis know:
1. Lazy yogis know how to slow their roll.
Psychologist Dr. Roy Baumeister studied ego depletion which is a fancy way of saying that self-control or willpower is limited in capacity. It is the reason why online shopping splurges or ordering a whole pizza for one is harder to resist after a long day. When our energy for mental activity is used up, our willpower is often impaired and we enter a state of ego depletion. The good news is that willpower can be strengthened like a muscle. The bad news is that too much push for increased willpower never gives a chance for the willpower muscle to rest. Lazy yogis know how to listen to their bodies including their willpower muscle and take breaks and slow down when needed.
2. Lazy yogis know that yoga clothes can be worn off the mat!
I am a mountain person and I grew up in a small town so I learned a lot about life in the past few years since I moved to Philadelphia. I enjoy living in Philadelphia and am blessed to be surrounded by a huge variety of food, easy access to events, and increased diversity. One thing I do not like so much is being judged and evaluate when I walk down the street, especially when people make inappropriate comments. A woman once loudly commented to her partner that “people [!aka!] should not wear yoga pants outside of yoga.” I LOVE wearing yoga pants ALL THE TIME! They are comfy and allow me breathe properly. Plus – yoga clothes in general are usually comfy and easy to put on. Lazy yogi approved!
3. Lazy yogis know how to be creative.
A famous quote attributed to Bill Gates goes as follows, “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” I remember during my teacher training, I was learning grasshopper pose and the way I was taught was through chair pose to do a figure four stretch and then place your hands on the floor and lift into it. I tried this for about a year. One day I was too lazy to stand up and just figured I would give it a shot from seated figure four pose. It was so much easier!! We lazy yogis are great at figuring out how to use our creativity to do something in a way that feels accessible and easier for us.
4. Lazy yogis know how to say no.
I used to be a total people pleaser and wanted to take care of everyone even if that meant I forgot to take care of myself. In time, I learned that it is a challenging road but a worthwhile journey to let go of other people’s expectations and find what is your own unique individual needs. One of the women I truly look up to in my cohort (shout out to Marie!) once quoted to me – “You do not have to set yourself on fire in order to keep other people warm.” Lazy yogis know that saying no is an important step in self-care.
5. Lazy yogis know the struggle is real.
Lazy yogis know there is a real struggle about if and when we will practice yoga. When I am feeling lazy this is a typical thought process: “I am going to do yoga in the morning. Wait I have that thing in the morning. I am going to do yoga on my lunch break. Wait I was going to eat lunch with a friend. Okay, I am going to do yoga after work. Hmm but I am so tired and if I do yoga too late it I will be too energized to fall asleep. Maybe I will set my alarm and go to a hot yoga class before work. Shoot, I don’t have any clean yoga clothes and do I really want to shower?” It isn’t pretty and I know there is always a counter argument to being a lazy yogi, like just go to class or just practice a few minutes a day. I totally hear you but lazy yogis know the struggle is real. We do not start at square one every time we practice. We just practice when we want to practice.
6. Lazy yogis know what is important.
I thoroughly enjoy balancing my laziness about writing this article with my energy to share with you. And to be honest, this article is getting too long to read for a lazy yogi. I totally get it, you might have just skimmed this whole piece and that is awesome, you do you (yoga!!). Lazy yogis know that it is okay to read thoroughly, skim, or skip what we want.
7. Lazy yogis know savasana.
I am going to keep this message short and sweet…I am just here for the savasana #lazyyogiproblems < #lazyyogisolutions!
Let’s take back being lazy and enjoy the balance of go, go, go with relax, renew, and be lazy! If you have anything that you find helps you indulge in some lazing, feel free to comment below!