#YogaEveryDamnDay – Day 39: Do You Have Five Minutes?

There were so many takeaways from my #Yogi2Yogi interview with Lesline Pittman yesterday but I think my favorite was what she had to say about fitting yoga into a busy schedule:

“The beauty of yoga is that there are eight limbs to the practice,” she says when asked how busy mothers can incorporate yoga into their schedules. “Some days I just breathe. Some days I just meditate. My yoga practice looks different every day.”

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t have TIME to do yoga!”, then this post is for you. Using the Eight Limbs, we’ll explore eight ways you can get your practice on in five minutes or less.

Bonus: Most don’t require movement, money, or a mat!

• Limb 1: Yama (interaction with others)
  • Thank a colleague at work. Maybe they contributed a great idea or convinced your boss to end a meeting early. No matter the job, there’s always a genuine reason to show gratitude to at least one person at your gig.
    
• Limb 2: Niyama (discipline and study of self)
  • Set a timer for two minutes, grab a sheet of paper, and write down as many people/places/things that bring you joy as you can.
    
• Limb 3: Asana (physical posture)
  • Choose a chair yoga pose from this list and do 3-5 reps.
    
• Limb 4: Pranayama (breath control)
  • Do this one-minute breathing exercise.
    
• Limb 5: Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses)
  • Take a few minutes to log off of all social media apps for a full day (or longer!)
    
• Limb 6: Dharana (inner awareness)
  • Light a candle and focus on its flame for five minutes.
    
• Limb 7: Dhyana (meditation)
  • Try this short sound bath meditation.
    
• Limb 8: Samadhi (deep joy)
  • Every morning (set a timer as a reminder), say out loud one thing for which you are grateful.

Okay, on to today’s practice:

Even though my current work and #GradSchoolDiva schedule doesn’t allow time for formal training, I plan to pursue my yoga teacher certification in 2024. Until then, I’ve been absorbing all of the yogic texts I can get my hands on, including Patanjali’s The Yoga Sutras. This video is a short summary of the limbs, but I implore you to read Patanjali for a deeper understanding.

Remember – all you need is five minutes of yoga to make a big difference in your entire day!

See you on the mat tomorrow!
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