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| Woah! That's a lotta laundry! |
"It's hard to fit it all in" is a common phrase for the busy modern individual, myself included. But I believe that is related to the fact that we treat everything in such a compartmentalized way. We go to the gym to exercise, we go to a place of worship to be "spiritual," and our work and play is often so separate that many dread Sunday afternoon because they soon have to "go back to the grind". Our healthcare system is exactly the same way. We have bucketloads of doctors and clinicians who take care of only their own domain. The otolaryngologist for the ear nose and throat, the gastro guys for the belly, the pulmonologist for the lungs and respiration. In some ways this really works, because an individual clinician becomes so expert at his one body system, and it's pretty much impossible to know everything about every system. But sometimes it does NOT work. Like when the problem to be addressed is more systemic, or when there is a lack of communication between the specialists. I advocate for a holistic approach to healthcare, where there is communication and crossover between the disciplines. And I'll also advocate for that same holistic approach to LIFE.
When the components of your life are integrated, everything fits!
Picture it. It's a day off from work. It's rainy and cold, you know you need some exercise, some meditation and mind-body connection, but you also have about a boatload of laundry to fold. Here's how I integrate yoga and breathwork into my usually mundane chore.
Laundry Folding Yoga
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| First, a few centering breaths. And then try to keep the breath flowing throughout your "practice" |
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| Forward fold and Padangusthasana to prep for sock folding. |
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| Ardha Uttanasana ("halfway lift") for sock pairing. |
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| Standing Back Bend while folding a towel |
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| Virabhadrasana II folding another towel. |
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Malasana folding napkins and dishrags
(blurry I know, but I ad to use it because Simon the turtle was photobombing! Can you spot him?) |
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| Dancers pose to reach for a T-shirt from the basket |
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| Pigeon Pose folding tank tops. |
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| Finished! Savasana |
How can you get creative and integrated in your life? Can you combine cooking time with social time? Chores with exercise? Bring more spirituality into your career? Leave comments below with your ideas!
