Comments on: A Peaceful Life through Yoga and Organization

By: In the Wee Small Hours : The PranaMama

In the Wee Small Hours : The PranaMama — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:27:37 +0000

[...] is over. Â The kitchen greets me with clean pots and pans on the counter, but is otherwise in peaceful order. Â It’s exactly how I left it a mere seven hours earlier. Â Ahhhh…now THAT is peace [...]

By: Organizing Helps Bring Peace and Calm to Your Home « Organize Right Now

Organizing Helps Bring Peace and Calm to Your Home « Organize Right Now — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:23:19 +0000

[...] Thus began a new friendship, via email, between the yogi and the organizer. I’ve shared my thoughts on how getting organized and yoga are similar in a guest post on her site. See A Peaceful Life Through Yoga and Organization. [...]

By: thepranamama

thepranamama — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:49:25 +0000

Lea, you are my peacemaker! My office is now finally organized and clutter-free. I am in heaven. I’ve even got my husband starting to keep up with my systems of organization, and I had thought he was a lost cause years ago.

From now on, I will “focus and finish” and not try to constantly juggle so much at once, unless absolutely necessary.

I am suggesting your book to everyone I know.

By: Lea Schneider

Lea Schneider — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:03:55 +0000

It sounds like you found a great solution for yoga practice. I like that you hung sheets to block things from view.

When I help people organize their home office, especially if they primarily work from home, I encourage them to have some office hours. In those off hours, turn down the ringer…send calls to voice mail. Turn off the email. Our trying to be available 24/7 is unrealistic. We’d never give that advice to a friend. We’d tell our friend to have a time to relax.

I like the comment about living in the moment. Organizing is like that. I often say “focus and finish.” We are often not in the moment. We are rushing from one task to another. This creates disorganization. If we can make ourselves stay in the moment- finish the task, put away the supplies, put away the dry laundry and so forth, we will be more organized and more peaceful.

By: Lisa Flynn

Lisa Flynn — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:15:25 +0000

Amy, thank you for this wonderful article from Lea. My issue is that I have a difficult time taking time out for yoga when my house is a mess. So many yoga lessons here – being okay/content with what is, living in the present moment, non-attachment, etc. I’m looking forward to reading your most recent blog about beta vs alpha moms…ha ha!

By: thepranamama

thepranamama — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:34:34 +0000

I have learned so much from Lea and now from my mom and Donna! I am feeling much more peaceful since putting some of these ideas into action in my home – not easy with a toddler whom I liken to a tornado with his toys and sippy cups. But as he grows, if I’ve got some systems down, I can teach him how to be organized, and peaceful, in his surroundings.

Lea – One thing I’ve struggled with is finding a place at home where I can practice yoga. One of the biggest obstacles has been finding a clear space. I tried doing it in my office, but the files and ringing phone and ding of my email inbox made it impossible to relax. I also tried the playroom but you can imagine how long that lasted. It was far too stressful to have the task of cleaning up and clearing out my space before I could begin my practice.

I’ve finally created a peaceful and clean space in my basement, where I even hung a pair of crisp white curtains to block the view of my husband’s tool bench, overstacked shelves of old cans of paint, and several unfinished projects. Now I go downstairs, away from my family and the rest of my house (where I spend most of my time as a stay-at-home-mom), turn on my relaxing yoga music, stretch out my mat atop a sunshine-yellow woven rug, and close those curtains! I am alone, relaxed and in another world for an hour or so.

Wow – even though it is now 11:30 p.m. this comment is making me want to practice right now!

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:59:22 +0000

Love how you relate learning yoga to getting organized. One thing at a time. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with the enormity of the task, and the fact that if I don’t keep up on it, the snowball effect comes into placy. You have inspired me to tackle small projects at a time, and to breathe.
The other hint I was given years ago was to set a timer for 15 minutes and organize one space(drawer, closet, cupboard, room)for that time. When the buzzer sounds you can walk away knowing you have done one job, or keep going. I often end up continuing. Either way you win the organizational war.

By: Mom

Mom — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:19:03 +0000

I have experienced over and over the peace that an organized space brings to us all. I long ago recognized that one reason people enjoy places like a Pottery Barn store is that we like walking through and viewing such a neat and also visually interesting space because it is clean and orderly. It inspires us to do the same. You don’t have to buy their products to achieve that, you just have to go home and clean!

I am not a Yoga baby yet but I begin next week. Meantime, I’ll create a weekly dinner menu starting today while I finish my coffee. Thanks for the inspiration.