More things yoga ruined...

It was fun to think about things that yoga ruined.  You all came up with a good list and now, with some continued thought, I've come up with some more...

Long To-Do Lists  I've tried to get all digital with my lists but, instead, I still keep a piece of paper with tasks organized by due date and a little square drawn by each, so I can cross it off when I finish.  Instant gratification when that X marks a chore.  And, it helps me clear my mind so a lot of random obligations aren't tumbling around getting in the way of Cell Biology (yes, the fall semester has started with its demanding science classes hogging up all the room in my brain).  

However, it has come to my attention that making a daily list that is achievable is a far preferable action to just listinglistinglisting everything.  I don't need any additional help to feel overwhelmed, so the list stays short.  A wise friend (and mother of three) said, "What needs to get done will get done."  Why deny the lovely sense of accomplishment that comes from a completed list?   

Rage  Now, I'll admit, sometimes its fun to get mad and make up clever arguments or insults in defense of whatever you're mad about.  I suspect it burns more calories than feeling good about finishing your to-do list, but that burn comes at a price.  Sleeplessness, distraction, tension, gritted teeth (and the attendant dental bill).  Please.  Surely there is a better use of time than getting all lathered up about fictional match-ups?

I think it's why I tend to avoid the Yoga Wars these days; how can you argue with some one about their beliefs (and that's fundamentally what all that is about--what everyone believes their yoga to be)?  There's no mind-changing when it come to faith, at least not from an external force, and it usually degenerates into name-calling.

There's a place for anger if it leads to constructive action but, again, it's not the act of anger itself that is useful.  Feeling superior gets you nothing.  I'm trying to take the deep breath, put the lady down, and let some one else do the fulminating.   I need my shut eye.

Wasted Energy In parenthood, endurance sports, daily life, there's no place for wasting energy.  Some things are compelling to engage in--like over-swinging your arms when you run or trying to predict the future--but do they actually contribute?  Does the excess worry, annoyance, confrontation, or drawn attention actually help, or is it just a distraction from the really important stuff--a good meal, an interesting conversation, playing soccer with a kid. 8 hours of sleep (probably, biologically, the most important of all). Sort of like balancing chemistry equations (Monday's quiz), you want the two sides of the reaction to be even; don't load the one side up with molecules of rage if you're not getting a useful solution on the other side.

(Okay, the last metaphor was a bit of a stretch.  But you get my drift.)

I still engage in mental sparring and get agitated when it seems like there's too much to do.  But I'm trying to get better about pulling back and looking at the big picture.  Or not looking at the picture at all.  Maybe it's age, but I feel like I'm starting to get it...the "life is too short" kind of thing.  Unfortunately, yoga hasn't completely ruined these things for me, but it certainly has made them less appealing...