TechnoLawyer

Originally published on September 6, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

Do you work in a small law firm? Do often you feel like you don't have enough time for all your tasks or to attract new clients and increase your income? I feel your pain. For a long time, I wished for a 25th hour in the day. Then I discovered something that made me more productive, creative, and efficient, which is just as good as finding extra time. In this special Labor Day SmallLaw column, I'm going to share my secret with you.

Eleven years ago I discovered yoga and have added minutes to my daily clock ever since. My yoga practice has also helped me manage all of the turmoil these last few years stemming from the economy and the erratic job market. In truth, I'm not sure how I would have coped without yoga as a constant source of reassurance and resilience. Sometimes I would show up on my mat with a heavy heart, but with every session I left a bit lighter. Ironically, I didn't just survive the past few years, but absolutely thrived in unprecedented ways — and I have yoga to thank for that. In fact, I became such a believer that I now teach yoga to busy professionals.

Why You Don't Currently Practice Yoga

Working in a small firm gives you a million reasons to put off adding yoga to your life:

1. You need to drum up new business and manage a lean operation — opportunity is everywhere and you need to seize the opportunity before someone else does.


2. You need to make the most of every waking moment because you have finite resources, and a lot to accomplish in a short period of time.


3. The last thing you want to do after a long day at the off is something that feels like work.


4. You have to spend time with your family, friends, dog, etc.


5. You need some time to just unwind and do nothing so you can gear for another busy day tomorrow.


6. Your body's just not flexible.

The list goes on and on. I know these excuses well because I lived them for a long time. When I first started to practice yoga 11 years ago, a co-worker of mine, an ashtanga yoga instructor, told me I could really benefit from yoga. The stress of working in a small organization where I had a lot of responsibilty weighed heavily on me. It was making me old beyond my years. I told him I had no time, and then he said he'd fit the classes into my hectic schedule. Then I told him I had no money to pay him, and he said he'd give me the classes for free. In short, he countered every excuse I could think of until I ran out of excuses and gave yoga a whirl just to get him to stop nagging me. I was such a brat — I wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. I was kicking a gift horse right in the teeth.

Yoga Is Not a Miracle Drug, But a Rejuvenating Tool

Finally I stepped onto that mat and something in my body opened up. I thought I actually heard an audible "click." The more I practiced, that same click happened in my mind and my heart. Before I knew it, life started falling into place in a much better way than it had before yoga. It helped me cross the chasm from the life I had to the life I really wanted. I had to put in the work, and if I could commit to that, yoga assured me of gifts beyond anything I could imagine. I stand taller and breath easier now, literally and figuratively, because of it. Yoga takes time, but it also gives us time back by helping us be more productive, creative, and efficient.

Yoga is not magical or miraculous. It takes work and dedication. You have to want to change. There are always setbacks and disappointments in yoga practice as in life. That's part of the journey. Yoga doesn't prevent these challenges from arising, but it helps make them easier to learn from and manage.

A consistent yoga practice helps change your perspective, offering a new path forward through your current professional roadblocks. While yoga often helps improve your body, its real benefit lies in the calming and focusing of your mind. It also boosts your creativity and curiosity. Once you change your mind, you can change anything.

Written by Christa Avampato of Christa in New York: Curating a Creative Life.

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