Got rhythm?
"Rhythm is key - your hormones are balanced in rhythms. So, waking at the same time every day, going to bed at the same time every day, eating at the same time every day - these are the rhythms in life that help to reset your natural balance," says Dr Mark Hyman.
I couldn't agree more, because I have experienced this myself. When I changed my career, I changed my life, my rhythm. And now...my beat is correct!
Before I became a yoga teacher serving my students, I was a different kind of 'server' - I waited tables. For 20 years!! Toward the end of my saga as a 'waiter', I thought I would be a forever lunatic. I was 20 pounds over weight, had frequent anxiety attacks, had insomnia for 6 months, & I was unhappy. I took my emotions out at my job and on the people I served. I realized that I had to change something quickly or I might start a food fight one night and go postal. I was a waiter...a person who was waiting...for her life to shift.
I had a regular schedule working 4 days a week which seemed to set a routine, but each shift was unpredictable with no rhyme & no reason. The 'beat' was dissonant. I could finish a shift anywhere from 11pm to 2am depending on the night of work. Then I had to wind down from the stress. So going to bed was at crazy hours and getting up depended on what time I went to bed.
Each shift I lost my mind, especially during the busy hours, & it would be so challenging just to go to the bathroom or drink a glass of water. I would be starving and hide food in my pockets and sneak eat in side stations. This was my lifestyle. This type of stress led to bottled emotions, which led to anxiety attacks. I still have ‘wait mares’ every now and then.
When I shifted into becoming a yoga teacher, my life changed on so many levels:
First...rise and shine! My private clients wanted early mornings here in LA before they went to work, and I also taught at Disney, whose team likes the early morning classes, so I had to learn to wake up at 5am. THAT was a shift, but once adjusted, was a dream come true. My body was so happy rising with the sun instead of going to bed at that hour. It was wonderful.
2nd...I could eat when I wanted & I chose better healthier food. I could drink tons of water when I wanted and didn't have to wait to go to the bathroom so my body wasn't tense from hunger or bladder pain. Now that I eat at the same time each day, my body gets hungry on time.
3rd...I was moving my body in more fluid, stress free ways. Yoga. I was constantly teaching, so I was constantly moving. My body loves to move. When I waited tables, I moved like a robot who needed oil in the joints. I was so tense all the time. My body was so tight. Shifting into this fluid rhythm of movement each day was a massive blessing.
4th...I began going to bed early. I will naturally begin winding down from my day around 8:30/9pm in the evening so that I can get up fresh to teach at 5am, instead of going to bed in the am. My body has never been happier.
5th...When all the above was in place: happy body, happy mind, happy rhythm..it equals a very happy woman. I made bold moves to get out of 'waiting' and into life. I took control of my beat! My rhythm! Change can be intense, but it is so worth it. Doing that for yourself IS self care! And that music is sweet!
Making a change in career or any relationship can be challenging, but when it comes to your health and state of mind, YOU ARE WORTH IT! The shift in rhythm can change the beat of your drum! And my beat...is correct.
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