Disclaimer: Before diving into this post, I’d like to clarify that the thoughts and experiences shared here are entirely my own. They do not reflect the opinions or positions of my current or former employers or colleagues. This blog is a personal reflection on my journey and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope you find it helpful.
Yoga & My Career Glow-Up
I fully expect to be a “desk jockey” for the rest of my professional career, if I’m okay with that! I love working with talented colleagues and thoughtful leaders who teach me valuable lessons on the daily. I love seeing how organizations operate. I love having employer-supported health insurance and paid time off. I love that I could repay my student loans and buy my first house! Despite these perks though, my initial feelings about office life were far from positive.
Back in my college days, the thought of being a professional keyboard smasher filled me with the kind of dread reserved for horror movies. A bit dramatic, sure. But you know what? Some of my best friends I met through work. It took a while for me to get here, but I dare say… I love my job.
Now, don’t think I woke up one day, bursting with love for my swivel chair and dual monitors. Nope. It was a journey, one where yoga played a crucial role. Yoga helped me move from exhaustion, resentment, and resistance… into peace, acceptance, and (eventually) love for my work. This quote sums it up really nicely from Jim Halpert on the hit TV show, “The Office”.
“Even if I didn’t love every minute of it, everything I have I owe to this job. This stupid wonderful boring amazing job.”
-Jim Halpert
Preach, Jim!
Not everyone sees the 9-5 in a positive light, and I get it. There’s a lot of talk about “breaking free from the office grind”, but let’s be real: steady paychecks and financial stability have their charm. It’s easy to fantasize about stumbling into a large inheritance, winning the lottery, or starting a business, but for the most part, those are pretty unlikely. (Ask me about my dream of living out of an ice cream truck sometime. Hilariously unrealistic!) That’s why I’m writing about how powerful it was to shift my relationship with work so that you can see that it’s possible for you too.
This blog isn’t about pretending yoga is some magic pill that’ll make you fall head over heels for billable hours. And let’s be clear: if your workplace is a hotbed of toxicity, roll up your yoga mat and roll out to something better. Especially in situations of discrimination or harassment – believe me, I’ve been there – yoga alone won’t fix it. In such cases, seeking a new job might be necessary. Remember, a fundamental principle of yoga is nonviolence (ahimsa), which includes being kind and non-harming towards yourself.
So, why am I rambling about yoga and desk jobs? Because yoga’s not just about twisting yourself into a pretzel. The lessons I learned through yoga went beyond the mat, extending into every aspect of my life, including my profession. Practicing yoga taught me that I can find contentment (santosha) in the moment exactly as it is.
That annoying boss or challenging coworker? They’re your teacher in a suit.
Endless overtime? It helps clarify your priorities outside of work.
And here’s a juicy confession: sometimes, I’m a workaholic not for the thrill of the job, but for the drama of the grind. Like that time I played the office hero during the holidays just to avoid dealing with my own yuletide blues. It felt good, in a twisted way, to soak up all the “Oh, you poor thing” comments since I was working so hard. It was a eureka moment: my ego loves a good pat on the back for being Ms. Reliable. But, oh boy, the lessons didn’t stop there.
The 9-5 life is more than a paycheck factory—it’s a training ground for life skills. You’ll learn the art of setting boundaries, the dance of teamwork, and when to speak up or hush up. How did I get here, you ask? Pull up a chair and let’s dive in!
THIS IS HOW YOGA HELPED ME TRANSFORM MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY JOB:
1. Embracing Acceptance and Growth Through Yoga (Santosha)
Yoga taught me acceptance (santosha). Basically, it taught me how to sift through the dumpster fire of my thoughts and pick out the ones that don’t make me want to scream into a pillow. And eventually, I learned to choose thoughts of gratitude and adopt a growth mindset.
Take it a step deeper with me. Contentment doesn’t only happen when things are good. It isn’t about pretending to love your hour-long commute while fantasizing about teleportation. It’s more like, “Okay, this commute is the worst, but I’m not gonna let it ruin my day.” See the difference?
It’s all about reclaiming your power. Every time you stop throwing a mental tantrum about the things you can’t change (like why that one colleague speaks exclusively in passive-aggressive), you save up that energy for the stuff that actually matters. Like, I don’t know, planning your next vacation or finally starting that herb garden. Peace is like that chill friend who doesn’t need constant attention, so the more you hang with it, the better your life gets.
2. Turning the Office Grind into Something Kinda Okay (The Dharana Way)
Alright, let’s talk about the skill of focused attention (dharana, for the yogis in the house) and directing it toward the good stuff. Now, I’m not talking about slapping on a fake smile and pretending your soul-sucking job is a rainbow-filled wonderland. That’s like trying to convince yourself that a kale smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake – your brain knows better. If you really hate your job, this is easier said than done. But it is possible. Hear me out.
In one of my earliest full-time professional career roles, I had a hard time with the long commute, the harsh fluorescent lighting, and being assigned to a tedious long-term project. My enthusiasm for work was somewhere between “root canal” and “tax audit.” So telling myself “I love my job” was like trying to sell a vegan a meat lover’s pizza. My brain’s BS alarm (aka the amygdala) would go off like crazy. So, I played it smart. I started with baby steps: making a list of things about my job that didn’t make me want to run screaming into the night. Stuff like:
- I can wear jeans every day. (Take that, dress code!)
- Working from home on Fridays? Yes, please.
- Learning skills that might come in handy if I ever join a quiz show.
- Health insurance: because I can actually see a doctor without selling a kidney.
- Saving up to move out of my parent’s place (love them, but you know…).
- Rolling into work anytime before 9 am means more snooze time.
- Long commutes = Podcast paradise and gossip sessions with friends.
Over time, I noticed that my brain started to focus on more pleasant aspects of that job and I spent way less energy resenting it. Eventually, I started noticing more and more positive things to add to my list. For example, “My boss is super smart and I totally trust her.” I looked around one day and thought to myself, “Wow, this actually isn’t all that bad.” And better yet, my brain believed and my body felt the truth of it.
Start with one small and true statement that you can’t refute and let the momentum build into stronger positive feelings.
3. Discovering Freedom and Identity on the Mat
Yoga classes offered me agency that I didn’t always have at work. The experience of going to a yoga class presented me with a lot of freedom about what type of class to take and when I would take it. Even within each class, I had the freedom to challenge myself or rest from one moment to the next. It was in these classes that I really got to know myself – not the “impress-the-client” me, but the real, sweatpants-loving, might-fall-asleep-in-savasana me.
I owe a lot to my incredible teachers. Shoutout to Melissa Weber, Ann Fancy, Linda Makowski, Kate from the OU Rec Center, Sheri Brodsky, and Michael Duerr, just to name a few.
Let me tell you about this one class, Melissa’s 6am sunrise yoga at Namaste Yoga. It was like seizing the day by the horns, but in a peaceful, non-violent yoga way. Rolling into the office post-yoga, I felt like a superhero – energized (even without caffeine! Gasp!) and ready to tackle spreadsheets like a boss.
And then there was Ann Fancy’s Saturday morning class. Choosing to roll out of bed for yoga instead of staying cocooned in my blankets taught me something big: mornings don’t always have to feel like a zombie apocalypse. I started replicating my “yoga morning mojo” on weekdays, swapping snooze-button marathons for something resembling actual adulting. It was a game-changer.
Yoga didn’t just teach me how to touch my toes; it showed me how to wake up without cursing the alarm clock. And if I’m honest, that’s kind of a miracle.
4. Yoga = Professional Development (Who Knew?)
I was as stunned as anyone to discover that yoga is professional development. Turns out, my meditation practice paid off immensely when I started to feel overwhelmed by the workload or when I got frustrated in a meeting.
In those challenging moments, whether I was working alone at my desk or on a client call, I practiced working with my breath (pranayama). There I was, in the trenches of office life, doing my best impression of a calm, collected professional. I labeled my emotions like they’re going out of style – “Frustration? I see you.” I noticed my posture and used the position of my body to feel more energized and melt away stress, even when sitting for most of the day.
Yoga helped me to be more patient with the people I work with – colleagues, supervisors, and clients alike. I had a greater capacity to listen and understand, which made me a better teammate.
5. Enhancing Sleep and Emotional Regulation with Yoga
Yoga helped me sleep better, which supported my ability to emotionally regulate at work. At bedtime, instead of being swallowed by racing thoughts that were charged with emotion and stress, I could slip into a restful sleep with a calm mind and wake up feeling refreshed. At least, on the good days! Insomnia has always been a familiar friend. But hey, at least yoga helps.
6. Redefining Success: Letting Go of Conventional Expectations (Aparigraha)
Yoga taught me not to grip onto expectations (aparigraha). The narrative I internalized went something like this; get a degree, get a job, climb the ladder, make more money, get married somewhere in all that, buy a house, have kids, retire. The ultimate lie we call the “American Dream”. But what if that isn’t your dream? What if you’re destined for something better suited for you? Or what if you did follow the stereotypical path and you could find so much joy and satisfaction in it?
Now, I still get hit with the “shoulds” every now and then. Like, should I go back to school for a master’s degree? It would make me a better marketer, sure, but it also reeks suspiciously of just following the next breadcrumb on the pre-approved trail. Maybe I’ll hit the books again, or maybe I’ll just bask in the glory of not having homework. For now, I’m all about cherishing my non-work hours and the opportunities they bring.
So, my advice? Ditch the script of what you think you should be doing. Let your own, unique, twisty-turny path unfold. It’s way more fun, I promise.
7. Integrating Your Spiritual and Professional Self
Yoga taught me that there is more to us than this physical form. It made me wonder if we’re all spiritual beings on a human field trip. If it weren’t for a desk job, you might be in a forest foraging for berries or running from a bear out in the wild. Being rid of a job would not mean being free from the complex range of human experiences. No matter what you were doing, you’d still be a spirit-self in an Earth suit. And if that were true, then a job matters kinda-sorta, but it isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. This idea can either burst your bubble or set you free – your call.
But let’s get real about this whole “be your authentic self at work” spiel. It sounds great until you realize that “professionalism” often translates to “fitting into a mold that’s pretty snug if you’re not white, cisgender, straight, and male.”
The harsh truth? Professionalism can be a sneaky way of saying “white favoritism.” Harvard Business Review isn’t just making this up – people of color often feel they have to dial down their authenticity to fit in. And don’t even get me started on the LGBT community’s tightrope walk in the workplace. Straight folks can casually mention their significant others, but if a queer person does it, there’s a rick of coming across as “unprofessional” or “TMI.”
Keeping in mind all my privilege and proximity to social power, I learned to bring “all my chakras” to work with me. It took a long time for me to learn not to compartmentalize “yoga Rachel” from “work Rachel”. The beauty of this integration is its subtlety – it’s something I know internally without having to declare it outwardly. I learned that approaching the same actions with different intentions can profoundly change the outcome.
I found ways to assimilate into corporate culture that allowed me to blend in without denying who I was entirely. Take, for instance, the many times I listened to audio meditations privately at my desk. I wouldn’t chant “Om” aloud, but I could feel the vibrations through my headphones. Nobody had to know what I was up to, but I was meditating in motion. It was personal and private, but it was undeniably present.
8. Being the Neutral Observer: Yoga's Approach to Workplace Challenges
Yoga has taught me the valuable skill of observing situations with neutrality. This means deliberately focusing on the facts instead of the ‘stories’ and emotions they stir up. This aspirational shift towards objectivity helps me manage and understand situations more effectively.
Take for example this one time our VP decided to dish out “constructive criticism” like it was her special of the day. Her words felt about as warm and fuzzy as a cactus. My first reaction? “Great, she hates my guts, and everything is terrible.” However, when I looked at the facts only, the situation was simply this: the VP was dissatisfied with the outcome for the clients and was letting us know what she expected. The meeting was a platform for addressing this concern. After all, it’s the VP’s responsibility to make sure the clients are satisfied. It wasn’t a personal attack; it was a business meeting, plain and simple.
Viewing it this way helped me detach from personal narratives and understand the situation more clearly. No villains, no victims, just a day at the office.
9. Balancing Career Ambitions with Personal Fulfillment
Yoga has shown me the value of keeping a balanced perspective in my career. It’s about recognizing that having a stable job and living a fulfilling life doesn’t necessarily require a passion for every task — be it checking reports, crunching numbers, or playing bumper cars during rush hour. Yoga has taught me to release the expectation of finding complete fulfillment in my income source while appreciating the lifestyle it allows.
It hit me one day, somewhere between a downward dog and a mountain pose: my job doesn’t have to be the fireworks show of my life. It’s okay if it’s more like the comfy couch – reliable, stable, and there to support me while I binge-watch Netflix.
There are these two nuggets of wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita that really struck a chord with me:
Bhagavad Gita 5.3 – One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, free from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated.
This verse reminds me to detach from negative feelings about my job and the relentless pursuit of more money. Instead, I focus on doing my very best and allowing my career to evolve naturally, finding balance in all aspects of life.
Bhagavad Gita 2.47 – You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
To me, this passage means to focus on the process and not the outcome. I know it sounds paradoxical but the key here is to put your ego in the backseat and not be driven by your likes or dislikes. I’m a notorious procrastinator so I come back to this verse often!
And here’s a shoutout to Dr. Erin Cech, a University of Michigan professor and the author of “The Trouble with Passion; How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality.” Basically, she says that the whole “follow your passion” thing is easier said than done, especially if you don’t have a trust fund or a rich uncle. It’s a reality check that not everyone can afford to chase their dream job, and that’s totally okay.
So, the bottom line? It’s fine if your job is the love of your life. It’s also cool if it isn’t.
10. Yoga-Inspired Reflections Shaping Career Choices (Svadhyaya)
Through mindful self-study (svadhyaya), yoga helped me identify what was important for me in a job, which turned out to be a life-saver in later job searches.
First off, I figured out that I’m more of a ‘Friends’’ than a ‘Game of Thrones’ kind of worker. Collaboration over cutthroat competition, thank you very much. And sure, money is great – it buys pizza, after all – but it’s not the be-all and end-all for me. I’d happily trade a few bucks for not having to check my email at midnight.
Then there’s the whole boss situation. A great boss can be the difference between workplace heaven and a 9-to-5 nightmare. So I make sure to interview a potential supervisor just as much as they’re interviewing me as a candidate. I’m so fortunate to have had fantastic managers in my career who helped shape my path and develop my professional skills.
Knowing what you need to thrive is a huge step towards making it a reality. Even the aspects of a job that you don’t care for can offer you valuable insights – like how much you hate unnecessary meetings or that three cups of coffee is one too many.
The Plot Twist: From Art School Reject to Satisfied Cube Warrior (and Everything in Between)
As I navigated through these transformative experiences with yoga, I began to see its profound influence not just in my career, but in all aspects of my life. It’s fascinating how the lessons learned on the yoga mat often mirror those in the wider world. This brings to mind another pivotal moment in my life, one that, at the time, felt like a significant setback, but in hindsight, was a crucial step in my journey. It’s a story about a dream I had, a dream of being an artist, and how an encounter at an art school opened my eyes to a broader understanding of success and self-acceptance.
Let me drop a story on you. Once upon a time, I had this dream of being an artist. So, I gathered my courage (and my sketches) and went to this portfolio review at a fancy art school. There I was, ready to dazzle the director of the illustration program with my creations.
You know what he said to me? He scoffed at my artwork and said, “Well you can apply but you certainly wouldn’t get into my program.”
His words were like a slap in the face with a wet paintbrush. But here’s the kicker: that brutal honesty was a gift. It made me realize that the life of a professional artist – with its endless parade of rejections and critiques – wasn’t for me. I realized that I could keep creative expression in my life without pursuing it as my main source of income. I could create art, unencumbered by deadlines or client expectations. I got rejected from art school, and now I’m a marketing analyst. But I’m also forever a creative being.
Once I gave up the belief that my life was supposed to be something other than the truth of what it was, my outlook greatly improved. I was finally able to see that there was so much beauty and opportunity I overlooked for years.
In the end, yoga didn’t just help me make peace with my 9-to-5; it helped me make peace with myself. And that, my friends, is the real happy ending.