On my summer reading list this year was Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The theme of the book is really to stop trying to do it all and stop saying yes to everyone/everything. If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. Seems logical but much easier said than done. Especially if you have family obligations or a job.

I did take away some key points from the book and many of those were points we practice when we make it to our mats. One of the most important: we can choose how to spend our time and energy. It's really about finding out what is important to your mind, body and soul and leaving out anything that doesn’t serve you. A quote that anyone that has taken my class has heard many times.

Make your being your most important asset. Some tricks to doing this: find time to play, protect your asset with sleep and take time to break away from the noise – find quiet time.

A good tool that we should all use on a regular basis: When faced with so many tasks and obligations that you can’t figure out which to tackle first, stop. Take a deep breath. Get present in the moment and ask yourself what is most important right now.

This book put a spin on topics that Yogi’s think about regularly. Practicing mindfulness by being aware of the unimportant distractions. When you get overwhelmed by the demands on your life – take a breathe and then focus on what is important – leave out what isn’t. By eliminating what isn’t important or the noise, we can create more space for peace, creativity and genuine connections – those things that bring us joy.