I found blogging before I found yoga, on a long-term travel journey where writing took hold. One year later, yoga entered my life and nothing has ever been the same. Both have shared struggles and strengths, brought about focus and flexibility and created attitude awareness. Both have enhanced the way I see the world, people and myself. Although one may take place on paper or screen while the other in a hammock or on a mat – both provide an opportunity for development, growth and shift in perspective.
Finding yoga was one thing. Showing up for class and cultivating necessity of practice is quite another. It’s the same with blogging. Ideas for perfectly timed posts are one thing. Creating, transforming, crafting, editing and completing them are entirely another. All have merit, purpose and life-changing potential but forging that path and forming the final result isn’t easy. Lofty goals take time, dedication, perseverance and positive focus.
Yoga is not for everyone, or not to the same level with everyone. There are those who wish to achieve a certain level of mindfulness or calmness through practice, and those who make it their primary form of fitness and invest time, energy, and money into becoming an expert. But not everyone needs to be an expert; it’s all about what fits best for you at this point in time. Yoga is a practice of balance and of your comfort: push yourself, but keep balance in your life. Break when you need to, and the yogis are there to help you assess when that might be just as they are there to help you correct a pose.
This is the same as with a growing company. Time is precious and often better spent on building the business. The investment in becoming an expert in writing right now may not be worth the energy when many staff members are multi-tasking. So, as it is with yoga, a guide may be a better option. Finding the right fit for your company, the right writers and editors to capture your voice, the right yogi to help guide your writing, can be a much more cost-effective and time-efficient option. Our clients are those we can help, those we can teach and guide and put into a better position, without taking away from their voice. We assist them in maintaining balance.
For me, yoga is truly a process of both mind and body. Trying to conceive, get into, hold and master asanas (poses) takes patience, stillness and drive. Not only does the body have to be a willing participant, but also the mind can’t be solely along for the ride. And you need to have a guide, someone with experience and training to help you find your true potential.
Blogging also takes time and patience. As yogis reach out to other yogis, gurus, and teachers to enhance their performance, they provide motivation and offer tools useful to achieve greater results, Present Tense can do the same for your blogging – or other writing – practice.
While we are not a perfect match for everyone, Present Tense can serve as a that kind of yoga instructor for you. Our hammocks and mats are computer screens and printers. Our meditation techniques are SEO enhancers and e-book creations. Our asana practice is write, write, and write again. Let us work together to attain your goals – together, we can get there. Let us listen to your needs. Let us combine our efforts and partner our experience with your talents. Let us create a welcoming environment where you can share your dreams and reach new heights. Let us take your ideas and turn those into posts and pages to help you delve deeper into your practice and master your performance.
I’ve taken yoga classes in a variety of locations. Whether flying in a hammock in New York, on a mat in San Diego, on a rooftop in Zanzibar or beachfront in the Maldives – great instructors yield results. It’s the little things that make the most difference. Finding someone who listens to the needs of your body and mind, can give you pointers that allow you to go deeper into a pose, create a welcoming space for you to practice and encourage you to continue with your development – these are some of the traits I believe make the difference between good and great instructors, and it is the difference we try to make for our clients at Present Tense.
Namaste.
Periodic guest blogger Stacey Ebert is a former educator and event planner. She is currently making her way around the world as a travel blogger and freelance writer, with articles in Rolf Potts Vagabonding and Wandering Educator and published in American Camping Association Camping, tourism sites, Elephant Journal and more. Follow Stacey's adventures on The Gift of Travel.