(originally sent 27/07/26)
At the beginning of every school term, my year 6 teacher Mr Brown used to say “we’ve got to get back into routine”. As a kid, I remember hating this concept, and much preferred novelty over predictability.
Now that I’m back from my holidays, teacher training has finished for the year, and I’m nursing myself back to health, I can hear Mr Brown’s words ringing in my ears.
I’m not sure if it’s my autism, or just my lifestyle, but I actually crave structure and routine — to a degree. Because I don’t work a 9-5 job, my life don’t have a day-to-day structure, but more of a week-to-week structure.
For instance — on Fridays I’m on dog walking duty, I teach online in the mornings, I write this newsletter, and then teach at Folde in the evening. On Mondays I go to Ashtanga at the crack of dawn and then do admin from home the rest of the day. Thursday mornings are my sleep-in days because I teach late.
I absolutely love the variety my job provides me with, because I don’t get bored, but it does make having “daily routines” a little challenging. Even something simple like eating breakfast happens at vastly different times depending on what day of the week it is.
Maybe all of this is why one of my favourite yoga sūtras is 1.12:
abhyāsa vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ
“Yoga is attained through practice and non-attachment”.
Practice (abhyāsa) implies repetition, structure, routine, and continuing to show up. Non-attachment (vairāgya) is the wriggle-room for variation. The ability to relax within the structure, and not become rigid.
These two are often called the wings of a bird — both needed in equal measure to assure smooth flight.
Strength with flexibility.
Effort and grace.
Yang / yin.
Sitting for your mediation practice, but maybe at a different time each day.
Doing the best you can, while acknowledging that there will be good days and bad days.
As I start to get back into routine again, I’m attempting to hold discipline and softness in balance, so as to give myself motivation without punishment.
Are you a fan of routine? Reply to this email and let me know 🙂
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