A matter of the mat.

It's extra poignant that I'm penning this post on Vesak Day, where we are reminded of the universal principles of compassion, illumination and kindness. When put together, they point towards awareness.

This photo was taken in November 2020 when I was going through a transitional phase on two things that mattered a lot to me. One was leaving Hai Sia for Sennheiser, and the second being saying goodbye to my very first yoga studio where I spent two years doing my foundational practice (in fact, this photo was taken on the last day of practice with the said studio) for another studio.

Read on, this post is not to preach about the wonders of yoga (but I strongly recommend everyone who reads this to come to the mat) but I would love to share how my practice has made me a better person at work.

A yoga practice is revealing. It reveals everything about you at that present moment. Are you distracted today? Are you focused today? Do you like this particular practice today? Are you connected to this teacher today? Why are you on the mat today? Amongst all the fleeting and floating questions that appear in your mind while on the mat, and when we are supposedly to be guided by our breathwork and intention, before we know it, the hour is up.

A yoga practice is also built for discovery, and that's why we come back hour after hour. Admittedly, there's a chase to it, but it ought to be a good chase. One teacher whom I'm indebted to often reminded us to seek progress, not crave perfection. This mantra is beyond the physical practice to look more bendy, but for us to ignite the fire of curiosity and purpose within ourselves. I know this might sound extremely loathsome for some, almost to the point of building sandcastles in the air, but once the door to pursue a higher degree of self-awareness than before has been opened, you will automatically welcome a better version of yourself.

A yoga practice, and this is the most precious to me, is particularly cherished when a teacher has put in a flow that comprises thoughtful nuances and sequencing. It's always in the small details where the differentiation lies in.

Mirroring these into my working life where I spend minimally one-third of my daily life on, and incidentally at a juncture where I approach life with more certainty, honesty and maturity, I would like to think my yoga practice has elevated the quality of my work.

To have curiosity. To trust your body and instincts. To be open. To be a teacher when you can. To be a student, always.

Dialing this back to when I was a fresh graduate - I had always envisioned myself to be zipping around meetings, to be clocking long hours, and to be making decisions. While I knew very early on that quality is not defined by quantity, but in hindsight, upon reflection, that version of success is just one of the many looks that success can look like. If I were to be brutally honest with myself, it's that sense of self-involvement that brings around the accompanying sense of self-achievement and self-importance, which are perfect ingredients for an unhealthy, inflated ego.

On 26 May 2021, and as I type this - do I still want all these? Yes. But in a completely different form. I now acknowledge that some things matter more to me, or rather, have always mattered to me, and I shouldn't be afraid of sharing. For example, I thrive in an environment where I am given almost full autonomy of my work because I like to be trusted. On the other hand, I never like aggression, especially turbo-charged by the need to establish unnecessary power and status.

My preferred style of learning is by observation first, then doing, which also means sometimes, I need double the effort and time to understand difficult concepts. I might be slow, but I will arrive.

I would have very likely packaged all these in a beat-around-the-bush articulation in the yesteryears in order not to make myself look smaller, but now that I know better, I realised that honesty is an expensive gift that must not be treated cheaply.

Most importantly, and in the broadest sense, I love work. And yoga. My renewed definition of success has both domains fused together, and not at the expense of the other. That's why I will always be a work in progress.

We usually close our yoga practice by expressing gratitude to ourselves, to our teachers, and to the Universe. This is dedicated to all my bosses, mentors, mentees, friends and to myself - for being present.