The Freedom of Freelancing

As I attended an evening yoga class with one of my daughters last week, the room was filled with a crush of students, many of whom were probably squeezing in a class after work. It was “mat to mat,” as one of my yoga teachers puts its.

I hadn’t been in a class that crowded in a while and, honestly, I felt a bit stressed as I tried to avoid bumping into the student next to me when we spread our arms wide. One of my resolutions last year was to attend a yoga class once a week. I’ve never been able to meditate successfully, so I thought yoga be a good alternative.

Because of the flexibility of my work schedule, I found that–even while juggling raising four kids–I was often able to attend classes in the early morning, a time when I might have been commuting back in my corporate days. Sometimes I have been able to squeeze in a class in the middle of the day, at times when 10 years ago, I would have been sitting in a cubicle. There is always plenty of room to do the vinyasas among the other students–a mix of college students, retirees, parents who are full-time caregivers and work-at-home types like me.

To my great surprise, I’ve gotten hooked. I often go to yoga four or five times a week. It’s had a tremendous impact on my productivity–something that, of course, is very important if you are trying to make a living as a freelancer.

As we start the new year, I’m very grateful that freelancing has allowed me the freedom to live a healthier life, one that sometimes includes downward dogs and shoulder stands at 11 a.m. That’s a gift I may never have had if I had stuck with a corporate lifestyle.

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