This month I had intended to write a blog all about balance and how beneficial it is to our wellbeing to have good balance. This is something I’m really enthused about, because I’m passionate about sharing knowledge about just how much yoga can help us live longer and healthier lives, and improving balance is just one of the many ways it can do this.
However, as I heard said on Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s Feel Better Live More podcast recently, most people don’t have a knowledge problem, they have an inaction problem. So, I thought I’d write a little about this instead.
Generally, we all tend to know the things that would really benefit us, but we don’t then put them into action. Why is this?
I think the answer to this is complex, as in my experience there can be lots of different reasons that feed into this. But one that comes up a lot for me, and when I speak to students, is that we put things off to an imagined time in the future when we think we will have more time, or a time when we have finally reached the end of our to do lists.
A friend of mine once shared a meme with me, that said ‘being an adult is just saying ‘things will calm down after next week’ over and over until you die.’ Is this you? I know I recognised myself in this. Have you also found yourself waiting for a mythical future where there’s less to do, only to find it never arrives?
It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking I’ll do the important thing, the thing I really want to do, after I’ve done everything else that ‘needs’ doing. The thing is though, these things that ‘need’ doing – the items on the to do lists, the email inbox, the household chores – they are never ending.
The only option, therefore, is to prioritise the things we know will benefit us, the things we want to do, and the things we love to do, and to do them now. Not after this week or next week, not once things are ‘more under control’ or the to do list is finished, but now.
This principle is so important when it comes to wellbeing, because as Robin Sharma so wisely said:
‘If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.’
I strongly believe that when we don’t attend to our minds and bodies, they find a way to ensure that they are attended to, and prevention really is better than cure. Take burnout for example, from which it can take one to three years to recover, but which can be avoided if we heed the early warning signs and take action.
And so this brings us back to balance. As we get older, our ability to balance can insidiously decrease if left unchecked, but it is not inevitable. It’s up to us to push back against this potential for decline, with practices to regularly test and build our balance. The same can also be said for strength and mobility. To quote yoga teacher and author Erich Schiffmann:
‘In daily life, we tend to remain within a familiar but limited comfort zone by staying away from both our mental and physical edges. This would be fine except that as aging occurs these limits close in considerably. Our bodies tighten, our range of movement decreases, and our strength and stamina diminish. By consciously bringing the body to its various limits or edges and holding it there, gently nudging it toward more openness with awareness, the long, slow process of closing in begins to reverse itself.’
I therefore strongly believe we have to make time, to prioritise action to promote wellness now, so that we will maintain the ability to keep doing the things we love. Whether that’s a sport we enjoy, long countryside walks, picking up a grandchild, or simply the ability to live independently. What is one step you can take today to put your wellbeing first?
© Catherine Rolfe 2025
If this has inspired you to make an appointment with yourself on your mat each week to prioritise your wellbeing, then join me for my Yoga Foundations Course, starting April 24th. Click here to book.
And if you are interested in reading more around the topics touched on in this blog, here’s my recommended reading for you: