The Story
I love yoga! It's a form of exercise and meditation that doesn't really feel like exercise or meditation (I love a good hack). I also love organizing. I didn't grow up naturally organized (see this blog post about my journey) so researching and uncovering strategies to support an organized life really gets me pumped.
I have always looked at yoga and organizing as similar disciplines. I remember back in 2018, talking with my best friend on the phone and trying to come up with a name for my business. As part of a free association exercise, we tossed around words related to yoga like "mindfulness" and "calm" until we arrived at "One to Zen Organizing". I then chose a person sitting in Easy Pose (Sukhasana), a basic yoga position, for my logo.
Five Commonalities between Organizing & Yoga
I believe that by practicing organizing (on your own or with a professional), you can achieve many of the same benefits as yoga. Similarly, by practicing yoga, you are creating the foundation for an organized mind. Don't believe me? Read these 5 commonalities that I discovered and decide for yourself.
Both are a practice
In organizing and yoga "perfection is the enemy of the good." I tell my clients that the goal of our sessions is to continually practice good habits and routines in an effort to become more organized. Similarly, in yoga, the goal is to get your body used to new positions to the best of your ability based on how you feel that day. In both cases, practice makes "better" NOT perfect.
Both force you to slow down and reflect
Yoga is often practiced by moving through positions slowly. In this way, we can discover which muscles are stronger and which muscles are weaker and develop strategies to compensate for weaker muscles. For example, I might notice that I tighten my jaw when holding crow pose. I take that awareness off the mat by observing when I clench my jaw during the day. In this way, I start to notice situations where I am feeling stressed. With this new awareness, I can then strategize ways to relieve that stress.
Likewise, when a client is having difficulty letting go of a possession, we might stop and reflect about why that is happening. When sorting items into categories, I might ask a client to think about when he or she uses that item or if it is something used more or less frequently. When we slow down and reflect, we learn something new that can be applied to our practice. I discuss the importance of slowing down in my blog posts "The power of the pause" and Nighttime Routines: Clearing Your Mental Clutter
Both require modifications based on your abilities
When I work with my clients, I recognize that some struggle with organization. One person might have the ability to hang up their coat in a closet while another might only be able to get their coat to a hook next to the front door. Many of my clients have interesting hobbies, are very creative or have strong research skills. All these elements impact their organizing. Every person has areas of strength and we can build and expand upon that strength. We always make sure to acknowledge both our strengths and our successes while adjusting as needed.
In yoga class, when we are working through a flow or pose, the instructor will demonstrate alternate movements. They always say, "Remember that child's pose or resting pose is a choice for you." We always start the class by saying "Congratulations, you made it to your mat today." So we start with success and work toward our strengths while being compassionate about any weaknesses. In this way, we can build ourselves up. In this way, we can improve.
Both include mindfulness
Yoga creates an environment of awareness. When I am moving my body through various positions, I notice which muscles are tight and where I am holding stress. I notice when a pose is difficult and I am forgetting to breathe. I concentrate on creating ease of movement. I bring this enlightenment into my everyday life. During the day, I might realize that I am holding my breath. So I will take a few minutes to breathe. When I walk outside, I might notice that my shoulders are slightly hunched over so I will adjust my body so my chest is more open just like Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Organizing also creates mindfulness. When I am working with someone, I go at their pace. Sometimes a client will make decisions very quickly and we fly through our session. Other times, that same client will encounter an area that requires more thought and we slow our pace to carefully consider a space or category. I check in with them and ask, "What associations is this category or object bringing up for you?" We explore and uncover and the result is a new awareness they can build upon.
Both achieve alignment and calm
I ask all my clients what success looks like to them and most of them include calm as their ultimate goal. They have reached out to me because their physical and mental clutter is creating noise in their lives. Decluttering clears the noise so they can feel aligned and calm.
Spending time on my mat, creates that same calm. I end my yoga practice with Corpse Pose (Shavasana) where I lie on my mat feeling an overwhelming sense of peace, reaping the benefits of my yoga session. It feels like a deep body massage.
In Conclusion
In both yoga and organizing, the journey is about creating space—physical, mental, and emotional—for what truly matters. By embracing the shared principles of mindfulness, reflection, and alignment, we can find greater calm and balance in both our homes and our lives.
Julie- It seems to me that many organizers practice other mindfulness methods, whether it is yoga, breathing, walking in nature, or transcendental meditation. We know intuitively that we need to declutter both our physical and mental spaces.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
What a fabulous and insightful post, Jill! I've taken yoga classes on-and-off since college, and while I've never been consistent enough to consider it a true practice, I've had just enough experience to see the truth in your comparisons. Slowing down, mindfulness, and modifications are essential to the practice of each, and there's no doubt that the benefits (alignment and calming) are common to both. What an intriguing connection!
I'm a fan of Yoga as well, Jill. It's wonderful that you shared the comparison. I totally agree that they have similarities. Yoga helps me slow down and be aware of the small things, just like when I organize my home or work with a client. Thanks for sharing.
Jill- You made a beautiful connection between organizing, yoga, and mindfulness practices. I love what you said about all of these being 'practices.' This is such an essential component. Practice suggests a continual learning process. It's not about achievement or perfection. It's more about shifting energy and space to bring about better awareness and harmony within and without.
I love practicing yoga, but I have not been going to class as regularly as I used to; my body and mind feel the difference. When I return, there is an overall calm and alignment that happens. I see this with my clients, too, and how their energy shifts in a positive way from the start to the end of an organizing…
I love yoga too. I used to do it more frequently, but I still make sure to do yoga once a week (I've added in other exercise on other days). I follow a series of videos by a Christian woman that I've been doing for like 20 years.
I think of alignment a lot when doing yoga. In fact, many of the phrases that yoga instructors have used during class have stuck with me and felt applicable to other aspects of my life. For instance "We will all look different in each pose because we come to the mat with different life experiences." True for organizing too, right?
A great connection to draw here. I'd recommend yoga to anyone.