When I started teaching yoga it was the first time in my life I was on a genuinely regular schedule of exercise outside the home. It was also at a time when I was working at two different schools in two towns and my yoga class was in a different town altogether, and I had two small children. To say I was a bit scattered is an understatement. By divine intervention and a vanity-driven fear of not having the right thing to wear, I came up with a good system for always having yoga clothes.
On Sunday night (or maybe Saturday, or maybe Monday-I’m a work in progress) I get out the totes, bags, and sacks I have collected, sewn, or otherwise acquired and I put them to good use. I have 2 classes a week, so I grab 3 bags (one for an extra). I put one outfit in each bag after I have checked the weather. I try to gather items by type, from the ground up, so I set out 3 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of yoga leggings, 3 sports bras and 3 tanks. I put a hair tie on each pile (provided I can rustle up 3 of the mysterious creatures) and if I get that far, high five to me. If the house is still standing at this point I might make my outfits match, which earns a high five and a low five- I’m on organization fire!
If I have an extra minute I check the toiletry bag that I put in the tote bag I will use earliest in the week and replace cotton swabs, deodorant, bobby pins, etc. You could have a toiletry bag for each tote and make their contents fit your needs of course, but yoga isn’t too sweaty of activity so I don’t need much in mine. By using a toiletry bag for the little things you might need to freshen up, you keep the small items corralled nicely. The toiletry bag can be transferred at the same time you might transfer your shoes if you are, say, a runner. Once you form the habit, it will become automatic.
The MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Put the bags in the car. Or by the front door, or wherever you will surely remember them. But really, if it is possible, walk them out to the car. This step has been crucial for me. Put them in the car. Then you are ready to rock the workweek!
Whatever your system is, dear readers, please share below! How do you avoid having to skip exercise because of forgotten gear?
Leave a Reply