What downward dog taught me about money

It’s uncomfortable and very, very sweaty

When you first start learning the different yoga poses, it is awkward, uncomfortable and weird. Your body twists and turns into positions that you never thought it could. You’re sitting or standing or lunging in ways that, really, feel anything but normal. You want so much to give up and sit or stand in a way that feels right to you. But you need to keep going until it stops being uncomfortable. You will also sweat. A lot. You will sweat in places you didn’t know you could sweat. Which makes it all the more uncomfortable

When you start to pay off debt, it feels uncomfortable to say no to the new TV or gadget or vacation. It’s awkward to start cooking at home. It’s unnatural to pay off debt instead of accruing more. Eventually, though, you get used to the uncomfortable and sometimes sweaty situations involved in paying down debt. After a while, it’s not so hard or uncomfortable anymore.

You need to check your ego at the door

No one who starts out doing yoga is any good at it. If you expect to be perfect, don’t even try. The truth of the matter is, you will look ridiculous no matter how hard you try not to. You will make mistakes. You’ll probably fall down. But it’s okay. Everyone else in the room is in the same position (pun sort of intended). Also? No one is looking at you. They’re too busy concentrating on not falling down to worry if you look like an ass. And you certainly can’t be afraid to ask for help. There is no room to be self-conscious.

Just like paying off debt. It’s fine if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s fine to ask for help. It’s acceptable to look a little foolish. It’s absolutely fine, and somewhat expected, that you’re going to fall on your ass. But don’t be embarrassed. Don’t be scared to ask for help from someone who’s been in your shoes. Everyone who’s ever been in your situation has done the exact same thing you’re doing now and we’re more than happy to talk to you.

It forces you to look at yourself

The front of the yoga studio is lined with mirrors. The instructor stands directly in front of the mirror so the rest of class is forced to face here, therefore facing the mirrors as well. I hate looking at myself, especially for extended periods of time. I wind up examining every flaw that I have (perceived or real). However, the mirrors are there so I can see if I’m doing the poses as correctly as possible; they are an accurate reflection of what I’m doing. You can’t lie to a mirror, especially if you want to improve.

Budgets are the mirrors of personal finance. You can’t get out of debt if you don’t have a budget. Putting down, on paper, what you’re doing in terms of saving, spending, debts, bills–they all paint an accurate picture of how you’re spending your money. Budgets provide a reflection of your finances. And if you want to get out of debt, or manage your money better, you need to take a look at your budget.

The vocabulary is weird

Yoga is full of all kinds of strange words that not only can I not pronounce, I cannot even begin to spell. When you first start doing yoga, you typically spend the majority of the class smiling and nodding and acting like you understand what’s being said.  But the more you hear the words, and the more you learn to associate them with certain poses and actions, the less strange the words become. They actually wind up becoming a normal part of your vocabulary, and you forget that at one point, you had no clue what those words meant. Learning these words makes you more effective at your yoga practice.

The same thing happens with personal finance terms. They’re intimidating at first. You act like you know what they mean while making a mental note to Google them as soon as you get a chance. But the more you learn, the more you immerse yourself in understanding personal finance, the less intimidating the terms become. They become a part of your standard vernacular. And then you can’t imagine not knowing them. Learning these terms makes you more effective at managing your money and getting handle on your debts and your goals.

Having the proper equipment is essential

One of my favorite parts of yoga is the fact that you don’t need to wear shoes. For the most part, I hate shoes. I would wear flip-flops or go barefoot all the time if I could. Plus, I usually have fun toenail polish that I like to show off. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need any equipment. You need a mat, water (lots of water) and comfortable clothes. Without these pieces of equipment, doing yoga is going to be extremely difficult. No matter how good your intentions are when you start, if you’re not properly equipped, you won’t last.

When you start to take control of your finances, you need the proper equipment. You need a pen and paper or a spreadsheet. You need a good book or website to give you direction. You need a support network to help you through. You need to let those who are close to you know what you’re doing. You need specific and personal motivation to keep going when things are tough. Without these mechanisms in place, it’ll be easy to quit. And you certainly don’t want to do that.

I also learned one final lesson in my yoga classes: Inevitably, someone will mistakenly fart. And you cannot laugh, no matter how much you want to (you also realize how much self-control you actually have when you’re trying not to laugh). Not just because we’re adults but because it’s not nice to laugh at someone’s mistake. Just like sometimes, when someone’s paying off debt, she’ll make a mistake. Or two or five. And it’s not nice to laugh at her either.