Views expressed in guest blogs are the author’s own. 

The pace of your mind usually follows the pace of your breathing. I learned this simple fact over the summer, and it changed the way I think, work, and move through life.

I am a software engineer with a degree in applied math. Growing up, academics always came easily to me, yet sustained focus was more of a challenge. If there is an article out there about productivity and time management, I have probably read it. I have tried countless strategies: from setting a timer to break up work into intervals, to disabling all social media, to eating certain superfoods that are supposed to help you “think better” (spoiler alert: this one does not work!), all in the name of improving my focus and the clarity of my thoughts.

My goal was to improve as an engineer, so I was treating my brain as an optimization problem: trying different strategies, noting the results, iterating on past attempts…and the whole time, I was trying to solve the wrong problem! I was changing my external factors and expecting internal change.

This summer, I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program, and for the first time, I felt like I developed a disciplined sense of focus. I spent 12 weekends learning about yoga, both anatomy and philosophy, with a cohort of 15 people. I committed to daily yoga practice and meditation. Committing to yoga practice every single day made me slow down the frantic pace of everyday life, take breaks from my work, and allowed me to direct my focus inward.

As I developed my proprioception (the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location), I noticed how often during the workday that I was slumped over in front of my computer. As I worked on improving my posture, it became easier to spend time in front of my screen, working through complex problems without the headaches and jaw-grinding I would previously experience. Challenging yoga poses taught me how to approach challenging engineering problems:

1. Do not be afraid to try something you have never done before.
2. Put in all the effort that you can.
3. Be humble: meet yourself where you are at, and ask for help when you need it.

I expected yoga to only be a physically strengthening practice. To my surprise, daily yoga practice acts as a positive feedback loop when it comes to my job: after spending time in moving meditation, I am able to think more clearly, solve problems more systematically, and communicate more effectively.

Am I saying that yoga is a magical cure-all? Of course not!

For me, yoga is an outlet through which I can practice patience, gain perspective, and connect with other people. Engineering is the outlet through which I get to use my brain to solve difficult challenges in creative ways; the combination of these two passions of mine has helped me grow immensely.

Views expressed in guest blogs are the author’s own.

When was the last time you noticed your breathing?

 The pace of your mind usually follows the pace of your breathing. I learned this simple fact over the summer, and it changed the way I think, work, and move through life.

I am a software engineer with a degree in applied math. Growing up, academics always came easily to me, yet sustained focus was more of a challenge. If there is an article out there about productivity and time management, I have probably read it. I have tried countless strategies: from setting a timer to break up work into intervals, to disabling all social media, to eating certain superfoods that are supposed to help you “think better” (spoiler alert: this one does not work!), all in the name of improving my focus and the clarity of my thoughts. 

My goal was to improve as an engineer, so I was treating my brain as an optimization problem: trying different strategies, noting the results, iterating on past attempts…and the whole time, I was trying to solve the wrong problem! I was changing my external factors and expecting internal change.

This summer, I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program, and for the first time, I felt like I developed a disciplined sense of focus. I spent 12 weekends learning about yoga, both anatomy and philosophy, with a cohort of 15 people. I committed to daily yoga practice and meditation. Committing to yoga practice every single day made me slow down the frantic pace of everyday life, take breaks from my work, and allowed me to direct my focus inward. 

As I developed my proprioception (the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location), I noticed how often during the workday that I was slumped over in front of my computer. As I worked on improving my posture, it became easier to spend time in front of my screen, working through complex problems without the headaches and jaw-grinding I would previously experience. Challenging yoga poses taught me how to approach challenging engineering problems: 

1. Do not be afraid to try something you have never done before.
2. Put in all the effort that you can. 
3. Be humble: meet yourself where you are at, and ask for help when you need it. 

I expected yoga to only be a physically strengthening practice. To my surprise, daily yoga practice acts as a positive feedback loop when it comes to my job: after spending time in moving meditation, I am able to think more clearly, solve problems more systematically, and communicate more effectively. 

Am I saying that yoga is a magical cure-all? Of course not! 

For me, yoga is an outlet through which I can practice patience, gain perspective, and connect with other people. Engineering is the outlet through which I get to use my brain to solve difficult challenges in creative ways; the combination of these two passions of mine has helped me grow immensely.

She / Her / Hers 

Software Engineer | Intel 

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