#9: On managing myself (a bit) better

It recently dawned on me that we receive very little training on being human: on navigating the inevitable ups and downs of life, the great joys, the heartbreaks, the medium upsets and the daily stressors. My 3-year-old daughter recently brought home her “gevoelshuisje” (Dutch for “feelings house”), which houses different feelings behind each door and window. That might be the last time she gets any formal education about emotions.

We somehow expect to be able to gracefully handle “life” with no preparation, very few conversations and little introspection. I understand that we can learn a lot from observing the people with whom we share our lives but what if they are as clueless as we are?

As surprising as it may sound given that people often reduce it to exercise, yoga has been a way for me to learn and practice the skills that I need to manage myself a bit better. What is your practice?