Not a super flexy slender Yoga chick talks "The Power of Alone Time"

How attached are you to your alone time? To your routine? To your silence?

This past week, I realized that I am very attached to it. I would even dare to say that it keeps me sane (yes, yes, as sane as I can be…). I love waking up, being able to go to the bathroom, get dressed, and practice Yoga on the balcony. But this past week, I had to check if someone was in my bathroom, I could not practice on the balcony because someone was sleeping in the living room, and others were having coffee on the balcony. I was deprived of my freedom to move around my own home.

Not to praise myself, but modestly, I did a great job keeping my cool, not getting lost in my head, and carving out some alone time outside of my usual routine.

Sharing space with people you did not choose to invite into your home is not an easy task. There are different characters, personalities, and habits all colliding at once. And let’s not forget the constant energy exchange that is happening in the background.

Why is alone time so important? Simply put, you are in your own company and your own energy. There are no outside inputs, unless you allow them. But surprise, surprise, this is also what can make it uncomfortable. There is no escape. You are forced to look inward and actually listen.

There are many ways to enjoy alone time, but for that to happen, you need to build a relationship with yourself. And not just any relationship, an honest and accepting one. This is where things can get a bit dark and twisted. Building a relationship with yourself is not a walk in the park. No pony rides. No prizes for being gentle. It requires discipline and patience. A lot of discipline and patience. And there is no finish line. Once you start, it is a lifelong ticket.

What does it look like? Crying. Cursing. Chocolate binges. Conversations with yourself, some in front of the mirror, others under the stars. Then you feel better for a while. You gain insight. And suddenly, the washing machine starts again. You get thrown back in, shaken left and right, spun around until you question your life choices. You might think about quitting. Then you realize you are too far in and going back to where you started is not really an option anymore.

You can try to take a mini sabbatical from the self healing journey, but out there, away from yourself, it is usually worse. So you begin again. And yes, it goes round and round. But here is the good news. The circle is actually a spiral. You are growing. You are evolving. You are slowly accepting more parts of yourself. And acceptance brings peace. What you stop fighting loses its power. It is said that what you resist, persists. The opposite is just as true.

So do not give up. Keep going, even when alone time feels pointless, uncomfortable, or boring. Observe old patterns and notice how your reactions begin to change. That is usually where the real progress hides. Just keep your eyes open.