A Day in the Life of Sami (Founder of Live to Serve Academy)
Nov 25, 2024
One of the most asked questions I get, is ... well, it’s usually, “How do you do it all?” But I’d like to refine that a little to, “What does a typical day look like?”
I think when women ask me ‘How do you do it all’, it’s loaded with assumptions, (unfounded) self-judgment, with an underlying genuine desire to learn how to manage their own lives (perhaps seeing if I have any hot tips, or if there’s something I can share that may ease their stress).
I think there’s a lot of common ground between our lives as women – looking after yourself and your loved ones; working; keeping up with the general admin tasks of life; and trying to make time for leisure in some way shape or form.
Amongst these commonalties, we each live a life that is unique to our circumstances. For me, it’s choosing to homeschool; working from home; and supporting 4 kids – while trying to stay anchored in my own spiritual journey and practices. So naturally, how I choose to run my days will look different to someone whose kids go to school, or who isn’t raising kids, etc.
My priority is first and foremost my spiritual life, and doing my best to map my work, parenting, and leisure time in alignment with my spiritual goal.
So as I share this, I know it’s not perfect, nor is it a blueprint for anyone else. It’s simply what works for me, in this season of life. Ever since I was a kid (I’m talking like 4 years old, having memories of being a busy-bee and obsessed with order and I never sat still), I’ve been an I-don't-want-to-waste-a-minute type of girl. I’m just grateful I can channel all that passion into yoga now!
A Day in the Life of Sami Balancing Personal Practice & Spiritual Life, Family, and Work
As the founder of Live to Serve Academy, a homeschooling mother of four, yoga practitioner and teacher trainer, and part of the team at Yoga Australia, my days are full of variety. Each day involves striving to find a balance between my personal practices, family commitments, and professional roles.
Here’s a look at how I run a typical day:
|
|
6:30 AM Get out of bed and start the day. I’m not a natural morning person, but I appreciate the stillness of the early hours. Getting out of bed is a slow process for my kapha brain. |
|
|
6:40 AM Abhyanga followed by an hour of japa meditation—either walking or seated. |
|
|
8:00 AM Read scripture for 15 minutes, shower, get ready, water the garden etc while listening to a yoga lecture by my spiritual teacher. |
|
|
8:30 AM Morning offering to The Supreme (Krishna) and my spiritual teacher. I offer flowers from my garden and a vegetarian meal to Krishna and my spiritual teacher, accompanied by mantra and prayer. |
|
|
9:00 AM My workday starts with Yoga Australia. My role involves tasks like operations, admin, customer service, and team meetings. It’s rewarding to be part of supporting Australia’s yoga community. |
|
|
2:00 PM In the afternoon, I switch gears to focus on Live to Serve Academy. This might involve health consults, mentoring students, reviewing assessments, creating content, or planning programs. It’s the part of my day where I get to be creative and work closely with others. |
|
|
5:00 PM Wrap up work, review tasks, and prepare for the next day. |
|
|
5:30 PM Exercise—gymnastics, Emily Skye Fit app workout (my fave!), or weights circuit. Shower afterward and get comfy. |
|
|
6:00 PM Light candles, cook dinner, spend time with family, play board games, or complete domestic tasks. Family kirtan. A couple of nights a week I’ll be teaching and running teacher training sessions with students. |
|
|
8:00 PM Evening japa meditation. |
|
|
9:00 PM Clock on for another 2hr work block. Usually this is where I get creative work done; course content, articles, projects, strategy work. Plus, plan tomorrow so it's all clear and I know exactly what I have on and what I need to be prepared for. |
|
|
11:00 PM Gentle yoga practice (if not done earlier). Nighttime routine (say goodnight to Krishna) and reading in bed. |
|
|
11:30 PM Bedtime. |
Although it's not mentioned in the schedule, I do eat regularly as well. Sometimes while working (ok a lot of my day time meals are while working), but I'm diligent with eating morning, noon, and night; with a light protein rich mini-meal at around 4pm.
And that's pretty much it!
Would love to hear more about your lifestyle, or if you have any questions about mine :) It's so interesting to learn how others live, and we can always learn a little something from each other x
