Tax season can bring up a variety of emotions depending on your relationship with money. A continuum exists between those who feel they overspend vs. those who are extremely frugal. Both ends can create feelings of discomfort around money and given the emphasis that western culture often places on money and career, it would be understandable that tax season may be a rather uncomfortable time.
However, there is a place in the center of that continuum where you are in alignment with how you spend and save your money. Money is necessary and part of our ability to support ourselves and live the life of our choosing. Money is not the enemy and our mis-identification with it (in terms of having a little of it or a lot of it) is where the disconnect often arises from.
Money, simply put, is a currency. It is meant to provide the things we need in life (food, housing, transportation, clothes, etc.) and the things we desire in life (material items, experiences, vacations, personal development, etc.). And guess what…no one gets to tell you how to spend your money. YOU DECIDE.
When you pay money for something, you get something in return. And if that something in return is in alignment with your true sense of self, then it is there that a true exchange of currency has occurred.
True exchanges of currency incur no shame and/or guilt. And again, it is completely up to you to decide how you wish to use your money. So own it. Of course, this requires that you are aware of your personal alignment within your life so you can truly feel free as it comes to your finances.
The poses I am sharing below are sequenced in such a way to:
- Reflect on your present state and current relationship with money
- Accept and take responsibility for your current state
- Help wring out any limiting beliefs or preconceived notions about money
- Create space and identify new financial/money mindset goals
- Surrender to new possibilities and settle into abundance
As a disclaimer, moving through this sequence will not “fix” or immediately change your money mindset. But hopefully it will inspire you to reflect on your relationship to money and how you can live in alignment with it and not against it. If this post intrigues you, I recommend continuing to study your relationship with money with the resources shared at the end of this post.
Tax Season Yoga Poses
1. Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose
Start with your gaze inward. Give yourself time to notice what emotions come up when the topic of money or finances arises. Do you feel in alignment or out of alignment? Do feelings of scarcity, fear, worry, or anxiety come up? Or do feelings of freedom, flow, abundance, and peace come up?
2. Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Notice whatever you notice and with that awareness, come into downward facing dog. As you straighten your arms and legs, imagine you are fully owning your current relational state to money. If your habits surrounding money bring up feelings of discomfort, it’s okay. Own it so you can move from it.
3. Goddess Twist
Goddess Pose with a Twist
Now it’s time to stand on your feet and literally wring out feelings of any shame and guilt about your money mindset and money habits. Hanging onto these feelings will only keep you where you are. Let go of what you think you know and trust that there can be freedom and peace within understanding and intentionality within your finances. Create space to reclaim your power.
4. Warrior 1
Warrior I
Now that you’ve perhaps cleared some space, stand up tall through a solid warrior 1. Create a strong foundation with your lower body so you can extend your arms and heart up, inviting in new goals surrounding your finances. This could have to do with things you’re wanting to do with your money (such as save for a big purchase or pay off cc debt), it could have to do with how you feel about money (peaceful vs. fearful), and it could involve your thoughts towards money (abundant mindset vs. scarcity mindset).
5. Reclined Supta Baddha Konasana
It takes a lot of work to look inward and to undo patterns and ways of thinking which are no longer serving you. Topics of money and finances can be deeply rooted tracing back to how those closest to us viewed/view money. It may take time and it will certainly take effort to guide yourself towards the path that feels most in alignment for you as it comes to your finances. Within this process, after putting in the effort, there has to be space for surrender and an opening to the possibilities. Now that you’ve: created the space, let go of any stories which were holding you back, did your taxes, evaluated your spending habits, and perhaps adopted new ones…what will come in? What opportunities will arise? Allow yourself to surrender, trust, and receive.
If you are feeling interested (or so uncomfortable to the point that you have to take action), explore the resources below. They are geared towards handling your finances in a logistical manner (accounts, debt, big purchases) and towards exploring your money mindset to eventually create freedom and alignment within your financial life. These are only meant to get you started. There are so many amazing resources out there!
Websites:
Readings:
