Spinning Too Many Plates – and the Practice of maybe Placing one down

By Steph ❤️

We’ve all been there and recently I feel I have been —spinning plates in the air, juggling tasks, responsibilities, relationships, expectations… and maybe still trying to make time for friends and family , hydration, and a few hours of sleep.

It’s dizzying.

There’s a strange kind of pride in being busy. A silent badge of honor for how much we can carry. But if you’ve ever practiced balancing in Tree Pose on a day when your mind is racing, you’ll know: the more you try to do, the less grounded you become.

The Yoga of Overwhelm

Yoga invites us to notice.

To pause.

To listen.

And when we do, we often discover just how many plates we’ve been spinning—without even realizing it. Not just work or errands, but the mental lists, the emotional weight, the invisible “shoulds” and “musts” we carry through our days.

In yogic philosophy, we learn about the koshas—layers of our being. The outermost layer, the Annamaya Kosha, is our physical body. It’s the first to speak when we’ve taken on too much. Tight shoulders. Shallow breath. Restless sleep. A body that whispers until it shouts.

What Would It Feel Like to Place One Plate Down?

Here’s the thing:

Yoga doesn’t ask us to be productive. It asks us to be present.

The invitation isn’t to get everything done—it’s to tune in, and ask:

What’s really needed right now?

What can wait?

What can I set down, even just for today?

This is a practice in itself. Not always easy. Sometimes the plate we set down is guilt. Or the need to do it all perfectly. Or just one task that can be done tomorrow instead.

A Mini Practice to Recenter

The next time you feel that familiar spinning sensation, try this:

• Pause. Close your eyes.

• Take three slow breaths.

• Ask yourself: “Where am I holding tension right now?”

• Gently soften that place.

• And then ask: “What is one thing I can let go of today?”

Maybe it’s not spinning all the plates. Maybe it’s just one. And maybe that’s enough.

You Are Not a Machine

You are a human being. A whole, layered being with a nervous system, a heart, a need for rest, for stillness, for space to simply be.

So if today feels like too much, step off the stage. Let the plates fall. Or better yet, gently place one down.

There is so much wisdom in the pause.

Lots of love ❤️