THE DUST SWIRLED around home plate as my seven-year-old son dug his cleats into the dirt. The late afternoon Texas sun cast long shadows across the baseball field, and the air filled with the sounds of excited parents and the occasional smell of buttered popcorn. My eyes were fixed on my son, watching his small, determined face, utterly absorbed in the moment. I wanted to be just as present, soaking in this precious chapter of childhood.

But then, the all-too-familiar buzz. My phone, vibrating in my pocket, a siren call from the other part of my life. A text message. Then another. A Microsoft Teams message. Suddenly, the sights and sounds of the ballgame began to fade, replaced by the urgent demands of work, the relentless pressure of deadlines, and the need to stay connected for the livelihood that supports moments exactly like this one. I felt the familiar tension rise — torn between the professional life I was building and the life I was living, unable to fully inhabit either.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. It’s a constant challenge navigating the complexities of a career, family, and personal interests. We are constantly barraged with information, our devices acting less like tools and more like digital extensions of our overactive nervous systems. We feel pulled in countless directions and increasingly unable to simply switch off and just be. 

It was in this state of feeling perpetually overwhelmed that I discovered the teachings of Mingyur Rinpoche. His accessible approach offered a suite of guided explorations, suggesting that the peace and clarity we crave aren’t found by escaping our lives, but by learning to live differently within them. 

The Householder Yogi

When juggling work, family, and a mortgage payment, the traditional image of a monk meditating in solitude feels impossibly distant. This is where the concept of the “householder yogi” becomes incredibly helpful. This model acknowledges the reality of most people’s lives — lives deeply embedded in relationships, careers, and responsibilities.

The path of the householder yogi isn’t about abandoning the world, but about integrating spiritual practice into the fabric of everyday existence. It’s a path that emphasizes “view, meditation, and application” within the context of a busy life. It’s about cultivating awareness and compassion, not instead of living your life, but as you live it. It’s about engaging in personal meditation and learning, not just for self-improvement, but for genuine awakening.

Bringing Practice to the Field

So, how does a householder yogi balance Little League baseball fields and board reports? Mingyur Rinpoche emphasizes that meditation isn’t confined to a cushion. It’s possible “anytime and anywhere.” Even amidst the chaos of the ballgame or the incessant buzz of my phone, the practice is simply to be present and aware of whatever is happening in that moment. Noticing the urge to check my phone, the feeling of being pulled away from the game, that very act of recognition is a success.

Through Rinpoche’s Joy of Living teachings, we are given support through weekly practices that help us gain confidence in being with these mundane moments, again and again. They are moments to pause, notice the physical sensations and emotions arising, and gently relax into awareness. Awareness in action can be as simple as being fully present while driving, washing dishes, or focusing on the words on a screen.

Playing the Long Game

Importantly, I remind myself that this path is not a straight line. There will be days when the struggle to balance the push and pull overwhelms me, and I get completely swept away, forgetting any intention to be present. This is not failure; it is simply life unfolding.

The key is approaching this journey with plenty of patience and self-compassion. Transformation takes time. Like watching my son’s sweet and crooked smile take shape, the effects of our practice are often imperceptible day-to-day. But looking back over weeks, months, and years, I’m reminded of a greater relaxing into awareness, a softening of reactivity, and a deeper sense of contentment. 

A consistent practice, woven into the actual, imperfect life of a father, husband, and householder yogi, allows the profound potential for awakening to unfold, even amidst the challenges, distractions, and demands of our anxious world. Peace isn’t somewhere else; it’s here, waiting in the dust of the baseball field and the glow of the phone screen, if only we learn to recognize it.

August 2025