Tuesday, May 1, 2007

My associates


Here is my office staff. My "work family". The staff of CGF Industries.
I've worked with some of these people since the 80's (back in our banking days). We have a long history. I feel that we compliment each other. Our strengths mesh well. It's a good job, and I'm lucky to have it.

submission to Newsweek's "My Turn"

Finding Yoga

One day I woke up and I was in my 40’s. After eighteen years of professional accounting –in a cubicle, sitting in a chair, staring at a computer screen, I looked in the mirror at what I had become. Those years had taken their toll….on my posture, my flexibility, the shape of my body, and my feeling of health and well-being. Slightly overweight, and with little flexibility or stamina left from my younger days, I wanted to try an activity that would feel good as well as providing health benefits. I wanted an activity without the eventual knee, hip, or foot pain of running around a track or pounding away on treadmills. I needed to avoid the potential injuries of team sports like softball or basketball (been there, done that). Although I had been walking regularly, riding my bike during the nice parts of the year (I live in Kansas), and sometimes swimming indoors (oh, those strong chemicals), it wasn’t enough for me.

I was intimidated by my first yoga class. I certainly didn’t look like a “yogi”. I didn’t feel like I belonged with those “pretzel-like people”, and yet…..the practice felt good! I just kept going back. My teachers were very kind. I tried to pay attention to their instructions – quickly deciding that it didn’t matter what I looked like in that wall-to-wall, and floor-to-ceiling mirror, what I wore, or what other people could do with their bodies that I couldn’t. I resolved to make yoga really count for something. This was an hour to concentrate on myself and forget about what I had to do when class was over. That was the main message – to try and be present to what my body was saying, listen to it and let it tell me what to do, what I needed, where attention and breath should flow.

One of the first things I noticed was that I was a bit sore the day after I didn’t practice. I just loved my teachers at our local YMCA’s, so by halfway through the first year I was going to classes whenever I could squeeze them into my schedule. It seemed like I had more energy than I remember having in years. This new “source” of energy spilled over into the rest of my life.

I noticed that I was more optimistic, calmer, and less stressed. My close friends noticed too, and commented. My relationships improved. After the first year of practice, I found I could concentrate on deliberate breathing, and try to control my physical reactions to external influences (think busy highways at 7:30 a.m. with angry/impatient drivers jockeying for position….or surly clerks at retail stores). I sit up straighter and live more in the moment. I am more patient. I smile more. I sought ways to serve my community and found them. I am more generous with my time. I am happier.

I stopped suffering from low back pain. My body changed. I gained strength, improving both my balance and my flexibility. Some poses came more easily. Some are just as challenging as the first time I tried them. But that’s okay. The real difference came when I changed how I treated myself– when I tried to stop the sometimes constant negative self-talk we inflict on ourselves (and this may take the rest of my life to achieve). The biggest effect was inside. I stopped being at war with myself.

I subscribed to magazines and newsletters. I found pictures of unbelievably beautiful poses, practical advice, and essays on such topics as meditation. A thought-provoking quote from a leading online magazine resonated with me (they were answering a question from a reader who smoked). It said “Smoking will not interfere with your yoga, but yoga will interfere with your smoking.” This is how I started to feel about certain things (caffeine, alcohol, junk food, angry drivers, constant complaining, etc.). My yoga practice was influencing my daily life.

By the end of that first year I was losing weight. When you hear students say that they lose weight by practicing yoga, it’s probably because they are more mindful and aware of what, and when they eat. It’s not just the physical exertion of a moderately active class but the awareness that your practice will bring. It just seemed easier to like, and take care of myself once I started practicing yoga. You might find you develop a respect and appreciation for your body that might have been missing or pushed below the surface.

I was able to e-mail my teachers. They not only had the patience to listen, they were often kind enough to answer - discussing books and articles, recommending music and websites, passing along tips. Without their knowledge, guidance, and personal attention, I would not have a yoga practice today. My teachers each shared their own style of yoga with me. I thank them for showing me so many things and opening so many doors. They have enriched my life in ways that (to my surprise and delight) I am still discovering.

I am happy to conclude by saying that not only do I have a satisfying personal yoga practice today, but a wonderful group of students at a local recreation center that kindly and generously allow me to be their yoga teacher every Thursday night.