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.

Meditations from the Mat quote

Students come to me with two types of problems. Lingering or chronic physical issues and/or sports injuries.........and emotional issues (divorce, job-difficulties, relationship problems or just feeling empty and sad). Having reached a point in my life where I've experienced these things for myself, I can only show them compassion and offer the same answer to both problems:

Learn what you can do differently from now on, and believe in the power of the universe to help you heal.

Paraphrased from "Meditations from the Mat"

March yoga class quiz...

I had a chance to take some yoga classes from various teachers around the city in March 2007.


1) Let's say a student (Sally) was able to sit cross-legged, and completely fold forward onto the floor. Let's say that most of the other students could not go that far into the pose. If you were the teacher, which of the following would you NOT want to say:


a. "Folks that are more flexible like Sally are feeling this pose in their own way, while the rest of us are getting the same benefit to this stretch even if we cannot fold forward as far.....".

b. "Look at Sally, a very flexible student, over there not feeling a thing (she does this all the time because she teaches yoga)."

c. "Yoga is a journey, not a destination. Only go as far as you can today, tomorrow may be different. Search for the sensation of creating length in this stretch and keep breathing! If you don't fold forward very far, it's okay."



2) Let's say another teacher is demonstrating a seated forward bend with legs extended. Which of the following verbal cues would be better?:

a) Fold forward, reach out, grab your toes and pull your chest through your upper arms.

b) Reach out for your toes. If you can't reach your toes, use a strap.

c) As we gently fold forward, hinging from our hips, we can reach out to take hold of our toes. Lengthen the spine, without forcing or pulling ourselves forward. Think about lifting our hearts as we extend through the crown of our heads.


3) Let's say that you are in a class working on a challenging pose. What would you like to hear the teacher say?

a) "This is a hard pose. Don't worry if you can't do it. Try it anyway".

b) "Find the place where you feel challenged yet successful in this pose. There is a part of it that you can do if you focus and concentrate on your breath.

c) "Level 3, raise one leg and then one arm."


All three situations actually happened this month - in classes with teachers of various levels of experience. As the student, I was reminded to follow my instincts, listen to my body, and remember my training.

Namaste, Cindy

(b) (c) (b)

Viva Las Vegas....

Had one of those once in a lifetime weekends in Las Vegas this year. When we left Kansas, it was overcast, windy and 6 degrees. When we landed in Vegas it was sunny, calm and 74!

President's Day weekend, with the NBA All Star Game in town, the Strip was so busy that it took an hour to go a mile in a cab-assuming you could even get one (so we walked everywhere).

Hit a progressive jackpot on a .25 slot machine for $6,788. Rooms and meals comped, saw a fantastic show, played roulette - Beth and I both boxed # 29 - it hit. I split three 8's - won the hand, then got three blackjacks in a row. Bethie played $ 10 on 0/00 (a $170 payout) four different times.....and on and on. Dream weekend. Who-da' thunk?

Viva Las Vegas................

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head."H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Speak kindly.......

How to eat a truffle......

How to Eat a Truffle....
From "Vosges --Haut Chocolat"

See it. There should be a glossy shine to the truffle, this shows a good temper, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cacao mass.

Lick it. Licking the truffle gives a hint of what is to come. A teaser.

Snap it. Quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. If the chocolate is stored at ideal conditions between 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit when you take a bite you should hear a crisp, snap breaking through the outside to reach the creamy ganache inside.

Taste it. We always like to bite the truffle in two bites. In the first bite you are just getting to know the truffle and in the second, you delve deeper, searching out the flavors and the nuances. You become immersed into the experience of the chocolate, your mouth and the sensations. The taste should have a long lingering finish.