To the Left, To the Right

I was pulling out of a parking space and carefully looked to the left and the right as I started to inch out of the space. I always do it that way. My car is very low and it is hard to see around most vehicles parked on either side of me. It has served me well as I haven't hit anyone in a parking lot yet (knock on wood), unless you count high school. I drove my dad's car to school one day not long after receiving that most coveted privilege - the driver's license. It was a huge Chrysler and even though I am tall - 5"9" - I felt tiny in the front seat of that car. I pulled into a parking space, and the little perfectionist in me started to back up to pull in again perfectly parallel. It needed just a little straightening, I thought. When I backed up I tapped the VW bug (do they call them that anymore?) that was driving by. It just happened to be the high school driver education instructor. There wasn't any damage to either car but I was humiliated none the less - until I walked into the school. The driving instructor was not the most well liked teacher and I was a bit of a hero for a day as the story spread throughout the school. Maybe that is why I look so carefully from side to side now when I pull out of a space. I wish other people would. I always notice other drivers. It seems they are focused in only one direction. They have their eyes on a parking spot or a turn but forget to look the other way. Many times it is because they have their cell phone atached to one ear. But there's another story for another day.

In yoga class we always balance ourselves by repeating whatever pose we do for one side on the other. It makes sense in our heads and it makes sense for our body.

Check things out in both directions - whatever you are doing. You never know what you are missing that might be coming at you from the other side.

Just My Mat

I am proud to say my oldest son just graduated from college with honors in a difficult major. He had several job offers and has a few months off before he has to join the real world. In the meantime, he is moving home to live with us while he makes the transition from one lifestyle to another. Everything that he owns came home with him (and was added to the remnants of high school - e.g. his varsity letter jacket and homecoming boutonnieres). This last week has been an unending sorting, dumping, moving process as I worked through his belongings with him as well as cleansing other parts of the house. I marveled at all the things we have acquired. There is nothing extravagant or particularly unusual in the mess, just a lot of clothes and toys and general stuff. What breaks my heart is when I come across something that is still in the package or shows no visible signs of wear. So many things and so little time to use them, I muse. I felt great as I loaded all the give-aways in the car and delivered them to the local donation center. There were many items I knew others would consider treasures that I hoped would be put to good use.

During the overhaul, as my son contemplated moving into his own apartment, he verbalized the things he would need. "I just need a bed, and some clothes and some food and a way to get to work - some kind of old car. That is all I really need." Yes - that is true. That is all we really need. (He had been talking for years about the new car he wanted to buy when he got out of school but today he spent hours cleaning up one of our old cars - seventeen years old to be exact - and is excited about using it.)

All I really need is my yoga mat. How simple life would be if all I had to carry with me was my mat. It is my refuge from the stresses of life. When I teach I escape into the yoga world with my students, breathing and stretching and working hard as we move from one pose to another, finally reaching savasana to relax at the end. All the stresses of the world are gone as we focus on yoga for that hour.

If I needed to I could use it as a bed. If I was cold I could wrap it around me and experience some relief from the cold or the rain - but maybe not from the Texas heat. If my house was burning down I would grab my yoga mat and run.

If they start making yoga mats out of chocolate I would definitely have all that I need to survive.

I Just Want Some Attention Please

A transformer blew in the neighborhood and we lost power for several hours on a hot Sunday afternoon. We already had plans for a movie but decided to eat out after since we had no idea how long the power outage would last. We went to a steak restaurant where my favorite part of their awesomeness is their rolls. We were seated in the bar area and rarely saw our waiter even though we gave him signals - i.e. empty water glasses and bread baskets (not that I really needed him to refill that). I could have called for him but didn't want to embarrass the kids. The lack of attention was noticeable.

I walk around the room during yoga class adjusting people in their poses, with a gentle hand here or fingers coaxing them to move deeper into the pose in my direction. If they are looking down I gently touch their back to let them know I am there so they don't get surprised and fall over and then I ask them if they would like me to help them in a pose. Sometime I pose a question to the whole class asking if anyone would like me to help them get their foot behind their head or into some other contortion. Many times, all I have to do is walk by and I can see their leg go higher or they twist a little more and I don't even have to stop. It is amazing - the power of just walking by. I try not to spend too much time with one person because the rest of the class is waiting for the next move and they will let me know if I leave them in a pose too long. With a laugh I tell them they will have to keep the pose just as long on the other side so they are not lopsided and the lighthearted groans begin. If I spend too much time with one person the rest of the class does not get the benefit of my attention and assistance. It is a delicate dance.

I think the waiter could learn a little about paying attention to people from the yoga room (I don't want him to touch us! - just stop by a little more often!)

You Told Me To Do It

The general public does not have the advantage I have in understanding some of the things that are going on behind the scenes with the Gulf Oil disaster. I have some direct conections within the "Company" and find the discrepancies between the breaking news headlines and comments from high officials, and the real story upsetting. But what disturbed me recently were comments from companies somewhat indirectly involved in the disaster. They claim that they will not have any legal obligations because they were told by the "Company" to do certain things against their better judgment (that is what they say - we really don't know that for a fact). My question is "What happened to their better judgment?" Why did they not stop something they didn't feel was right or they had knowledge of was wrong? Do they always just do what the "boss" says to do?

In yoga class I provide verbal instructions for poses as well as actually performing the pose for a visual reference. I also make recommendations for modifications. I let participants know that if they have injuries or a pose doesn't feel right or forces them to breath through their mouth instead of their nose (a sign they are struggling) they should back off or not do the pose at all. I trust them to know their bodies and know what is working and what is not working for them. I would not want them to keep pushing a pose or continue struggling if they knew it was not right for them just because I told them to do it. I believe these instructions and my participants' common sense (i.e. better judgment) keep them injury free.

Tell Me What I Am Doing Wrong So I Can Fix It

I brush and floss my teeth daily and make visits to the dentist for a cleaning and check up every six months religiously. My teeth are important to me. Maybe the fact three of my five brothers are dentists has impacted my habits over the years, but there is nothing like that great feeling you get right after your teeth are cleaned. I don't want to eat because I don't want to mess them up. So, it was a surprise to me that with all this care I take I had a serious problem develop under a crown that required advanced dental care. I had to wait an entire month to get in to see the specialist. In the meantime I was encouraged by a fellow gym member to try their dentist - who could do everything in one visit. I decided it wouldn't hurt to check them out and see what they had to say.

I was a little apprehensive when I called for an appointment and was able to get in immediately. They tried to impress me with all of the fancy equipment and technology. They were still trying as I stood there with my purse in hand, my trademark sun visor on my head and my sunglasses perched on top ready to go. I never did tell them why I left. I wasn't sure the doctor really cared. I may still write to them in the hopes that it will make them think just a little bit more about the message they are sending out.

I usually have at least one new person in my yoga class every time I teach and several others that have only tried the class a few times along with the regulars and my hard core fans. Rarely, but it does happen, that a new person will roll up their mat and exit the room before class is complete. It breaks my heart that they might be frustrated or overwhelmed by the class. I always encourage the new people (actually everyone) to take breaks whenever their body tells them to and not to worry about what the other person's pose looks like - just make the pose work for them by modifying it however they want to. Normally, they hang in there and talk to me afterwards about their experience. But once in a while I can tell someone is overwhelmed and leaves. I wish I could run after them and talk to them and encourage them, but I have to stay with the rest of the class. I wish I could find out what I was doing that made it diffucult for them. Or maybe - they just wanted to try a little bit and will be back. But I don't know - because they never tell me.

I wish they would.

Make Me Do It

When you walk in the door of your house at the end of a long hard work day, what you really need is some time to chill and make the transition from work to the family. A friend was telling his story about coming home from work, having solved problems all day and just wanting some time to relax and slow down before greeting his young son and hearing about the antics of the day. His wife, a stay at home mom, looks forward to the time when he gets home so she can enjoy adult conversation and usually starts to share her day the moment he comes through the door. I referenced the "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" book. The author describes how a man (and women do too!) needs a cave to escape to and a few minutes to transition before being ready to talk. He said his wife read the book but doesn't do it. I suggested she get a coach - someone to encourage her to practice the principles in the book.

I teach yoga and other fitness classes. My schedule makes me do the exercise. I have to be at a certain place at a certain time to teach, which guarantees I will exercise. I love it too so it is not hard to do, but that is beside the point.

What can you do to make sure you implement learning you have experienced through training or reading or keep up with an exercise program? I suggest you get a sidekick to encourage you and keep you motivated. It can be a friend or a professional coach. Try it, you will like it.

Other Leg On Top

I was sitting in the hot tub (where I do my best thinking) visualizing an exercise I am planning to use as the opening to my workshop at a conference next month. In this partner exercise the participants stand and make physical changes to their appearance and then try to guess what others have done. It doesn't take them long to switch everything back after the exercise is over because they are comfortable with the way things were before.

In yoga class I try to start the class differently each time, changing the breathing exercise or whether we are sitting or relaxing in corpse pose. During class there are many familiar standby poses that we do every time but I also change the main focus of class. Sometimes it is headstands, splits, arm balances or twists to keep things interesting. Many students are able to more easily do a pose on one side but not as easily on the other. They might have more balance on their left foot so they don't like to balance on their right foot. They may have a tight right shoulder so they only like to do shoulder opening poses on the left side. In lotus pose (a seated position with the legs tightly crossed onto opposite thighs) some people are able to do the pose with one leg on top but not the other. They always do the pose with the leg that works on top, never trying to work through it with the other leg.

I encourage you to try the "other leg on top". Don't be so comfortable and always keep things the same or be so quick to change things back right after you try something new. You might just like the new pose or be surprised that something you couldn't do before is possible.