BUSINESS RESOURCES + TOOLS BARE BONES BIZ
Tips for yoga class and boiler- controls training
BY ELLEN ROHR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan. In 28 days, I was hooked on yoga. If I go more than a few days without stretching, I am bound to start snapping at someone or something. It’s not so much the physical effects that I miss. Yoga
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literally means “union.” It’s all about connecting the mind-body-spirit dots. You might be surprised at the folks you know who are into yoga. My friend Al Levi said that he was starting to feel the
effects of years of body-neglect and fast food that often accompanies life as a business owner. “So I went to my first yoga class. I was so stiff that I couldn’t do any of the poses. My first assignment was to try and sit on the floor and breathe through the pain. That was a few years ago. Now, I go to class every week and participate in a three- hour intensive class once or twice a month. When I am feeling knotted up, I head to the yoga studio and work out the kinks — the kinks in my thoughts as well as in my back. Yoga has had a profound impact on my life.” Born and raised in Long Island, Al takes a ribbing from
his shoe-breaking friends. He laughs it off, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m still a New Yorker. I’ve just developed a softer, kinder center to the hard candy shell.” And you thought yoga was just touching your toes and
balancing on one foot. For me, yoga is a reminder that it’s important to allow
someone to help us. There is no need to go it alone. You can learn yoga from a book. The author is the teacher, and you are the student. An in-person private lesson is a valuable luxury. You might want to add the occasional guru-to-you session to your practice. It’s great to participate in a group lesson now and then too. There is something sacred about the classroom. You
show up with all your strengths, limitations, fears and expectations. So does every other student. So does the teacher. You can decide that you will learn something, or you can intend to prove that the teacher is full of crap. You can choose to play or to hold back. You can help or hinder the class. You will probably discover that the more you give, the more you gain. As you open up and fully participate, you may discover serendipitous gifts from the simplest exercises and exchanges. That rings true for any class, doesn’t it? The classroom
is a mini-society and your participation in that society can have a resonating impact on your life, the teacher’s life and those of the other students. The classroom is sacred space. Whether it’s yoga practice or a class on marketing or a boiler training session, here are some ideas for being a successful student: • Be on time for class. It’s less stressful for you, and it’s rude and disruptive to others when you are late.
’ve always been interested in physical fitness. Somewhere along the way, I got the sage advice to add stretching to my overall routine. I picked up a copy of
• Good grooming is good manners. It’s rough to be next
to someone who could use a shower and could offer fewer personal noises. • Be prepared and equipped. Show up dressed right
and with the proper tools. • Leave your phone at home or in the car. Really, if
anything is that important, you will be found. If the shop burned down while you were gone, it may be a good opportunity for you to make some overdue changes. • Find a sitter. Is the class geared for youngsters? If not,
find another activity. Even the most well-behaved kids will be challenged to sit still, and you will have a harder time being “present.” • Participate, even if you know it all. Consider the
power of revisiting the basics. Consider how you might teach this information to someone else. • Listen and do as directed. Before you out-think the
teacher, follow the instructions given and see whether you don’t experience some new insights. • Think less. Allow yourself to be guided and helped. • Take responsibility. If you get hurt, there is probably a
lesson in your impending recovery. • Embrace the group experience. You are not going to
get the same level of attention that you would in a one- to-one consult. • If you think you would like some personal instruction,
don’t rush off. Take a minute after class to thank the teacher and maybe to set up a private lesson. • Consider teaching a class yourself. One more thing that Al talks about is how the
discipline of taking time for himself to do yoga — even during his busiest of times — has been a wonderful change for the better. “El, I always took time to be of service to everyone and everybody but me. Yoga has taught me to be present and in the moment.Fancy talk, but it’s about stopping to take time to work on myself like I do when I take a golf lesson or do Tai Chi. This is not selfish at all. Rather, it’s in everyone else’s best interest that I do this type of training to clear my mind and do something good for my body and my soul. What I always know is that when I return to work I’m more focused and more attentive, which makes me more helpful to those I work with. ” Thanks, Al. And thanks to Mike Miller who encouraged
me to write on this topic. Why not approach every class with the discipline of a
yogi? Namaste. l
plan together over a weekend. Check it out on the Buy Stuff page at www
877/629-7647 or
contact@barebonesbiz.com.
My latest mini-book helps you put a rockin’ business
.barebonesbiz.com. Reach me at
phc april 2011
www.phcnews.com
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