ARTICLES
How Smart Women Practice Yoga Every Day
I recently began taking yoga. When I arrived for my first class, I sat down on my mat and waited to learn all of the unbelievable twisting and bending poses I’d seen in magazines. I’d always thought, “If striking those poses will make my body look like that, count me in!”
My teacher arrived and explained that since I was a newbie she’d need to evaluate my strength and ability in four areas before we could begin. Strength? Ability? Four areas? Well, okay. She went on to say she wanted to check my alignment, balance, flexibility, and posture. We began a series of moves to see where I might need support and I quickly saw the value of not leaping into positions that I was not yet ready for.
During the class, I thought about those four areas and it occurred to me that yoga is a lot like the work we do in my Women’s Learning Circles. Women in the Circles have made a conscious decision to live their best lives and to journey ahead with alignment, balance, flexibility, and posture.
In the Learning Circle, one of the first exercises we do helps to identify whether or not we are living in alignment with our values, passions, and priorities. What are your values? What’s most important to you? Do you live according to your own values and priorities each day, or are you living according to the desires and beliefs of others? Do you foster relationships with people who hold values and passions similar to your own?
I’ve actually dropped the idea of balance. I don’t believe it’s possible for busy women to have fully “balanced” lives these days. Instead, I’ve adopted the idea of “integration.” For example, I place a high value on self-care and like to exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep each night. But between work, home, family, and social activities, some days I don’t have time for exercise and don’t get quite as much sleep as I’d like. So instead of striving for perfect balance within each day, I strive for integration over longer periods of time. By the end of a week or a month, somehow I’ve managed to accomplish everything that is important. How do you go about integrating what’s most important to you?
I woke up early today to write this article. About half-way through, my four-year-old daughter, Jenna, appeared in my office. Writing and four-year-olds don’t mix very well so I had to become flexible. This topic often comes up in the Learning Circles. When life doesn’t go according to plan, how can we look at situations differently? What does it mean to be flexible and open to new ideas, possibilities, and ways of being? What’s the consequence of not being flexible when that is what’s called for?
Posture is about more than holding your head high and your shoulders back. Do you stand tall and firm in your beliefs about your passions, purpose and values? Do you communicate them in such a way that those close to you – family, friends and colleagues – know who you are and what is most important to you?
When my yoga teacher checked me on these four areas, we found that my alignment was good and that I’m reasonably flexible, but my balance (integration) and posture both need attention. How about you? In which areas are you strong? Where could you use a little TLC?
The days are growing shorter, children (and many adults) have returned to school, and the air hints at Autumn. This change of season presents a wonderful opportunity for growth and learning, for opening ourselves to new possibilities. I invite you to spend time this month thinking about your own alignment, balance, flexibility, and posture and how these essential elements factor into how you live your values, find pleasure in everyday life, and engage in all you do with purpose and passion.
© 2007 Joy Chudacoff
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions and a Certified Professional Coach. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops and teleseminars, please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.