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INNERGY CORPORATE YOGA NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2009
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
PUTTING YOUR PRACTICE TO GOOD USE
 My family and I were driving through Vancouver the other day. It was 5:00 pm on a Sunday. We were on 12th Avenue, near Fraser St., a very busy intersection, and in the inside lane. My husband was with me and our two young children, 16 months and 3. Everyone was tired, we had been driving for over 4 hours and we were almost to our destination. I was driving.
We stopped at a red light and were also on a hill. I hit the gas pedal when traffic began moving, but nothing happened. We stalled out and the car began rolling backwards. The brakes wouldn't even work. A quick glance in the rearview mirror told me that we were going to hit the car behind us.
The first thing we did was make sure the girls were okay in the backseat, then the driver behind us. They were. Then we called a tow truck.
It was unnerving to sit in the inside lane of traffic on 12th Avenue, while dozens of cars sped all around you. We waited about 20-30 minutes for the tow truck to come. It would have been more dangerous to get the girls out of the car and onto the sidewalk as there was so much traffic that day. So we sat and waited and I said a silent prayer to protect us from all the traffic.
After all was said and done, everything was fine. The damage to both cars was almost nonexistent and everyone was okay. Tired and hot, but okay.
What a GREAT time to put my yoga practice to work. It was so great to be able to step back and watch all of this unfolding before me without panicking and reacting.
And so I found myself feeling a surge of gratitude which was so strong it was almost overwhelming. How many of us can say they feel that way after going through something like that? It's much easier to get angry, frustrated, or worse. But imagine if one or both of our children had been taken away in a blaring ambulance? What if it had been worse? What if that car hadn't been there behind us to stop us from rolling? I could have pulled the emergency brake, but I didn't think of it in time with everything going on.
And what if that incident was meant to happen? What if we avoided an even bigger accident down the road? Or maybe the universe was just trying to send a message to us - slow down and appreciate what you have.
What was really great were all the people who stopped to ask us if we were okay while we waited for help to come. They would just point or gesture with a thumbs up as they slowly rolled up to the red light in the lane beside us, but I knew what they were asking, and it felt so reassuring that others in the world (complete strangers) were reaching out to us and offering to help.
What was really amazing was that through that whole event, I was able to look at mysel, as if from a distance, and see that I was calm and in control. Now THAT I know I learned from my yoga practice and from my many hours on the mat. You see, the whole purpose in doing yoga is to be able to take what you learn OFF the mat when class ends and find a way to carrry it into your life. That day was the perfect opportunity.
As we drove away, everyone safe and secure, I found myself almost in tears. Thank you, to our guardian angels, the universe, or any other forces that may have had a hand in that event, of which we may never know why it happened, but it did. And I am grateful.
STEPPING OUT OF THE YOGA BOX
Our lovely assistant, Monika, recently tried her first personal training session with an instructor from Fitness on the Go. They provide one on one personal training sessions in your home and are available in select locations across Canada, including the Vancouver area. Boy! was she surprised and amazed at how different this was from yoga. Here's what Monika had to say about this service:
"I have to admit, I’m a dedicated yogi: I stretch, I meditate, and I try not to think about the extra layer of “insulation” covering my body. Having never done any sort of strength training or organized exercise routine , I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for sessions with Fitness on the Go - a company of personal trainers who provide a customized exercise program for you, in the comfort of your own home. In the past, I tried attending aerobic classes at a couple different gyms, but I always felt awkward (and a little bit corny) bouncing up and down to old dance tunes from the 90s. Awaiting my first session with the personal trainer, I was nervous and suddenly very conscious of all the “weak spots” in my physique. I knew I was stretchy, but definitely not ready to pump iron!
Zach arrived with a bag full of gear, a fitness ball, and a friendly smile. He told me that we would be working hard, but that he needed to assess my fitness level before he created a customized routine for me. During our first session, we ran through some standard exercises to deduce where I needed the most work – I was shocked to find that even after all my downward-dogs and forward folds, I had weak hamstrings! My heart rate was up after the first 10 minutes – balance work combined with step exercises on a fitness ball did the trick! The session continued with a 20 minute set that was repeated 3 times, with variations, of a series of exercises using the bands, using the ball, and using my own abdominal muscles. Again, my preconceptions were proved wrong: thinking my core muscles were strong from all the balance and yoga, my abdominals were put to the test with a set of crunches and leg lifts that left me lying on the floor wondering when savasana (corpse pose) would be on the menu!
By the third round of our 20 minute “routine”, I was starting to think my muscles would simply fall off my body! Surprising myself, I managed to make it through the whole hour. Zach’s positive encouragement combined with his no-nonsense approach (when he saw me being lazy) gave me the motivation needed to finish the work-out. Needless to say: I sweat, I panted, but I felt great! After the session, I felt like I had worked every major muscle group in my body, my heart rate was up, and I was pleasantly tired. In fact, I was ready for an ice cream (a craving that I didn’t admit to Zach). The next day, I awoke with that pleasant ache in the abdominal muscles, proof that good work had been done the day before! My energy levels were up, and I was in the mood to make a commitment: I decided that I would combine my usual yoga practice with Zach’s strength training, and throw in some cardiovascular exercise to keep myself at a healthy fitness level.
From a yogic point of view, I felt I had gained a new perspective on my physical body. Often in yoga classes we try to ground the mind fully into the physical body, trying to maintain our conscious awareness in the present moment, feeling sensations, and exploring the self, on a physical level as well as on an energetic level. Strangely enough, during this rather un-yogic form of exercise, I was feeling very grounded, and very aware of parts of my body that I hadn’t paid attention to before, perhaps some deeper muscular layers that my usual asanas (postures) didn’t reach. Somehow by being a yoga teacher, my perspective had narrowed – I thought that yoga was all I needed; my sessions with Fitness on the Go showed me a larger perspective. Sometimes we get one-sided in our minds, and think that yoga, or running, or aerobics, or whatever we like to do is ALL that we need to do. A more well-rounded approach to fitness is probably a lot healthier for both body and mind!
If you’d like to expand your approach to your personal health, and if you feel awkward attending group fitness classes that involve someone “yelling” at you from the front of the room, Fitness on the Go offers a wonderful alternative – a program specifically designed for you, delivered when you want it, and in the privacy of your own home. Check them out at www.fitnessonthego.ca.
More sessions for me are on their way! I’ll let you know next month whether or not my “insulation” layer has shrunken."
Monika Karpinska
Administrative Assistant
Innergy Corporate Yoga Inc. |
OUT OF CHAOS PRIZE WINNER
Before Rawyn got organized |
After Out of Chaos worked their magic
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Last month we told you that Rawyn Erickson won the free prize of two hours of organizing time with Out of Chaos, a Vancouver-based organizing company.
Well, this past month, Linda met with Rawyn, came up with a plan and helped her get organized. After working her magic, Linda helped Rawyn sort everything into boxes and file folders. As you can see by this "after" photo, Rawyn is a happy customer and can see and use her table again.
Rawyn says "Thanks a million Linda!". For more information on how to get organized at your home or office, contact Out of Chaos at info@outofchaos.ca.
MIND YOUR YOGA MANNERS
Ever Wondered if you had Good Manners in Yoga Class? Take a look at this article on Yoga Studio Etiquette. Most of these rules also apply in a corporate setting, where we have to consider the others around us when we share close quarters.
OOPS!
Last month we stated that one of our clients, Associated Engineering, has pilates classes with us twice a month. We would like to apologize to the folks at AE and state for the record that this dedicated group does pilates twice a week, not twice a month. (That would be 8 times a month, on average.)
Lynn Roberts
Director of Operations
Innergy Corporate Yoga Inc.
lynn@innergycorporateyoga.com
AUGUST'S HEALTHY WORKPLACE POSE
Downward Facing Dog
(Using Chair)
BENEFITS
Stretches spine, back of legs, ribcage and more, relieves back tension, facilitates deeper breathing and more.
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Remove your shoes and socks if possible. Stand behind your chair with your hands on the back of the chair, about shoulder width apart. Take a few steps backward with both feet until your legs are perpendicular to the floor and your back is straight. (Your back and legs will be at a 90 degree angle with other and you will be looking straight down at the floor.) Let your head relax.
Step 2: Take a deep inhale, and as you exhale, press your hips and sitting bones back to the wall behind you. Pull your abdominal muscles in and feel your spine stretching and lengthening. Breathe.
Step 3: Spread your fingers apart. Relax your shoulders and let them roll out and away from your ears.
Step 4: Hold for 5 deep breaths if you can, then to release, walk your feet slowly forward and stand up straight. Release your arms down to your sides and stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) for 3 breaths with your eyes closed. Breathe slowly and deeply, and enjoy how you feel.
NEWS & VIEWS
New Study: Sedentary Office Employees Could Benefit from Daily Yoga Break
20 minutes per day can lower feelings of stress by more than 10% . . .
Read the full article here
Mindful Eating Through Yoga Leads to Weight Loss
"Practicing yoga leads to mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are slimmer."
Read the full article here
Yoga is Considered Cardio? How can that be?
"All standing poses naturally raise your heart rate."
Read the full article here
Think Men Don't do Yoga? These NFL Football Athletes Do!
The Secret Workout Weapon . . .
Read the full article here
For more information on how to bring the benefits of yoga to your Vancouver, Lower Mainland or Kamloops, British Columbia workplace, click here.
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