Why yoga?
Meditating in Nepal under the majesty of the Annapurna peaks
The key ingredient to success? Quiet.
Amidst the chaos of this year, (and by ‘this year’ I mean October 2019 through September 2020), I can’t imagine how different life would have been without years of learning meditation and mindfulness practices. What would I have turned to if I didn’t have yoga and breath? Where would I have gone if I couldn’t roam through the forest of my mind?
The first yoga studio I attended was in a little strip mall off of 28th street in Boulder, Colorado. There were no mirrors or fancy sign-in sheets. There was no shower or a place to store belongings. Our teacher’s name was Amy. She wore loose clothing, long earrings and her dreadlocks on top of her head. I don’t remember much about stretching or the poses we did. What I remember most about yoga classes with Amy were the dharmas she incorporated into guided meditations she serenaded us with.
As I laid on my back toward the end of class one day, Amy invited us to visualize a calming light moving through our bodies. As images of flowers opened in our minds, the light moved through us, allowing us to settle into quiet and our own inner temple of peace.
I was hooked. It was, perhaps, the first time I had a conscious glimpse of the serenity of silence and there was no turning back. Classes with Amy eventually led to a membership at one of the first Core Power yoga studios in the country, (a quintessential ‘gateway’ to yoga for athletes like myself). I marveled at the yogis who could do rapid breathing and make their belly look a certain way and those who seemed to have as much ease on their hands in a handstand as they did on their feet.
Living in Boulder, Colorado, the mecca of mindfulness, I had access to the Shambala Center where every Monday I learned to meditate. On Tuesdays, I would go to a free ‘aura cleansing.’ I practiced breathing as I ran mountain trails and noticed the thoughts in my mind as I sat on my mat at home. Eventually, I would learn to incorporate mindfulness and yoga practices into every element of my day.
In meetings, I sat up a little straighter and learned to take a breath before I spoke or reacted. With family, I learned that taking a walk and focusing on each movement of my body was a far better salve than settling into old patterns. When I was a teacher, we began each week with Monday meditations, a space between the mayhem of the weekend and the structure (and safety) of school life.
Starting one summer in Tanzania, on a program with high school students, meditation and yoga would become my sacred morning practice, a prelude to days full of teenagers, hormones, and ‘peeling back the layers’ of what it means to be a global citizen. In a country where showing up an hour and a half late for a meeting is acceptable and expected, I woke up at 5 am every day.
It looked something like this:
5 am alarm. Remember where I am: Doffa Safari Camp.
Find my headlamp. Turn it on.
Roll up the woven grass entrance mat to my tent.
Find a place outside to sit on my mat.
Sit cross-legged for ten minutes and breathe.
Write in my journal for ten minutes.
Do sun salutations - three on each side.
10 pushups.
10 crunches.
10 one-armed handstands on the side of an adobe building.
Run for 20 minutes to an hour, hoping to avoid the elephants and hyenas that were said to roam the area.
I ran through tall grass under shade trees as the moon set and the sun rose.
I waved to women sweeping the dirt patio in front of their thatched homes.
I smiled as little kids ran alongside me.
Some other time, I will describe more about my runs around the world and all they taught me, but for now, the lesson is this:
Quiet elicits calm. Calm begets success. Success is not defined monetarily, but rather through the constant pursuit of oneness.
I didn’t know the freedom that self-disciplined structure and alone time could bring until it became necessary for me. Since my time in Tanzania, when I declared the first hour of the morning ‘mine,’ I have found such sacredness in these wee hours of the day. It’s as if I’m privy to a secret - something I get to be a part of without having to talk, interact or analyze. I get to fortify the greatest relationship I will ever know - the relationship with myself.
I made a promise to myself several years ago: As a facilitator, I would start every session in silence. Whether we do a ‘square breath’ together or find quiet for one minute, silence allows us to find presence, welcome all of our experiences and honor the layers of our lives. And yes, from time-to-time, I’ve been known to ‘walk’ into a session on my hands.
Let me know how I can help you find success (and quiet) in your business, your life or your classroom.
Namaste.
Hi! I’m Susan.
I am a Success Consultant for business professionals, entrepreneurs and educators. I support my clients through coaching, training and content development as they develop strategies to empower positive growth.
I love to share what I write, so thank you for being here. Enjoy!
