For years I've been surrounded by friends and colleagues
swearing by it, and encouraging me to do it and I kept
saying "Thanks! Yoga's not for me!"
All my exposures to yoga left me wondering why folks were
raving about it. In classes I took, people were either
zipping up and down, twisting and turning and lunging and
really busy or they were sitting and sitting and sitting...
and not at all what I wanted to join in on either way!
This time last year a close friend said "Come try it out. A
small class at my house. This teacher is different!" so I
grudgingly did. Just to please her, of course.
And what a revelation! I went, I bent, I loved it!
The class that Tim Waters taught was completely different
than anything I had tried before. Just enough calm sitting
to get attuned to my body, mixed with just enough moving to
keep me happy. And all of it at a pace that let me practice
paying attention and becoming more expert at using the
various poses. So I've become a devotee as well. And that's
where 3 productivity boosting lessons we can all use come
from:
1. Create enough quiet to be able to pay attention If
our minds are busy and 'distracted' while doing yoga, it's
impossible to hold any of the poses. Legs wobble, arms
flail and if we're among friends we may even mutter out
loud in frustration as we collapse. Contrary to the
appearance of still bodies calmly holding weird positions,
yoga positions work when our attention is focused
deliberately on the effort of every muscle and body part,
watching for and adjusting the alignment that sustains
'easy' balancing.
The same holds true in business. We spend our days with 100
To Do's rattling around in our heads, 27 things we need
solved today, and the promise to ourselves that we'll get
around to taking a look at how things are going... when we
have a 'free' minute. But all of that buzzing stops us from
getting our minds quiet enough to sit and observe. When you
create quiet periods to focus on your business productivity
you'll notice what activities and roles may be keeping your
effort 'off balance' and in fact wasting time, effort and
energy.
2. Allow yourself to fix your position Butt in the air,
hands and feet carefully planted, some days my
"downward-facing dog" feels like freedom and others I feel
like every bone and muscle has never been in that position
before. During each class some poses come easier than
others. The events of the day, played out in our muscles,
change which poses are quickly achieved and held and which
require more attention and even re-positioning. Shift an
ankle, move a toe and every thing changes!
As a professional we walk into meetings with the same
people, to solve similar issues. Yet some meetings go
smoothly and others become contentious. When we're paying
attention we realize we need to pause and reorganize our
approach. Don't waste the opportunity! Even though it seems
awkward to say "You know, we're off course here. Let's
start over." it's exactly what will get you a more
productive result.
3. Rejoice in moments of success When I'm doing yoga and
a pose goes well, there's an immediate sense of
appreciation for it. Since our yoga class is a small one,
we're all exclaiming about it for ourselves and for each
other. And the feeling of joy and fun in it multiplies and
encourages trying again when poses aren't working.
Remember that acknowledgment is food for the soul. In yoga,
life and business when you notice things going well you're
encouraged to do more of the same. When you share your
observations of success with others they're motivated as
well.
The close of each yoga class is a quiet appreciation for
the experience, shared with others, and the intention to
carry that experience into the next moments. Make it a
practice to take that attention and satisfaction with you
into the rest of your life and work.
About the Author:
2008 Linda Feinholz Management expert, consultant,
and coach Linda Feinholz is "Your High Payoff Catalyst" If
you're ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, boost
your professional and personal results and have more fun,
get her FREE audio mini-course "7 Quick & Simple Steps to
Increase Your Focus, Ease Your Effort & Accelerate Your
Results" and the free weekly newsletter The Spark! Visit
http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment