Beyond the Resume: Rooted In Yoga

When people ask how long I have been doing yoga and meditating, they are rather shocked. To provide perspective, I was that little girl would be roam outside, in some handmade dress, no shoes, wild hair, picking flowers, hugging trees, and making friends with all the animals. So when I I asked for a yoga mat for Christmas at 16, I am sure my parents thought nothing of it.

At the time I was a competitive cheerleader practicing 6 days a week and I wanted to squeeze in some time between school, work, and competitions for yoga. Every Sunday, I would go to a small 24-Hour Fitness across the street from my high school in my very used 1990 something Toyota Tercel with crank windows, a hatchback, and only the passenger door worked. I would be wearing my cheer sweats and a t-shirt and would find myself with my blue mat towards the back of the class trying to learn Sanskrit and the asana that the teacher shared that day.

?

Yoga was not easy for me. Someone that was used to tumbling passes, throwing teammates in the air, and pumping up a crowd had to settle in and start dealing with some heavy things. Through the years, regardless of the ups and down’s I have continued to practice yoga and leave it on the mat, per se. For many years, my practice was ego driven meaning it was all about hitting a challenging pose and holding it. But I now know that ego has no place in yoga and that yoga is very much beyond the asana, or the movement. It’s not about what anyone else is doing in class or what you think your posture should be, it’s about you and your practice.

?

Each time something challenging has happened in my life, I have deepened my yoga practice during that season.

Yoga is my church, as is nature.

Yoga is my therapy.

Yoga and my very own body have taught me more than the thousands of books I have read.

?

Yoga has 8 limbs yamas (social ethics), niyamas (personal practice), asana (movement), pranayama (mindful breathing), prathyahara (turning inward), dharana (concentration), dhyana (de-concentration), and samadhi (pure bliss). Each limb has different layers and lessons, as well. ?I got so fascinated by all of this that I dove deeper and became a teacher and still do teach privately.

?

Yoga is such a fundamental component to who I am. Through my yoga practice, and layering in a meditation practice about 7 years ago, I can embody and live the yoga philosophy on a day-to-day basis. I bring these fundamentals into everything I do including in my professional career. By making this practice a priority at least every morning, it has given me a solid foundational to literally handle anything that comes my way during the day.

?

Practicing yoga has made me a strong marketing professional.

Why?

• I am grounded and centered 90% of the time. The other 10% I am human and have moments.
• I can check my ego at the door.
• I have an understanding and intuition about those around me.
• I can drown out the noise around me and deeply focus.
• I know that everyone is a human and having a human experience which sometimes to pure bliss and other times are crazy messy.
• I believe in the power of community and inclusion, always.
• I know that perfection does not exist and effort daily is required.
• I know that each day is in fact a new day and should be treated as such.
• I believe in leaving the past in the past, the future in the future, and to be full present in this moment.

There are so many other things.

Simply my practice gives me the space to show up first for myself and then secondarily for everyone that I impact daily. This is why I can typically ride the waves of uncertainty in corporations. This is why I try to find the good even in the stormiest conditions. This is why I check my ego at the door and know that my career is just business and not to take ish personally.

?

I am far from perfect, but I can tell you that giving myself the gift of leaving it on my yoga mat has given me the capacity to show up and deliver in all other areas of my life.

I would love to know.

What helps to keep you grounded and makes you show up as your most authentic self?