Flowing Through the Yin and Yang of our Current Experience: An Open Letter to our ACHE- Central Texas Chapter

Sheltering in place which began in earnest in our communities on March 25th served as the impetus to renew my yoga practice. Here, with my reflections on the First Quarter, I have attempted to integrate some of the guidance from my nascent yoga practice with my observations of what we achieved and what remains on our path.

At the top of a yoga class, we are reminded to set an intention. This action serves to bring clarity as it draws our attention toward the effort that lies ahead. Our Board kicked off the year on January 3rd with a strategic planning session. The meeting room literally hummed with energy that we brought forth that day. Together, we crafted an initial calendar of events. Aligned in purpose and with a deep sense of commitment, we embarked on our goals to deploy a robust set of social networking, volunteering, and face to face educational events. For much of the first quarter, we worked diligently with this very bright energy toward those stated objectives. Across January, February, and early March-we met so many wonderful new Members at our breakfast events. We reconnected in the late afternoons and evenings with many long-time members at social events held across the great diversity of our chapter’s geography from San Marcos to Waco. We delightfully engaged with students at Texas State University, and promoted our Chapter’s desire to support the awarding of scholarships for a student and a member to attend the 2020 Congress in Chicago. 

Finally, we held a very successful Face to Face event on March 6th: Listening to Employers: How Health Systems Can Support Population Health Management that was graciously hosted and moderated by Tom Jackson, CEO St. David’s North Austin who also serves on our Board of Directors as our Director, At Large. As we gathered at The Domain in Austin afterwards for more social networking, we were vaguely aware of the Covid-19 headwinds blowing our way; however, we had not yet fully appreciated this strength of this opposing energy.  Soon, this dramatic change in energy brought new concepts and terminology such as “social distancing” into our consciousness.  The Yang to our Yin resulted in cancellation of our local programming and  the National ACHE Congress too. Reflecting on life before and during Covid-19 as experienced in a single quarter of Central Texas ACHE Chapter activities brings me back to thoughts of my yoga practice- where thoughts and a focus on my breath leads to physical movement and action.

If you aren’t entirely familiar with yoga, then you might not be familiar with the term, Asana. In Yoga, an Asana is the physical part of the yoga practice where we move our body in timing with our breath. With gentle inhalations and exhalations, we seek to discover a number of things about ourselves as we move into a set of distinct poses; that assist in achieving: Balance, Strength, Mindfulness, Flexibility, and Ease.  As in my current yoga practice- I work on bringing mindfulness to this activity and then to my routine throughout the day. Being mindful, I consider gratitude. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to pursue fitness in my home. I am so very grateful for the many comforts of my home and especially for how well fed I am and loved by my spouse knowing many others are facing exceptionally difficult times alone and with far less comfort and far less ease.

I am so very grateful for the dedicated, and highly skilled practice of all of my healthcare colleagues. I am grateful for the sacrifice they make every day taking on risks known and unknown and bringing the potential of those same risks home to their loved ones. I am so very grateful for all of our truly, essential workers striving to keep our grocery stores stocked and clean, fulfilling our take-out orders at restaurants, and delivering our much needed lawn-care services and garbage pick-up, like clock-work. And, the many hundreds of other services fulfilled by everyone who has remained steadfast in showing up every day to make a difference. This takes a village, all of us united in our effort to defeat the virus.  

From intention to movement, I attempt to build strength in a new pose. Likewise, I find strength in knowing that despite the physical distancing our situation commands, we have leveraged technology to remain engaged. We are not permitting social distancing to become social isolation. Recently, I reveled in the caravan of cars driven through our neighborhood by teachers in order to wave and show encouragement to their students. I participated in the emerging practice of a children’s neighborhood safari by placing a teddy-bear in our window, and I have significantly increased my face-time outreach to family and friends.

A consistent Yoga practice touts improved flexibility and that reminds me to consistently extend flexibility to my colleagues and my spouse. Everyone is dealing with challenges as they adjust to a different set of living, working, and school arrangements. I can proactively offer up greater flexibility rather than sticking to a rigid set of expectations. I can choose to be easier on myself and others during a stressful time where there are still many more unknowns than knowns. I can strike the right balance of gentleness and kindness while still holding myself accountable for the right actions and activities at the right time.

As occurs in the routine close of a yoga practice where we wish peace or Namaste’- we can extend these same blessings to everyone, multiple times throughout the day. While our Chapter has taken the necessary pause in programming that we anticipate may be necessary through May, we remain hopeful to resume face to face activities at some-point in June. We will reschedule events as needed, and we encourage you to periodically check in with us on our website. Of course, we will communicate with you as we gain greater certainty and have the green-light to physically re-engage with you.

In closing, our Chapter Board wishes you much peace, continued good health, and the blessings of community.

Namaste’

Kimberly B Denney FACHE, DBA-Chapter President, ACHE-Central Texas Chapter