Qigong for beginners: How I took a step towards inner peace

My shoulders stiffened with tension. They moved in a herky jerky way, like a hinged scarecrow. I was a fish out of water-a hardcore hustlin’ salesperson in my first Quijong class. For the uninitiated, Quijong is a Chinese exercise designed to reduce stress by slowing your breath and repeating a series of fluid movements. As quirky as it sounds, this class represented an important step for me—a time to step away from being a female breadwinner, mom and salesperson and do something that was just for me; a journey that began two years ago.

The teacher and five 60-something students were quite forgiving, though in my head, I was worked up because I was late again. The snick snick from removing my shoes seemed amplified to me, incongruous with the slow, calming rhythm already at play in the classroom. It would take about half of the session to begin to loosen up and relax, so that I move in sync with the class and stop trying make a competition out of who does the best position 4.(Yes, I was trying to hit my Quijong quota. Hey, once a salesperson, always a salesperson! ). 

Not counting those childhood years when I sold buckeyes door-to-door for candy money, I’ve been primarily in sales or sales leadership positions for 28 years; a wife and breadwinner for over 25 years; and a mom for the last 20 years to three kids. For years, I struggled with the classic Salesparent Catch 22: If I worked too much, I would miss the band performances and the track meets. But if I missed quota, I wouldn’t have the money to pay for those things. When I missed events, I could see the looks of despondency on my little children’s faces shift into the “oh well” shrug and matter-of-fact teenage comments. Both sting. What’s a female breadwinner to do? Even more frightening – what if I didn’t make my number? I could have been out of a job, and then where would we be?

 It’s like a pendulum swinging between work and home, with me in the middle. But the pendulum never quite stopped at the center. 

After I reflected on all the let-downs, missed time with my family and constant stress, I was well overdue for some balance. So yeah—Quijong.

I know it’s not exactly the stuff Braveheart is made of, but for me, it did take a lot of courage and going against my classic breadwinner nature to step into that class that first day and carve out some time for myself. Fears crowded my mind: would I be seen as a slacker? Would someone more dedicated win over me? Would I make my number? I overcame my fears by reminding myself that I worked for a company that really, truly supported work-life balance. They wanted me to take care of myself. Like so many female breadwinners, I was my own blocker. So I realized it was time to put the excuses aside, step away from being my own slave to the number and find balance by stabilizing the center.

According to this study from the Center for American Progress, 42% of women have taken on the breadwinner mantle and no doubt, the increased stress that can come along with it. I know I’m not alone in seeking balance by making healthier trade-offs in time. Another question that female breadwinners might ask is, “How do I get started?” My advice is to have intention. Here are a few tips:

Tips for Better Work Life Integration in Sales

1. Find something that works for you and your personality. Instead of doing a trendy Barre or Body Pump class, I signed up for Qigong classes. After a running injury, I had been looking for a physical stress outlet that was gentle on the back. By chance, I was flipping through my local community college’s extension classes and stumbled across Qigong. It sounded interesting and hokey all at the same time, and it was only $26 for 6 classes, so why not? Turns out, it was just what I needed.
2. Set realistic goals. Instead of focusing on daily practice, I tried to practice Qigong 3 days a week. I held myself accountable, looking back every few weeks to see how I did.
3. Be creative and flexible. I gave myself the flexibility to practice in different places – in an empty conference room at work, at home, or even on the bus.

The Payoff of the Disappearing Scarecrow

As hard as it was, setting aside time for Quijong was well worth it. Remember the scarecrow from the beginning of the story? She slowly disappeared. Through this class series I learned to relax and let my tension go. My movements became more fluid. I was still late to nearly every class because I just couldn’t manage to turn off work in time, but at least I went.

I also found additional benefits that I never anticipated. Conversations with my family after class became much easier to tune into, and the quality of conversation went up when I really listened. I stopped multi-tasking and made eye contact with my kids. I realized how awesome they are. I become grateful for those moments, and hungry for more.

I began to wonder, what would happen if I bring this sense of calm into my workplace? Would I be less driven? Will my goal achievement suffer? Or might I find my performance increases because I’m giving my clients the same level of attentiveness as I’m giving my family in those blissful moments after class? Would I be a better teammate at work?

The answer to these workplace questions are still a work in progress. Though I am no longer in a higher-pressure sales role, I’m still striving to make Qigong a more regular part of my day. I’ll admit it’s been difficult to find 10 minutes to practice. However, I have found that in some of my most stressful moments, I’ve taken 10 minutes, booked a conference room, and found calm in Qigong. It has been a little awkward at times when people head into that conference room early to get set up for a meeting, and my arms are splayed in position 6. It’s a work in progress, but I’m hopeful. Maybe one day,

How do you find balance in your day? Any other sales-parents out there with good tips?