I write a lot on my site about how to invest but recently I’ve been investing in myself rather than property and it’s had a hugely positive impact on my life.
Today is National Yoga Day so here is my yoga story.
Real estate can be a very stressful business. Every day I am helping people with one of the most important events in their lives where there's a lot at stake. Sometimes things don't go smoothly, emotions get high and so can the stress levels.
After a very busy Summer of work in 2018, I was feeling more stressed than usual. Nothing crazy, I’m fairly relaxed in general, but there was a level of stress that I didn’t like.
I play soccer three times a week and kite board anytime the wind blows, so I do a lot of physical exercise which always help you relax, but I felt I needed something more.
Stress Relief
Google "stress relief" and once you get past a few dodgy methods of stress relief that Robert Kraft might enjoy, yoga is near the top of any stress relieving lists.
If you're reading this, you know me (my audience hasn't gone viral just yet), so you are well aware that I am Mr Pragmatic.
I'm a stereotypical engineer who is not into new age hippy dippy stuff, which is what I had always thought that yoga was.
Admittedly I was skeptical about yoga’s powers, but they have been doing yoga for thousands of years in India though, so maybe there is something to it.
I’m always open to trying new things, so I decided to look into yoga to see if I should do it.
Three Strikes
First I made the mistake of watching a few YouTube videos of yoga and laughed at the thought of doing any of those poses myself. I'm a big awkward 6'3' long legged 42 year old guy who has never done a single stretch in 35 years of playing soccer. There's no way I can do the stuff they're doing on YouTube.
Strike 1 against yoga.
Then I talked to some friends who do yoga and they made it sound like it was synchronized swimming, where everyone moved in perfect harmony. I could see myself ruining those beautiful moments by falling over at the crucial time.
Strike 2 against yoga.
A few days later, I happened to walk down King Street just as a yoga class was finishing and everyone coming out was young, beautiful and female.
I am none of those.
Strike 3 against yoga.
So I gave up on the idea of yoga.
Walking My Dog leads to Downward Dog
A couple of weeks later, I was walking the dog and I went by Mission Yoga, which is a block from my house. They had a poster in the window for Yoga Kickstart, a four week course for beginners.
Here is a beginner course where I can start fresh with a bunch of other novices. I'm not being thrown into a class of experienced expert yogis. I had no excuses not to do it.
This is the blurb they have for the Kickstart Class.
This 4 week intro to yoga series includes an UNLIMITED MONTH of yoga and meditation and is the best way to start OR return to a lasting and meaningful yoga practice. Our program will help you contextualize the practice of yoga as a holistic transformational tradition. SO much more than exercise, yoga has the depth and power to facilitate lasting change in us as humans longing for more connection to ourselves and the world around us. Improved strength and flexibility of the body are only the tip of the iceburg at Mission Yoga. Come join the evolution!
All this “holistic transformational..lasting change…more connection to ourselves” jargon didn't fit in with Mr Pragmatic here !
How can a bit of stretching do all they claim ?
But before I could change my mind, I went in and signed up.
Kickstart Class
Three days later, still not sure what to even wear to the class, I showed up to the first class. We all introduced ourselves and why we were there.
It turned out that I was the only one out of the fifteen in the class with absolutely zero yoga experience. So much for total beginners !
Chelsea, the very patient teacher, explained the origins of yoga (which was still a bit hippy dippy for the engineer in me) and then went through each move, exactly what to do, where to put each hand, foot. And then we practiced the poses.
I was still skeptical but was enjoying it. When she said relax your jaw, I realized how much I was clenching my jaw and probably have been forever, holding all that stress in.
It was a lot of little small things, not one major thing. I'm not going to lie, I was very self conscious going there, but there was definitely a real sense of calm in the room.
Loving it
I had assumed that I would go to the first class, hate it and say "well at least I gave it a go, but it's not for me" and never go again, but I loved it.
Maybe the lads in India were onto something all those years ago.
So I found myself going back to the second kickstarter class and the third and completing all four weeks of it.
I know this is the part where I say I was doing all sorts of advanced poses by the end, I wasn't though. I was struggling with them, I couldn't remember what each pose was.
I remained self conscious because I thought everyone else was doing it perfectly (they weren't), but it didn't matter, it was fun, it was exercise, there was something very relaxing about it and I felt great afterwards.
The blurb was true
The course came with a free month of regular classes, so now it was time to face a real class, full of non-beginners. When I got to my first regular class, I was hoping some of my fellow kickstart alumni would be there, so I could be next to someone who was only marginally better at it than me, but no I didn't recognize anyone so I was on my own.
Throughout the class, I was constantly half a move behind everyone else & dripping embarrassingly with sweat, but I left the class on a high. Not just a post exercise high that I'm used to from kiting or soccer, but (and I can't believe I'm writing this) a bit of a spiritual high too.
When you go into that yoga studio, without a cell phone, or any other distraction, you instantly chill out. Then you do an hour of exercise following by Shavasana (more on that later) and you are so relaxed by the end of it, that it is mind blowing.
It's an instant sense of calmness and peace that stays with you long after you’ve left the yoga studio
All from 'just stretching', the blurb on the poster was true after all.
Shavasana
At the end of each class, you have a few minute period where you lie back on the mat and do nothing. Officially, it’s a pose called Shavasana. It's the most relaxed time you'll have in your entire day.
I’ve never taken a drug in my life, but if it’s anything like Shavasana, I can see how people get hooked.
It's crazy, you're in a room with 20 other strangers, all on your back, out of breath and I've fallen asleep in it, it's that relaxing.
Shavasana is what keeps getting me back to yoga on the days I'm feeling lazy.
The classes can be tough, some teachers push you really hard, but when you lie back for Shavasana, it was all worth it.
Happily Proved Wrong
My skepticism about yoga has been proven completely wrong.
I'm hooked & I've now became a regular at the yoga studio.
It’s not a strict library, we have fun, people fall, we laugh. The instructor cracks a joke, we laugh. It’s such a relaxed environment, not the regimented frown if you can’t do the pose that I expected.
I’m not a natural, I’m still not great at it and can’t do all the poses, but it doesn’t matter.
I enjoy it and that’s what counts.
I have been going 4 or 5 days a week since October.I plan my days around the classes, I look forward to them. On the days I don't go, I miss it.
I can't remember the last time I was stressed.
I've made some other changes over the last 8 or 9 months, so maybe it's not all down to yoga, but yoga has been a big part of it.
Truly, I'm one of those annoyingly calm, zen types now who doesn't even get mad at the horrendous drivers we have in this beautiful city.
I've become that boring middle age guy who tells everyone who will listen that they need to take up yoga.
I'll be growing a pony tail and buying a convertible next.....
Other benefits
Aside from the stress side of things, it’s helped hugely with my other activities. I can really feel the difference when I’m playing my other sports, I feel more flexible doing them, I’m not as sore afterwards. It’s going to extend how long I can keep doing the high impact sports that I do.
You’ve never had a sleep like you do after going to an evening yin class. You’re in such a relaxed state of mind, especially if the teacher has been hands on (giving some short gentle massages).
I had been having back pain and started going to a chiropractor. I ran into Sean, my chiropractor, a few weeks ago and he asked if I’ve found a new chiropractor because I hadn’t been in to see him.
I said “no, I’ve started doing yoga and the pain is gone”. He responded laughing “damn you for being proactive, you’ll put me out of business”
Why am i writing about this here ?
I hear you say : "eh Darragh, I'm here to learn about real estate, what's yoga got to do with real estate?". Well it's got everything to do with it, not the act of yoga, the results that come from yoga.
When you're not stressed, you think more clearly.
The real estate world is going through a shift at the moment, it's not all going upwards like it has done recently.
It takes deeper thought to see what's happening. With a clearer mind, I can do better analysis to help my clients with their decisions, where to make good buys, whether it's time to cash out and sell before prices go down.
The clarity of thought has helped me make improvements to my business, you're reading one of my improvements right now, which is to start blogging and sharing my real estate knowledge to better educate my clients.
Invest in yourself
Invest in yourself, go take a yoga class. Even better take a Kickstart Class, the next one begins in the first week of July at Mission.
You will not regret it.
Namaste
FAQs
Here are some questions that I had before I started yoga and I couldn't find the (honest) answers to :
I'm a guy, isn't it just women who do yoga ?
Lots of guys do yoga, I'd say at Mission, it's about 60/40 ratio of girl/guys.
I'm in my 40s, isn't yoga just for young people ?
I was a bit concerned that I'd be the elder lemon in the classes since it always seems to be 20 something women I see carrying yoga mats around. That hasn't been the case at all, at Mission at least. In all my classes, there's been a good mixture of ages from 20s through to 60s.
I'm not flexible. Can I do yoga ?
Let's start with flexible. I'm not flexible and I have big long legs. There are some poses that I can't do. At first I would try really hard to do them and suffer through it, but over time I've figured out that it's your yoga practice, no one else. If there's something that doesn't work for you, the teacher can give you a different (easier) version of it.
How fit do I have to be to do yoga ?
I'm fairly fit from my kiting and soccer, but was still a bit concerned about what I'd need to be for yoga. There are three types of classes that I go to and all have varying levels of exertion.
1. Restorative Class
This is basically a nap at the yoga studio !! Seriously, there's very little effort involved in restorative. You do poses for 3-5 minutes that are as low level intensity as it gets. One of my friends who is a little larger comes to this class with me and he loves it. I've fallen asleep in plenty of these classes, from relaxation, not boredom.
2. Yin/Vinyasa
This is one level up from restorative. The poses are held for a couple of minutes and they do take some effort but you won't break a sweat in the class. My understanding is that it helps with long term flexibility, so when I'm 70 I can still move around.
3. Flow Class
Flow is where it starts to get fun. It's one pose flowing to the next and can be quite intense. Nothing crazy, it's not boot camp, but you'll be sweating and breathing hard. The instructors are good at knowing when to ease off. Flow builds flexibility and strength.
I do a mixture of all the classes. For example, it's Friday when I'm writing this and I went to restorative today. That's because in the last three days I've played three soccer matches and had two kite board sessions, so I'm tired.
Tomorrow though I'll go to a flow class to keep the fitness level up and Sunday I'll do a yin class to have a relaxing end to the weekend.
You’re welcome to contact me with any questions about this ! Go to a class !