Yoga for Mindfulness and Balance
— Jeannifer Leavy
A new trend in healthcare is something we have understood all along: mindfulness. There are training courses that cost thousands of dollars to learn techniques, there are videos on You Tube, and even books to buy; but honestly what is mindfulness and how might it help you?
Ironically, mindfulness is a very simple concept. Simply put, it is a method of paying attention. Beyond paying attention, it asks that you focus on one thing at a time. For instance, a mindful exercise would be walking outside without a phone on your ear or music playing, just walking outside. A mindful walk would consist of you paying attention to how you walk—fast or slow—to each step and even where you are stepping. You would be aware of the sounds around you and the sky above you. Mindfulness is another way to “mind your own business.” Focus on yourself, tune inward, and really begin to dissect what is going on with “you.”
It is here where mindfulness and meditation begin to take on the same meaning. Meditation, too, is a single-pointed focus practice, and one of the best things you learn when you begin meditating is that “you” are the only one “you” can control. Do you live with a solid foundation, an even breath and a solid focus? Nicely said and summed up, but what does this mean? What does this mean to your life? For that matter, how do we establish balance or imbalance in our daily lives?
The practice of yoga is based on postures aimed at creating a solid and wide foundation with our foot or hand. Depending on the pose, we look for an even press with the hand or foot to establish contact with the floor, allowing enough space for our natural curves. I always think of yoga as life; who in my life is the support that I need for a solid foundation? If my friends are my toes, who are the five or ten people that support me? Am I firmly grounded in relationships that aid my posture and help me stand tall? Or am I a bit wobbly if a few of the relationships tend to be taxing? Does my foundation allow for my natural curves and edges?
Balance in yoga practice directly equates to your life. You may wobble, you may stumble, but do you get back up again? Prepare for your life as for your practice and ask yourself: am I firmly grounded in relationships that aid my posture and help me stand tall?
In yoga we are made conscious of the breath we are taking. The diaphragm is a muscle; it requires exercise as much as any limb on our body. More than just the instruction to breathe is needed for balance. We seek a decision to steady a grounding breath within our lungs so that it supports our posture and adds to the foundation of a desired stillness. Breath is something we place in our body, much like food; how we breathe is a choice.
Balance, breath and focus in yoga equate to your life. You may wobble, you may stumble, but do you get back up again? Prepare for your life as you do for your practice and ask yourself: do you live with a solid foundation, an even breath and a solid focus?
Jennifer Leavy is a Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist with Yoga Alliance and has been training students to become yoga teachers since 2007. Jennifer was most recently certified as a Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teacher. Jennifer studied yoga with an alignment based teacher in South Tampa for three years before enrolling in the Prana Vinyasa Teacher Training Program in Tampa. Through her apprenticeship, Jennifer began to focus on teaching yoga to special populations. Her emphasis has been on adapting yoga practices to all age ranges, body types and health conditions. Every class she teaches is a one-on-one approach to finding breath in every asana by properly aligning the body.
Jennifer opened Pose by Pose Yoga in Lutz, in a 3500 sq. ft. building dedicated to teaching classes, workshops and training. Jennifer also offers ZOOM CEU courses for those not able to travel. Jennifer will offer a class on Yoga for Healthy Aging at Pose by Pose for OLLI this October, with four sessions from 10/7 – 10/28 at 11:00 a.m. Registration begins August 25.
Nothing to Hyde
— George Hyde
My Absolutely Favorite Places in the World …
A few years ago, as some of our more veteran OLLI members may recall, I taught a series of courses starting with “My Favorite Places in the World,” and ultimately including “More Of…,” “Still More Of…,” and “Even More of…,” before I ran out of adverbs and the World ran into COVID.
In August, as the Tampa Heat Index does its daily flirtation with the 110-degree mark and Florida license plates festoon the Interstates between here and Asheville, it seems appropriate to revisit some of my favorite (and cooler) spots, and to explain why they’re on my list of favorites.
Vienna, Austria (especially in December) – With the approach of the holidays, Vienna – already a charming city – exudes Christmas cheer, boasting elaborate holiday lights throughout the central core and some of Central Europe’s most interesting Christmas markets, with locally-made arts, crafts, and refreshments!
Plan to start your Sunday morning with Mass at the Hofburg Chapel featuring the Vienna Boys Choir performing Bach’s “Mass in B Minor” and, if you’re so inclined, hurry next door afterward for the early performance of the Lipizzaner Stallions at the Spanish Riding School. (Arranging this is a task best left to your hotel concierge!)
Oslo, Norway – While Oslo lacks the architectural charm and musical heritage of Vienna, the Vigeland Sculpture Garden at Oslo’s Frogner Park ranks high on my list of all-time favorite places. In brief, Gustav Vigeland obtained a studio from the City in exchange for all of his future works, including those now in the Sculpture Park that create a powerful portrayal of the stages of life from birth to death.
A visit to Frogner Park in the Fall can be spectacular, with the blazing Norwegian foliage providing a memorable backdrop for the comparatively-monochromatic granite and bronze sculptures that line the “Bridge of Life”.
The trivia buffs among us probably know that the Peace Prize is the only Nobel Award presented outside of Sweden — in Oslo every December. And who designed the Nobel Peace Prize? Gustav Vigeland, of course!
Well, that’s the tip of the iceberg (so to speak) as far as places that may cool you off just by thinking about them, if not actually visiting! Watch your e-mail for information from the OLLI Travel Committee about upcoming OLLI Group Excursions — locally and internationally — and stay cool!
Photo credit: George Hyde
Preparing for Hurricane Season…
As I write this, the Heat Index in Tampa is nudging 110. Among other things, that means were closing in on peak Hurricane season, and “OLLI-eligible” age groups are among the most vulnerable Floridians as storms threaten. Recently, the National Weather Service conducted a series of four one-hour “Seasonal Preparedness” presentations which were streamed on-line and are available for replay (video and hard copy of their Power Point slides, with key points available in English and in Spanish). No matter how long you’ve lived in Florida and how many tropical storms you’ve dodged, you will learn something from this series; I know I did. The videos and printed material are available for free through the Jacksonville office of the National Weather Service. Copy this link into your browser to access the material:
George Hyde, a graduate of Brown University, holds an MBA and is a veteran radio broadcaster who served as Executive VP, Radio Advertising Bureau; Vice Chairman, National Association of Broadcasters; and Florida Regional Vice President for a major radio group. George spent his career in radio, both on-air and behind the scenes. His passion for accurate information and critical thinking has led to the creation of many memorable OLLI courses.
A Cartoon by Art Henrikson
This April 1974 cartoon depicted the assumed opinion of the majority of men in the United States: women cannot be equal to men because they are not men, relying on biological arguments to support this belief. However, it takes both a man and a woman to create a human, and while women bear children, that does not mean women have only one purpose. When given the opportunity, woman can contribute as much to society as men can.
The premise of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was this: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Initially, the ERA had a seven-year deadline set by Congress, which was later extended to June 30, 1982. However, as of the extended deadline only 35 of the necessary 38 states had ratified the amendment. The US government and individual states have backed legislation representing conflicting views over the past 50 years, depending on which party has had the most power. As of 2025, the amendment is not a part of the US Constitution.
Sadly, the cartoon is still relevant today.
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