Interesting story, or I hope you think so. I have focused my professional life on the building of relationships and community, as individuals come together to solve a common problem. One of many things I have learned is that there are usually more disagreements than agreements, and a common problem doesn’t exist. For each person sees the problem from their own perspective, their own identity, interests, and standpoint guide whether or not the commonality in the problems exists. However, as a sociologist, I argue that identity, interests, and standpoint are shaped by structural forces, hence, we are not innately born with these qualities. So what is a person to do who has decided to study these issues for their career? Welcome, Me.
In any case, my background gives me a unique window into the world. I see human behavior as an anchor to the structure, yet it’s a fascinating tension tugging on the individual. Recently, a few of my worlds have come together. I won’t say collided because that implies a negative, but at times, wow, it feels that way.
I’m grateful for growing up in a family which allowed me to spend summer days riding bikes in a neighborhood, coming in when my mom yelled my name for dinner, and creating adventures in creeks and streams, and fields, those spaces no longer empty for summer play but instead became streets lined with houses and perfectly manicured lawns, unavailable for play, or pollinators for that matter. My mom introduced me to yoga at a young age, and I, in return, introduced my children to the union of breath and movement. I have been honored to bring yoga to my children’s classrooms, following the steps to manifest the famous quote by the Dalai Lama- “if every 8 year old in the world was taught meditation, we would eliminate world violence in one generation.” Think about that.
But lately, I have been reflecting on the passage of time and how days become years. I always said that if I wasn’t able to find work as a professor, and then get tenure, I would become a yoga instructor. I have become that professor, received tenure, and been promoted all the way up the ladder to full professor. At a young age, I received the college’s most prestigious award, Distinguished Professor. I have written dozens of articles, a book, and taught thousands of students, and yet, it took me until now to realize I integrated my yoga practice within me all along. It’s the most authentic part of me. The quiet silence of breath and movement. The slow flow of body and mind. The daily practice of life and love building the energy of healing in each moment.
I do struggle with the balance of offering yoga and having it be something that does not overwhelm my focus and mind. I praise the energy I can hold in each movement, each breath, and work towards the authenticity of my being with each pose.
I guess I write this as a reminder that what you love can fuel you in more ways than one. Remember to be true to yourself, even when it seems like the tides have turned, or maybe especially when. And when those tides include the unknown, may you have the strength and courage to contend with those uncertainties and just ride the wave.
The Sociologist's Eyes 