It has been my pleasure to be a part of The Yoga Sanctuary Staff for almost three years now. I started practicing yoga with Bonnie when she taught at the Punta Gorda Club, and I accepted her as my teacher. It became apparent that what I needed was the inward focus of yoga after a life of an outward (and reactive) business career.

When we dig deeper and probe the seven limbs beyond asana, the relationship between these tenets and our working lives becomes profound. My early education in a Catholic parochial school taught me the value of truth: the alternative was not tolerated. Nor was it tolerated at home. Early on in my career I learned something from a wise mentor. It is easy to manufacture an answer when asked a question. But if that turns out to be incorrect that mistake can haunt and compound. Instead, these words are always acceptable: "I don't know, but I'll find out." And then you do!

In my years of career work I gravitated toward customer service. Technically I was in sales as a fully-commissioned independent sales representative. So no sales, no paycheck. And our sales cycle was typically 2-3 years and the products were highly engineered and tested before introduction. Losing business over a problem was a constant fear. I became a problem solver. Our customers came to count on me because I strived to be honest and truthful and would follow through on what I said. This is <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001YTixrjZ_zAtBqVC2-uVXRjatdvb4Iuedmd58l5MjlEzuuClgjbfYdBwAUovzTHVaKAcNmcPEdgnPKCSaDyEISjcpwlP_z516wbHVn8NxI8-QUcZ9osqX3wiWzwa55_HidWbYiTOkWL-1lcHrUPAicK4VQPsuYwN8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Satya</b></a> - truth in action. Most of the time the problems were not that easily solvable, but through methodical, painstaking, and creative interplay with customers (the operative word here) a solution could be reached. This is where the <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001YTixrjZ_zAtBqVC2-uVXRjatdvb4Iuedmd58l5MjlEzuuClgjbfYdBwAUovzTHVaKAcNmcPEdgnPKCSaDyEISjcpwlP_z516wbHVn8NxI8-QUcZ9osqX32XHGHeLR1vpgi_Y6yDx9xH-Ger3DGqgIY1FMdehOxqodjwYDw2SOaA=" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Niyamas</b></a>, which are the limbs of discipline, relate to business. We deal with people, so we to take care of the people and the problem.

I learned the emotional side of problem solving. First, be calm and compassionate. Understand how this problem really affects the person you are dealing with. What is really important-is someone hurt? People first, problem second. Respond quickly and be available. Identify and methodically problem solve. And be creative. The meaning of those buzz words is really important (paradigm shift was my favorite). Ah... and this comes to mind as I write this-isn't asana all about the methodology, a nod to Mr. Iyengar and Jennifer.

We must, above all, be compassionate (<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001YTixrjZ_zAtBqVC2-uVXRjatdvb4Iuedmd58l5MjlEzuuClgjbfYdBwAUovzTHVaKAcNmcPEdgnPKCSaDyEISjcpwlP_z516wbHVn8NxI8-QUcZ9osqX36OfrdtMY0tZ53X-V8ENT-3vm36svZ1QUYXZ0X8WRfu8rEPXB6HoKsI=" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Ahimsa</b></a>) in our dealings with everyone we come in contact with. This is for me the absolute number one yoga tenet that has come into my life. We cannot discount the emotional action and reaction that occurs with every personal chat, transaction, or seemingly minor remark.

At The Yoga Sanctuary we hope that when our clients and students purchase something from our boutique they feel that we have treated them fairly and that we value their business. We work with our supply base to make sure the products that we offer are high quality and made in factories that have sustainable, compassionate business practices. If there is ever a situation that is otherwise I ask that a personal contact or note to me is always acceptable and encouraged. I pledge to provide a mutually agreeable solution.

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