| Yoga
a way to keep peace at work
by Donna Bailey, Public Relations Skip Rector handles stress and maintains harmony on the job, on the second job, and on the commute to and from the job. From 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Rector is coordinator of the Office of Continuing Professional Development in the College of Health Professions (CHP). He facilitates and coordinates continuing education and distance learning for a wide variety of professions in CHP, other colleges, and centers at MUSC. But drop in on him in the early morning hours or after work and he’s teaching yoga. “I went to my first yoga class 12 years ago because of the stress I was experiencing,” Rector said. “And at the end of the class, I was in awe. I could not believe that I had lived that long and had not been doing yoga all my life!” Through yoga, Rector is able to remain calm and deal with the everyday stresses he encounters. Rector has been teaching yoga for almost 10 years and now has more than 80 students each week. At the College of Charleston and in the community, he teaches classes in three types of yoga. The first is Hatha, the most common, which uses positions to help strengthen and relax. Second, Kundalini yoga is for drawing in energy, and the positions are more strenuous. The third is Raja yoga for meditation and positive thinking. When these three are combined, it creates a flow of positions that promote health, increase awareness, and relaxation, according to Rector. Rector explained that no matter what your body type or what kind of shape you are in, anyone can do yoga. “I have had children, much older adults, individuals with handicaps, and even pregnant women do yoga with me. Yoga is not a competitive sport and each person progresses at his or her own pace. That is where the benefit begins for each individual. “Yoga is not just arranging your body into a position that may look like a pretzel,” said Rector. “It is an inward journey, an introspection. It allows your inner peace to emerge and a sense of serenity to spread through you. The end result is relaxation, a healthier feeling, and self confidence. Imagine taking that relaxation, that confidence into your everyday life,” he said. Though Rector is a believer in yoga, he acknowledges that there are many ways to relieve stress and relax. “It is about being healthy and taking responsibility for yourself.” he says. “Yoga is just one way. What is most important is finding the path that works for you.” |