Clocking In

“We are all given work here, and it turns out that my work assignment is to manage a team of vivacious and ambition-driven first year engineers. So that is where you can find me for several hours a day now usually pacing the east wing of the second floor, checking in, assigning roles and responding to emails simultaneously.” Miriam half-jokingly responds to her mother about her four-month old new reassignment. Humbled by the promotion, Miriam can’t help but to think back to her first day as an engineer for (at the time) a modest aerospace engineering firm. Her fellow engineers were mainly a bunch of recent college graduates and Miriam did not have a single worry about her age or level of experience entering in because she knew the position she desired required enormous reserves of responsibility she was willing to give it her all.

After the first few months she slowly realized that there is a limit to how much damage you can do if you mess up in this company. Transactions are made between government companies and private companies on a national and international scale. Miriam wrinkles her brow as she begins to contemplate her role and coworkers. “No mother I like my coworkers, some people here are fluttery little butterflies and others are like autocrats who seem so much older than 22-year-old recent college graduates.” Miriam listens as her mother cautions her to, “remain cool and easy, be punctual, take seriously, remember everything you do, you do for God, and everything God does He do for you.” Miriam notes her mother’s words yet cannot find the heart to tell her that her daily hours of work are considerably easier when supplementing twenty minutes of her day with meditation and two key yoga poses. Does her inner peace better reflect and define her God?

During her downtime Miriam begins checking in, silencing the turbulent and restless thoughts swirling in her head and descending them into a harmonious state by connection with her breath. As Miriam tells her mother how much she loves her, she slowly hangs up the phone. Standing up from her desk she views her corner office and smiles in appreciation at the irregular yet tasteful shape of her windows that illuminates her office and reflects the gold and dark green lining of her wall creating a hazy yet relaxing ambiance. She wanders over to check the cloudy glass screen doors to confirm it is locked. Her idea to install glass doors was symbolic to the transparency she created within the company during her time working.

Miriam walks over to pick up her tangerine yoga mat she skillfully leaves in the corner near her coat stand and in one brisk motion spreads her mat on the floor. Playing a tune with a female singer radiating her silky voice in the presence of rhythmic and rustling drums allows Miriam to transcend her current state and transition into silence, becoming present in the moment. Miriam starts in her mountain pose stance and loosely comes into the forward fold. As she plants her left and then right hand a foot in front of her-shoulder length apart she carefully lifts her right leg, coming into one legged-dog. She breathes in the cool air in her golden glowed office. The singer has started to pick up her tempo and kicked it up into sheer joy. Miriam allows her right leg to descend and intersects her two hands as she folds over onto the outer side of her right thigh and comes into Pigeon. She bends her body over and comes to rest on her elbows. This is her favorite hip opening yoga pose, and she finds it very helpful after a long day standing on her feet or sitting behind her desk. The stress and tension of her day creates a certain tightness that she finds difficult to handle during work. Minutes later she finishes off her stretch by maneuvering into Child’s Pose to connect with her breathing. Practicing yoga and meditation, Miriam is aware of the many health benefits of Child’s Pose and Pigeon for a male or female who works in an office setting. Miriam slowly rises and turning off the music she adjusts her thoughts, breaths and unlocks the door. Four hours later she will be on her way to her daily yoga class.