Are you flexible enough?

A few years ago, I was leaving my office on a winter day when I slipped on some ice and tore the ligaments in my left ankle. Ironically, even though I had been running for over 10 years without injury, I was unable to run for the next three months, all because of a short walk to my car!

So, I started to do Yoga. To be frank, I was always suspect as to whether it was "real" exercise. Boy, was I ever wrong! If you work with a good teacher, Yoga is not only relaxing, but a great way to increase strength (when you are not losing your balance and feeling like a fool!).

Why does stretching feel so good? According to Dr. Stephen Juan, when you stretch, "the oxygen-poor blood is squeezed out of the muscles and is replaced with oxygen rich blood. It also clears out metabolic wastes such as carbon dioxide, which also accumulates. When you stretch, it essentially wakes up your muscle".

I was always somewhat reluctant to stretch, but it always helped me to feel great after my workout. I sense the same thing in my clients, when dealing with a change in the status of their careers. We often use the term; “it was a real stretch". In most cases, we are reluctant to take a specific action, such as doing our resume, or looking for a new role. Often it is an external event (i.e. my slide on the sidewalk) that will "stretch" us.

In my experience, the event generally turns out more positive than negative, more times than not. We learn during the process - our "career muscles" grow, and we feel more alive.

Do yourself a favour - start some career stretching. Consider CareerJoy your Yoga instructor. We can help you learn the moves. Visit us at www.careerjoy.com for more information.