YOGA-PHOBIC

Like many PR professionals, I’m Type A.  So, in the last few years a bunch of folks have strongly recommended I take up yoga:  all my friends, my daughter, sister, mom, all other relatives, every doc, my colleagues, everyone in my apartment building and every facebook friend (so basically everyone I know).  Meantime, I’m about ready to shoot anyone I see toting a yoga mat looking really relaxed and serene on their way to drink chai tea and read some 650 page book for book club.  I mean, how many yoga mats can there possibly be?  I’m obviously in the wrong biz.

I’m athletic and fit, but am also stressed to the max so I seem like the perfect candidate.  So, why won’t I give yoga a try?  Because I know there’s no way I can figure out all these oddball positions.  I’d be the one in the back of the beginners’ class about two positions behind everyone else in the class and that just doesn’t sit right with me.

And the poses…downward facing dog, mountain, pyramid, triangle, warrior…  what masochist came up with these back-breaking, pretzel twists? 

When she’s in town from LA (yoga central) my 24 year old daughter comes back from hot yoga dripping, healthy and calm to find me on my bed watching The Food Network or In Treatment eating my frozen Snickers or dunking Oreos into a cold cup of milk.

I can handle tennis, volleyball, hiking, the treadmill and weights, but the thought of having to unfurl my mat and contort myself in time with a room full of yoga maniacs gives me goosebumps.

My hat’s off to anyone who can go from downward facing dog to the warrior pose without a glitch, but it’s not me.  Give me 30 minutes with a tennis pro to beat the hell out of a Wilson 2 and then a really good burger and fries and my needle moves from Type A to Type B…at least temporarily.  So much for yoga.

Women Rule

Leave it to SmartCEO magazine to put on the hippest party in downtown
DC. There were women CEOs everywhere
schmoozing, toasting and celebrating the honor of being tapped one of
SmartCEO’s Brava 100.

You walked in and there were disco lights flashing, giant screens
flashing video of the winners, a bar lining the right side of the wall and
hors-d’oeuvres everywhere.

What a change from when I was the only woman network radio
correspondent in the newsroom banging away on my Royal typewriter trying to
avoid the Marlboro fog.

SmartCEO seems to have tapped into what women CEOs are looking for: resource-swapping,
networking, awards and the ultimate feel-good party. Women sharing business
stories with women is networking at its best. Everyone knows how empathic,
protective and embracing we are, so it goes without saying we do our best to
lend other women a hand.

I met several women I know and haven’t seen in a while, and many who
were new to me. If I can’t personally do business with some of these ladies, I
can sure introduce them to others who might be a better fit.

So, here’s to my colleagues and here’s to SmartCEO for the kudos. It’s
great to be proud and have fun at the same event!