Exploring Equanimity Through Yoga
By Cerasela Cristei, WTS-DC
September 2021
In a world of back-to-back meetings, full inboxes, and constant pressure for professional success, it can be difficult to prioritize mental and physical health. In 2019, WTS-DC began to offer wellness-focused programming to emphasize the importance of making time for self-care to our membership.
Our first wellness event took place in July 2019 and focused on Maintaining Balance: An Evening of Stress Management. This event, led by Christine Sherman Baker (a long-standing WTS-DC Board member and Arlington County Vision Zero Program Manager), included a conversation on how to deal with stress followed by a restorative yoga class. Then in June 2020, we hosted a virtual event Take a Breath: An Evening of Mindfulness hosted by Tanya Saunders, a meditation instructor from Pause Breathwork.
To keep the mindfulness momentum going, we hosted an event on Exploring Equanimity on September 8. Equanimity means mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. To explore equanimity, a small group gathered at Gateway Park in Rosslyn, a park that reclaimed space on a bridge deck atop I-66 (just south of Washington, D.C.).
Christine Sherman Baker returned to host this event, which began with a conversation amongst participants of their current challenges and successes followed by an all-levels yoga class focused on using breath to gain mental calmness. For over a decade, she has balanced her transportation planning career with her work as a fitness instructor—teaching yoga and other various group exercise classes. Sherman Baker considers her work in fitness to be an outlet to empower each person on their own health journey—including herself.
The hour passed quickly, leaving a calm, composed group—ready for facing challenges ahead.
WTS-DC is already looking forward to our next wellness session—targeted for spring 2022!