Fire Stations as Mindfulness Spaces

By Shannon McQuaide

Fire Station 30 has been given the nickname “Dirty 30.” It has earned this nickname because it’s located in a lite industrial area adjacent to Downtown San Jose. “No matter how much we clean, there’s a perennial layer of dust that coats everything and lots of particulates in the air,” said Firefighter Oliver, who’s worked at the station for the past five years. I’ve never noticed the dirt because when I arrive to teach yoga class, floors have been mopped, the kitchen and bathroom have been thoroughly cleaned, and you can detect a faint ammonia smell as you enter the station.

What I have noticed is the almost overnight transformation of the day room. Station 30 was built in the 1960s. The peeling paint, broken curtains, and faded frameless pictures fastened to the walls in the day room made me wonder if the room had been unchanged since it was built.

Then one day and without warning, I arrived to teach yoga class and noticed a new set of curtains had been installed between the kitchen and day room. When closed, these curtains created a barrier that minimized distractions. There were also new curtains on the windows facing outside. The curtains matched the newly painted walls, all in shades of gray nicknamed Distant Thunder. The television played a quiet, calming Yoga Sounds track, and a single stick of incense burned in the corner of the room, mingling with the smell of ammonia. Looking around, I realized the firefighters had created a sanctuary—a place where they could unplug for a few minutes from the stresses of the job.

 

I was thrilled but probably not for the reasons you might think. It’s never been a goal of mine to sell yoga or convert firefighters’ perspectives on yoga. It doesn’t matter to me if they appreciate the eight-fold path laid out in the Yoga Sutras, understand Sanskrit, or wear Lululemon yoga attire. What does matter is that they value our time together, because yoga provides a rare opportunity for firefighters to practice mindfulness, replenish their energy, and be more effective in all aspects of their job.

Working at a busy metropolitan station is not always glamorous, and some of the calls require firefighters to care for the same people, some who are homeless, several times a day. A call came in recently during yoga class and I was invited to a ride-along.  We ended up at the Hyatt Place in Downtown San Jose. The manager of the hotel had called 911 because a homeless man was sitting on the hotel’s outside bench complaining of chest pains. On the ride back to the station, the paramedic turned to me and said that yoga practice is helping not just him but also the citizens they serve. He went on to say that yoga is helping him be more patient and kind with the same homeless population that they can see several times in the same shift.

 

Shannon McQuaide is a registered yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance and the founder of the FireFLEX YogaTM program. FireFLEX Yoga was developed through her work with the San Jose (CA) Fire Department, where she continues to lead FireFLEX Yoga classes. She is a certified functional movement trainer and has a master of arts degree in leadership and psychology. Shannon@fireflexyoga.com http://www.fireflexyoga.com.

 

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