By Shannon McQuaide
Malcolm Gladwell, the author of the book Outliers, explains that people who appear to be rare and exceptional in their fields–like Wayne Gretsky or the Beatles–are not necessarily more gifted and talented than the rest of us, but they are more committed to practice, even obsessed with practice.
Firefighters by their very nature are outliers. It’s their unwavering commitment to honor, courage, and community that makes firefighters exceptional human beings. During the recent wildfires in Northern California, many firefighters had their homes burn to the ground while they were fighting fires and protecting homes in neighboring communities.
Jeff Lemelin, a friend of mine and a Novato (CA) firefighter, was on vacation with his wife in the Eastern Sierras when they learned about the fires raging not far from their home. Jeff and his wife Jen drove nine hours straight to reach the fire-stricken neighborhoods and began to help out in any way they could. Jeff, who also volunteers for the Mountain Fire Department in Sonoma County, jumped on the fire engine and with his wife fought back the Tubbs Fire for 9 days straight.
It is also true that people who provide the help are often the last to ask for help. In this article, I will explain why the same commitment firefighters have to serving and protecting their communities can also be applied to training the brain for increased performance and well-being. What neuroscience has validated for us is that by practicing yoga and mindfulness, firefighters can positively impact the part of their brain that is responsible for awareness, resiliency, emotional intelligence, and energy management, https://www.mindful.org/science-reveals-well-skill.
A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind
Thanks in large part to a study conducted by two neuroscientists from Harvard, we now know that American adults spend 47% of their time distracted. In other words, half of our life is spent on autopilot or multitasking. Driving the car while talking on the phone or absentmindedly sending a love emoji to a mere acquaintance are examples of an unfocused mind.
Multitasking undermines performance because it overwhelms the nervous system, causing emotional fatigue and burnout. The Harvard study also points out that when we are constantly distracted, we feel less happy and meaningfully connected to our lives.
The original intents of yoga practice were to obtain mastery of the mind and achieve optional functioning of our entire being. A fundamental practice in yoga is to focus the mind on our present moment nonjudgmentally–in other words, to notice what is happening in our bodies and minds with an attitude of curiosity and acceptance. It may sound simple, but after years of attending to many tasks at once, learning how to focus on just one thing like the breath can make people feel anxious, frustrated, or bored.
The Juice Is Worth the Squeeze
Our brains are being shaped all the time knowingly or unknowingly. Our thoughts and experiences impact our brain and ultimately our well-being. Yoga and mindfulness are tools that can positively shape our brain; by bringing the same commitment to yoga practice that firefighters have to doing their job well, it will enhance their performance and increase resiliency, self-regulation, brain functioning, situational awareness, and intelligent gut-level decisions. Yoga practice can also reduce anxiety, sleep issues, depression, and traumatic stress disorders.
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.