By: Melisa Galasso
When the Charlotte Chapter thought about what type of event people would want during busy season, we thought long and hard about what both those in industry as well as those in public accounting would find appealing. We realized that no matter what part of the CPA profession you work in, we all experience stress. So we thought of ways that CPAs could help reduce their stress during their busiest and most stress‐ ful times. We brought in a speaker, Emily Elder, from Be Yoga to discuss ways CPAs could address their stress levels. We know that busy season often means long hours, so instead of our usual lunch and learn, we decided on a breakfast and learn. Sometimes leaving the office can be the hardest part. SO we decided to catch people before they got to the office.
We arranged for a 7:30 start at Zebra in South Park. We were treated to a yummy (and healthy) breakfast including yogurt, fruit, and granola as well as croissants and bagels. We started with a 30 minute breakfast and net‐ working session.
Then Emily spoke to us about stress and how it affects our bodies.
After she gave us some pretty scary facts, we were all committed to trying our best to reduce our stress levels. She first taught us some breathing techniques that we could use for just a few minutes at a time to help us re‐ balance.
Then the fun stuff kicked in. Emily introduced us to some seated positions we could do while at our desks that would help us fight the stress where we hold it in our bodies. We focused on the neck, shoulders, back, hips and jaw. I think the group really enjoyed seated pigeon. I know I’ll be using that one over the next few weeks quite often!
Once we were sufficiently excited about what we learned, she then had us get up and do some standing poses that we could do in our office. Even the ladies with skirts and heels on managed to get into the fun. We practiced eagle arms and used our chairs as props.
Once the demonstrations were complete, Emily answered some questions from the group and we then all went off in the world less stressed and ready to tackle our day.
I want to thank Emily and Be Yoga for volunteering their time to come and speak with us. Emily even brought coupons for us!
Be on the lookout for more fun social events in the Charlotte area in 2015. Our Charlotte chapter’s goal is to provide programming that appeals to all of our members. If you are interested in getting involved in planning our social events please contact [email protected] and we’ll get you involved with our social committee.
The NCACPA event was a lot of fun. It was a pleas‐ ant reminder that yoga can increase focus and con‐ centration during a time when CPAs need it most. Emily, of Be Yoga, is extremely knowledgeable and taught us so many simple and useful tips to help relax. I cannot wait to incorporate them in my daily life.—Charlene, Rives CPA
Melisa is a Senior Manager in the Professional Practices Department at Cherry Bekaert LLP, in Charlotte. She currently serves as Chair of the NCACPA’s Accounting & Attestation Committee and is President of the Charlotte Chapter. Melisa can be reached at [email protected].