This month's Member Spotlight needs no introduction. If you've ever been to Brightwater Yoga, you've likely met her or admired her presence and/or practice. Constance Drury's presence alone completely illuminates an entire room; and when you combine that presence with her magnetic and witty personality, the result is unforgettable. Constance truly gives 100% of herself to whatever she's doing and that's why her practice has transformed to the level it has in the four short years that I have known and worked with her.
Her optimistic outlook on life and willingness to try just about anything are her secrets to aging gracefully (or in her case, not aging at all!). "You just have to be careful
and trust yourself," explained Constance, "especially in poses like handstand (which, by the way Constance does on her fingertips due to the inflexibility in her wrists - it's truly amazing to see!)." She, along with two fellow yogis, came to class early every session and worked on handstand together for months, and the three of them have all mastered going up in the pose despite their fears and insecurities. Constance is a very driven person who admits is even a little competitive with herself at times - a trait that yoga is helping her to examine and soften a little despite her complete resistance to doing so.
When I asked Constance what brought her to yoga, she shared with me that she had been working in real state, and due to her slightly obsessive personality, had gotten heavy and out of shape. She was not happy and her blood pressure was high when she realized she just had to "chill" and was looking for an outlet for calmness which she thought yoga might fill. She definitely didn't expect it to be the workout that it is and was immediately hooked after one class. "It's one of the best things I've ever done," she admitted. She loves it so much that she literally brings (or tries to at least) everyone she knows to class. In fact, she told one new friend of hers that bringing her to yoga was "her gift to her," which it ended up being, since that friend is now a committed yogi as well!
Constance's life is just as compelling and interesting as she is. She has been a singer her whole life. She put herself through college at the University of Miami with scholarships and singing jobs like working on numerous television shows (some very well known, by the way!), performing at conventions and doing lots of recording. After the death of her husband who was ill with cancer, her voice teacher's husband invited her to join the Miami Opera which was the 3rd largest opera company in the US at the time. Later, she began working on the cruise ship, Sagafjiord, and traveled all over the world singing for 1 ½ years.
After she accepted a proposal from her current husband, Ron, she left the performing life and began her extremely successful real state career. She and her partner, Diane, worked together for three years until she relocated in Florida and began her own business which flourished.
After Ron's heart surgery, the couple relocated once again to Hendersonville in 2002 and Constance took a break from the hustle and bustle of her prior lifestyle.
Ironically enough, very soon after they moved and she began a calmer lifestyle, Constance had a heart attack due to a medication she was taking at the time for arthritis. That's when she found yoga! "It just gives me something...it takes me to a different place and I like that," she admitted. "I don't have to compete with anybody, accept myself, and I just feel very at home at Brightwater Yoga!"
I asked her what some of her other favorite poses were and she said Triangle pose and especially Headstand. "I love the way headstand makes me feel, especially with the tightness in my neck." I really loved this comment, because I know there are a lot of people out there who fear headstand because they think it could hurt their necks and here is someone who overcame her fear of the pose and appreciates the benefit it brings to her neck and the rest her body! Constance says she loves that when she's in class she notices other people, but is able to be really focused just on what she's doing.
She really appreciates that opportunity because two years ago she and her prior partner, Diane, began working in real estate together again and are currently working for Keller Williams. "It's much more of a competitive atmosphere now than it was when I left Florida," she said. "I had to play catch up because the technological side of it had left me and you have to stay on top of that to stand out. It's so competitive! Yoga is so helpful with that." Constance says that, since beginning yoga, she's gone from an "A" type personality to an "A-" type (and for her that's a really big deal!) despite her resisting the whole way. "There's a peacefulness now," she admitted.
Constance radiates optimism and sees the humor in everything, a trait she says her whole family has, including her 90 year old mother. She concluded our interview with the advice to everyone to "do yoga and enjoy your dogs and animals; especially in this fabulous place we live...you can't walk and worry about things or you'll miss the beauty! There's so much good, we just have to enjoy it!" And enjoy it, she does!
Thank you for bringing so much light and humor to my life and to all our lives, Constance!!!
By connecting with the ancient roots of Yoga, we can open the doorway into the possibility of living the sacred in an embodied way.
straight out behind you. Gazing down toward the floor, between your hands, bend the bottom leg and push off that foot as you swing the extended leg out and up in a big arc taking it as close to the wall behind you as you can. As the extended leg goes up toward the wall, straighten the bottom leg and swing it toward the wall as quickly as you can to take both legs to the wall. ** NOTE: You may be practicing step 2 for a while until you get comfortable with the idea of going upside down and supporting yourself with your hands and arms. That's OKAY!! As my teacher says, "kicking is holy!" Just remember to keep your arms straight and keep your shoulders stacked over your wrists. ** If you're worried about your head hitting the wall as you practice kicking, place a bolster vertically against the wall to serve as padding between your hands and the wall.
