Mind Body

Criminal Justice

Why do you think so many in the law enforcement/1st responder community are apprehensive to get into yoga?

Why law enforcement is hesitant to embrace yoga

Hi, Susanna here. The question posed to me today was, why do you think so many in the law enforcement first responder community are apprehensive to get into yoga? Well, I think there's a few reasons, but the two that stand out for me are this. One is flexibility. There's a thought out there that one must be flexible in order to even begin to practice yoga. And I believe that comes from YouTube videos and articles where it shows a lot of bendy people. But it's not true. I'm here to tell you it's not true. Yoga does indeed increase flexibility, increase mobility, which is only a benefit to us, and especially as we age. And then when you look at the law enforcement profession where you may be sitting for long periods of time, either in a car, behind a desk, behind a computer, and at the same time, we still have to have the ability to physically, quickly react to the situations in front of us with a healthy mental response. Yoga is really primed to help enhance all those aspects of a law enforcement professional's role. And number two is how do we incorporate 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes of yoga into the daily rhythms of a law enforcement officer's life, especially if it incorporates shift work. It's not easy, but we can educate our officers to find those small nuggets, times for those small nuggets, those small bouts of yoga, five, 10, 15 minutes. We can do this. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

Law enforcement officers may be apprehensive to try yoga because they think they need to be flexible and don't know how to fit it into their schedules, but yoga can actually increase flexibility and mobility and help them stay mentally healthy. It doesn't take a lot of time to practice and can be easily incorporated into daily rhythms.

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Many law enforcement and first responder individuals may be apprehensive about getting into yoga for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there's a misconception that one needs to already be flexible to practice yoga. This belief is perpetuated by videos and articles featuring highly flexible practitioners. However, it is not true. Yoga actually helps increase flexibility and mobility, which is beneficial for overall health, especially as we age. Considering the nature of the law enforcement profession that often involves long periods of sitting, whether in a car or behind a desk, while still requiring the ability to physically and mentally respond quickly to situations, yoga can greatly enhance these aspects of their role.

Secondly, incorporating 30 minutes to an hour of yoga into the daily rhythms of a law enforcement officer's life can be quite challenging, especially for those with shift work schedules. However, it is possible to educate officers on finding smaller pockets of time throughout the day for shorter yoga sessions of 5, 10, or 15 minutes. It may require some creativity and flexibility in scheduling, but it is achievable.

In conclusion, debunking the notion that flexibility is a prerequisite for yoga and finding ways to incorporate shorter bouts of practice can help overcome apprehension within the law enforcement and first responder community towards embracing yoga.

How do you handle the emotional toll that working with victims and offenders can take?

Law enforcement veteran shares powerful coping strategy for emotional toll

Hi, Susanna here. Question posed to me was, how do you handle the emotional toll that working with victims and offenders can take? You know, being in law enforcement for just a little over 20 years, I found that finding at least one good thing every single day was very helpful to move past difficult situations, difficult times, working with difficult people inside and outside the organization, and simply to see the good every single day. As corny as that may sound, there's research to back it up now, which is pretty amazing and pretty awesome. It validates this type of practice. So really being grateful and seeing the good every single day can transform your life. And so I would highly recommend that whether you're in law enforcement or not, it's a life skill that can really pay dividends when you're struggling. We all do. Thanks.

To handle the emotional toll of working with victims and offenders, I recommend finding at least one good thing every day and being grateful for it. This is a life skill that can really pay dividends when you're struggling.

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Handling the emotional toll of working with victims and offenders can be challenging. Throughout my more than 20 years in law enforcement, I have found that focusing on finding at least one positive thing every day has been incredibly helpful. This practice helps me move past difficult situations, navigate interactions with difficult individuals both inside and outside the organization, and maintain a sense of gratitude. It may sound corny, but there is research that supports the power of this practice. It validates the importance of finding and recognizing the good in our daily lives. Whether you are in law enforcement or not, cultivating gratitude and seeking out positivity is a valuable life skill that can have a significant impact when we face struggles. We all go through difficult times, and this approach can help us navigate the emotional toll more effectively.

What is an underappreciated trend today that you think will have massive consequences in the future?

Mindfulness: The Future of Law Enforcement Training

Hi, Susanna here. The question today is what is an underappreciated trend today that you think will have massive consequences in the future? Mindfulness practices, mindfulness practices in the law enforcement community especially, and we're just really tapping the surface of the training right now, but it's really beginning to take root. Not quite as far along as I would like to see it, but mindfulness is training the mind and we spend so much time and energy in the areas of tactical training and firearms, investigative techniques and all those areas that we need to emphasize. So don't get me wrong, we need to emphasize that, but why are we solely focusing on those aspects of a law enforcement officer's role and not training the mind? There's a mind behind everything we do, obviously. So focusing on equalizing the training between mental, physical, emotional and spiritual training is, in my opinion, is going to have massive positive impact on the future of law enforcement. Thanks.

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An underappreciated trend with potentially massive consequences in the future is the incorporation of mindfulness practices in the law enforcement community. Although it is still in its early stages, mindfulness training is gaining traction. Currently, the emphasis in law enforcement training is primarily on tactical skills, firearms, and investigative techniques, which are undoubtedly crucial. However, it is equally important to train the mind. Mindfulness practices focus on training and strengthening the mind, recognizing that it plays a role in every aspect of an officer's duties. By equalizing the training between mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects, law enforcement can potentially experience significant positive impacts in the future.

What characterized the period of your life where you experienced the most personal growth?

Overcoming Struggles and Embracing Personal Growth: A Journey

Hi, Susanna here. The question is, what characterized the period of your life where you experienced the most personal growth? About 15 years ago, I was going through some personal and professional struggles, deep struggles more than I had ever been through in my life. And I always thought I was a very resilient person. And I found that, you know, that resilience ebbs and flows and I wasn't doing so hot back then. And it really took that time to compel me to draw me into really taking a deep look at myself and just really discovering who I was, what was there, embracing the suck, leaning into the suck of what I was experiencing at that time. And I guess I equated to, you have to, you know, go through a lot of mud to become a flower, right? And we can do this, but it does take adversity and moving through life and seeing things for what they really are in order to really experience the joy and all the good things in life. Thanks.

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The period of my life characterized by the most personal growth was around 15 years ago. During that time, I faced significant personal and professional challenges, deeper than any I had encountered before. Despite considering myself a resilient person, I realized that resilience can fluctuate, and I wasn't doing well during that period. It compelled me to take a deep introspective look at myself and truly discover who I was. I embraced the difficulties and leaned into the challenging experiences I was going through at that time. It's like going through mud to become a flower; adversity is necessary for personal growth. By facing life head-on and seeing things as they truly are, we can experience joy and appreciate the good things in life. Thank you.

What is your definition of success and how do you measure it?

Defining Success: Gratitude, Purpose, and Deep Meaning

Hey, Susanna here. The question is, what is your definition of success and how do you measure it? Well, to me, success is waking up every day, being grateful for waking up, being curious to what's going to happen during the course of a day, knowing that I have people in my life who I love, who love me back, knowing that I'm connected to this earth, and knowing that I have a deep purpose. And it took me decades to get here, and I still work on it every single day, but it took me decades to realize that the measurement of success is nothing really about goals and money and material things and all that stuff really is pretty pointless. Does it make life easier? Yes, but does it give your life purpose or meaning? No. And so how do I measure all that? It's a deep, deep feeling of satisfaction with life and wanting to continue living it and hoping that it lasts a long time. Thanks.

Success is being grateful, having loving relationships, and feeling a deep satisfaction with life. It's measured by the feeling of contentment and satisfaction it gives you.

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Success, to me, is the feeling of gratitude and curiosity when I wake up each day. It's knowing that I have loving relationships in my life and a meaningful connection to the earth. Discovering my deep purpose has been a journey that has taken me years, and I continue to work on it every day. I've come to realize that success isn't about achieving goals, acquiring wealth, or material possessions. While these things may make life easier, they don't inherently provide purpose or meaning. Instead, I measure success by experiencing deep satisfaction with life and having a strong desire to continue living it for as long as possible.

Due to my work schedule, I can only exercise late at night. Any recommendations for better sleep and rest?

Late Night Exercise: Key to Better Sleep & Rest

Hi, Susanna here. The question is, due to my work schedule, I can only exercise late at night. Any recommendations for better sleep and rest? Well, you know, moderate exercise late at night is no problem for sleep. We get into problems falling asleep when we exercise at too high of an intensity late at night, right before you're going to go to bed, like a hard run or a HIIT workout or something like that that up-regulates the nervous system. So moderate exercise from light stationary cycling, elliptical, yoga, activities that will actually help us relax, get rid of some of the stress of the day, and also work with your cardiovascular system to get you in better shape is a great combination. So don't ever hesitate to work out, even if it's late at night. Just watch your intensity. Thanks.

Moderate exercise late at night is no problem for sleep, just watch your intensity. Light stationary cycling, elliptical, yoga, are all good options to help you relax and get in shape.

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As someone who can only exercise late at night due to their work schedule, the question is, are there any recommendations for better sleep and rest? Well, moderate exercise late at night shouldn't interfere with sleep. The issue arises when we engage in high-intensity workouts right before bed, such as a hard run or HIIT. These types of activities can stimulate the nervous system. However, engaging in moderate exercise like light stationary cycling, elliptical, or yoga can actually help us relax and relieve stress accumulated throughout the day. It's a great combination that allows us to unwind and improve cardiovascular fitness. So, feel free to exercise even if it's late at night, just be mindful of the intensity. Thanks!

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Suzanna is a retired FBI Special Agent, President of PoliceSpirit LLC, fitness enthusiast and professionally trained dancer. In 2018, she became the first Mindfulness and yoga coach for the FBIs Hostage Rescue Team/Tactical Section, and has since trained over 17 FBI SWAT teams in the field in mindfulness-based strategies for performance and wellbeing via PEAK, a program she co-founded for the FBI. In addition, she has brought her training to hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officers and professional staff around the country. 

Suzanna holds a B.A. in Dance from the University of Akron, an M.A. in Business from the University of WI-Madison and has postgraduate work in Exercise Science from Cleveland State University.  She is an eRYT 500 yoga teacher and Mindfulness Coach for Law Enforcement and Public Safety via UC-San Diego and Mindful Badge. 

She has served as Adjunct Faculty for Notre Dame College of Ohio and the University of Virginia.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Suzanna Hasnay