We asked a few SDCBA members how and why they make wellness a priority. Here’s what they said:
Susan Hack, Runner, Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP
My dad died of a massive heart attack two weeks after my 9th birthday. He was 44. I appreciated “bad heart genes” throughout my life but it never hit me until I was approaching my 44th birthday. Around that time, I decided that I needed to take more stock in my health, surely fueled by my dad’s premature death. And like any Type A, competitive person, I embraced fitness to the extreme and still do. I started running again and found “indoor cycling.”
Our profession is stressful enough. Whether your passion is swimming, running, surfing, spinning, walking, golfing, yoga, or meditating, just do it!
Jeffrey Chine, Triathlete, Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP
Exercise is a priority because it helps me maintain a balance given the stresses of daily law practice. I find it most important at those times when I’m busiest, when, ironically, it is hardest to find the time for a swim or jog or bike ride. It takes dedication to drop work for an hour or two — but I’m always glad I made the time.
Conor Hulburt, Surfer, SDCBA Wetsuits, The McClellan Law Firm
I am active to get out of my head and into my body. When I’m hiking down the Ho Chi Minh trail or paddling for a wave, I’m not thinking about work, responsibilities, who I am, what I did yesterday or need to do tomorrow. I’m focused on not slipping or falling off my board. Activity helps me refocus on the present, and the more I focus on the present, the more I feel part of something bigger and the more grateful I am to be alive.
There is a great quote by Aristotle: “Happiness is a state
of activity.”
Pauline Villanueva, Yoga Instructor, Solo Practitioner
“You’re a lawyer? But you seem so mellow and not stressed!” These words from one of my yoga instructors have always stuck with me. I take an odd pride in knowing I don’t fit into the attorney stereotype, despite working as a solo practitioner in criminal defense. Much of this stems from practicing and teaching yoga. Yoga has taught me not only to feel good in my body, but to find a certain peace of mind. Thanks to yoga, I’ve learned to breathe and stay calm throughout difficult situations. It is the perfect complement to an often demanding law practice.
Joshua Bonnici, Bicyclist, Bonnici Law Group, APC
All day I deal with questions, malfunctioning printers and phone calls. My mind is constantly bouncing between managing my office, my employees, settling cases and marketing for new ones.
So in order to clear my head, I ride my bike. A lot. I’ve ridden my bike(s) just over 1,700 miles this year (including 40 miles this morning before coming into the office). On the bike, I’m able to clear my head, and just think about the upcoming hill, my pedal cadence, or when to eat my protein bar. I’m able to quiet my mind and channel all my power to my legs churning mile after mile. That way, when I get off the bike, my mind is refreshed, my body is flushed, and I’m ready to hit the office once again.
This article was originally published in the July/August 2017 issue of San Diego Lawyer.