When Stress Becomes the Background
Stress does not always announce itself dramatically. Sometimes it looks like a calendar that never clears, a mind that keeps working long after the workday ends, or the feeling that even quiet moments need to be filled.
Chris Manola has spent enough time in demanding environments to recognize the pattern.
Before retiring in 2021, Chris built a 35 year career in commercial real estate and earned numerous professional designations. These days, her work looks considerably different. As a certified yoga instructor and sound meditation guide, she is creating opportunities for people in Crete, Illinois, to slow down deliberately.
“Our nervous systems are not equipped to handle the relentless demands of modern life,” Chris says.
Through Humble Warrior Yoga, she approaches wellness as something that can be practiced within ordinary life rather than saved for the rare occasion when everything becomes less busy.
An Hour Dedicated to Quiet
On the last Monday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., Chris leads guided sound meditation and breath work at the Crete Township Community Center, 25930 S. Cottage Grove Avenue.
Her sessions incorporate crystal singing bowls, guided meditation and intentional breathing. The immediate purpose is simple: create an environment where people can become quieter and more attentive to what is happening within them.
The larger value, Chris believes, comes from repetition. Breathing and meditation techniques can leave the room with participants. They can be used during a stressful morning, after a difficult conversation or whenever someone recognizes the need to slow down.
Chris brings a similar philosophy to her yoga instruction. She teaches Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Crete Park on Main, 1374 Main Street.
Wellness Meets Community Life
Chris’s interest in well being increasingly overlaps with her civic work.
She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Friends of the Crete Township Community Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the Community Center through social activities, classes and civic events. The organization also works to raise funds for the center’s operations, identify grant opportunities and develop programs for Crete Township and surrounding communities.
Chris also volunteers at the Crete Lions Club Recycling Center at 1215 Douglas Lane, where additional volunteers are always needed. The center is open for volunteering from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday; 7:00 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Saturday; and 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Even one hour a week helps, Chris says, and profits from the Recycling Center are returned to the community.
Her involvement with the Lions Club was recently recognized when she was named Lion of the Year. She is also a founding member of the Crete Community Runners Association and a film actor with 25 IMDb credits.
Making Peace Practical
There is an appealing simplicity to the philosophy Chris has developed through Humble Warrior Yoga.
“Your inner peace can transform the world,” she says.
For Chris, that transformation begins on a manageable scale. An hour of meditation. A weekly yoga class. Time volunteered locally. None requires a complete reinvention of daily life.
They simply require making room for something that can otherwise be crowded out.
Learn More
Chris’s sound meditation sessions are held on the last Monday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Crete Township Community Center. Call 708.722.1857 and leave a message to register.
Register for Tuesday yoga through Cretepark.com. Learn more about Humble Warrior Yoga at and the Friends of the Crete Township Community Center at https://cretetownship.com.
For Crete Lions Club Recycling Center volunteer inquiries, email cretelionsclub1215douglas@gmail.com.