Colm Hynes

Shoe on different foot for yoga assistant Colm

COLM Hynes, synonymous with Hynes Shoes in Castlebar, embarked on a new career path last Monday, writes Tom Gillespie.

"For the past 60 years," he quipped, "I’ve been looking across the road at Mick Byrne. Now I have new and exciting lifestyle challenge."

The Hynes family ran a highly successful retail outlet on Main Street for three generations, but in 2014 succumbed to the recession and the business was taken over by Donal and Ailish Vaughan of Vaughan Shoes, who kept Colm on.

Seeking a new purpose in life outside the shoe shop, Colm turned to yoga.

And this week he commenced work at the new state-of-the-art €11 million leisure complex at Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, as a yoga assistant.

He said his most difficult decision was informing Donal that he was leaving the business, adding: "One of my biggest obstacles in taking up the new position was informing Donal that I was leaving as I have a natural rapport with him.

"He and his family have been excellent to me. From day one they have been understanding of the position that I was in. I must say, I enjoyed working there for the six years I had been with them.

"I was a nervous wreck when I was telling them. They were completely understanding. We shook hands and had a little embrace. I wish Donal and the Vaughan family the very best."

After taking up yoga, Colm completed 250 hours to qualify as an instructor/teacher. He conducts a couple of private classes in the centre he has acquired with yoga instructor Barry O’Neill at Bronco Wellness at Moneen, Castlebar.

He added: "I do four private classes each week and our vision for the Bronco unit is to create a wellness centre. In moving forward that is the vision we have - that such a service would be available in town.

"Castlebar and the county is well catered for in terms of gyms, which is excellent - it is great to have them all - but there is no actual wellness centre where all kinds of yoga are conducted: mother-and-baby, pregnancy, gentle yoga, beginners yoga, hot yoga and meditation of all different forms.

"I do feel there is a need for that, especially with the understanding that is going on behind yoga now. Schools are becoming aware of it and are promoting it."

An opportunity arose that Colm was eager to pursue and over a period of time, one thing led to another and Colm was fortunate enough to acquire a position at the Lough Lannagh Leisure Complex as a yoga instructor with Elaine Flannelly.

Colm continued: "After discussions with my wife, Jackie, and children, Shane and Emma, a line Emma used sealed it for me. She said: ‘Dad this is exactly what you have been looking for, but it has come earlier than you thought’. That was the line that sold it to me.

"Yesterday I took up the full-time position, Monday to Friday, conducting yoga classes in the yoga centre with my manager, Elaine Flannelly. We intend to upgrade the time allocations allocated for yoga. We have an early morning (6.45 a.m.) gentle awakening class, an 11 a.m. gentle class, and stronger classes in the evening.

"For me, it is a complete change in life. It is not something that I thought would ever come my way. Who would have thought, at the age of 60, that this would happen for someone that was involved in the family business for generations, someone who was self-employed for most of his life, someone who went through the trials and tribulations of being in business?

"Would this opportunity have come my way if I was still in business? Probably not. I am delighted to have this chance."

Colm would highly recommend yoga as a lifestyle choice, adding: "I would say to anybody, don’t hold back on it, don’t find reasons not to go. Just go, and see where it goes. Don’t be afraid.

"Yoga has lost its airy fairy image. That is all gone. People look on it now as time when they might want to relax their mind a bit and chill out. It is still important to keep going with the high-impact sports but blend it with the low-impact sports."

 

 

 

Do you have a story to tell about your business? If so, Tom Gillespie would be delighted to hear from you. Get in touch at (087) 9680780 or gillespietom49@gmail.com.