Article Archives

Posture and Judgement

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:08:39 +0000

Judgement: Whether we like it or not we all do it. It happens to be one of my favorite pastimes that I am desperately trying to give up... Yet like all habitual behaviors, it happens almost without thought and is seemingly normal. I rationalize my addiction as part of my job. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they hold themselves when they walk into a room. As soon as a client comes in we are constantly judging how they sit, stand and walk.

While posture is usually thought of as a structural issue of the body it is often an accurate reflection of internal feelings. Without even being aware of it, we can give off an air of lacking of confidence, mistrust, or shyness. By simply being aware of our posture we can change how we look and feel to ourselves and others.

Good posture not only makes you look taller and slimmer but it also decreases headaches, neck tension, lower back pain, shoulder pain and TMJ. '..faulty body alignment can lead to actual skeletal damage, including degeneration of the disks and joints, and even a breakdown of cartilage that can leave you achy and less mobile in your later years.' http://improveyourposture.com/blog/?p=20

In the Body Language School of Life there are some obvious signs that we all know. Crossing your arms in front of the chest blocks information coming in putting an unconscious barrier between yourself and others. Standing with your feet turned in shows insecurity. Walking with the head dropped forward and the eyes down conveys sadness or negative thinking. But what about the more subtle aspects of posture? If the shoulders are rounded forward and closed off it gives off the impression of shyness, insecurity or not wanting to be approached. If the shoulders are held high and up with the muscles tense the person tends to fight their way through life. The mental often reflects the physical.

There are two ways of approaching the postural issue: Changing the mind to change the body or changing the body to change the mind. In Pilates, we focus on the physical, and with a bit of luck and hard work the mind follows.

One of the first things we do in Pilates is correct posture. It is not only better for your joints but makes you look longer, taller and thinner. If you let your body sink down into your hip sockets your length shortens creating a wider body mass. Having great posture is easy. Stand in front of a mirror with your feet hip width apart and parallel. Lengthen the crown of your head to the ceiling. Rock your hips forward and backward until you find your center of gravity just in front of your ankle bone. Lengthen your rib cage away from your hips. Gently pull your tummy muscles in. Relax your shoulders with your arms down by your sides. Turn your thumbs out and notice how that movement opens your shoulder joint. Let the thumbs relax while keeping the front of the shoulder relaxed and open. Turn sideways to the mirror make sure your ear, shoulder, hip, and knees are in one straight line falling just in front of the ankle bone.

Standing tall with your eyes forward and shoulders relaxed and open makes you look and feel approachable, confident and ready for the day- and that's something everyone will notice.

'I stoop. I slouch. I hunch. I slump. Sitting or standing, my posture s*cks'
http://ask.metafilter.com/27334/How-can-I-fix-my-bad-posture

Check Out Chek

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 10:04:59 +0000

The Chek Institute is rising in popularity and on the equivalency scale about where Pilates was in the 80's: people knew about it but disagreed how to pronounce it much less understood it. After taking a workshop with the founder Paul Chek and now studying to become a Chek Exercise Coach, here is my take on this new upcoming method.

Who is He?
Paul Chek is the founder of the Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology Institute, based in California, USA. He has been developing his method over 25 years and is now guest teaching globally. He believes in 'functional movement' which can easily be translated as the Pilates Powerhouse. On a personal level I found him to be a highly amusing speaker, even if we didn't discuss one abdominal exercise in a lecture titled, 'How to Have Flat Abs Forever'.

About the Institute:
The Chek Institute is an advanced training program for health practitioners. Within the Institute there are 3 training programs: Holistic Lifestyle Coach Program, Chek Exercise Coach Program and Chek Golf Biomechanic Intensive. Naturally, I went straight for the Chek Exercise Coach Program.

Chek Exercise Program:
What put me off about the course is the 3 correspondence courses you have to complete as a prerequisite to doing the actual intensive. If you're anything like me you can find a thousand things that need done before sitting down to figure out the answers to a home study program. That said, each course takes about a month to complete depending on your amount of dedication to home study correspondence courses.

My first course, Core Stability, is written with the assumption you are already an exercise geek with an in depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology. (Thank god for Pilates)

There are many different theories on exercise out there and I am not surprised to see a lot of similarities and a few differences between Chek and Pilates. Paul Chek believes you should strengthen your stomach muscles in a specific order that we do not follow in Pilates: transverse first, obliques second, rectus last. Interesting.
He also uses a blood pressure cuff underneath the spine in line with the belly button to identify the transverse abdominis. While I think it is a nifty little trick my clients aren't as thrilled as I would have hoped. My older clients find it too distracting and my younger ones too boring. After several attempts to convert the non believers, I've given up and am only using it now with a select few.

Paul also speaks a lot about functional movement and (ad nauseum) about the downfall of exercise equipment. He doesn't believe in working one muscle at a time but rather the whole body together. His philosophy and that of Joseph Pilates are quite similar in that they both strengthen the body using integration of different muscle groups in harmony with others.

Abdominal curls forward vary slightly in the methods. In the Chek Method the hands are by the temples in order to strengthen the cervical spine. Devotees of Alan Herdman Pilates lace the fingers behind the head in order to relax the neck and take the pressure off of the cervical spine.

A dear client of mine taught me something a few years ago that I have never forgotten. She said she wanted to start ballet and asked if I would take her to a beginning ballet class. Most people I know would never dream of walking out of their comfort zone and into a ballet class at any age much less at 60. I figure, if she can learn ballet, a few correspondence courses shouldn't be a problem.

Will let you know how I get on!

Improving the Karmic Ballpark

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:17:49 +0000

Even if your not a fan of New Year's Resolutions, it is a great time of year for reflection. I know most of my clients don't believe in making resolutions but that has never stopped me from giving them one or two.. After a few years of happily giving out goals to clients for the upcoming year (navel to spine, head to knees in forward bend) I've figured out the hard way that if someone really doesn't want to accomplish a goal, it always seems to stay out of reach.
I'm not pretending to be perfect and if you ask my new best friends, Ben and Jerry, I've been spending way too much time with them curled up on the couch with the remote control. But unfortunately skinny jeans are in, smoking out, and exercise in fashion. So, January is the perfect time to start attempting to be a better person. For me that means not trying to trip Venetia while she runs circles around me in the park, having only 1 double expresso at 5am before clients, and avoiding wine at the end of a really long day.

Even if you don't subscribe to resolutions and goals, we can all afford to be better people- So why not try to improve your karmic ballpark?
Here are a few simple ideas to help us all smile more:

Laugh as often as possible
Offer your seat to someone who looks tired on the subway
Smile at strangers
Be nice to everyone that works behind a counter
Tell a friend how much you appreciate them
Howl at the full moon

And if you are one of those people that love to make lists, here are a few helpful tips:

1. Set specific goals and make sure they are attainable! It's no use trying to look 18 when you're really (cough) 28.. Break large goals up into smaller goals that are measurable and in chunk size pieces. Imagine your dream clearly and the small steps it takes to get there. If your serious about wanting to write a book don't waste the weekend cleaning out the garage.
2. Keep it short. I read somewhere that the brain can only concentrate on 7 things at once. I'm not sure how true that is, but it sounds like a good number to work on...
3. Make each stage of the goals fun! If your goal is to lose weight, choose to do your favorite cardio 3-5x a week. It is seriously difficult to get motivated to jog right now in the London weather, but if you meet a friend to run in the park a workout can suddenly become a great gossip instead :-)

Wouldn't it be great if the beginning of every year was like an Etch a Sketch? We could keep the parts of the last year that we liked, slowly add on a bit more detail here and there or with a gentle flick of the wrist erase the parts we didn't? Until the day fantasy becomes reality and time machines become ordinary, the best we can do is resolve to be better people tomorrow.

'We can change our lives at any moment.. Which moment shall we choose?'
Anonymous

Stress: Cup Cakes or Cardio?

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:31:19 +0000

Stress is my favorite past time. If I am not stressed I am secretly proud of my ability to find something to stress out about: what to wear on a Saturday night, arriving to clients on time, why my boyfriend never seems to hear his phone... During times of stress, we all know the dichotomy between what we want (Hummingbird cup cakes, glass of wine) and what we should do (exercise, sleep) but what are the effects of stress on the body? My girlfriend Isabelle and I were gossiping about this while being tortured in our favorite boot camp Pilates class. (Heart Core Pilates) She said she'd read a book called Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley that I might like and scanned in the chapters and sent them over. Here's what I learned:

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, because it is secreted in larger amounts during the body's natural fight or flight response to stress. While small increases have positive effects for short bursts, if the bodies relaxation response doesn't kick in, unlike chocolate or handbags, too much of a good thing can be damaging.

On the positive side: cortisol can give a quick burst of energy for survival (the bodies natural Starbucks), heightened memory function (increases up to 400%), digestion stops, lower sensitivity to pain, and breathing becomes faster to bring more oxygen to your muscles.
On the negative side, if the body doesn't return to a normal state, it lives in a constant state of chronic stress.

'Cortisol interferes with the immune system.. When you have a lot of cortisol coursing through your veins, you are- by definition- under stress. Cortisol and stress are virtually synonymous..... One of cortisol's most surprising effects is that it suppresses the working of the immune system. It is a remarkable fact that people who have... shown the symptoms of stress, are more likely to catch colds and other infections, because one of the effects of cortisol is to reduce the activity, number and lifetime of lymphocytes- white blood cells...cortisol suppresses the immune alertness of white blood cells and makes you more susceptible to disease.' (p.149-150)
It is shocking to know that, 'You can raise your cortisol levels just by thinking about stressful eventualities- even fictional ones' (152)
Ridley says, 'It is also an indisputable fact that you can trigger activity in the 'happiness centers' of the brain with a deliberate smile, as surely as you trigger a smile with happy thoughts. It really does make you feel better to smile. The physical can be at the beck and call of the behavioral.' (154)
The scary reality is that how we feel about our lives is far more important than we think.

So the question is: Are some people more vulnerable to stress than others?
A: Yes. Personality type plays a role in reaction to stress. For example, people who drive themselves hard and are impatient (sometimes called Type A personalities) (never met any myself) may be more at risk for stress-related physical problems. http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/stress/STR_causes.html
(Sh*t)

What can we do about it?
Exercise for starters! Do I really have to list the benefits?! We all know how much better we feel after a great workout, so don't stop exercising in times of stress... It is also amazing what a couple days of rest, relaxation and good food can do...

So, determine what is good stress (high boots or high heels) and bad stress (credit crunch, housing market crash) and assess accordingly.

Pinpointing Center

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 15:28:51 +0000

I feel like the catch phase 'being centered' has been turned into a concept solely attainable for the spiritually enlightened. A place where we mere mortals can only aspire too, like children pressed up to a candy store window, never to be allowed inside. But is there a back door? For those of us that don't mind cheating on a few OMs (chocolates, crisps, cupcakes..) to find inner strength? If we take the esoteric to the physical- where exactly is center? And more importantly- why bother connecting to it?

Call it core stability, powerhouse or girdle of strength. We've all heard various names tossed around to refer to the muscles in the torso that support posture and all outward movement. Unfortunately, experts don't agree on which muscles make up the core, which is probably why we have so much trouble finding it. This concept has been isolated to 4 muscles and expanded to the entire torso including the shoulder girdle. (the theory is the shoulder girdle is strengthened as the solid base for arm movement). Some experts include the diaphram, others don't.

Here's my take on finding center:
The muscles involved in supporting the spine and all outward movement lie in the abdominal wall, pelvis, lower back and diaphram. The deepest of the abdominal muscles is called the Transverse. It starts on each vertebrae of the lower spine (lumbar), the inner surface of the lower 6 ribs and the hip bones, connecting in the center below the belly button and onto the front of the pelvis. When this muscle contracts, it provides a strong base for the spine and support for the internal organs.

The Multifidis is a deep back muscle connecting to the lumbar spine. It is found underneath the Erector Spinae (running up either side of the spine) and is integral to postural support.

The Diaphram is the primary breathing muscle and this, together with the Transverse, forms the top of the core. As you exhale, 'the diaphram tightens to maintain pressure in the abdomen and so provides stability to the spine.' www.sportsmedicine.about.com
Think of the Pelvic Floor as tiny open doors running from the tip of the tailbone to the front of the pelvis. When these muscles contract, the doors close.

Naturally, all of these muscles engage together before movement takes place. Lower back pain can arise from these muscles being weak and out of harmony with each other.
It is important to have a strong core for postural support, injury prevention and greater strength behind the movement of the limbs.

Exercise to find Center:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip width apart. Place 3 fingers on either side of your tummy, below the hip bones. Cough straight up toward the ceiling, feeling your stomach pop out. The muscle deeply set underneath your fingers is the Transverse. Take a deep breath inhaling and let your stomach and pelvic floor relax. As you exhale, imagine the doors of your pelvic floor closing, your diaphram contracting, and the muscles of your abdomin contracting and flattening. Repeat this exercise several times until you can confidently identify this feeling. In Pilates, this action takes place to initiate all outer movement. So, if your performing an arm exercise or a leg exercise, be sure to practice the above first!

Exercise strengthens, uplifts, and improves the quality of every day life. While I can honestly say I've had religious experiences on chocolate, I only feel guilty if I don't exercise...

Spasms, Cramps and Tangents...

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 14:50:18 +0100

We've all had them. The sudden intense pain for no obvious reason, so piercing that the mind can't focus and the body can't move. We think we are being so good by exercising and then this unexplainable pain sets in and we quickly re-evaluate why the hell we are doing this to ourselves in the first place. Or perhaps, it is through no fault of our own and we are happily sleeping in bed and the onset of leg cramps attack when we are at our most vulnerable. More often than not, if a client gets a cramp in a session they will look at me like I purposely caused it and have the key to unlock the pain but am deliberately keeping them in abject misery and secretly enjoying it. So, after one too many looks like I'm the devil incarnate, here's the best answer I have to give:

Lingo
We have three different types of muscle- smooth, cardiac, and skeletal. Skeletal muscle is the only type of muscle in the body that we have voluntary control over. When a skeletal muscle contracts involuntary, it is called a spasm. When this spasm is sustained, it's a cramp.
2008 Photo

Causes
Assuming the cramp is not caused by a serious illness such as kidney disease, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, or varicose veins, cramps can be caused by more basic things such as: inadequate oxygenation, exposure to large changes in temperature, dehydration, and electrolyte disturbance.
'Electrolytes are substances that become ions in solution and acquire the capacity to conduct electricity. The balance of the electrolytes in our bodies is essential for normal function of our cells and our organs.' (www.medicinenet.com)

Solutions
Obviously, depending on the type of cramp, different remedies apply. First, try soft massage on the cramped muscle, or lightly stretching the muscle. You can also try walking it off if it is in the lower limbs. If the cramp is from a lack of oxygenation, then deep breathing will help. If it is from sweating, water and mineral intake will re-balance the body. If it is due to a nocturnal leg cramp, the precise reason for this occurrence is unknown. While this generally happens in the older population, it could be caused from dehydration, or through long periods of sitting or lying down. It could also be caused by low levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium. To boost levels of magnesium, try eating a variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables. Good sources of calcium are milk, yogurt, cheese, cabbage, kale and broccoli. Potassium is found in fruits and vegetables and a healthy adult should have less than 1 teaspoon of salt a day. Leg cramps can also be a vitamin D deficiency, from lack of exposure to the sun. Whatever you do, don't beat your fist against the cramped muscle! This can actually increase soreness.

Tangent
While aerobic activity is extremely beneficial for the body, large amounts of sweating deplete the body's water and salt levels. However, there is absolutely no evidence that electrolyte drinks have any advantage over the intake of plain table salt. Wikipedia states, 'It is unnecessary to replace losses of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes during exercise since it is unlikely that a significant depletion of the body's stores of these minerals will occur during normal training. However, in extreme exercising conditions over 5 or 6 hours (an Ironman or ultramarathon, for example) the consumption of a complex sports drink with electrolytes is recommended.' So unless your in mid-Iron man or you workout like Ellen Kaldor, don't drink it!

Take It Further: Deepen Your flexibility Throughout Your Practice

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 14:43:55 +0100

Knowing how to develop a personal yoga practice can often seem as difficult as the asanas themselves. Sometimes flexibility in an asana can feel like a road block to further advancement. The mind wants to be in a place that the body doesn't allow. As we move through the asanas, we are gently reminded not to have goals for ourselves, but to listen to the body and feel where it wants to be today, in the present moment. Being a goal oriented society, it is normal to want to push beyond the limitations of that moment. The mind/body dichotomy is often hard to center, and we find ourselves pushing to extremes by executing movements too quickly, or push too far, causing injuries unnecessarily. At any stage - whether you are really advanced or a complete beginner, knowing what is happening in the body physiologically can help you deepen your practice. Understanding the benefits of stretching and how muscles function can help enhance your awareness of what is happening physiologically when you move into an asana, so that you can deepen your postures and improve your practice with full awareness and understanding.

How a muscle works
Muscles are made up of bundles of muscle fibers. Each fiber contains both actin and myosin, which slide over each other to contract, or release to stretch. Imagine your fingers interlaced like a step ladder with the palms facing you and the fingers placed one on top of the next with the first 2 joints overlapped. This is a simple way to explain the actin and myosin that make up a muscle fiber at rest. If you do a lot of strength training, the muscle builds up and shortens. This can be shown by sliding the fingers together so that the tips of each finger are touching your opposite hand so that no spaces can be seen. If you stretch a muscle, the actin and myosin slide away from each other. This can be shown by opening the fingers so that just the first joints of the fingers are crossed over each other. In a healthy muscle, the actin and myosin can slide easily across each other in either direction.

Benefits of Stretching
Stretching is the deliberate lengthening of muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility or range of motion in a joint. There are many obvious benefits to stretching. It improves circulation by increasing blood flow to the muscles. It promotes better posture by keeping muscles from getting tight and minimize aches and pains. It relieves stress by helping to relax tense muscles that accompany stress. It also may help prevent injury. It can also reduce muscle soreness if you stretch after an exercise session.
blandine splits
The Stretch Reflex
The stretch reflex is a mechanism of protection for the muscle. It is a defense mechanism against being over stretched or injured. When a muscle begins to stretch, the muscle spindles record the change in length and how fast the stretch is taking place. This causes the stretch reflex to contract in equal measure to the length and timing of the stretch. This means, the more sudden the stretch, the quicker the contraction. The important point to remember is that your muscles can relax to allow you to stretch further or tighten and inhibit your progress.
One reason for holding a 'stretch' or 'asana' is that the muscle spindles gradually get used to the length you are stretching. (Habituation). It is possible to train the muscle spindles to reduce their signaling to allow for greater length in the muscle. This allows the muscle to relax more fully and allow for greater range of motion.
Let's use pashchimottanasana as an example. This straight leg forward bend is an amazing stretch on the lower back and back of the legs (hamstrings). If you moved into the asana too quickly by bouncing into it, your muscles would seize up due to the stretch reflex. However, if you slowly exhaled and relaxed into the position, without holding tension and focusing on your breath and letting go, you would slowly feel your muscles elongate and allow you to stretch further.

The Rules
The rules for stretching are the exact same as the 'rules' for holding an asana. Always breathe fully and deeply. It takes time to lengthen a muscle safely. If it hurts, you have gone to far: back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then continue to hold. Don't bounce- this can cause small tears that leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. This tightens the muscle further and prevents smooth functioning of the cells within the muscle.
The magic in Yoga lies in the body's ability to stretch deeply and then relax fully. The stretching allows the body to be receptive and open to change. The shavasana, or relaxation, gives the body an opportunity to realign and ingrain those changes. The yoga stretching combined with the deep relaxation allows the body reprogram itself back into its natural alignment.

Stress, Recovery and the Perception of Pain

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:48:40 +0100

We all know when we’re in pain: the twisted ankle, the repetitive strain, the burn, the heartbreak. But when it comes to exercise, is there such a thing as a ‘good’ pain? I’m often told by clients that they don’t want to ‘feel the burn’ or ‘be sore’ because it is ‘too painful.’ But if we are able to change our mental perception, would we be able to increase our ability to walk into the discomfort instead of away from it?

The word "pain" comes from the Latin "poena" meaning a fine, a penalty. I want to make a clear difference between an acute, sharp, or piercing pain and the feeling of heat that comes into a muscle when it is working at its max or the soreness after a great workout. When it comes to training, I want you to think of the feeling of sprinting the last block home after a long run.
There are different theories on the intensity necessary for muscular strength. But the fact is, when we exercise, we are purposely stressing are muscles in order to gain strength. All improvement in muscular strength comes from stress and recovery. Overloading is the sports term for lifting a weight slightly outside of your comfort range. The reason for this is the muscle then has to build strength in order to lift that amount of weight again.

There are two different approaches to dealing with pain. The first approach is to ignore it and focus the mind on other things. This is why running outside can be better than running on a treadmill. The brain can focus on much more stimuli in the park than the amount of minutes left on the clock. The second approach is to focus on the discomfort as a way to monitor performance. Interestingly, many top athletes choose the latter.
After an intense workout, soreness usually starts to set in about 8 hours later and is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This was originally thought to be caused by lactic acid build up in the muscle, but is now thought to come from microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. In order for muscles to heal, they respond to training by reinforcement through increasing the size of its muscle fibers. ‘This ... process causes the cells to swell in their compartment and puts pressure on the nerves and arteries producing pain.’ (wikipedia) So next time your feeling sore after training, you know why! Soreness should generally subside within 2-3 days.

As a side note, while resistance training can be intense and some levels of discomfort may occur, pain is not essential for a great workout. Learning to listen to the signals your body is giving you is essential.

One of the founding principles of pilates is centering. While in Joseph Pilates day that just meant initiating movement from your core, today it also has other connotations. Focus your attention on the muscles you are working. Let them talk to you. They will tell you - I am working at my max. I feel tired. I only have a couple seconds left. I quit!

By Caron Bosler

‘Giving up doesn’t always mean you are weak; sometimes it means you are strong enough to let go.’ -author unknown

‘It is easier to heal a skinned knee than a broken heart’ -unknown

Cardio For Yogies

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:34:23 +0100

Being an exercise trainer, I have noticed the universal truth that most yogies love pilates, and vice versa. Clients will religiously do yoga and pilates every week, but consider sweating? Nope. Nada. Zilch. We appear to be in tune with our centers and out of touch with our sneakers. So, as a reaction to the permanent mutiny surrounding me, this article is written in the vain hope that someone, somewhere, will be convinced to start cardiovascular exercise by simply knowing how good it is for them.

Aerobic exercise, or cardiovascular fitness, simply means any form of exercise that brings the heart rate up over a sustained period of time. Your heart is a muscle, and just like your other muscles, it responds well to exercise. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats, or contracts, per minute. Aerobics gently increases the number of beats per minute, raising the heart rate, thus strengthening the heart. Aerobic literally means, 'with air' and was developed in 1968 by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper in San Antonio, Texas to prevent coronary artery disease. It originally consisted of exercises such as: cycling, running, and swimming.
The benefits of cardiovascular exercise are numerous. The most obvious benefit of aerobic exercise is weight loss. It also reduces the risk of diabetes and strengthens the heart. It improves metabolism, which simply means all the energetic reactions that happen within the body at the cellular level. Aerobic activity reduces risk of heart disease and lowers the amount of time your heart beats per minute (your resting heart rate). It increases the body's ability to take in oxygen, and improves the ability to absorb and break down fat.
There are a couple of guidelines to use when performing aerobic activity in order to strengthen the heart in a safe and effective manner. Targeting your optimal heart rate is fairly simple and involves just a bit of basic math. Take 220 and subtract your age to get your Maximum Heart Rate. For example, a 40 year old woman would subtract 40 from 220= 180. Usually, you should exercise between 60-80% of your Maximum Heart Rate. Or, an easier measurement is known as the 'Talk Test'. If you can converse comfortably while exercising, the intensity is perfect! If you are feeling breathless or uncomfortable, please rest.
Since endorphins were discovered in 1975, there has been the universal belief that cardiovascular exercise triggers endorphins in the brain that make people feel good. The word endorphin is a combination of two words, 'endogenous morphine'. Unfortunately, this theory is debated scientifically. But just because science can't prove the natural 'high' people feel chemically in the body, doesn't mean it's not there. Just ask any runner.
Getting started is easy. Do you enjoy riding a bike? Running? Swimming? Fast walking? Aerobics? Tread Mill? Cross Trainer? Cross country skiing? Rowing? Basket ball? Football? Decide what form of exercise you think you might like.
Then, make a firm commitment, to yourself, to set aside time every week for you. Schedule your workouts at least one week in advance, and make sure you do not let anything take your time away from you. Once you get into the habit of weekly workouts, you will feel better, more energized, and toned for everything else you do.
Try and exercise 3 times a week. Maybe you could start with 20 minutes of brisk walking, or any other activity you enjoy that will get the heart rate up. Slowly build up the length of time to 30 min, 40, 50... etc until you can do an hour 3 times a week.
Exercise benefits your mind as well as your body. By mobilizing the joints, strengthening the limbs, and stretching your muscles you will feel more energized and ready for the day's events.
Who knows?
You just might like it!

Karma

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 17:25:30 +0000

Karma

“I am the owner of my karma.
I inherit my karma.
I am born of my karma.
I am related to my karma.
I live supported by my karma.
Whatever karma I create, whether good or evil, that I shall inherit.”

The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya V.57- Upajjhatthana Sutta

Sometimes we can feel like the immediacy of Karma is almost laughable. Other times we have no idea why fate smiles or sadness surrounds us. The other day, as I was entering my house I had to step over a huge spider- my least favorite species on the planet, in order to get inside. I dropped my purse and keys in the house and promptly shut the door as I went outside to kill the spider in the most unpleasant way imaginable. As I sat on my porch after locking myself out, I couldn’t help musing, over Karma.
Was it the spider’s Karma to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, just as it was mine to be locked out for 5 hours for killing an innocent creature?

And if a burglar steals my treasured memories, is that my Karma, or theirs?
And how much of life is destined by Karma?
And if we judge others, is there Karma for that?
And what about my most favorite past time- Gossip?
If I gossip about someone else, does that mean others will gossip about me?

I started thinking about Karma, and how prevalent and ingrained this concept is throughout many different cultures and societies. Common expressions referring to Karma are, ‘what goes around comes around’, ‘you get what you give’, and ‘you reap what you sow’. In Science, this same concept exists in the theory, ‘for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ Mainstream Western religions also teach accountability for one’s actions- in thought, word, and deed. ‘Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.’ In Hinduism, the Sanskrit word Karma is a concept for cause and effect, explaining why things happen as they do. Since this concept can be found throughout most cultures in one way or another, “...does it really matter in the end whether the law of karma causes us trouble or god himself in his final judgement?” (http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/karma.html)

So, if we pretend for a minute Karma is a game board, what are the ‘Karmic Rules’?

In order to effect your Karmic Score Card, the obvious pre-requisite is being able to understand the difference between right from wrong. This is defined as having a genuine intention to effect the world in a positive or negative way. Animals and young children are obviously excluded.

Points are given for positive intention. Your motivation behind the action is what counts. You can earn more points for performing the positive action. But here, the points relate directly to the positive gesture. You can get more points for saving someone’s life, than helping someone to open a door.
On the flip side, points are taken away for negative intentions. And while you might think, ‘I would never act on this thought, therefore it doesn’t count.’ It does. And apparently they can add up. Over lifetimes. Scary, huh? More points are taken away if you act on the negative intention. Again, the nature of the action matters. Gossiping is less severe than killing. (Whew!) And the object of your action is factored in as well. So, in the great Karmic ballpark, killing a spider is less severe than killing a person. (Double whew!)

So, whether you are adding points or subtracting, it all depends on your intention. Your mental attitude creates the karmic ballpark of your future.

So, how can you overcome a negative action or intention? Regret. Regret and a firm resolve never to act that way again in the future. Conversely, positive Karma can be destroyed through anger.

As a side note, Karma is often confused with fate. Fate implies that everything is predetermined. And while it is impossible to change the Karma we created yesterday, we do have power over what we create today, and tomorrow. Nothing is predetermined.

So, how to win the game of Karma-
Think positively,
Act positively,
and don’t kill spiders.

By Caron Bosler

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
-unknown

‘Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield’
-unknown

Reaching The Edge

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 15:40:38 +0000

Reaching the Edge Without Tripping Over It

Yoga explores and deepens internal awareness of yourself and your body, with all its complexities and nuances. Finding your boundaries, both mentally and physically is just one of the fascinating aspects that draws millions of people to yoga. But finding the balance between a healthy stretch and a tad too much pain is often the difference between two steps forward and one step back. Injuries can occur for many reasons. Often, the ego pushes the body further than the body wants to allow. An incorrect practice can create a repetitive strain injury. Or, a one-off fall out of a headstand leaves problems for months to come. How do you know when to push yourself and when to hold back? Finding the boundary between comfort and pain can be as tricky for the beginner as it can be for the initiated. Often times, we trip over the line just to discover it was two weeks behind us and a knee injury later.
As an instructor, it is our job to guide you within your limitations that day. These limitations can take on many forms: from past injuries, weight, age, illnesses, fears, bad day, bad sleep, overworked, underpaid, mental fatigue... and on and on... Our job is to take you from where you are at that moment- today, into a better place physically, and hopefully mentally and emotionally as well. Sometimes it can be a pretty big task! But what we do physiologically- is take someone to the point of tension without causing discomfort- and this is different for everyone. As a teacher, we must learn to read people. As a yogi, you must learn to read yourself.
Unless you are in the field of bodywork, listening to your body might be a new experience. It requires stillness, mentally ‘checking in’ with yourself and how you feel that day. It also requires listening to your intuition. Learning to follow your intuition is a lifetime discipline.
Listening to your body also requires learning what motivates you. Are you motivated that day by connecting to yourself and filling yourself with peace and wonderment? Or are you motivated by getting the attention of the cutie on the mat next to you? What are your motivations that day? If your motivation is to show off, then you are motivated by your ego. And that can get you into trouble physically. But if your motivation is to know yourself, in all faucets and dimensions, then guidance and intuition are leading you even if those words never enter your mind.
Learning to listen to your inner guidance can be more difficult than it seems. If the rest of the class is doing a difficult asana which you know is too hard for you, it can be quite hard to restrain. But yoga is not about other people. It is an inward journey- and developing the courage to listen to your body and follow what it needs can be a full time job. If you can learn to listen to yourself first, and act on the guidance your muscles are giving you, then the outside world can be doing handstands while your happily in shavasana.
Most injuries occur as a result of one’s ego. It is human nature to let the ego get in the way. The mind wants to push too hard and develop faster than the body is capable of allowing. But any form of approaching an asana in an aggressive, competitive, or show off-y way, can immediately bring us beyond our capabilities and cause injury.
So- What do you do to avoid Injury?

First of all, having a good foundation of yoga is essential to injury prevention. Secondly, respect all past injuries or current ailments. Always inform your teacher of any issues they might need to be aware of to modify your practice. If any movement bothers you or feels uncomfortable, stop or modify the movement even if the teacher hasn’t said anything. This is not disrespectful in any way. Most yoga instructors will say at the beginning of class to please feel free to rest in child’s pose or shavasana whenever you feel it to be necessary. Thirdly, listen to your body. How do you approach a stretch? Slowly. Breath into the movement and focus on your muscles. Close you eyes if necessary to block out your surroundings and look inward. Your muscles will let you know if the stretch is comfortable. They will relax into the movement. If, however, you are counting down the seconds until you can spring out of the posture and hope to god you never have to go back: You are pushing yourself too hard and too fast. Fourth, avoid moves that bend or twist any joint past your comfort point. Fifth, always error on the side of caution. Go slow and don’t try to impress. Practicing a partial pose with good alignment is better than a full pose with poor alignment.
What to do: (If you didn’t listen)

Let’s say it’s too late. You saw the line, did an impressive backflip over it, and are now side lined in the corner doing an adult version of ‘time-out’. What next? Rest. Assess the damage. It might be time off for a few days for a minor injury, a week for a moderate injury, or a few weeks for a more serious injury. If it does happen to be a more serious injury, you might wish to consult a doctor, or physiotherapist. All injuries can teach us to slow down, and listen. Listen carefully and respond with compassion.
If there is inflammation: ice, elevate and rest. Icing should occur 3 times a day. The best ice pack to use is the good old home remedy of frozen peas in the freezer. They mold around the injury better than ice cubes due to their size. Wrap them in a thin t-shirt and place over the elevated injury for 10 min 3 times a day. Inflammation is caused by blood pooling in the injured area. The ice (or frozen peas) cool the area down causing the blood to disperse. This is why it is necessary to cool the area sufficiently and frequently.
It is extremely common to want to go back to your original routine far too early and cause re-injury. So, how do you know when you can slowly build into your normal practice? And at what speed? Only if the injury is extremely minor can you continue your practice, avoiding any asanas that effect the injury. If, however, time off is required, before going back to your normal yoga practice, be sure to test the waters. Try a bit of weight bearing on the injury. If you feel any pain or abnormality, stop and continue to ease off for a few days. Rebuilding the strength of the effected tissue may require physical therapy. It is perfectly acceptable to go to a yoga class and sit out a few of the asanas that you feel you might not be ready for. It’s your journey! Take the path that works for you.
yoga is a process of playing with your boundaries and limitations by both expanding and centering your body, mind and heart.

New Year's Challenge

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 15:48:42 +0000

As the New Year fast approaches, it is a great time to make small shifts and de-clutter. Outside. Inside. Anything! The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to re-evaluate how we are living and make changes. Even a small shift in consciousness can bring about tremendous rewards. 12 Months seems like a long time.. Why not one month? Or try one thing each month? Start January, or February to experiment with one thing in your life. Here’s the challenge: Write down a small wish list of things you would like to improve or change in your life. Then write one above each month of the year in your calendar. March- meditate. October- Chant OM every morning. Do some exercise every week. Get to bed early. Write in your journal. Read one book a month. Take a class in something new. Organize a drawer. Clean out a closet. Call friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. Try anything you feel like changing for one month, every month. If it works, keep it, if not, move on to the next. One year of shifting 12 small things could reap huge benefits. The size of the challenge can vary from month to month, just as the significance.

I chose January- Yoga Food, because of a run-in I had with a buffet. I am ashamed to say, when the strength of my willpower was pitted against the breakfast buffet, the buffet won. After ending up by pure accident in front of piles of food, I decided to think rationally and not with my stomach this time. I politely started out with juice and a fruit salad. After that I strolled over to the buffet looking for the healthy options. I quickly ended up in front of the egg station. After all, it’s not like I will have eggs every morning, right? After devouring my scrambelled eggs and crossiants (where’d they come from?), I soon felt it would have been rude not to try the salmon and cream cheese on bread. Never one to skimp on value-for money, I decided the entire bread basket needed sampling. In the space of 45 minutes I went from happy and energetic to a dough ball in desperate need of being rolled out of the restaurant. For the next 2 hours I was exhausted and my stomach couldn’t cram in my much needed coffee to keep going.

Somewhere, there has got to be the balance between veganism and food coma. Learning to eat healthily doesn’t come easy. With so many conflicting diets out there it is hard to know what the correct things to eat are. Food combining? Blood type? Cabbage soup? Atkins? The Zone? The right diet sometimes feels impossible to find.
The principles of eating ‘yoga food’ are basic, simple, and easy to follow. The fun thing is it goes against our spend spend spend culture because home made is best. Here how it works:
Everything is made up of prana, or energy. Fresh food has more prana than dead food. Once you cut fruits and vegetables the living energy starts to fade. So, it is best to eat everything fresh rather than processed, packaged or canned. Ideally, within the first 3 hours of cutting the fruit or vegetables. Also, the energy with which food is prepared goes into the food. So, if the person cooking is angry or upset, than that energy goes into the food.

Yogis are vegetarian! If you eat meat, why not take a month off? The easiest way to switch from eating meat based food to vegetarian is to start one meal at a time. Don’t think of switching overnight! Start cutting down on the meat-based food, and upping the veggies. It really isn’t that hard! We know the benefits and nutrients fresh food gives us. Why not try to stock up on more of it? Buy fresh fruits and vegetables to have in the house. If they are there and you are hungry, you will eat more of them.

Something about garlic and onions having spice in them that excite the passions!

Yoga food also consists of dairy and butter in moderation.
Eat in moderation. Try to think of eating so that your stomach is 1/2 full of food, 1/4 liquid, the rest air and room for mixing.

While yoga does not have a specific principle for juicing, it fits beautifully into the yoga diet. Juicing is both fun and filling. You can get so much energy and nutrients from juicing. I juice orange juice in the morning and try to do another juice in the afternoon. Carrot-ginger-apple is my favorite. Experiment and see what you like! (look up something on juicing)

There are a few tricks of the trade the stop the hunger pangs and keep you from running to the local fast food chain and eating everything on the menu. Carry healthy options with you. The yoga diet means you have 3 hours from the time you cut your food to the time you eat it, so if you know you will be hungry when you are walking around pack a light snack. This could be a banana or button mushroom dipped in humous. Anything fresh and delicious will do! The key here is tiding yourself over until you reach your next meal.

Drink plenty of water.
liquids are often talked about and over looked. Try and drink loads of water. Also, try and sleep early. A good nights sleep does the body good.

While a shift in diet might not be the choice for you, hopefully something will inspire. Look back to your list and get started!