It's nice to be back on the blog again. I like keeping up with the blog because it's my way of checking in with myself, even if no one else reads it. We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of guests and tons of wonderful food.
When I got to the gym this morning, I saw on one of the morning shows a quick teaser for another segment that went something along the lines of "If you blew it over Thanksgiving, here's how to get back into shape." Of course, they run this same story every year, after Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, but something about it made me think today.
Thanksgiving is one day a year. You can't "blow it" over Thanksgiving, even if you make unhealthy food choices or overindulge or are completely inactive all day. Everyday is a new day, and every choice is a new choice. As long as we are still alive, we haven't blown it. We always have another chance to be better, another chance to make a healthy choice, another chance to make it right.
So, there is no need to give up or feel bad about yourself if you ate with abandon over the holiday. I certainly did. The food was delicious and abundant. But that was Thursday, and Friday was a new day. Instead of looking backward with regret, or forward to the holidays with anxiety, just live in your present moment, make healthy choices for yourself for right now and develop a healthy lifestyle one step at a time.
Today's workout: 50 min. run (5.75 mi) 30 min. resistance training 60 min. yoga
I had a great weekend, but because I went out in the evenings with my husband and my friends every evening, I was unable to do my usual daily practice. I was able to run in the mornings at the gym, but since I typically practice after the children have gone to bed, I did not have time this weekend. So I was really looking forward to getting back into it today!
At the gym this morning, instead of running, I took a "rest" day, and did the elliptical machine instead (a little less harsh on my knee and ankle joints). I noticed after I got off the machine, I had a lot of neck and shoulder tension, that radiated down into my left arm. Before the ballet body class, I did a few stretches that alleviated the pain somewhat.
When I was able to get on the mat, I did a modified primary series practice (stopping after navasana). I noticed several poses that were able to help with the neck, shoulder and arm pain:
Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose): This pose stretches out the upper back, and is easy to relax into. Hooking the fingers on the big toes, or in the follow-up pose - sliding your hands under your feet - pulls your body into and targets those upper back muscles, relieving some of the tension.
Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose) / Parivritta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose): When I do these standing revolved poses, I press the back of the arm moving toward the floor against my leg. That action creates a stretch in that shoulder.
Marichyasana series I, II, III & IV: In each of these seated poses, you reach your arms around your legs. The third and fourth poses are twisting poses. Each of the asanas provides a stretch to the spine and shoulders.
Balasana (Child's Pose): Not only is this a resting, relaxing posture, when the arms are outstretched in front of the body, it provides a gentle stretch for the shoulders as well.
These poses allowed me to stretch the upper back, shoulders and neck, and provided much needed relief for the tension that I was feeling there. Next time you are feeling stress in those areas of your body, take a minute to try some of these poses and feel better.
My husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner again this year, and there will be over thirty people attending! With such a huge crowd, we have to be strategic in our dinner planning. We love to cook and entertain, so we find this totally fun!
We keep a kosher-style house, so none of the dinner recipes contain any dairy, pork or shellfish. (If the linked recipes indicate a dairy product, modifications will be made.)
Here's our menu for Thanksgiving 2009:
Turkey, of course! The bird pictured here is the one my husband prepared last year. He was so proud of it (and it was delicious!). He is a huge fan of brining the turkey, which he will do again this year.
Brisket, prepared by my mother-in-law. She will be using a traditional recipe, but my husband has used Emeril's Passover Brisket recipe in the past with huge success.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup. I made this last year, too, even though my husband was skeptical ... and everybody loved it! This soup is great because it incorporates harvest-time flavors, is warm and filling and can be prepared in advance (I made ours today). The curry gives it a modern flair.
Edamame Succotash. I hate lima beans, so I was totally psyched when I saw this succotash recipe. I predict this will be a beautiful dish with all the colors, and a nice change from some of the traditional vegetable side dishes.
Brussel Sprouts. We love brussel sprouts, but this can be kind of a tough dish to prepare in our house since most recipes call for some kind of bacon or pancetta. My husband actually bought a deep fryer this year, and is deep frying the brussel sprouts with peanut oil. So there you go.
Stuffing, a traditional favorite. My husband uses Tyler Florence's version containing chicken andouille sausage and roasted chestnuts.
Cranberry relish. My husband uses a Tyler Florence recipe for this also, a fresh citrusy version with orange. My mom will be bringing a more traditional cranberry sauce as well.
I finally got an opportunity to view the documentary, Enlighten Up! This movie was recently released on DVD, and is available from Amazon.com. I, of course, made the mistake of purchasing the DVD from Amazon at $19.95 plus shipping, before realizing that it was available through my cable On Demand service for only $4.00. Needless to say, I will be returning that online purchase.
Filmmaker Kate Churchhill recruits Nick Rosen, a 29-year-old New Yorker, to be her guinea pig in a yoga experiment: Can yoga transform anyone in six months? Nick comes from an interesting background, with a shamanic healer mother and a corporate-looking criminal attorney father, and he seems somewhat skeptical of the claims of yoga, but ready to embark on this yoga journey!
The movie opens with a series of short clips of celebri-yogis giving quick answers to questions about what is yoga. Clearly, this is meant to demonstrate the wide range of opinions and viewpoints, as contradictions and differences readily arise.
Contradictions abound in this film as Kate and Nick travel around the United States and India, sampling yoga classes from all styles of yoga, including Bikram-style, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Laughter Yoga, Dharma yoga, and many more. Nick connects strongly to the physical side of yoga, identifying the happiest moments of his life as arising through striving for physical fitness. However, Kate seems to be aiming for Nick to achieve her own agenda, pushing him to seek a more spiritual level to yoga that he doesn't seem to be comfortable with.
Even though the physical side of the practice most appeals to Nick, the teacher he is initially drawn to is not the one with the most physically demanding class. He connects with Dharma Mittra, the teacher in whose class he felt the most comfortable, whose world view was more closely aligned with his own, and who Nick felt emanated warmth and humor.
I find this interesting, because it shows that no matter what your goals are in yoga, even if they are just toning your body - that people matter. When Nick meets with David Life, David tells him that if he wants to get more out of yoga, to "surround yourself with a group of people who stimulate that burning desire." Fitting in with your community is an essential part of yoga - or any part of life. When you feel connections with other people, you are more likely to grow as a person yourself.
When pressed about the spiritual quest that Kate wanted him to pursue, Nick continually responded with his need for facts and evidence. Without dismissing the potential for yoga to spiritually transform other people, he did not seem to find sufficient evidence that would lead to such a change in himself.
I enjoyed the movie. I found the interviews with the various gurus enlightening and was amused by the many different permutations that yoga can take. Even as an avid practitioner of yoga myself, I found some of the followers positively kooky ... and other patently offensive (Diamond Dallas Page, "T&A, not Namaste" - yuck).
The film also opened my eyes a little bit to the ways in which yoga can go in a direction that I am uncomfortable with. Although I do appreciate the spiritual possibilities of yoga, and the ways in which it can help me strive to be a better person - seeing other Ashtanga yogis literally bowing at the feet of Sri Pattabhi Jois made me cringe.
In any case, I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys documentaries or has a strong interest in yoga. If you are able to watch it, let me know what you think!
Today's workout: 30 min. run (4.18 mi) 20 min. resistance training 60 min. private yoga training 60 min. yoga @ home
I was so happy to be back in my "ballet body" class at Lifetime Fitness today (I had to miss the past two weeks because of sick kids!). While the class is not a true dance class, but rather a series of ballet-inspired movements and exercises, our instructor (a former professional dancer) has decided to build up to teach us a routine inspired by the famous Sugar Plum fairy dance from the Nutcracker Suite.
He is incorporating different moves each week from the dance, so that we have a strong foundation on which to build the complete sequence. This week, the new move he taught us was "ballet beats". You can see the dancer, Simone Clark, in the above video doing this move at around :17 & :23 (as well as other points in the video, too). For this practice, we were not actively moving across the floor as in Clark's performance, but stood in place. We bent one leg at the knee, pointing the toe and bringing it to touch mid-calf. Then, in very rapid succession, we would move the toe from the front to the back of the calf several times, and then switch to the other leg. We kept our arms either raised above our heads or out in front of us.
This exercise required balance, and therefore develops core strength. It also targets several leg muscles, including the calf, hamstring and quads, and opens the hip. I'm sure I'll feel this one in the morning!
Today's workout: 50 min. run (6.25 mi) 40 min. ballet body class 60 min. yoga
My husband took our girls to the annual Father-Daughter ball hosted by their ballet school on Friday night. They were super-excited to get all dressed up and go to a real ball with their daddy. They ate dinner, danced with their friends, had an official portrait taken together, and stayed up way past their bedtimes.
Saturday, I attempted to go to Lifetime Fitness' "yoga marathon" event. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, the event was cancelled, so I took a Pilates class instead. While I liked the class and see it's similarity to yoga, it just isn't the same. I also took advantage of the event cancellation to get a run in as well.
Today, I attended a three hour workshop at Yoga on High entitled, "The Subtleties of the Primary Series". I expected an analysis and breakdown of some of the key poses or sequences in the primary series, but really, we just went through the series slowly ... we held some of the poses for longer than usual, and he added a few hints and tips for getting into the asanas. I thought it would be a bit more in-depth, but it was still a good practice.
A nice weekend with the family, and even though there was too much restaurant dining, I feel good. This week we will be focusing on healthier meals!
If you are going to make exercise a regular part of your daily or weekly routine, choosing a gym is an important decision. You want to choose a place that meets your needs and makes you feel comfortable so that you will be likely to return. Over the past fourteen years of working out, I have belonged to or worked at all kinds of gyms: university gyms, a hospital rehab facility, community centers, hotel gyms, the YMCA, Bally's Total Fitness, California Fitness, Lifestyle Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Urban Active, as well as personal training and yoga studios.
'My husband is currently in the process of changing his gym membership, and this got me to thinking about things to consider when choosing a place to work out.
Evaluate your goals and needs. Not everyone exercises in the same way. How often per week/per day do you want to exercise? Do you prefer using cardio machines (like treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines, stationery bikes, etc.), group fitness classes, free weights, resistance weight machines? Do you want to work with a personal trainer? Are you trying to lose weight, tone your muscles, improve sports performance, increase your endurance? Do you like variety in your workout or are you comfortable in your routine? Once you clarify your goals and needs, then you can more effectively determine the right match for you.
Determine your budget. You can find gyms priced all over the spectrum. Figure out what you can afford to pay before you go in, so you are not roped into a contract that is more than you can manage. Gym fees are often not set in stone; don't be afraid to negotiate. Often you can ask what specials are being offered - one area sales people are frequently willing to drop is in the "membership" or "sign-up" fee.
Evaluate the cardio / weight floor. Things to think about: are there enough machines of each kind to accommodate all users during the busiest times of the day? (You might visit during the times that you would likely use the gym to see how busy it is.) How sophisticated are the machines/do they have all the options that you like/is everything in working order? Is there a variety of different kinds of machines? Are there enough TVs? How close are the machines to each other? Is everything clean and sanitary? How noisy is it?
Evaluate the group fitness classes. Look at a class schedule. Think about the times that you would be available to take classes, and check out the selection. Is there a variety? How often does the schedule change? Is there an extra charge for classes? What qualifications do the instructors have?
Amenities. Are towels provided? Are the locker rooms clean and sanitary? Are there plenty of showers? Do the locker rooms provide hair dryers, shampoo, etc.?
Personal Training. Is personal training available? What are the rates? What are the qualifications of the trainers?
Extra programs. Does the gym offer any additional programs, such as nutrition or weight loss classes, run clubs, basketball leagues, etc.? Is there a spa, shop or cafe? Does the gym offer discounts to its members on any other community services? Is childcare available and what are the hours?
Convenience. Location, location, location. Remember, you hope to be visiting your gym several times a week, if not every day. Make sure that it is close enough to your home or workplace so as to be relatively easy to access. Also, make sure the hours, including weekend hours, align with your schedule.
There are so many things to think about when choosing a place to work out, and sometimes, it may be difficult to find a perfect fit. If you can think of something else to consider, let me know!
Yesterday, I read an interesting blog post from Yogic Muse about finding the line between pushing yourself against your limits and not engaging in self-harm. Coincidentally, when I met with my yoga teacher today, she set a similar intention for our practice: focusing on ahimsa. Maria pointed out that ahimsa, the yogic principle of non-harming, starts with ourselves. I tend to be a "Type A" personality and sometimes push myself very hard, and can sometimes push myself too far with regard to the physical aspects of yoga.
As our practice went on, we started working on bhujapidasana. While I can get into this arm balance pose when I am practicing at home, it is not a graceful or flowing process. I sought Maria's advice on getting into the pose more smoothly and possibly some modifications. In any case, while attempting to get into the pose, I fell flat on my face! So embarrassing. Also, it hurt! It seems that in the midst of striving to achieve a difficult posture, I lost sight of our original intention - ahimsa - and my determination to do "better" actually caused me harm.
Maria took this teachable moment to point out the ways that ego can interfere with our practice, and that yoga can be about putting aside the ego. Through yoga, we can become aware of our bodies, and we can accept our bodies for what they can do today. Each day our body may be different, but when I practice yoga, I do so in the present moment, with whatever abilities or limitations I currently possess. Another yogic principle is santosha, or contentment - acceptance of what we have, or who we are.
So, for today, my intention is to practice with both ahimsa and santosha, both on and off the mat.
BTW, the photo above shows my amazing daughters practicing yoga at home with the help of their Yoga Pretzels deck. Love it! (and love them!)
Today's workout: 30 min. run (4.0 mi) 60 min. private session yoga 60 min. yoga @ home
Even though the weather lately has been much nicer than usual for this time of year, the colder weather from the past few weeks has created a winter malaise in me. The fact that my daughters keep getting sick hasn't helped anything either!
It seems every winter, my motivation level drops, and I just feel sluggish. I want to curl up with a Slanket on the couch in front of the TV and do nothing (for the record, I do not own a Slanket or any similar product ... just regular blankets). I definitely notice that I eat more food in the winter, not because I am hungry, but it's like some kind of primal urge to develop an extra layer of fat to keep me warm.
When I feel like this, I try to just push through it. I make exercise and yoga a priority and always carve out time in my day for those activities, even if I don't feel like it. A workout that I force myself to do is better than none, and even if my effort is subpar, I still feel better when it is done.
Another way to increase my motivation is with a friend. If you have someone to whom you are accountable, you are less likely to miss a day at the gym, and you will have a more enjoyable experience if it is shared.
I am trying to take advantage of these recent beautiful days, and the kids and I are getting out every afternoon and playing on the swing set. Even when the temperatures do drop back down though, you can still bundle up and get some fresh air and some exercise by taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood. Once you start moving, you are more likely to keep moving!
What do you do to stay motivated and active during the colder winter months?
Today's workout: 50 min. interval run (6.57 mi) 20 min. resistance training 75 min. primary series yoga
Tonight I was really suffering from a sinus headache. I occasionally get these, and the pain is very intense, especially if I sniff. I needed to practice tonight, though, after having neglected my asana practice for the past two nights, so I set out my mat despite the pain and went for it.
At the start of the Sun Salutations, the pain was almost unbearable, and I nearly gave up. Particularly, each time I went down for a forward bend, and then rose up again at the end of the sequence - yowza!
However, I noticed the pain easing gradually with each sun saluation, and the stuffiness that I had been feeling was abating. As I went into the Sun Salutation B sequence, my headache was almost gone. I also more aware and attuned with my breath throughout this practice. My chest, nasal passageways and head felt clearer and the intense pain was gone.
When I got to my computer, I checked out some information about headaches and yoga here and here and here. This information confirms that yoga has been shown to be beneficial to treat and prevent headaches - those sites refer primarily to tension headaches, and not sinus headaches. Most of the information I found also recommended a gentle, restorative practice to deal with headache pain, and I was doing a more vigorous Ashtanga practice, but that is what I am accustomed to, and it worked for me.
On a side note, my body was feeling very stiff and crunchy after two days of no yoga (even though I did run and work out on both of those days) ... now I am feeling juicy and flexible and alive! Yay for yoga!
Today's workout: 60 min. interval elliptical (5.66 mi) 25 min. resistance training 75 min. primary series yoga
Our family is currently struggling with a stressful situation, trying to reconcile past actions and choices with our current state, and figure our where to go in the future.
My thoughts and turmoils are brought to in perspective when I read these words from Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, which were transcribed in a tiny little book, be free where you are, from a talk he gave at the Maryland Correctional Institution.
"To be able to breathe in and out is a miracle ... I am alive. I can breathe in and become aware of my in-breath; I can breathe out and become aware of my out-breath. ... For me, to be alive is a miracle. It is the greatest of all miracles."
"Everyone walks on the Earth, but there are those who walk like slaves, with no freedom at all. They are sucked in by the future or by the past, and they are not capable of dwelling in the here and now, where life is available. If we get caught up in our worries, our despair, our regrets about the past, and our fears of the future in our everyday lives, we are not free people. We are not capable of establishing ourselves in the here and now."
"Life is only available in the here and now. The past is already gone, and the future is yet to come."
Today's workout: 30 min. run (4.06 mi) 45 min. resistance training
My oldest daughter, unfortunately, contracted the H1N1 virus (a/k/a "swine flu"). She has been home from kindergarten the past couple of days and will be again tomorrow.
Luckily, her case seems relatively mild, her fever responds to medication and her mood is generally upbeat. However, I am not used to being confined to our home, and we are both developing some cabin fever.
My running schedule has been thrown completely off, and my husband and I are alternating days when we go to the gym since I cannot go during the day while she is sick. Hopefully she recovers soon, and the other children stay virus-free.
I hope you and your families stay healthy! Today's workout: 75 min. primary series yoga 20 min. Pilates core exercises
Recently, I have had two friends approach me independently asking for advice on getting started doing yoga to improve their overall fitness. Specifically, they have expressed interest in improving their flexibility and toning their muscles.
Here are a few of my thoughts:
Try out several different teachers/classes. There are many different styles of yoga, and even the same type of yoga can be taught in a very different way by each individual teacher. While you can choose the class that is most convenient, that may not be the perfect match for you. In addition to the Columbus JCC, great power yoga classes can be found throughout Columbus, at Yoga on High, V Power Yoga, through Tracey Gardner, just to name a few!
Introduce yourself to the teacher and don't be afraid to ask questions. Let the instructor know that you are new to yoga and her class ... let her know that you are open to receiving adjustments (if you are) - that means that you are willing to have the teacher put her hands on you to physically help you move into the pose. While you shouldn't pester the teacher throughout the class, remember the questions that come up as the class is going on, and bring them to the teacher afterwards. Most teachers are more than happy to clarify, explain or demonstrate for a couple of minutes after class.
Focus on your body and the breath during yoga. While in certain types of exercise it is fine to "zone out" and just let your body move (like running or biking), in yoga, you keep your mind zeroed in on what your body is doing. Be aware of your alignment, find and stabilize your core strength, identify the muscles working in each pose. Listen to the cues and prompts provided by the instructor, and apply them to your body to move into each posture.
Listen to the your body. Use the awareness of your body and modify your practice as needed. Most yoga teachers will provide adjustments for different levels of flexibility and strength. Use modifications as needed -- if you are not able to get into the full expression of the pose, it is usually better to do a modified version rather than attempt to push your body farther than it is able to go. Identify areas of weaknesses or tightness in your body and send your breath to those areas ... you can do additional poses or stretching exercises throughout the week to work on those areas of your body.
Release yourself from judgment and competition. Every body is made differently. Don't pay attention to the people next to you in class and try to judge yourself against them. Maybe they have been practicing for 20 years, maybe this is their first day too. Maybe they are double-jointed, or maybe they have rheumatoid arthritis. It doesn't matter -- yoga is not a sport or a competition. If you can't go into a pose today, that's OK - each time you practice you might go a little deeper. You will gain something each time you practice.
If you are interested in checking out books or DVDs for developing a home practice, Gaiam and Acacia are good resources. Also, Yoga Journal online has tons of articles and guidelines for many yoga poses.
Good luck! Let me know how your yoga journey progresses!
Today's workout: 65 min. run (7.73 mi) 40 min. resistance training
Catherine is a mom, wife, fitness fiend, yogini, runner, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, reader, amateur chef, household manager, and friend.
It's nice to be back on the blog again. I like keeping up with the blog because it's my way of checking in with myself, even if no one else reads it. We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of guests and tons of wonderful food.
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