Most of the yoga I practice is on the floor in my living room.
I like going to my studio because it does provide me with new poses, some good Yoga friends, hotter rooms and an exact time to go. Additionally, certain instructors (most don't) do at times make corrections to my poses (one especially works on Triangle with me) which is a good thing. There are some teachers who's class I would never miss and these tend to be strenuous, hot , flow type classes where Down Dog is your only break.
The disincentives to going to the studio is that you really do not know what to expect sometimes and to be honest, I get a better more focused "work out" when I practice at home. This is because I flow faster, do more sun salutations than most classes and I gear my practice toward what I need. I really appreciate the physicality of a hard flow session and I am guaranteed to get that at home.
It is my opinion that you need a home practice in Yoga. A studio based practice means that when you do not have the time to go to the studio or are traveling , on vacation etc., you do not practice Yoga. If your are able to build either a primary or secondary home practice, it allows you to continue this practice outside the confines of the studio.
There are a few ways to build a home practice. There are many YouTube videos that range from 5 minutes to 2 hours that you can follow. I have a number of these either linked or downloaded and there are 2 that I especially like. I also have been able to build my "stock" Hatha flow and my "stock" Yin series. Most of the time, I will follow one of these (depending on the day). The Hatha flow has as a core set of poses that I add to depending on how strong and flexible I feel that day. In general a typical Hatha flow should have some primary components
Stretch of Shoulders, Lower Back, Hamstrings
Core (Bicycles, Leg Raises)
Warm Up (Sun Salutation A and B is the best way)
Standing Sequence (Warrior I, II, Reverse Warrior, Triangle, Side Angle etc.) - add Chaturanga between sides.
Balance (Tree, Warrior III, Half Moon)
Seated Forward Fold (Dhandasana)
Inversion (Shoulder Stand, Head Stand, Plow)
Back Bend (Bridge, Bow)
Hip Stretcher (Pigeon) - Hold at least 1 minute
Twist
Savasana
The flow above can be done in about an hour if you hold most poses for 30 seconds (5 - 10 breaths)
The best thing that I like about my home practice is that while on the floor, I can toss a ball to my dog.
Namaste.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
From Farm to Fridge
If I ever (and I have never) thought about going back to any sort of meat and animal product consumption, I would just have to watch the video linked below one more time.
Click Here: From Farm to Fridge
Click Here: From Farm to Fridge
Friday, February 7, 2014
You are what you eat / The China Study
I was watching an old Jack LaLanne video on YouTube where he said something like, "If you are what you eat, then Americans are made of Cigarettes, Coffee and Donuts because that is what we eat for breakfast". Even from the grave Jack still speaks the truth. What we eat does makes what we are. If you eat too much refined sugars, meat and dairy fats and processed snack foods an you will eventually have issues with your health because of that diet. Is is not too late to move toward a healthier diet.
Think about these statistics. (from the US Department of Health and Human Services)
35.7% of US Adults are Obese (78 million)
16.9% of US Children and Adolescents are Obese (12.5 million)
Note, this is the obese percentage (where the body mass index is greater than 30) . In order to be considered obese, a person who is 5feet 9 inches tall (1.75 meters) has to weigh over 203 pounds (92 kg) anyone at this height who weighs over 169 pounds (76.65 kg) is considered overweight. If we look at the percentage of people overweight, 69.2% of Americans are either overweight or obese. That is an incredible number. That is more than 215 million Americans carrying around too much weight on their bodies.
I recently read a book called the "China Study" written by T. Collin Campbell, where Dr. Campbell (a PhD at Cornell University) , along with his physician son, examine the relationship between the consumption of animal products (including dairy) and chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel. The authors conclude that people who eat a whole-food, plant-based/vegan diet—avoiding all animal products, including all meats, fish, eggs, cheese and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce or reverse the development of numerous diseases. Now this study has been controversial to say the least (with the meat and dairy industries attacking it especially and vegans touting it as the bible) and I think that is has to be considered and not yet taken as gospel but the authors do make a compelling case.
They based this theory upon studies done in labs showing rats who where given "Carcinogens" having almost no cancer when they were not fed animal protein to having cancer once they increased their percentage of proteins from animals above a certain percentage and remission when that protein was removed from their diet. Additionally, they worked on a study in China where data from all causes of death for three years for the whole country was collected (from 1973 thru 1975). Using the mortality data, 65 rural counties were chosen to study the dietary habits of the population of randomly selected people to link the causes of death in these counties with the diets of the people in them. The study collected diet and lifestyle variables (ignoring all other factors) from inhabitants of the same counties approximately 10 years later, and found that, as blood cholesterol levels rose, so did the prevalence of "Western" diseases recorded in those counties in 1973–75. Since the only source of cholesterol from outside of your body is from animal products, the assumption is that there is a strong correlation between the consumption of animal products and certain diseases.
Here is a link to a Dr. Campbell presentation where he reviews his findings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDXxo5Sussk
I never knew about the China Study when I became a vegetarian. The main driver for me in becoming a vegetarian was my desire to benefit my health and not compassion for animals. I was feeling unhealthy, pudgy, and unfit and really wanted to change the direction I was headed. At the time I weighted 173 pounds (78.5kg) at 5 Feet 11 Inches tall (1.8 meters). While I was not obese, I was heading toward high point of the BMI (body mass index) for normal as my BMI was 24.1 and overweight starts at 25. If I continued with my lifestyle, by the time I was 60 I probably would have been 180 pounds (81.6 kg) or more and would have been "overweight" according to the BMI index. Additionally, the extra weight would have been all fat and that would have had a detrimental effect on my health and general outlook on life.
The transition to vegetarianism happened over time , I had stopped eating red meat about a year before I stopped eating meat completely (and very soon after eggs and fish) and the transition itself was easier that one could expect. I think the main reason for this was the fact that I could cook and I always was thinking about what I was putting into my body. Recently I have been working to eliminate all dairy products from my diet. This is easy to do at home (though I miss Romano cheese on pasta) but it may not be so easy outside of the home especially when I travel. So far it is 99% dairy free. Driving past the local ice cream shop and realizing that I may never have a milk shake again kind of puts a feeling of finality on it.
Namaste
Think about these statistics. (from the US Department of Health and Human Services)
35.7% of US Adults are Obese (78 million)
16.9% of US Children and Adolescents are Obese (12.5 million)
Note, this is the obese percentage (where the body mass index is greater than 30) . In order to be considered obese, a person who is 5feet 9 inches tall (1.75 meters) has to weigh over 203 pounds (92 kg) anyone at this height who weighs over 169 pounds (76.65 kg) is considered overweight. If we look at the percentage of people overweight, 69.2% of Americans are either overweight or obese. That is an incredible number. That is more than 215 million Americans carrying around too much weight on their bodies.
I recently read a book called the "China Study" written by T. Collin Campbell, where Dr. Campbell (a PhD at Cornell University) , along with his physician son, examine the relationship between the consumption of animal products (including dairy) and chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel. The authors conclude that people who eat a whole-food, plant-based/vegan diet—avoiding all animal products, including all meats, fish, eggs, cheese and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce or reverse the development of numerous diseases. Now this study has been controversial to say the least (with the meat and dairy industries attacking it especially and vegans touting it as the bible) and I think that is has to be considered and not yet taken as gospel but the authors do make a compelling case.
They based this theory upon studies done in labs showing rats who where given "Carcinogens" having almost no cancer when they were not fed animal protein to having cancer once they increased their percentage of proteins from animals above a certain percentage and remission when that protein was removed from their diet. Additionally, they worked on a study in China where data from all causes of death for three years for the whole country was collected (from 1973 thru 1975). Using the mortality data, 65 rural counties were chosen to study the dietary habits of the population of randomly selected people to link the causes of death in these counties with the diets of the people in them. The study collected diet and lifestyle variables (ignoring all other factors) from inhabitants of the same counties approximately 10 years later, and found that, as blood cholesterol levels rose, so did the prevalence of "Western" diseases recorded in those counties in 1973–75. Since the only source of cholesterol from outside of your body is from animal products, the assumption is that there is a strong correlation between the consumption of animal products and certain diseases.
Here is a link to a Dr. Campbell presentation where he reviews his findings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDXxo5Sussk
I never knew about the China Study when I became a vegetarian. The main driver for me in becoming a vegetarian was my desire to benefit my health and not compassion for animals. I was feeling unhealthy, pudgy, and unfit and really wanted to change the direction I was headed. At the time I weighted 173 pounds (78.5kg) at 5 Feet 11 Inches tall (1.8 meters). While I was not obese, I was heading toward high point of the BMI (body mass index) for normal as my BMI was 24.1 and overweight starts at 25. If I continued with my lifestyle, by the time I was 60 I probably would have been 180 pounds (81.6 kg) or more and would have been "overweight" according to the BMI index. Additionally, the extra weight would have been all fat and that would have had a detrimental effect on my health and general outlook on life.
The transition to vegetarianism happened over time , I had stopped eating red meat about a year before I stopped eating meat completely (and very soon after eggs and fish) and the transition itself was easier that one could expect. I think the main reason for this was the fact that I could cook and I always was thinking about what I was putting into my body. Recently I have been working to eliminate all dairy products from my diet. This is easy to do at home (though I miss Romano cheese on pasta) but it may not be so easy outside of the home especially when I travel. So far it is 99% dairy free. Driving past the local ice cream shop and realizing that I may never have a milk shake again kind of puts a feeling of finality on it.
Namaste
Sunday, February 2, 2014
New Year's Resolutions - Crowded Classes
A friend of mine recently posted something about how by February 7, most people who start an exercise in January will drop off. New Years resolutions (if they are life changing) are very hard to maintain without a level of discipline and realistic expectations.
I have been seeing an uptick in people in my Yoga classes which is both good and bad from my perspective. It is good to see classes with more than a few people and they do bring additional energy into class. Having to cram people into a classroom is a challenge. It is good that I always come early unless there is a class right before mine. Teachers have to spend some time showing people who are new to Yoga the nuances of poses but that is to be expected. It does pain me, however, seeing people taking a hot class for their first one as it can be a turn off if the instructor tends to have a hard flow class.
Keeping that January resolution is important and dropping just makes it harder the next year.. I read somewhere (and you can't believe all that you read) that only 12% of people stay committed to their January get fit resolution. That is a pretty sad percentage.
I think people who are new to Yoga need to do a little basic research. It will mean a world of difference if they have some knowledge and confidence before they step into a studio. One of my first posts is a good way to get acclimated.
http://middleagedyoga.blogspot.com/2013/03/starting.html
A smart studio should think about offering (and advertising) free introductory classes maybe one time a month to introduce people to what Yoga. The cost is low to them (just the instructor's hours) and it could bring in new members.
If you have started, keep it up, and remember, it is both Diet and exercise.
Namaste.
I have been seeing an uptick in people in my Yoga classes which is both good and bad from my perspective. It is good to see classes with more than a few people and they do bring additional energy into class. Having to cram people into a classroom is a challenge. It is good that I always come early unless there is a class right before mine. Teachers have to spend some time showing people who are new to Yoga the nuances of poses but that is to be expected. It does pain me, however, seeing people taking a hot class for their first one as it can be a turn off if the instructor tends to have a hard flow class.
Keeping that January resolution is important and dropping just makes it harder the next year.. I read somewhere (and you can't believe all that you read) that only 12% of people stay committed to their January get fit resolution. That is a pretty sad percentage.
I think people who are new to Yoga need to do a little basic research. It will mean a world of difference if they have some knowledge and confidence before they step into a studio. One of my first posts is a good way to get acclimated.
http://middleagedyoga.blogspot.com/2013/03/starting.html
A smart studio should think about offering (and advertising) free introductory classes maybe one time a month to introduce people to what Yoga. The cost is low to them (just the instructor's hours) and it could bring in new members.
If you have started, keep it up, and remember, it is both Diet and exercise.
Namaste.
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