Studio Instructor Turnover/What I look for in Instructors.

There has been a big turn over of teachers in my home studio over the last few months.     Some of my favorite teachers have left to go on to bigger or better or both or neither things.  It is not a happy occasion but one must be flexible in this world.   Change is a constant and adaptation is really the only strategy that works. Impermanence is an undeniable truth of our lives and existence. 

This changeover  has made me think about what I like in instructors. Instruction is the main reason we do go to a class and the teacher is the most important facet of that class.      I have had instructors who I love to take classes with.   I have had others where I'll take a class because they are a warm body and I wanted to take a class. Finally,  I have had others from whom, after one class,  I would never take again. 

Here are some observations I have made over the years about what I like in a good Yoga instructor.


Learn their students names  -  Two classes in the past weeks have had new teachers who barely introduced themselves.    Neither bothered to ask who anyone was. 

Ask if anyone is nursing an injury or is pregnant.  -  This is important.  

Help people who are struggling physically immediately. 

Ask people before you adjust them.    Just moving their feet or arms may cause injury.


Do not hold people in poses while explaining to someone else who is learning it. 

Suggest corrections to the whole class.   Many  people do very basic poses wrong  (like Chaturanga).  In the four years that I have practiced, only three times was Sun Salutation A broken down in a class.  This is a key flow that is done in most classes .    Good observant teachers stop classes when they see more than one person doing something wrong and explain how to do it correctly.

Plan their classes  - Many instructors just dial it in.  They lead the class and do not instruct it.    Some instructors come with sheets of paper (or IPad)  with their class plan while others just roll out their mat.

Pick up on the tenor of their class and adjust appropriately.    The "Lunge of Death" may have been good last week but not this week.  

Do not show off their latest cool pose that no one in the class will ever be able do.     To me,  this is a disincentive and wastes class time. 

Make the class enjoyable.   

Namaste..

My General Standing Series

I do several different base flows during my home practice.     This allows me to practice in about one hour including stretches ,  Sun Salutations  (A and B) ,  Lying Series and Savasana.    The  core of this practice is my standing series.  I pretty much do the same thing every time.  I do have some experimentation days and classes always mix things up but I feel the repetition is good.

Here is my standing series.  I hold each pose for 10 long breaths (about 45 seconds).    After Warrior 2,  it can be a struggle to keep your leg bent so a quick straighten and then re-bending works.     My general flow is stretch,  5 Sun A and Sun B Salutations,  then the standing series and then a mat series for my hips followed by Savasana.  

A block is most likely necessary for the balancing series at the end. 


I  first  do this group on each side;
Warrior 1
Warrior 2
Humble Warrior or Reverse Warrior
Side Angle (5 breaths)
Extended Side Angle (5 breaths)
Bound Side Angle (5 Breaths)
Warrior 2
Triangle
Warrior 2

Then I do this on each side;
 Pyramid

Then I do this on each side;

Crescent Lunge
Crescent Lunge Twist

Finally I  do this on each side  (balancing series) ;
Warrior 1 (to step into Warrior 3)
Warrior 3
Standing Split
Half Moon. 



This series has some challenges  (especially in the balancing series) and when done without a break is a good exercise flow.  Remember to keep your focus on breathing and to count your breaths. 

Namaste.

Adding 10 Good Years to Your Life.

I recently read a book called "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest" by Dan Buettner.    In this book,  the author discussed the lifestyles, diet and exercise patterns of certain locations around the world where there is a high preponderance of people living past 100 years of age and in many cases,  having an active, independent lifestyle at the same time.   He refers to these areas as Blue Zones.    One of the areas that he researched and discussed was a town about 60 miles east of  Los Angeles called Loma Linda,  California.

Loma Linda has one of the the largest concentrations of Seventh Day Adventist  (a Christian Religion founded in 1863 in the United States) in the world .   One of the major tenets of the religion is its focus on health.    Adventists are required to keep a kosher diet and are encouraged  not drink alcohol or smoke and to keep a vegetarian diet.  In Loma Linda,  many restaurants have a large vegetarian menu and the largest supermarket in the city is completely  vegetarian.     Regular exercise is also encouraged.   Quoting the official Adventist website.

"Part of that example includes taking care of our health—we believe God calls us to care for our bodies, treating them with the respect a divine creation deserves. Gluttony and excess, even of something good, can be detrimental to our health.

Exercise and avoidance of harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol and mind-altering substances lead to clear minds and wise choices. A well-balanced vegetarian diet that avoids the consumption of meat coupled with intake of legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, along with a source of vitamin B12, will promote vigorous health. 

Such health is a gift from a loving God who wants us to live life in its abundance. When we benefit from such love, we feel a sense of gratitude and appreciation toward our creator. Because of this, Adventists choose to praise God with joyful living."

In 1974,  the School of Public Health in Loma Linda University started a study of the health of all Seventh Day Adventists in California.   The study  was " designed to find out which components of the Adventist lifestyle give protection against disease".   Over 34,000 white, non-Hispanic Adventists had their health tracked for 12 years and were continually updating the study with their health , diet and exercise information.    The results of the study showed that the Adventist diet and lifestyle (including < 1% smokers) contributed to a longer life than the average life span of a Californian in the same demographic group.     To quote a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article on the study;

" California Adventists have higher life expectancies at the age of 30 years than other white Californians by 7.28 years (95% confidence interval, 6.59-7.97 years) in men and by 4.42 years (95% confidence interval, 3.96-4.88 years) in women, giving them perhaps the highest life expectancy of any formally described population. Commonly observed combinations of diet, exercise, body mass index, past smoking habits, and hormone replacement therapy (in women) can account for differences of up to 10 years of life expectancy among Adventists.,"

The chart below is very interesting because it shows that at age 80,   over 60% of Adventists versus less than 40% of the non-Adventist population were still alive.    What is also significant is that more than 25% of Adventists were still alive at 90 versus less than 10% of the non-Adventist population.

   
While cigarette smoking is a major contributor to the decreased life expectancy amongst non-Adventists,  other factors contributed to variations of longevity within the Adventist population itself.    The study also analyzed the impact of diet choices on the Adventist longevity.   Additionally, the study  looked at patterns of exercise.  The  7.28 years for men included both vegetarian, vegan and non-vegetarians, sedentary and active.   Just looking at the impact of diet on longevity,  the article concluded "Adventist vegetarian men and women have expected ages at death of 83.3 and 85.7 years, respectively. "  This compares to 73 for men and 79.7 in the general US equivalent population.   While this does not conclusively point to just vegetarianism,   it does indicate an increased life span for those who take care about what they eat.     The JAMA article does say "

Non-Adventists are usually non-vegetarian, eat nuts much less frequently, exercise vigorously less frequently,and are more likely to be current (or past) cigarette smokers than Adventists who for practical purposes do not smoke.  Vegetarians also have lower body mass index values.The magnitude of the longevity contrasts between California Adventists and non-Adventists can be readily accounted for by the combined effects of commonly seen differences in these behavioral variables. The analyses comparing Adventists with others, and those within the Adventist population, are broadly consistent. This suggests that we have been able to identify many of the important variables accounting for their higher expected age at death."

Adding in the impact of exercise,  we find a range of 2 to 5 added years on studies done.

"It was estimated that higher physical activity may extend life by at least 2.1 years in a Finnish study. The College Alumni Study group estimated an extra 2.51 years for more active 35- to 39-year-old men, before the age of 80 years. The Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly found that nonsmokers with high physical activity had more than 5 years greater life expectancy at the age of 65 years when compared with those with low physical activity.   "

On top of the additional years that a healthy diet and exercise focused lifestyle can give us,  we must also be aware of the impact of this diet  and exercise focus on your general health and at an advanced age.   It would be no joy to live a long life to not be able to enjoy these later years.   Studies have shown that that the vegetarians take less medication and have fewer overnight hospital stays, surgical procedures, and x-ray examinations than non-vegetarians. Vegetarians also have a reduced prevalence of such diseases as hypertension and diabetes.     Regular exercise keeps your body stronger,  more balanced and less prone to injury.  

So in  a nutshell,   who would not want ten more years of a healthy active life.   While it is not guaranteed and there are many contributing factors to our mortality,  moving toward a vegetarian diet (at least reducing meat and dairy consumption) and exercising more will give us a chance.  It is really in your own hands.

Below is the link to the JAMA Article.   It is a really good read. 

Journal of the AMA Article



Namaste.

Tennessee Adventures and Misadventures

I have been spending long stretches of time near Chattanooga Tennessee for work so my Yoga, diet and exercise lifestyle has been adjusted somewhat to account for long work hours ,  missing my kitchen, having a tiny hotel to practice in and not having my well loved home Yoga studio nearby.

My big misadventure is my inability to keep water bottles.   In two classes that I took in the past week,   I have left water bottles both times.   I assume that  I'll get them back but it has been most annoying.  That is what I get for chatting with the instructor after class.   One I had for a total of two days.   And what is with $12 water bottles.  Someone is making a huge profit somewhere.

One good thing about the town I'm in  (Cleveland, Tennessee) is that there is a Greenway that runs through town and goes almost 6 mile.  Most evenings (if the temperature is below 100) I try to do at least 5 or 6 miles walking there if  my work schedule allows it.   It has been brutally hot here, but parts are shaded so it has been bearable.  I try to do this as much as possible even if I do practice Yoga that day. 

Nearby is a great amount of Hiking.   Smokey Mt National Park is an hour away and the Cherokee National Forest is only 1/2 an hour away.    Two coworkers and I did a great 13 mile hike through pretty rugged terrain.   The heat has made it dicey to hike unless you start early in the morning because of the continual threat of thunder storms and because the temperature has been hitting the mid 90's  (35c) .

I found a second Yoga studio to supplement the one here in Cleveland.    I really only like the Yin class here (really great well prepared instructor) as the floor is tile and it is not good for a flow class.   The second one is in Chattanooga (about 20 miles away) but it is mostly interstate so the drive it not too bad.   I have taken a few classes at the further studio and the facility is much better and they have a rubber like floor.  In addition,  they have some good hot classes  including something called Barkan Yoga which is a flow based style in a heated room.   In one class we did head stands, hand stands, and shoulder stands.  It was more than fun.   I'm really liking Yoga East in Chattanooga Tennessee.

http://www.yoga-east.net/

Food is always a challenge but with a refrigerator in my room there is always fresh vegetables and beer.   Each is necessary for life.  

Namaste..

Calmness

When I do a yin yoga practice session and added on meditation afterwards,  I am spending upwards of an hour and a half on my mat.    Most of the poses I do are 3 minutes long and at a minimum and,  while not painful, are not exactly comfortable either.    This requires me to just sit and think  (or not think) and stare into my mat , my head or space for quite a long time.  This goes against my general nature and has required me to adjust myself to be able to do this practice.

I am by nature an unsettled person.   My attention span is pretty short and like a normal child of the 60's,  I need something to entertain me at all times.   My grade school report cards always said things like "Eugene likes to speak out to much" and "Eugene needs to settle down".    I am thankful that Ritalin came after my early school years or I would have joined the doped masses. 

Yoga has allowed me to find a sense of calm and to be comfortable with just my thoughts and to shut down my thoughts at certain times.    I am a much  calmer person than I was before I started my practice.   I have learned to take a few breaths and calm down when stressed (even when driving).    This has been a real plus for my mental health.     I am a very mellow for a long time after my practice and meditation.   The sense of peacefulness that I have is something that I very rarely if ever have had outside of my Yoga practice.  This has gone a long way for my general health and well being to be able to control stress.

In a Yin class I took today,  we had a very long (five minute) side twist to hold.   It was not very comfortable but I was able after a time to almost shut down my mind and my feeling of discomfort. I was able enter a zone where I could have probably done 10 minutes without realizing how long I had been there.   It was a great feeling and it will continue to feel great.


Namaste.

Perfect Practice..

I am working remotely this week and walked over to a local studio to take what was called an "All Levels" class.    When I got there, the instructor said there was an "invite only" level 2/3 going on at the same time.  She suggested I talk to the person leading the class to see if I could join but I demurred and said I was fine with taking her class.

There were five people besides myself in the class and it was by far the most basic class I have taken.     There was no flow but rather a detailed breakdown of about 10 individual Asanas.     For three or four of the poses we used folding metal chairs to control the range of movement.    On one hand, I was hoping for a flow class as I wanted to get somewhat of a workout but on the other,  the breakdown of each pose made me realize a fundamental truth about any Yoga practice.   No matter how long you have been practicing,  you can always improve even the most basic of postures.  Your practice will never be perfect but rather will continue to get better and better.     Even something as basic as Warrior 1 has many things to concentrate on.

It is always good to go back to  the basics of Yoga.  While advanced poses are challenging and fun,  the real core of  my  practice are the basic poses that I  do every day.   Continual practice on them will make my  overall practice that much better.

Namaste..

My diet guidelines..

I am not saying that the way I eat is perfect but  I do believe that how I eat is healthy.   There is always, however, room for improvement.   Here are the guidelines I try to follow in my diet.   My biggest mantra is that I think about everything that I eat, every time I eat.    If I eat a cookie,  I think about the fat and sugar that I am ingesting.     99% of the time I walk away from the pile of baked products and candy at work.  My biggest weakness is my fondness for regular pasta and white rice. 

I read every label of everything that I buy to eat that is packaged.   I look at salt,  sugar,  fats and preservatives.    You learn very quickly that many thing that are prepared are full of the first three.    This unholy triumvirate is designed by food manufacturers to entice you to become addicted to their product.      I put down and do not buy much more than I ever do buy.  Check peanut butter,  how much sugar is in that would surprise you.  That is pretty typical..

I get as much of my nutrition as possible from completely unprocessed foods.   A major source of my food intake is raw or lightly prepared vegetables,   beans and lentils,    fruits, and nuts.    A big salad every night filled with lots of vegetables and nuts and  that does not include iceberg lettuce. 
I replaced lettuce with Spinach for every salad.  Spinach provides much more nutrition than any lettuce.   Fruit with every breakfast is a good idea that I follow. 


I keep my animal fat and protein intake to a minimum.   I do not eat any meat, fish or eggs and five days out of seven I am fully vegan.     Protein intake is important but there are more healthy ways to get it than meat and dairy. 

I avoid soda.    This means diet or regular.    It is either chemicals or chemicals with too much sugar.   This cannot be good for you.   (I worked for a soda company once so watching 2000 pounds sacks of Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid being turned into a drink product can turn anyone off of sodas).

I switched to black coffee without sugar.  The first month away from sugar in my coffee was not easy.  Now I cannot ever have coffee any other way.    Yummy and dark and bitter..  Ah coffee.  


I try to eat as much whole wheat breads and brown rice as possible but to be honest,  I love regular pasta and Basmati rice so I could be much better here.     There is a lot of information about white flour and its impact on insulin levels in your body.  Same with white rice.  I do exercise every day, so I do use those carbohydrates that I eat.  I do look at the ingredients of the whole wheat breads that I buy and while sugar is in a vast majority of them,  if it is way down on the ingredient list,  I will buy it.     

I say no to mass produced baked dessert products.   No donuts from any of the chains,  no supermarket cakes, no packaged baked cakes or cookies like Entenmann's or Freihofer's.  These are full of hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and are overly sweet.    If someone bakes a cake , pie or cookies,  I only eat a small piece or just one.   Even a small piece satiates the natural desire for sweet foods.     Moderation (not deprivation), is my key here

I keep chips (crisps  for the English), and fries to a minimum.    I love both of these.   There are never  Potato Chips in my house and if I have fries,  I usually make them myself using olive oil.     The big thing is not to have these available and never to buy a big bag if I give in to the temptation.. 

I stay away from the vending machine.    No 3PM candy bar..

Namaste..