Mixing Things Up

Now that Summer is gone and Autumn is waning,  my ability to walk many miles in my local park after work  is pretty limited.   Darkness is coming early again and even though the park is generally safe,  there is traffic on it and it really is no fun walking in the dark in an almost empty park.     When it was light out,  I would take 3 nights after work and walk anywhere between 4 and 6 miles.   The distance pretty much depended on how much my dog lasted  (she is 8+ years old now and determines when it is time to turn around) .  Now that it is cooler,  she can easily do the 6 mile loop but in the Summer,  she lags a bit.  

It is my humble opinion that you need to do more than Yoga because Yoga has limited cardio impact unless you are really doing a fast flow.     Most of the classes that I take barely make me breath heavy so I always need to supplement.   This is why I have always done a ton of walking.  

Since September, I have added what I call the "Series from Hell" to my exercise routine.   This is a half hour routine that really gets the heart pumping and the breath flowing.    I start with as many wide armed pushups as possible  (generally about 40 ) and then when that is done,  I set a timer for 3 minutes,  do 100 crunches with lower back flat on floor and just lifting shoulders and chest that usually takes about 2 minutes).   I then relax (almost die actually)  for the last minute on the timer.      I then do the cycle again except that I do a set of only 20 pushups and 100 crunches.   This is repeated four times with the one minute break between the crunches and the next pushup series.   I finish with 50  regular situps  (bringing the body up) with my dog barking at me   (something about situps gets her pretty riled up) .  I usually follow this series with an hour long Yin Yoga session to get my body relaxed and stretched.   The Yang/Yin combination makes this my favorite time to do Yoga.    



 I chose to do the wide armed pushups  (my hands are outside the edges of my Yoga mat) because I do many Chaturangas  during my Yoga practice and because wider armed pushups put less stress on the shoulders and more on the chest muscles.      I cannot say that I look forward to starting but once the first series is done,  the follow up ones are not too bad.    My goal is to hit 50 pushups in one session and I think that I may be able to make it. 

When I first started doing pushups again,  I think I was able to do about 12  (I had started doing the pushup series about a year ago and then stopped after a few months).    Progress was pretty smooth but I have plateaued for certain and now I know I have to work to get to 50.   Getting to the point where I am pushing 40  (42 is my record) pushups most of the time  gives me a great sense of accomplishment.  It also makes me realize that our bodies are still able to work hard and get stronger and have more endurance even when we are past 50 years of age.   That is a good feeling.  

Namaste...

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..