Yogi Gigsters Jumpstart

Yogi Launch - Getting Started
 

Child's Pose ~Balasana~

Ever just want to curl up into a ball and fade away. Well here you go.  Drop into the Child's Pose and relax. Sit back on your heels with your knees tucked under you directly beneath each shoulder.  Arms resting by your sides with your palms facing up or arms reaching out in front stretching your shoulders.  Your forehead should be resting on the floor. Inhale slowly through your nose filling your lungs to capacity and fully exhale softly through slightly parted lips. Stay here as long as you please. 

Flip Child Pose ~Apanasana~

Stay in Child Pose and roll over onto your back. Wrap your arms around your knees and hug them gently, knees to chest.  Hold this pose, close your eyes and breathe. Feel your lower back release onto the floor.  When fully relaxed gently massage your back by rolling around gently. Rocking up and down will massage the spine and soothe your back further. 

Downward Dog ~

A gentle inversion that feels fabulous on the back of your legs, your spine, shoulders, wrists. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, fold over gently from the hips and place both hands on the floor. Walk your arms out from your feet till your legs are straight.   Lift your hips up and back towards the ceiling at the same time you press your heels gently down towards the floor.  Push the floor away from your body with your hands lengthening your spine. Hold, breathe then drop back down into Child's Pose by folding your toes under and tucking your knees into your chest.

Cat/Cow ~

This is a must if you sit at your desk all day.  This will release your spine and feel fabulous.  Get down on your hands and knees. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders, knees directly under your hips. Inhale, drop your belly and lift your tailbone.  Exhale, round your back and tuck your tailbone. Push your spine to the ceiling.  Repeat this sequence 5 to 10 times. Rest in Child's Pose for a few breaths to rest.

Pointer ~

After Cat/Cow remain on your hands and knees. Extend one arm slowly straight out in front of your shoulder keeping it close and in line with your ear.  Extend the opposite leg back.  Hold for as long a comfortable before changing to other side. Engage your tummy (core), gaze downward. Avoid leaning to one side, keep your weight centered squarely above your hips and shoulders. To take this up a notch try it standing.

Yogi Squat ~

Stand with your feet wide apart, toes turned out. Keeping spine straight, lower your hips down as far as they will go. It is OK to take your hands to the floor in front for stability. Try to take the weight into your heels as much as possible.  Line your knees over your toes. Your turn out from the hips and knees should be no more than 45 degrees.  Adjust the feet as needed.  Work on getting your heels to the floor.  If they do not touch the floor place a rolled up towel underneath them for support. Stay in this squat for as long as possible while keeping the weight off the balls of your feet.  Finally with your hands in prayer at chest level use your elbows to open up your knees in line with your toes. Lengthen your spine by lifting your chest. Gaze forward. Hold and breath.

More to come:

Forward Fold ~Uttanasana~

Triangle ~Trikonasana~

Tree ~Vrksasana~

Locust ~Shalabasana~

Be Well

Few Things I Found to Be True

Failure is often the springboard to success and happiness. 

Think back to your biggest disappointments or failures.  Now sit back and contemplate the time before that failure. What circumstances surrounded it and what actions led up to this "failure".  Then think hard about the block of time that followed.  Any monumental "ahh haa's" fall into place? Often times we navigate through tough, very tough waters only to resurface stronger and more renewed.  With this renewal we experience breakthroughs which strengthen us as a whole person.  Satisfaction and happiness often follow such times.  So although great success from the outside looks to be the ultimate joyride, it is failure that often creates monumental changes from within for our betterment.  Every mistake you make is progress.

We're all in the same boat.

In this thing called life, SSDD, same stuff, different day.  We all possess a dimension of success and a dimension of failure. More simply put,  life happens when you least expect it and it happens to all of us.  Our circumstances may differ but really isn't it all the same in the end.

The problem we have with others really is more about us than them.

This one speaks for itself.  I try to fall back on this reality during the times I feel frustrated the most.  After taking time to digest what is frustrating me, really, one of two things usually come to me; that what is bothering me really is just me being me, or that I simply have set my bar too high, etc. I just need to step back and take a good look inside to see what really is going down. Then let go.

Emotional decisions are often not good decisions.

They say that in times of stress you should not make any major decisions. This is what I am talking about.  Sit on it.

You will never feel 100% ready when opportunity knocks.

Isn't there always that little guy on your shoulder giving you the business.  Take note but at the same time realize that opportunity often presents itself when you least expect it.

That is all the profound? thoughts I have for today. 

Be Well

Calling all Weekend Warriors

Do you consider yourself a weekend warrior?

It seems like more and more of us are taking a interest in competing "for the fun of it" in events such as 5K's, marathons, biking, du's, tri's, etc. Maybe some of us are not into competition but we are regulars at the gym,  training 3 to 5 times a week.

Whether or not you are training for a specific event, have you postulated a fitness goal you are actively working to achieve? IF so, do you make every minute of those workouts count? I mean, do you work out hard for your fitness level?  I am going to venture a guess here, but I would say yes.  Time is premium in our hectic schedules so fast and effective workouts are what we all are looking for.  And so I consider you an athlete.

Besides getting the best training, are you making your sure your nutritional needs are met? Good nutrition does count and helps your training go a long way. Actually, it can be what makes or breaks you reaching your fitness goals.

What does an athletic diet look like?
A good diet for athletes should be the same as a well balanced diet with the exception of added calories and fluids, depending on the activity level and individual specific caloric needs.

What to eat?
Eat foods that fuel your body effectively.  Feed your muscles high quality foods that provide key nutrition. It really is that simple. Whether you consider yourself athletic or a weekend warrior, follow guidelines that recommend a diet of whole grains, vegetables and/or fruits along with protein at each meal. Don’t forget to include a little bit of  “good” fat throughout your day.

Go get 'em Tiger!
Be Well

Give me a few

A few weeks...that is.

Science indicates that it takes your brain and body two weeks to nearly a year to acclimate to "new adventures".  Not everybody is the same when it comes to forming new habits, especially when those habits are replacing old "bad" but beloved ones. What would your adventure be? Well....hmmm... you are the driver of that. Maybe you want to tighten up your nutrition.  Or, maybe it's your tush you wish to tighten.  I am here to encourage you to hang with it for the short (or long haul), just suck it up buttercup. Mind over matter. In short time you will find your body responding to a new norm with less cravings or inklings of falling back into your old, not so wanted, habits. 

This is a challenge, I will admit, but there are ways to navigate through it.  The key seems to be this: repeat, repeat, repeat. Complex actions or behaviors such as exercise may take longer than something as simple as drinking more water would.  Expect setbacks along the way, they will happen. Stop beating yourself up, no one is perfect. We all deserve a break or even a splurge once in a while. Do try to take notice of why your setback occurred and arm yourself with tools to overcome it that next time around. Recruit your friends for help, a support system is essential in any behavior change. Tell others your plan so they can help hold you to "it" in those times when you need it the most.

One of the tricks I use to tighten my nutrition is drinking plenty of water all day long.  Water is essential to, well, every bodily function I can think of.  It is great for your skin, hair, heart (circulation), kidneys, liver, brain to name just a few.  Drink, drink, drink.  Find a way to make this work.  Give up your soda for 2 weeks....and drink good ole H2O.  Also, eating a small handful of nuts or a spoonful of nut butter is another trick that works for me when cravings hit.  Man she is nuts. Ha, well yep, I admit it.  There.  I am talking about good old fashioned nuts such as raw almonds and walnuts.  Nuts are a good fat source, in moderation, that can be extremely helpful to you as you tough it through a starvation mode.

Metabolism shifts happen and eating every 3 hours or so can be quite an effort...so make it easy on yourself. Get prepared.  Stash healthy snacks such veggies or  small handfuls of nuts in baggies in your vehicle and handbag.  Make sure these are single serving size so you don't gorge when that "I'm starved" mode hits you.  Natural snack bars such as Zing Bars are another great idea to have within reach.  Believe me, hunger hits when you are least expecting it.

Gleefully trekking to the gym? Here's a habit we can all use. This one happens to be one that I have down pat but that is because fitness has been a lifelong activity of mine. I have been a sports enthusiast of sorts as long as I can remember.  If you prefer sinking into your couch instead of  schlepping your body to the gym studies indicate you are in for a longer turnover period before this becomes a habit. Just know that and prepare for it. These studies indicate changing complex behaviors takes one and half times longer to accomplish.  Whew..that could be bad. The key here could be a buddy system and mixing up your fitness activities, not just sticking to the same activity day in and out. BoRINg.  Even I would rather poke a hot stick in my eyeball than do the same thing everyday at the gym.  Variety is the spice of life.

So September is upon us. The season of change. I purpose we all get busy and change up the bad habits we have for some good.  Are you in??

Be Well

One of My Faves

In the writing this prayer, weighing on my heart today is the loss of my sister and other loved ones, the loss of innocence in the world and my personal loss of the sight of Him.  I run to You today Lord....hold me in the palm of Your hand for just one instance and it will be better, all with You.
 
Psalm 4

Answer me when I call to you

Oh my righteous God,

Give me relief from my distress,

Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

How long, O men, will you

Turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love

Delusions and seek false gods?

But know that the Lord has set

Apart the godly for himself.

The Lord will hear when I call to Him.

In your anger do not sin,

When you are in your beds

Search your hearts and be silent.

Offer right sacrifices and

Trust in the Lord.  

Many are asking

'Who can show us any good?'

Let the light of your face

Shine upon us, Oh Lord,

You have filled my heart with greater joy

Than when their grain and 

New wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

For you alone,

Oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.