Personal Growth, Triathlon, Yoga

Ironman >>> Power = Engery * Potential

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I’m a mechanical engineer. Crazy good in math and science. So my view of things is a bit different. I don’t think things are necessarily good or bad like we tend to label them. Just energy in one expression or another. I think everything, EVERYTHING, gets recycled. Mountains and volcanoes. Rain, clouds, lakes, ice and oceans. Laughs and tears, smiles and frowns. Words and actions. Thoughts and dreams.

In college I studied the bigger thoughts about science. And it’s totally CRAZY interesting how…10 years later, here I am, an employed yoga teacher using my engineering degree more than I ever have. WOOT!!!! And revisiting all the thoughts presented to me in those crazy classes. Just crazy awesome. Anyway. (I might type “crazy” just a couple more times before I’m done.)

This has been on my mind for awhile. When I rested on “YES, I’m training for a 1/2 Ironman“, I asked myself MANY MANY MANY times…WHY WHY WHY? So the rest of this is why. If you get it… I hope so.

I want to be powerful. I want softness. I want wisdom. I want to find the balance that I CAN ACHIEVE. I believe all of these things fit into the equation of personal power.

So for me…those limits are different than others, I push myself in different ways. Learning the same things. I want to move through this challenge from the heart. To travel through consciously and always having fun. Finding lessons along the way. Learning to honor myself, love myself, take care of myself, learning to keep the  ego at bay. It’s yogic.

I can’t help but get back to this “power” idea. This poor word… power. It’s inherited some bad flack. (EGO + POWER = ???)

Power: without it, NOTHING HAPPENS. It’s just want it is. The ability to do something, with a couple of systems to define it. Electrical, mechanical…It’s what gets you off the couch. Gets that car moving when you push the gas pedal down. Gets you into that situation that that isn’t all that great. Takes power to have courage. Power to get to you to the next crossroad. Overcome the obstacle. Takes power to push through to the next cycle.

Definition of power

1. Capacity to do something: the ability, strength, and capacity to do something
2. In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed.
3. equation

So what are we learning?????

The ability to turn on the power, keep it on as needed, then to shut it down. To be fully charged…full of power. A FULLY charged battery without much crust. Able to use what you got to do…X, Y or Z.

We learn this on the yoga mat, on the track, etc. The difficulty lies when we let the EGO add too much pooh and mess things up. We push too hard. Forget what in the world we are doing. Start competing with the…instructor, teacher, neighbor, magazine cover. We lose ourselves. That’s not uncommon. We do it all the time. It’s a habit. To lose ourselves. (fyi, it’s the power that gets us back to center.)

headstand-balance-1We center ourselves. Turn on the power. Start driving down the road we feel drawn to.

Sometimes you just got to throw it down! Bad ass style. Sometimes with more finesse. Sometimes you let it go by you with just a bit of a nod. Learning to deal with the power, it’s important. Like learning to race a super fast race horse. Where do we practice that? On the mat, the track, in the pool, in the meeting room, at the kitchen table. It’s everywhere. It’s just the words you put to it.

It’s like breathing. If things move, there is power. You want more more of it, learn to use it. If you want to be more efficient, learn to use it well.

Live It OUT LOUD. Anything else is…not human.  🙂

FYI, starting a power yoga class. This is what we will be learning.

Yoga

The Dance We Learn on Our Yoga Mat

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There as been a lot of conversation about yoga. In the papers, in books, everywhere. Admittedly, my thoughts have been roaming all over the place. As with the conversations, some positive, some negative. Inspiration and thought provoking.   Unknowing and stagnant.

And of course, with so many different people and so many different expressions of yoga. Like the cereal aisle. Toothpaste aisle. Shoe aisle. Parenting styles. Like the vast array of religious and spiritual flavors you have to chose from. Of course you’ll have this opinion and that.

I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned on the yoga mat. Where my thoughts have landed today.

There is this dance we learn on the yoga mat. The dance between Strength and Flexibility. The internal DISCOVERY of your strengths. Your weaknesses. Yoga would have you work with your strengths. Develop more strength an in area, more flexibility in another, balancing things out. And in this way, we learn BALANCE. Right here, right now.

It’s not about trying to get to some ideal. A picture of some super attractive person doing something that we all wish we could do. It’s about contentment right here, right now. With a healthy desire to right forward. We learn how to develop more balance. Right here, right now.

From this comes HEALING.

So the dance goes on. Through the steps of strength and flexibility, we dance through the cycle of Discovery – Balance – Healing. Things always changing. Changing partners, changing music. Always dancing.

Strength and flexibility dance
Together
Living Vibrantly
Finding Stilling in
the Moment

Live it out loud!

Personal Growth

The Train Station called Change

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It’s interesting how life is mainly change, yet we have get a pretty good habit of avoiding change, being very resistant to change. Change can be scary. The unknown can be scary. It seems that we are being programmed to “plan ahead”, “think ahead”, “have all your ducks in a row”, etc. I think planning is important, but not to the point were we aren’t flexible enough to duck and weave.

The other day I was meditating and a picture of a train station come into my mind. A big train station, like one you could experience in New York City. LOADS of people, and sounds. Things going really fast. The trains, the suitcases on wheels, the billion conversations that breeze by the ears. The peeping and bells, the dings and doors opening and closing. The hustle and bustle. The URGENCY.

I was thinking that I’m feeling like I’m standing in the middle of all that, with my life. With all the change going on. Things coming pretty fast. LOUDLY, from all different directions. It can get a bit overwhelming. Couple thoughts seemed to tone it all down.

Remember, you’re standing in the train station.

Not everything I see and hear needs my attention. My time. My effort. I can tune some of it out. Just look around, stay focused, use your plan/guide to help you know which you can tune out. If you’re not going out of the country, don’t look at that sign or sheet.

You can still go slow, even if everyone else is sprinting. Sometimes you might need to hurry your backside along, I think more often we can easily not hurry.

No location is bad. Just different. You’ll learn something along the way.

If you can’t choose with train, make the best guess. Knowing the last mentioned thought. And putting this one with it. You can ALWAYS get back on when you get there and return. You might see something you never expected, maybe even something you needed before you get to the train you “were suppose to be on”.

Change can be unpleasant. Difficult to remain relaxed and in harmony.

Change can also be liberating. Insightful. Fun.

Keep your sense of humor about you. Your plan/guide. And smile.

Personal Growth

Boys, Cinderella and WHEN counting to 10 just doesn’t cut it – part 1

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EMOTIONAL CONTROL

KEEP YOURSELF IN CHECK

DON’T VOMIT INTO OTHER PEOPLES SPACE (your baggage, that is. Well, I guess anything else either.)

That’s what it’s all about, right? Growing up, maturing. Respond instead of react. Try to create a time/space zone, give yourself time to think before something negative comes out of your mouth. Or at least, plan and intend to say/do the things that you say/do. There, that’s the ringer.

Sometimes easier said than done. Depending on the situation, which button it pushes. How deep that button goes. We have the silly pet peeves that make our eyes roll. We have the more important stuff that might cause our blood pressure to go up or the shoulders to become tense. Up on the scale we have the VOMIT IN SPACE, your own or someone else’s. When you really let it fly, or it really flies, or things are just all stinky.

Have you ever tried to not vomit. It’s bad news. If you haven’t, don’t. Free tip of the day that I KNOW is true. All the rest…

The point is, this type of reaction is one that you don’t have a lot of control over. It’s like the saber tooth tiger is standing in your kitchen, looking you in the eye, asking you politely…”You going to freak out or am I going to eat you?” Fight or flight. It’s a primal thing. It’s hard to apply the 10 second thing. I mean, seriously, what chance does the “10 second” thought have in getting through when your ____ is in hyper drive and in the process of taking control of your being.

Whats to do? Practice. Allow yourself in the situation again and practice. Find something that works. To help you create that time/space zone where you can maybe ask yourself, “Will he really eat me?”, “Can I shoot his…off?” “Is there another way to respond?” “Am I having any fun?” “Is this worth getting worked up about?” “Why am I reacting?”

Need an example? Got a nice one for you.

Cole likes watermelon. A lot. I bought him a little one, about the size of a softball on a dose of steroids. So I thought, ok, I’ll let him cut it up himself. (He’s six, he’s good with knives). And admittedly, I didn’t think too far into the future, to consider that the 7 year old would join. So they are both cutting the watermelon, doing good. Bird is eating some, life is good. I’m thinking, awesome. It’s all on the table. Awesome. I DO say the disclaimer, please don’t get watermelon all over the floor. Then I go downstairs to check my email. 5 minutes.

When I went back upstairs, I see them cleaning the floor. Like a boys version of Cinderella. It was kind of cute, for a nano second until I see that just about every surface of the kitchen is covered with water drops. Or watermelon drops. Who knows.  I’m still “good to go” at this point, fulling in control of my SPACE.

Side note: I’m wearing my BRAND NEW running shoes. Newly bought yesterday. That I really like. BIG LIKEY.

It’s really awesome that they are cleaning up their mess, though there will be a lot of work for me. I’m totally past the eye rolling phase, solidly into blood presssure rising. WHY? Oh, I know this answer, I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE PUT UNINVITED STUFF ON MY TO DO LIST. Especially if I’ve just cleaned the floor the day before. And it’s watermelon folks. Just slightly less worse than OJ. STICKY FLOOR. (I have this thing with floors and walking on them with bare feet.) What really gets to me as I’m doing damage control…that I might get my new shoes dirty. OMG! It’s funny and awesome and a bit disturbing all at the same time that I knew that.

And knowing why I was getting upset helped me to calmly ask them to sit and be still. And I did manage a heart felt “It was really good for you two to be cleaning up your mess.”

I did send them all into timeout for 10. 14 year old had just done something really disrespectful, so I get extra points for mufti-tasking my calmness. We had a family conversation on what went on, how mom felt, and each had a moment to say something useful. Which all went really well.

So the Point? Don’t feed the saber tooth tiger, maybe he won’t stick around playing mind games with you.

Here’s what got the watermelon everywhere.

002

HOLY MOTHER. Raising boys is like a circus. They like their tools. They think outside the box. And have a bit of lack of…discretion.

Diet, Eating, Prevention

Parkinson’s – Your Diet can have a POSITIVE impact.

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Here is some information I have put together from various sources and time spent doing research. The information is meant to give you food for thought. Ask your doctor. Do some research. I’m upset at the fact that of all of the people I know with Parkinson’s, their MD’s are telling them that their diet can have an impact. Some of this information isn’t in layman’s terms, so bear with it. Use it as a bouncing off point to go learn more yourself. Information is POWER.

Hear me please: YOUR DIET CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT!

(NaturalNews) Parkinson’s disease is the second most common degenerative disorder of the central nervous system after Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that 1% of individuals over the age of 65 are diagnosed with this disorder. Lifestyle can have an impact on Parkinson’s disease.

(bonnie) CHECK THIS OUT:
In general, it is agreed that it is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting adults over the age of 65. Diagnoses of the Disease in adults between the ages of 40 and 65 has increased in the past few decades, though as yet there is no attributable cause. Because of its relatively slow progress, a person diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease may live another 40-50 years, with increasing disability.

[tie_list type=”checklist”]

  • One person in every 200 will be diagnosed with the Disease in their lifetime.
  • One out of every 100 people over 60 in the United States will be diagnosed with the Disease.
  • There are over 50,000 new diagnosed cases of the disease in the United States every year.

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(NaturalNews) Parkinson’s particularly affects a region of the basal ganglia called the substantia nigra. The basal ganglia are a group of brain structures that utilize dopamine as their primary neurotransmitter. Neuronal loss in these regions is associated with brain cell inflammation and the formation of cross-linked proteins called Lewy bodies in the remaining nerve cells. Lewy bodies are protein aggregates that form and block normal cellular activity.

The most common symptoms of Parkinson’s include movement related disorders such as shaking, rigidity, difficulty walking and slowness of movement. As the disease progresses, it leads to cognitive and behavioral problems such as dementia, insomnia and irritability.

Type II Diabetes Dramatically Increases Parkinson Disease Risk

Researchers in Finland have found that individuals with type II diabetes have an 83% greater risk of developing Parkinson’s. Elevated blood sugar is known to link with protein structures in a process called glycation. This reaction of reducing sugars connecting to amino acids creates advanced glycolytic enzymes (AGE’s). AGE’s are especially dangerous and create massive amounts of free radicals.

AGE damage in the basal ganglia region is associated with Lewy body formation. These structures are created and aggregate in the basal ganglia due to excessive oxidative stress within the sensitive neuronal tissues. Oxidative stress in the brain is most commonly associated with blood sugar imbalances and environmental toxins (such as heavy metals and organic toxins like pesticides and herbicides).

British studies have linked users of conventional herbicide weed killers and pesticide fly killers to be almost twice as likely to form Parkinson’s disease. Many of these products kill weeds and bugs by affecting protein chemistry within the organism. This seems to clearly have deleterious effects on humans as well. The greatest potential sources of exposure include crop spraying, weed killers, pesticides and insecticides used in the garden, and fly sprays and ant powders used in the home.

The key to preventing and reversing Parkinson’s disease is to begin with an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. This includes lots of clean water and phytonutrient rich raw and lightly cooked vegetables. Good fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts/seeds and coconut products should be strongly encouraged. Healthy animal products such as grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, antelope, deer and free-range chicken, turkey and eggs are also good sources.

Sugar and food sources that metabolize into sugar such as grains and fruits should be used minimally. Anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and rosemary among others should be used at every possible chance.

High quality omega-3 fatty acids with astaxanthin are especially important for stabilizing neuronal cell membranes. Astaxanthin has very strong anti-oxidant effects that are especially good at protecting against lipid peroxidation, which damages cell membranes.

It is very important for individuals, who are suffering from Parkinson’s or are susceptible to the disease, to boost intracellular glutathione levels. Glutathione (GSH) is a very special peptide molecule that provides the greatest anti-oxidant protection and recharges other anti-oxidants within the body. Non-denatured, grass-fed whey protein is the best natural food source for glutathione precursors such as cysteine and glutamic acid.

And it comes full circle. Check out my article on GLUTATHIONE. Check out JUICE PLUS. So many key antioxidants and power ingredients that each and every cell needs to function and protect itself. Make a positive impact. Right now!

More to come on this topic!

Yoga

Yoga Off the Mat

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So I started swimming in June. It’s a fun adventure. Sometimes a bit challenging. Sometimes things come easy. The biggest thing that I’m totally amused at is how my personality quirks influence the swimming (hello-all things).

FOR EXAMPLE…I’m TYPE A. Engineer. High strung. Super FIXER. So I can get a bit tense in the water. And for that I have a mantra, “I’m a little tea pot, short and stout…pour me out!”. And it works well. Come to find out it works so much that when I drive down the street past a place that causes me tension, I sing my “Tea Pot Mantra” while I drive. If you’re lost about how a place on the street can cause tension, look forward to my next blog on “His Ironic Sense of Humor”.

So what does singing “I’m a tea pot” have anything to do with it? Well, the words mean something positive to me. My awesome swim coach suggested that I say them, he’s someone that I believe knows what he’s talking about. So it’s like a mental shield of armor, and a nice sharp sword at times too. It’s helping me to not rehearse a bad habit and develop a new more positive one. I could chant something a bit more…zen, but for right now, this is really working for me. I even know all the words now.

I must confess that I have more than one quirk, hahaha…let me share another with you. I’m a PERFECTIONIST. In a big way. I set expectations really high. For others, but super high for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I think expectations are good and meaningful, but not if the thoughts that stem from those tendencies aren’t so positive or get you wrapped about the axle.  Or a PLETHORA of chlorinated water in your nose.

So, my first triathlon is in a week. I’m prepared. Truly. Yet I have this nagging voice in my space that isn’t so confident. And it’s on the verge of becoming louder; I struggle with it daily. So I go to the pool, and do the swim. Because despite all my coach’s reassures and the fact that I can swim longer than needed, I still hear the nagging voice that says I’m going to fail. Yesterday I did the swim. TWICE. And check this out! (for heavens sakes) I still wasn’t content and happy…with the time it took me. So in a breath’s length of time I raised the bar from just finishing to having a good time. And I don’t even know what a good time is. (seriously, some days I drive myself crazy)

OK.  What’s to do with my crazy self.

YOGA.  OFF THE MAT.

I know the answer is simple, though apparently not so easy for me to do.

Breathe. Listen to the breath. Sing my mantra. Ingrain it in my bones. Breathe. Practice what I know, do what I have practiced. Feel the water. Feel the body. Breathe.

Eating, Prevention, Triathlon

The Role of Antioxidants in the Endurance Athlete – By Dr. David Phillips

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The Role of Antioxidants in the Endurance Athlete

by David Phillips M.D.

Much has been talked about in the sports and science community about the adverse affects of prolonged and strenuous exercise as it relates to the production of free radicals in an athlete’s body. What are these byproducts of aerobic exercise and why are they damaging to the human body? More importantly, what role do antioxidants play in neutralizing these damaging molecules and what can we as athletes do to facilitate this protective process?

The ‘Radical’ Concept

Free radicals are highly reactive species produced during various molecular processes in the human body. While environmental factors such as pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke can spawn free radicals, in this article we will focus on those free radicals produced during endurance exercise.

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd or unpaired number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed, these reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, similar to a domino effect. In other words, these compounds attack the nearest stable molecule, “stealing” its electrons in order to gain stability. When the “attacked” molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started it can cascade, resulting in the disruption of a living cell. Free radical damage not only contributes to accelerated aging, it also causes damage to immune cells. It’s not uncommon for endurance athletes such as triathletes or marathoners to have a higher incidence of colds and upper respiratory infections after competition and intense training. Free radical damage to cellular DNA plays a significant role in the evolution of certain cancers, heart disease and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Exercise and Oxidative Damage

Endurance exercise can increase oxygen utilization from 10 to 20 times over the resting state and up to 100 to 200 times in working muscles. This greatly increases the generation of free radicals via oxidative metabolism in skeletal mitochondria. Fortunately, the body has an elaborate antioxidant defense system that utilizes dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals as well as our body’s own enzyme systems to decrease concentrations of the most harmful oxidants in tissues. Regular endurance training has been shown to enhance our internal antioxidant defense system, these changes of which occur slowly over time and appear to parallel other adaptations to exercise. When free radical production exceeds the ability of antioxidant enzymes and nutritionally obtained antioxidants to neutralize them, oxidative stress results. So, what can we as endurance athletes do to minimize the damage caused by the inevitable overflow of free radicals during training and competition?

Fruits and Vegetables: The Power of the Pyramid!

A recent change in dietary intake of fruits and vegetables by the USDA has placed a greater emphasis on increasing our daily consumption from the previous 5-7 servings a day to 7-9 servings and up to 13 servings or more for endurance athletes! Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene are the primary vitamin antioxidants. Previous research looking into the effects of supplementing our diets with these isolated nutrients has yielded equivocal results. Once thought to be beneficial to cardiac health, isolated vitamin E supplementation has now been questioned. Beta carotene supplements have been shown to increase lung cancer in smokers as well as contribute to thickening of the lining of arteries.

Recent studies now point to the synergistic role of numerous antioxidants obtained from the consumption of whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Therefore, a diet rich in naturally occurring antioxidants appears to outweigh the risks inherent to supplementing one’s diet with isolated laboratory made supplements. Furthermore, various key trace minerals such as zinc, selenium and manganese found in naturally occurring foods are needed for the proper functioning of various endogenous antioxidant enzymes.

Training Right, Eating Right:  Final Thoughts

The endurance athlete faces a challenge of balancing daily aerobic exercise with preventative measures that minimize the damaging affects of oxidative stress.  Clearly, fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants are vital to this balance. Many of us may find it difficult to consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables to achieve this balance. For those who are unable to take in enough daily produce, cryoevaporated fruits and vegetables in capsule form, such as Juice Plus+, make it possible to supplement what we are not able to consume when we visit the salad bar. Antioxidant supplementation helps to bridge the gap between what we eat on a daily basis (what we know we should be eating!) and the optimal amount of phytonutrients needed to combat the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

As endurance athletes, it is important to be aware of not only the benefits of aerobic exercise but the potentially negative aspects training and racing can have on our bodies and long term health. Finding a healthy balance between training and proper nutrition will go a long way in promoting longevity in any endurance athletic activity.

David-PhillipsDavid Phillips, M.D. graduated in 1984 from Harvard University where he earned academic honors and was an All-American swimmer.  He received his medical degree from Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio.  After practicing as an emergency room physician, Dr. Phillips shifted his focus to sports medicine.  He has competed individually in national and international triathlons including the 2005 Ford Ironman World Championships, and qualified as a member of Team USA at the 2008 International Triathlon Union World Championships in Vancouver.

 
 
 

Yoga

When it sneaks up on you

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I read this book a while back. Super fabulous. Dr. Dan Siegel’s Parenting from the Inside Out. OMG.  Very good book, for those that want to be better parents (or better humans), that maybe didn’t grow up in the Beaver household. I highly suggest, click the book for more.

ParentingFromInside_LGThe book talks about behaviors. And how sometimes they are a mystery. For example. A mother might get really upset when her child does x. There really isn’t a good reason why the mother gets upset, but she does. It feels largely out of her control. Yes, she can power through remaining in control, faking calm. But the point is that it happens almost automatically, if not full on automatic. She tries and tries to stop the behavior…but maybe it just doesn’t make sense, the counting and deep breathing don’t work.

The book talks a lot about the brain, the two sides, what they do and don’t do. And how an event will (should) have a version in the left and the right side. They are meant to layer together, to make sense. But what if they don’t. For example, the mother might have had a very traumatic event that she doesn’t logically remember, but the emotional trauma is there. Perhaps the source of the unexplained autopilot thing.

Very interesting stuff. From my own experience with the book and the assignments (I read it twice) it is probably one of the most beneficial reads in my life.  And in my children’s lives.

Story Time

uncomfortable-toesBackground. I have personal space issues, though I would like to believe I’m largely over most of it. I almost drown when I was 6. My son almost drown when he was 6. So this summer was a learn to swim summer. Now in November, I’m a decent swimmer. So is he. (Yippey)

So when Jeff, my swim coach said, “This drill will require some personal contact.”, I thought to myself, “Oh great.” Then,  “Ok, I’ve gotten over this, no biggie.” My logical brain said “Relax. You’re a rockstar, no biggie”. I did the drill, wasn’t all that bad. Then it hit me. Like a bulldozer. The next lap I went to swim, to practice what I learned in the drill, I sucked in so much water that I had to stop. But it didn’t end there. I could hardly get to the end of the pool. In the middle of the pool, mostly paralyze, I could only dog paddle. That was the right side of the brain, the emotion side, totally reliving things from the past. And it stopped me cold, no choice of my own.

I was very frustrated by it. And a bit interested in the whole thing, like watching myself on TV. How strong the emotional response was, how I was able to be a witness to it. And here is what I said to myself. “That’s some junk that I don’t want anymore. So we chatted. I relaxed. Tried to. And swam again. And again. Honestly not to push through it, but in the hopes of knowing what it was, this unresolved stuff, knowing I didn’t need it and wishing to release it, let it drift away from me.  Leave it in the pool.”

Did it work? The releasing? Yes. My next long swim was better. We will see, when “personal contact” comes up again. I imagine there will be bits still there, but…maybe not.

I encourage you, when you get uncomfortable, perhaps don’t immediately turn away. Take a breathe, see if you can get use to having one toe in or a foot in the “uncomfortable zone”.

Maybe that autopilot doesn’t kick in so strong or take us somewhere we don’t want to go.

LIVE WELL.

Education, Yoga

Running on E ….

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OMG

frazzled-yellow-dotEver have one of those days?

…you’re tired, running late, you slept terrible, some kid had their head in your armpit all night, or their foot in your face if you’re really unlucky. The dishes didn’t get done by the oldest. And the dog threw up on the floor. Carpet. Three times.

OR. You don’t know how you’re going to pay November bills and anxiety might be getting the better of you. You’re boss is a real ____.  There’s a big thorn in your life that you aren’t sure what to do with.

(Big grown up stuff – how’d the heck did that happen????)

So there are a lot of things you could be feeling. Tired. Overwhelmed. Frustrated. Angry. Sad. Depressed. Fuzzy.  ______ Fill in the blank with your fav.

So, do you sign yourself up for “one of those days”.  Or…

APPLY some of the skills you learned on your YOGA MAT to your life.

Focus on Perspective

Take just  a moment to realize that more than likely, none of the above mentioned things are going to eat your leg off.  Maybe go a step further and know that like being in first grade, it’s just a lesson to learn. (Learn it or turn away. Learn it and you go to second grade. Turn away and you might find yourself a repeater. Small or large, it’s all good stuff.) 

10 Deep Breaths

You might need more oxygen in your brain. I mean your brain literally might be so oxygen deprived that the fuzziness is your brain starving. Deep breathing helps engage the parasympathetic nervous system, the “CALM YOU DOWN” button. Seriously. It’s science people.

Get Moving

Flow. There are a lot of yoga poses. Forward bends, back bends, side bends, inversions, twists. Check this out…each one of the categories of yoga poses has a specific affect on the body, in relation to energy, how you feel. Forward bends are calming. Back bends are energizing. Twists are releasing…And this is not voo doo hoo doo stuff. There is science behind it. Actual physiological events that go on in the body. So, putting yoga poses together is like cooking. Mix this with that and you get brownies. Mix this other with that other and you get quiche. One sequence of poses might leave you ready for bed time, another have your ready for your BIG RACE/MEETING/EVENT. Another can stimulate the digestion so that you might stop at Starbucks for coffee and the lady’s room. Sequencing. A big thing that distinguishes YOGA from other forms of exercise. More to come on this.

Invert Yourself

More oxygen to the brain – one of the reasons that inversions make us feel good. Legs up the wall, nice easy forward bend, headstand if that’s in your practice. This is a big benefit yoga. The circulatory changes and redirection of oxygen. It helps to calm, decompress, get the brain more O2.

Actively REST

I don’t mean to fall down in a stooper, put your head under the pillow and hide.

Sit on the swing, find that quiet place in your heart and stay there, listen to the birds chirp, crickets do whatever they do. Watch the squirrels carrying on. Sit in your chair and listen to the wind in the trees. Lay down on your bed and feel each breath that comes into the heart. Actively rest. Just for a short bit, for a long bit. It all counts and might just change your day up in a big way!

Cute and shiny Sun with sunglasses showing ”I love you” gesture

Personal Growth

Finesse. It’s not just a brand of shampoo.

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When’s the last time you got in trouble? When is the last time you did something, and OOOOPPPPSSSS, you made a mistake. Big one, small one…does it matter, we don’t like making mistakes. It’s so darn uncomfortable. What’s to do???

I’d like to start out by saying, I know I’m like a bull in a china store. I know. I’m working on it. I do come by it honestly; my mother is FULL BLOODED German. I’m type A. I was an engineer for 15 years. I’m stubborn. I’m HIGHLY competitive. I spent a lot of years needing to fight for myself, to survive. I’m sure many can relate.

So the unraveling of those knots (samskara for the yogis)…it’s a process. Or a roller coast ride for the adventurous. Here is what I’ve come to know in the last six months or so.

The roller coaster ride NEVER stops. Ha ha ha ha. That’s fantabulous right! So you can vomit each time or you can change how you respond.

How in the world do you do that? Well, lots of ways to get at it. Yoga has got some good stuff. Faith in God is a winner too. But this blog isn’t really about that stuff. Maybe my superstar friend can blog about that! She’s got more of this…FINESSE to talk about those things than I do. 🙂

FINESSE

Skillful management  of your words or actions. (my definition) Here is Websters.

fi·nesse [ fi néss ]  

  1. physical skill: elegant ability and dexterity
  2. tactful treatment: a delicate and skillful approach in dealing with a troublesome situation
  3. tactic in bridge: in bridge, an attempt to win a trick with a lower-value card while holding a higher card not in sequence, hoping that the opponent to the left will not play a card of intervening value

Synonyms: skill, flair, grace, elegance, poise, assurance, refinement

REACT instead of RESPOND. We might feel we need to DEFEND instead of COMMUNICATE.

We might want to close down and protect ourselves instead of being open and maybe consider the possibility that…their side is valid and worth considering. It’s hard to listen how…maybe…you…made…a…mistake.

These things go a long way. “I hear you. I understand. I am sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”

And in the background, or perhaps the fore-ground, ask yourself (REAL FAST): where am I in this, as far as my personal values, ethics, integrity, being authentic. Be honest with yourself. The answer will rocket out at you. Then respond accordingly.

Because being in CONFLICT doesn’t mean anything BAD. It’s not something to shy away from. Granted, it’s uncomfortable, so we do tend to shy away from it. But get this. It’s in those moments of conflict that you receive a lot of clarity. Personal growth. Understanding. Assuming you are paying attention.

How do you get to having that much intentional thought? Presence of mind. Self control over emotions.

Meditation / Quiet Time

Self Study

Patience.  Practice.  Disciple.

Yoga

Conclusion: I don’t think FINESSE is about having this ability to function day to day and never have conflict, discord, issues, blah blah blah. I think it’s about being able to communicate what’s in your heart. Mistake or no. In the moment. My opinion, if it’s in your heart, it’s good stuff, needed somewhere.

P.S.  Mistake = opportunity for growth. Perhaps not a “wrong”, in relation to “right”. A perception. Interactions with humans is messing business, it’s not black and white. So my use of “mistake” isn’t a clear “you did wrong”. Just a…ticket for the Orient Express.

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