I Am Enough

Jill had a very thought provoking post on Friday.  She says it so much better than I so go check it out HERE.  However, it did get me thinking.  A month or so ago I wrote this post on Comparisons- I think it really goes along with this thought so I wanted to continue in that vein and write about being "enough".

Source: Uploaded by user via Missy on Pinterest

It really got me thinking about that word- "enough" and what the connotations of that word are.  I hear the word enough and think "that's enough" meaning "no more" but the word takes a completely different meaning when it is put in the phrase "I am enough".  Webster's Dictionary defines enough as: occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations".  That's it- it meets all expectations.  But, that brings up the question of WHOSE expectations?  I liken it to enough being sufficient.  And that takes my thoughts to 2 Corinthians 12:9:
 "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (ESV)

Source: Uploaded by user via Talisha on Pinterest

I Am Enough- because HIS grace IS enough- because in my weakness- he is making me strong and His power is being glorified.  So, to sum that up- I Am Enough BECAUSE of my weaknesses.  Those things that I perceive as "piddly", obstacles, deterrents, speed bumps- those become why I am enough- because in those is where I see Him, feel Him, and even more importantly KNOW Him.  

*I am enough even when I look in the mirror and don't like what I see.
*I am enough even when I feel like I have failed in my journey
*I am enough even when the run/workout doesn't go like I wanted it to
*I am enough even when I eat something I know I probably shouldn't (ahem- such as the cheesecake I will eat at The Cheesecake Factory)
*I am enough even when I have mixed up priorities
*I am enough because all of my life experiences make me who I am.
*I am enough for one simple reason- because HE says I am enough ("for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:20)

 

Friday Q&A: Alignment of the Knees

Q:  Here is a question for you.  I was practicing Utkatasana Tuesday and as I sat down into the pose I got a twinge in my inner left knee.  (Slightly forward of the seam line, between the upper and lower leg bones.) I straightened up and repeated the pose squeezing a block between my knees. The little pain was gone. How did squeezing a block between my knees change the alignment of the knee?

A:  Utkatasana, mistakenly called “Chair Pose” by some, comes from the Sanskrit root word utkata, which Richard Rosen defines as “exceeding the usual measure, immense, gigantic; richly endowed with, abounding in; drunk, mad, furious; excessive, much; superior, high, proud, haughty; uneven; difficult” (from his book Original Yoga ).  If you have spent any time in this pose, you can certainly get behind the difficult part, but we try to avoid it feeling uneven. (We like to call it "Powerful pose.")

Whenever you have pain in a joint in a yoga pose, look not only to that joint, but also one or two joints above or below that one as you look for an explanation of your pain. Not being able to see our questioner in person, it is hard to say why the pain showed up in the first variation, but any time you are standing and bearing weight on your legs, and you bend the knee joint, there is the potential to compress the joint in an uneven fashion that could result in pain. As I have discussed elsewhere regarding arthritic joints and creating space in the joint, creating a feeling of lift of the femur bone (the upper leg bone) away from the lower leg bones is always a good starting place to see if you can eliminate the pain.

In this situation, placing a block between the thighs and squeezing has many effects, any one of which could have alleviated the knee pain. Squeezing the blocks may change the way the feet are aligned, as they may come closer together, and the weight might shift more towards the inner foot. So, if the feet were the underlying cause of the knee pain, the block squeeze could re-balance the feet.  When looking at the knees, if someone is a bit knock-kneed, with the knees dropping toward one another, the block could move the knees outwards slightly and make more space in the outer knee joint and bring the inner knee joint closer together. If the knees are a bit bow legged, the block squeeze could bring the knees closer together, opening the inner knee joint and narrowing the outer knee joint.  Again, these shifts could alleviate pain in the pose.

If the inner thigh muscles are weak, the squeeze of the block is going to contract them more actively using the five adductor muscles, and this could bring the vertical alignment of the thigh bones back towards even if one is bowing or sagging in or out through the femur bones. And if the outer buttock and hip muscles are really tight and pull legs apart or tend to roll the femurs out a bit into external rotation at the hip joint, the squeeze of the block could help internally rotate the thigh bones to help them adduct a bit closer together, resulting in better alignment at the knee joint. Finally, the block also can activate the quadriceps muscle that tends to be weakest, the vastus medialis (which I believe is discussed in one of my earlier posts on knees). This can help balance out the stronger vastus lateralis, which would tend to pull the femur to the side and roll it out a bit at the knee.

And although this list of possible effects of blocks between the knees is not exhaustive, as you can see there are many potential impacts that could have led to the disappearance of your knee pain.

If you have pain in Utkatasana every time you do it without the block, I’d suggest you use the block regularly for a while, then try it without the block, but with the same alignment and muscle work that you feel when the block is in place. Hopefully this will resolve any pain in this pose, which is one of the original asana that Richard Rosen identifies in his book. He has other useful suggestions for Utkatasana in that book, which is a must-read for any yoga enthusiast!

See Featured Pose: Powerful Pose (Utkatasana) for our instructions on how to do this pose.

—Baxter

Just a reminder

If you follow me through google reader or google friends connect- they are going away as of July 1.  You can use the button to the right to follow me on bloglovin'!  Or, carry over my url to feedly!  Either way, don't forget to update your info. :)

Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

by Baxter and Nina

Viparita Karani, often called Legs Up the Wall pose (a more accurate name is Inverted Lake pose), is one of our very favorite poses. Because this pose is a supported inversion, it triggers the relaxation response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). It is also comfortable for most people, and the support of the wall allows you to stay in the pose for a good long while, making it a perfect pose for stress reduction or pacifying an over-active nervous system. In fact, this is Nina’s go-to pose for challenging times. It can be practiced on it its own, as part of restorative or supported inversion sequence, or as an emotional counter-pose at the end of any other kind of sequence.

This pose also stretches your leg muscles using gravity, so it’s a wonderful antidote to taking a long hike and, if you’re struggling with tight hamstrings, it’s a great way to passively let your leg muscles lengthen without engaging the front leg muscles.  And it is a perfect solution for swollen feet and/or ankles (a not uncommon occurrence in summer time or for those on their feet all day long).

We’re showing two different types of propping for the pose: a bolster under the pelvis and a folded blanket under the pelvis. Using the bolster lifts your pelvis higher, creating more of an inversion and thereby making it more effective for stress reduction. However, some people find the bolster irritates their lower backs. In this case, it’s best to use a folded blanket under your pelvis instead. And, of course, not everyone has a bolster so you may need to use blankets for that reason (see Making Your Own Yoga Props). If both versions are irritating to you for any reason, you can try scooting your hips gradually a bit further away from the wall, in order to find your personal sweet spot.  If you move too far out, you run the risk of hyper-extending your knees and getting some knee discomfort. So stay mindful of this as you tinker to get it just right. And if you can’t find a sweet spot, you can try the pose flat on your back, without a prop under your pelvis.

If none of these versions make you happy—some people with tight hamstrings just can’t get comfortable—try the version with your legs bent and resting on a chair (see Easy Inverted Pose).

If your legs fall asleep while you’re in the pose (that doesn’t usually happen until after at least 10 minutes, try slightly bending your knees for a minute or so. If you then restraighten your knees, you may find the tingling feeling stays away for a while. Alternatively, it may be a sign that it is time for you to come out of the pose.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

•    leg fatigue
•    peripheral edema (swelling of feet and legs)
•    low back pain
•    foot pain
•    recovery from ankle sprains or plantar fasciitis
•    stress management
•    soothing yourself when you are anxious or agitated

Instructions:

1. Setting Up Your Props. Although we don’t show it, if the room is not carpeted, you might want to set up a yoga mat with the short end at the wall, to provide a little cushioning for your body. Then, depending on the height you want under your pelvis, place just your bolster, a stack of one or two blankets folded into rectangles, or a bolster on top of a folded blanket parallel to the wall but at least six inches away from the wall. It is important to place the prop at least six inches away from the wall and not next to it, otherwise, you will slide off the prop when you go into the pose! Then, if you want a blanket under your head and spine, place a single blanket folded into a rectangle perpendicular to the bolster. 

2. Getting Up into the Pose. For some reason, this is a little tricky for beginners, but once you get used to it, going in and out of this pose becomes second nature. Start by sitting at one end of the prop, with your side to the wall, and your hips touching the wall. Then, placing your hands on the floor or bolster to steady yourself, swing your legs up onto the wall and lie back on the floor.

At this point, you may need to scoot your buttocks a bit toward the wall, so hold onto the bolster as you do so to keep it from moving. Ideally, your tailbone should be hanging just off the bolster so your lower back is nicely curved, but if this is uncomfortable for you, try scooting your pelvis back until you find your sweet spot.

From here, place your arms alongside your body, out to the sides or in a cactus position (like a sleeping baby).

3. Being In the Pose. As you relax in the pose with your eyes closed, either keep your legs together and lightly active or, if your heels don’t slip down the wall when you do so, try relaxing your legs, allowing them to turn out a bit. Experiment to see which version is more comfortable for you. Alternatively, you can tie a strap around your thighs, just above the knees, to keep your legs together without effort. If you have an eye pillow or silk scarf, that can help enhance your relaxation. To feel the full effects of the pose, stay for at least 10 minutes (Nina often stays for 15 to 20 minutes), though, of course, shorter periods are also beneficial.

4. Coming Out of the Pose. When you are ready to come out, bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the wall. Then, either use your feet to push yourself away from the wall and off the prop (and then slowly roll over onto your side before coming up to sitting) or slowly roll off the prop onto your side. On your side, take a couple of deep breaths, and then use your hands to slowly come up to a seated position (moving quickly will stimulate your nervous system).

Cautions: For those with low back pain, make sure to set up your props so you are entirely comfortable. If that means coming out of the pose and rearranging your props, go ahead and do it. This pose should not be painful; if it is, come out and do the bent leg version, which we call Easy Inverted pose.

If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, do Easy Inverted pose instead. If your blood pressure is controlled, you can give the full pose a try. However, if Legs Up the Wall does not feel good for you, err on the side of caution and practice Easy Inverted pose instead.

It's not a diet

**Disclaimer: I was compensated by Diet to Go with a week of free meals and a little bit of cash but all opinions are mine.

Source: sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net via Tami on Pinterest

From the very beginning of this journey I have been "fighting" with myself and with others the mindset of a diet.  In my thought a diet is something that is restrictive, that leaves me with cravings, that cycles over and over and then as soon as you reach the goal weight you stop the diet and then sometimes (but not always) gain the weight back.  That's where the thought of it being a lifestyle comes in- WE (all of us) HAVE to get it in our heads that this is going to be for the rest of our lives.  It's NOT something that will ever go away.  Whether we overeat, have/had an eating disorder, binge, etc., it's always going to be there- IF we let it.  I'll be the first to admit that I find it easy to slip back into habits that are not good for me.  Fried foods, sodas, sweets, etc.  Does that mean I need to cut them out?  Not necessarily- what it means is that I need to follow the 80/20 rule.  I need to eat healthy 80% of the time so that 20% of the time I can enjoy a treat.  And that's what it comes down to- a treat- just because I have that treat does not mean I have to just give it all up for the day!  (and just so you all know I'm preaching to myself here- LOL)

Source: Uploaded by user via Tami on Pinterest

Enter Diet to Go.  As I have mentioned before I was selected to be an ambassador for them a few months ago.  I also had the opportunity to help promote their summer shape up series.  They hosted a twitter chat, have a google + community, a giveaway on Facebook, and even a dietbet (pay $25, lose 4% of your body weight in the month and split the "pot" with others who did the same thing) Check out all of the details HERE.  As part of that I was sent a week's worth of meals.  I did go with the traditional/low-fat meal plan again and received a few of the same meals but a few different ones.  Due to some dietary restrictions I have to spread out some of the foods I eat so I have not eaten all of them.  However, I did want to share what I have tried (along with some "oops" moments- LOL).

 Stuffed shells- you have seen these before but I ate them again.  Honestly, tasty but a little too much tomato sauce- once I scraped it off and ate just the shell I was good.  This also comes with chocolate pudding which I had to throw away because I can't have chocolate but I am assuming it was good...

 Egg Quesadilla with a potato "hash".  These egg quesadillas were probably my favorite!  The potato "hash" was good- has pimento in it so it gave it an interesting flavor but LOVED the eggs.  The only thing- make sure it's thawed instead of frozen- I cooked it (in the oven) for the amount of time stated and it was definitely not long enough.  I think it's the way they are packaged in the black tray.

Tomato Meltovers on pita bread.  These were pretty good- a couple too many tomatoes but I just pulled them off and it was all good. This was my "oops".  In the black sectioned trays used with the stuffed shells you can stick the whole tray in the oven.  Well, this one was on foam- and not only that, I forgot to cover it with foil- needless to say I had a shriveled piece of foam when it was done.  (and sadly, I did it again with the turkey chili- and not only that- I forgot to take the plastic lid off the turkey chili- needless to say I had to throw that away- along with my cookie sheet- LOL).  I'm learning some lessons in this ambassadorship but need to wait until the end to share them all (because I keep adding to them).

I know this is long but to end Diet to go is offering my readers a chance for $50 off a weekly plan so you can give them a try.  You can pick your menu and they will send it to you.  I would LOVE for them to have something that you could log in and literally pick and choose your meals because honestly the best thing would be to have a little bit from each of the menus).  Hopefully, at some point they will :)

FYI- they are having a sale until the end of June for 20% off which makes a week's worth 76.79- if you incorporate the $50 gift card you can get a week's worth of meals for under $30.

Healthy Spirits: New at CASTRO

New at Castro:

1. La Guillotine Strong Blonde Ale

2 .Strand Brewing Atticus IPA

3. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA

4. Ninkasi Babylon Double IPA

Balancing Your Emotional Body With Counter-Poses

by Nina

Last week in my posts about anxiety Anxiety, Yoga and the Front Body and Soothing Yourself With Supported Forward Bends, I discussed yoga poses to rely on when you’re feeling anxious (supported inversions and forward bends) and yoga poses to avoid when you’re in that state (backbends, twists, and Sun Salutations).

It makes sense if you’re in a crisis period to practice the poses that calm you down and avoid stimulating poses that might exacerbate your condition. However, if you’re in a state of chronic anxiety, avoiding backbends, twists, and many of the active poses for a long period of time will move your body toward imbalance. The same is true if your practice is focused on any emotion-based condition, such as agitated depression, clinical depression, or even just chronic stress.

In this case, I feel it is better to return to a more well-rounded yoga practice (see A Week of Yoga Practice) but consider how you end your practices. By choosing an appropriate counter-pose to end your practice, you can counteract any negative emotional effects of your practice without negating the beneficial physical ones. That way, you can move on to the rest of your day with your nervous system and emotions more in balance. Some people with anxiety or agitated depression even find that beginning with a very active practice can help burn off excess energy, which makes the soothing or relaxing counter-poses at the end of the sequence more effective (or even possible, as it can be hard to stay still when you’re feeling very anxious).

My post Yoga and Your Emotions describes the emotional effects different types of poses have on most people. So if you’re interested in practicing for balancing your emotions, take a look at that and consider how a given practice (standing pose, Sun Salutation, twist, backbend, forward bend, restorative) might affect your current emotional state. Then choose one or more counter-poses—especially passive poses that can be held for long periods of time—that you can add on to the end of your practice to counteract the poses that were the main focus of the practice. For example, if you’re already feeling anxious or hyper yet need to practice backbends for the health of your body, you can end your backbend sequence with a long supported inversion, such as a Chair Shoulderstand or Legs Up the Wall pose, to calm yourself down. 

Anxiety and Agitated Depression. We’ve already said that supported inverted poses and supported forward bends are the best poses to counteract anxiety. These may also be helpful for agitated depression as that is anxiety based. So at the end of a more active sequence, try resting in Supported Child’s pose for a few minutes and then practice Legs Up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani) for 10 minutes or more. If Child’s pose is uncomfortable for you or you can’t kneel for some reason, try a Supported Seated Forward Bend with a chair (see Soothing Yourself With Supported Forward Bends), with a straight back. If Legs Up the Wall pose doesn’t work well for you, try Easy Inverted Pose (Featured Pose: Easy Inverted Pose). If having your front body exposed makes you feel vulnerable, try covering yourself with a blanket. 

Clinical Depression. On the other hand, for people who are suffering from clinical depression, forward bends, with their inward turning quality, can cause you to brood. For you, therefore, a couple of mild, active backbends, such as Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank pose) or Bridge pose, would be good counter poses after practicing a forward bend sequence. Generally speaking, an active practice is best for those with clinical depression, especially one that includes backbends, because that helps counteract feelings of lethargy. But if you are tired and want to practice restorative poses, focus on passive backbends rather than forward bending poses, and be sure to end your sequence with a backbending position, rather than a forward bending one. Rather than doing Savasana flat on your back, try doing it with your torso supported by a bolster or stack of blankets, so your chest is open and your back is in a slight backbend. Or, maybe even reverse the typical pattern of a practice, begin your sequence with resting poses and moving slowly onto more active ones so you are left feeling a bit energized. Often I'll end a restorative sequence by standing in Mountain pose and inhaling as I raise my arms overhead into a slight backbend and exhaling as I return my arms to my sides. 

Stress. For people who are suffering from chronic stress, standing poses, Sun Salutations, backbends, and twists can be over stimulating. So try to end a sequence that is focused on any of those types of poses with any long supported inversion, such as Legs Up the Wall pose or Easy Inverted pose, or any restorative pose that you enjoy.

Even a long Savasana of 10 minutes or more, with a mental focus, such as your breath, would be helpful as an emotional counter-pose (see Savasana Variations) or any form of yoga nidra (see Audio Tracks tab above). Stressed out people tend to skip these ending poses because they think they don’t have time and that restorative poses are not “productive.” However, when you’re suffering from chronic stress, the most beneficial practice for you is some type of conscious relaxation (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). As with anxiety, you may need to first burn off excess energy with a more active practice, but always leave time for conscious relaxation at the end of your sequence.

 I, myself, have been practicing like this for many years, with focused, nervous-system pacifying sequences during particularly challenging times, and balanced sequences with emotional counter-poses the rest of the time. But what if you, like many other people, do not practice often at home and do most of your yoga practice in classes or with videos? In this case, there is no reason why you can’t do just the counter-pose after the class or video. For example, if an evening backbend practice has left you feeling agitated or even just hyper (I can’t tell you how many people have told me that backbends at night cause insomnia), there’s no reason why you can’t just practice a supported inverted pose or conscious relaxation on your own before bed. This will help pacify your nervous system and may even lead to better sleep.

Tucking and Tilting the Pelvis

by Baxter

We recently received an inquiry about positioning the pelvis in yoga poses that I thought it worth addressing in a general, full-length post. Let’s start with the question:

Dear YFHA Staff,

The phrases "Tuck in and Tuck out" are very commonly used by several of my teachers. I get so confused listening to those words that these days the minute I hear anything close to "Tuck" my meditative yoga practice goes for a ride. What are the teachers referring to when they use those words? Are they alluding to the movement of sacrum? For eg: in Bridge pose and other supine poses, do you draw the sacrum in (I guess the word is Tuck in) or do you draw it out? Can't we just keep the sacrum in neutral position and still get the benefits of the supine poses?

Yes, dear reader, there is a lot of talk about “tucking” the pelvis these days in the yoga world! Although I don’t hear or use the same exact phraseology as you teachers are using, I think I have a sense of what they are going for. I might suggest the terms “tipping” and “tucking” of the pelvis, as a whole, for what is being suggested. In anatomical terms, the action can take place relative to the top of the upper leg bone, the femur bone.

When you “tip” the pelvis, this means you are rolling it forward and down over the head of the femur, in what is referred to in anatomical circles as anteversion or flexion at the hip joint. This happens to some extent in forward bending poses, like Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), when we roll the hips forward and down to initiate the forward bend.This movement also encourages the forward rounding of the lumbar vertebrae due to the effect of gravity, known as flexion of the lumbar spine, in the specific situation of Uttanasana. Yet we are also sometimes encouraged to extend the lower spine, as in a backbend, when entering into some forward bends. In other words, as the pelvis is rolling forward over the thighbones, we simultaneously extend the rest of the spine as in a backbend. This can be a useful suggestion in some lower back injury situations, or if you are focusing on strengthening the extensors of the back body. But it could be just as helpful in some cases, to allow the natural flexion of the lower back in Uttanasana accompany the anteversion of the pelvis.

Tipping the Pelvis (Uttanasana)

The other action, which I call “tucking” of the pelvis, is essentially the opposite action, in which the pelvis rolls backwards over the head of the femur bone.  Anatomically, this is called retroversion or extension of the pelvis. It is an essential action, at least to some extent, when we are trying to do some of our back bending poses, like Dhanurasana (Bow pose) or Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow pose), which require some length and opening at the front of the hip joint to successfully achieve these more advanced backbends. Just like with tipping, the spine may have a natural inclination that accompanies tucking, like some extension of the spine if we are trying to do Upward Bow or Wheel pose. However, if you observe someone standing in Mountain pose, and ask them to exaggerate the tuck, you will notice that the lower spine rounds back, which actually means the vertebrae are tipping forward into flexion. If you then ask the person to tip the pelvis forward, you will see that the lower spine goes into a backbend shape, bowing forward towards the navel. This indicates that the lower spine is going into some extension.

Tucking the Pelvis (Backbend)

Playing with this movement of the pelvis in Mountain pose is a good way to begin to feel these actions and the results at both the hip joint and the lower spine. You might also start to sense if one way feels more typical of how you hold your pelvis relative to you upper leg bones when standing.  If your teacher was suggesting that more tip or tuck would be better for you, see if his or her suggestion actually does what predicted. Be a little skeptical, especially if you are working with a newer teacher. There is a lot of subtlety to this pelvic alignment, and it first it will likely feel a bit strange, even if it ultimately might lead to better posture and lower back alignment. When looking at supine poses, done lying on your back, face up, you will want to do the same experimenting to see what works best for you.

And I have not even mentioned the movements that can happen between the pelvis and the sacrum, known as nutation and counternutation! Shari and I have written some about that elsewhere, so take a re-read of some of those posts (Friday Q&A: Trikonasana, Janu Sirsasana and the Sacrum and Yoga and the Sacrum if you are not familiar with these terms. Judith Lasater, in her book Yoga Body, has a discussion of what happens in regards to these two actions in forward and back bending poses. There is some controversy about how much nutation and counternutation actually take place in adults in yoga poses, but there is a lot of variability in how much “intra-pelvic” movement (between just the two pelvis bones and the sacrum bone) between individuals from my observations. It is always wise to get the opinion of an experienced teacher who can watch your body move in different poses to see where your fall in this regard.

I would also suggest that you directly ask your teacher to stop and demonstrate the actions of tucking so you can get a clearer idea of what he or she is talking about. Sometimes I find that without that clarity, I am just guessing as to what the teacher wants me to experience. And it would also be reasonable to ask why he or she feels this is important to experience. So, ask the how and the why when these sorts of instructions are creating more confusion than clarity, and rock that pelvis on.

Race Recap and What I Learned

Saturday was quite possibly one of the longest mornings EVER!  Bottom line, I did not meet my first goal which was to beat my Knoxville half time- in fact, it was almost 10 minutes to the second slower.  My Knoxville was 2:46:35.  Saturday was 2:56:33.  My back up goal was to beat three hours- which I did.  It was hot- about 70 at start time and when you add the running- they say to add 20 degrees- needless to say it was HOT!  I got dehydrated and my legs cramped big time so I ended up having to walk a lot more than I planned.  So, while disappointed in my time, I finished. 

Source: tumblr.com via MRS.T on Pinterest

(I did not finish last but thought it was appropriate).

Lessons Learned:
1. Don't do anymore half marathons in the summer (or on the shoulders of highways) the heat was ridiculous and that leads to...
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- I got dehydrated- even though there were several water/gatorade stations throughout the course and I took some at each- it was not enough and I eventually ended up dealing with leg cramps.  It's time to start looking at belt systems so that I can carry more with me- whether that be water or gatorade who knows!
3. When they are going over the course before the race starts and they say they changed the course to take out a couple of hills- they LIED!  LOL :)

I'll leave you today with a couple of pictures- a before/after shot and a look at the view (which this was the best part of mile 12)

Question: I didn't wear my compression socks due to the heat (I thought that it might be too hot for them)- do you think it would have helped with the leg cramps? 

Yoga Asanas: Endurance Training or Resistance Training?

by Ram

Thin Branches by Melina Meza

Endurance training improves functional capacity while resistance training improves muscle strength and endurance. While the anaerobic system enables muscles to recover for the next burst, aerobic system ensures that the energy demands are continuously met during the exercise regimen. Therefore, training for many sports demands that both energy-producing systems be developed. The question is: where do yoga asanas fit into the above mentioned definitions? The answer becomes very important in terms of regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga.

After carefully researching several sites, I have come to the conclusion that yoga is both an endurance training system as well as strength training. Before talking about that in detail, let me review some of the terms:

Endurance Training: This kind of training is what we refer to as aerobic exercise. It may involve bicycling, walking on a treadmill, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing and other exercises that generally increase stamina and endurance. Since endurance training generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic system, this type of training primarily employs the slow twitch (type 1) fibers and increases their efficiency and resistance to fatigue. Endurance in sport is closely tied to the execution of skill and technique.

Resistance/Strength Training: Resistance training or strength training is a type of physical exercise that induces muscular contraction that helps builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, uses the fast twitch muscle system (type 2 fibers) and provides significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being, including increased muscle, tendon, ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, increased bone density, increased metabolism, improved cardiac function, and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol. Strength training increases the force output of the muscle through incremental weight increases and also uses various forms of exercises and equipment to target specific muscle groups.

Anaerobic Exercise: Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power, and by body builders to build muscle mass. It involves using muscle energy systems that develop differently compared to aerobic exercise and lead to greater performance in short duration, high-intensity activities, which typically last from few seconds to up to about couple of minutes. Anaerobic exercises trigger lactic acid fermentation and recruit the fast twitch muscle systems (also known as Type 2 fibers). If the intensity of the exercise exceeds the rate with which the cardiovascular system can supply muscles with oxygen, it results in buildup of lactate, making it impossible to continue the exercise. Unpleasant effects of lactate buildup initially include the burning sensation in the muscles, and may eventually include nausea and even vomiting if the exercise is continued.

Aerobic Exercise: In contrast to anaerobic exercise, aerobic exercise includes lower-intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Aerobic means "in air” and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. Activities include, but is not limited to, walking, long, slow runs, rowing, and cycling, all of which require a great deal of oxygen to generate the energy needed for prolonged exercise. Aerobic exercises generally use slow twitch muscle fibers or Type I fibers that are slow to fatigue and suited for endurance.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Endurance Training

1. Breath: Endurance training is all about using the aerobic system and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise. Similarly, it is not yoga if you don’t breathe. Breath practice is an integral part of yoga, and it is very common for practitioners and students as well to use the back-of-throat nose breathing called ujjayi pranayam, which lengthens inhalations and increases lung capacity. This in turn delivers more oxygen to the body and helps with overall performance and efficiency. In addition, the increased flow of oxygen relieves soreness and also enhances tissue repair.

2. Endurance: Endurance training improves functional capacity and requires the use of physical and mental strength. In yoga, physical strength requires for us to cover more ground with fewer steps, develop a longer natural stride and smoother and steadier pace. To achieve this we need flexible hip flexors for greater hip flexion, well-lubricated joints, and properly stretched muscles. Holding a certain yoga pose for a long time requires discipline and commitment. This helps in not only strengthening the muscles but it also builds confidence and slows down the chattering in mind; the practice of simply holding the pose helps to overcome mental negativity and the fear of pain. It is also a common practice to incorporate several minutes of meditation either before or after a yoga asana class that helps with concentration and to develop the mental strength.

3. Core Strength: Endurance training not only increases stamina but endurance as well. Yoga asanas that focus on abdominal strengthening keep a body strong, centered, and powerful. Yoga core strengthening poses not only assist in building strong abdominal muscles but also help to strengthen and protecting the back and hips.

4. Focus: Training in endurance sports (including, but not limited to, bicycling, swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing) requires developing an inward, mindful state of being, and endurance training athletes are always encouraged to “stay in the moment.” Focus helps you understand and follow the energy and action of a yoga pose and also helps you develop mental fitness. Yoga practitioners thus constantly focus on their inhalation or exhalation and on every movement and nuance of a pose.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Resistance Training

Resistance training or strength training involves a lot of muscular contraction that helps build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles thereby providing functional benefits in muscles, tendon, ligaments and joints. Strength training uses various forms of exercises to target specific muscle groups. Yoga uses the body’s own weight as resistance to build strength and balance thus strength gains are achieved without elaborate and expensive weight-training equipment. Yoga poses place the body in many positions that not only require strength but also require contraction of certain specific muscles (referred to as an isometric contraction) to hold the position. In addition, muscular contractions actually help more muscle fibers to be recruited, resulting in improved strength gains. While this does not result in acquiring bulky muscles, continuous muscular contraction helps to lengthen, tone and strengthen the muscles. A continuous flow sequence that calls for moving into several poses sequentially is a physically demanding practice that provides students with opportunities for continued strength gains.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yoga increases muscle strength, power and endurance through weighted exercises. By holding the body in specific poses, yoga helps to improve balance, strength and stamina. Certain postures improve circulation, digestion, balance, flexibility and agility. Keeping the body in certain postures and focusing intensely on moving through and holding each of the poses not only helps to improve strength, balance and concentration but also builds endurance. Thus, in my opinion, a consistent yoga practice is both strength and endurance training.

Watch out for the sequel article to understand how this aspect of yoga asana relates to regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga, an important component of healthy aging.

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals at Castro

1. Boulevard/Sierra Nevada Collaboration: Terra Incognita

2. Almanac Barrel Noir

Friday Q&A: Timing Your Yoga Poses

Q: You sometimes suggest staying in a pose for about 90 seconds. Is there a way you tell that it’s 90 seconds? Sometimes 90 seconds is a long time and sometimes it is fleeting.

I don’t want to stare at the second hand of a clock – which seems to negate many of the benefits. I set my cell phone alarm when I mediate but I don’t want to reset it every 90 seconds for this purpose - again, there goes any peace.

While I don’t want to obsess about time, I don’t want to stop at 20 seconds when I can do more. I’m not talking about working through pain or discomfort. It’s not my body as much as my mind.

I’m having difficulty articulating my question clearly; I hope it makes sense to you.

A: Fortunately, there is any easy answer to your question! If you don’t want to use a countdown timer to time your poses, you can count your breaths. This is not only simple but has the added benefit of focusing your attention on your breath, making your practice a more mindful experience.

The first thing to do is to figure out how many breaths you take per minute. Since the number of breaths you take per minute varies with the type of pose that you’re doing, you should take about three measurements. Using a timer set for one minute, count your natural breaths in:

1. a simple seated pose
2. a comfortable stretching pose
3. a vigorous standing pose, such as Warrior 1

Once you’ve established a one-minute count, you can then use that number to estimate a given length of time in a certain pose. For example, if you take 16 breaths per minute in a comfortable stretching pose, 90 seconds would be about equivalent to 24 breaths. Of course, this is just approximate, but there is no need for precision in these situations. The only reason we give fixed times for holding poses (rather than numbers of breaths) is because everyone’s breathing patterns—along with their physical abilities—are so different. You may even find that your own breathing patterns change over time, but you can always re-test yourself.

When you want to increase your endurance in difficult poses, counting your breaths is a great way to time yourself. Each month, for example, you could add one more breath to your count, and over time you would quite gradually be increasing your time in the pose and building your strength.

For restorative poses, where you are going to hold the pose for several minutes, you may prefer to use a timer. But it’s completely up to you.

—Nina

One Day...

to half marathon #2.  I have no grand illusions for this one.  With the heat, and the lack of long runs (the heat), I would like to do just one thing- beat my time from my Knoxville one.  And, if that should not occur then I would like come in under a certain time.  However, as a friend pointed out- I'm getting out there and doing it!  I have come a long way in a year- I know that, I see that, and I feel that- BUT I still have a long way to go.  And you know what- I'm okay with that.  It's not a sprint to the finish but the marathon of life and it will have the ups and downs, the strengths and weaknesses, and the adventures that any good marathon has.

Source: instagram.com via Tami on Pinterest

In the meantime- while I am on this journey- I am working on my health coach schooling (made even more imperative by the projected passing of a teacher salary bill in TN- basically making salaries LESS than what they are), engaging with friends in healthy lifestyle activities as well as dialogue, and building my blogger friendships around the world.

Oh, and in another nod to my title- ONE DAY- I want to break a 30 minute 5K and a 2:30 minute half and can't forget completing a full (someday)

Question for today: What is your "one day" plan?

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals at Castro

 

 

1. Ale Industries Pink Drank

2. Ale Industries Uncle Jesse



FEAR

My 49th Birthday!

What a gripping word that can literally take the wind out of our sails, right? We have all experienced some sort of fear in our lives and it does not discriminate with gender or age.  In my journey of life and health I have definitely felt and experienced fear on all levels, physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual.  Of course, when going through such feelings, it can be difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes, just staying put in the comfort of a warm bed until the storm blows over makes perfect sense at the time.  Facing a fear is one of the hardest things to do in life, and it does take courage, inner strength, and the physical will to force the body to go, when the mind says to freeze. 

Emotional challenges and fears seem to be the most draining, at least in my

experience, and take time to process through, and figure out the best way to persevere.  It does not matter how long anything takes to get resolved, the important thing is to keep going, and never give up. I have found that prayer and a bond with a great therapist to get over emotional hurdles worked for me years ago.  I was able to heal from hurt and learn how to create boundaries that I now implement to take care of me.  It is amazing how years of moving through different emotional challenges and fear has created such a positive growth process, but that is all in how I was taught to respond to life’s circumstances.  Healthy creates healthy and that is what I am striving for each day.  Going through emotional difficulties and this is also linked to relational definitely opened my eyes to what I do want and do not want in my life, and how to now walk through each fear or challenge with a new pair of eyes that can see clearly the way to a healthy resolution.  No more rose colored glasses for this girl. 

Many things that cause fear are out of my and your control, but the feeling can creep in and try to steal away our happiness, create doubt, anxiety and other self destructive mind games that our inner selves again need to recognize, and respond in a healthy way.  When I was injured years ago and flat on my back, I felt so fearful of my life never being the same, being stripped of who I was as a therapist and trainer, extreme athlete, and person…I felt like a failure and I grieved the loss of who I was…this was gripping FEAR.  I was very humbled through this year long healing process and truly lost some faith in what I was going to do.  It was this journey however, that finally opened my eyes to who I really was, and what I could really do with my life, my knowledge, and my body.  It was painful and fearful, but each day opened the window a little more to my purpose and my hope slowly was restored.  Again, things did not happen overnight, just like with getting healthy in every aspect, patience and perseverance are required. 

What I am trying to share about FEAR is that it is a part of life, is not going

anywhere, and to say that it will not be experienced is well…an untruth.  The truth is that fear can be used to grow me and you in a healthy positive way, or take us to the ground.  Let’s say lack of finances has caused fear and believe me I have felt that sting as well, and sometimes this is not created by our own doing, and sometimes it is.  The point is…what is going to be done to get into a healthy place?  Having a plan to fix the problem is important, can provide a comfort and eventually remove the fear surrounding the circumstance.  I am talking about all areas of life where fear can rear its’ ugly head. 

I have found that keeping a journal helps with being a healthy person, and if I am feeling a certain way, or fearful about something, I journal about it, pray about it, and let it go.  There may be work for me to do, but I always feel more sure and able to work through the process when I have written about it.  I look back on my periods of fear in the different areas of my life and can now say that I am thankful for the learning journey, and the blessings along the way.  Letting go of unhealthy and embracing the healthy has opened many doors in my life, closed those doors that needed to be nailed shut, brought fabulous loving people to share my life, and a wonderful husband that I love and cherish dearly.  I no longer look upon fear as such a negative thing, but get through those feelings the best that I know how, and ask myself …why am I feeling this way, what is causing me to feel this way, and create a plan to remove the source further asking myself…what am I learning to better ME through this circumstance.  YES, there will be FEAR, but what matters is how I will be handling it.  Stay Healthy!

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

I dedicate this Blog to my fabulous husband Don who is celebrating his birthday next week!  Happy Birthday Babe and I Love YOU Forever and a Day~

Married to my Best Friend

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

Stay Healthy~ Darla 

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