Dear Friends,
What does "perfect peaceableness" look like to you? Is it the absence of trouble, stress, strife, and worry? Is it a vacation site, your couch with popcorn and a good movie, a lonely desert island, or calm in the midst of life's happenings? Is peace really possible? How do I acquaint myself with this kind of peace in the beginning of August with Oklahoma heat, new intimidating circumstances, and a hectic schedule all the while trying to improve my teaching skills by mirroring my students?
When I had the dream of having my own yoga studio and business, I asked myself one morning while in Connecticut practicing on my daughter's back porch.."What is the one thing that I want people to leave my classes having?" My answer was tranquility, peace, and contentment in spite of the swirling winds of life away from our yoga mats. Thus, came the name Tranquility Yoga.
"Contentment is a requirement for peace of mind, yet we live in a culture that fosters discontentment."
Santosha: The Ease of the Heart
by Shraddhananda
While having my meditation and study time this morning, I think I found hints of what peace and santosha may be about. Consider these thousands of years old statements. "Acquaint yourself with Him and be at peace," "I will listen with expectancy to what God will say for He will speak peace," "Guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace," "My peace I leave with you...do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled," "Peace shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds," "Peace at all times and in all ways (whatever comes)," and "Why are you timid and afraid?...a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness) came in the middle of the storm." I believe peace and contentment (santosha) come from confidence in a Source greater than ourselves and breathing through difficulties, disasters, and disappointments. It does not come through a single ideal place or time or situation because life is always right behind it arriving at a gale wind force.
Right now, exactly where you are sample peace and contentment. Close your eyes or lower your gaze and simply breathe. Take a moment to experience a break from the obligations and schedule of life by quieting your mind, inhaling and exhaling as you pause. Peace is there behind the thunderstorm, but you must make time to find it.
Namaste'
Jeanne
P.S. By the way, I do know my right from my left, but really good teachers (according to Yoga Journal) mirror their students in class. Next time you practice with me smile when I face you because I am on your same side but calling it on my body differently.
Tranquility Yoga Classes for this Week include the following:
Home Studio (by reservation only)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
7:00 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (emphasis: Asymmetrical Poses)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
7:00 p.m. Boot Camp Is For Sissies (new class with fun cardio)
Friday, August 5, 2010
5:30 p.m. Astanga Power Yoga
Please note: Beginning Yoga classes start again next week on August 10 at 4:30 p.m. at our home studio on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons.
Thornton YMCA
Today, August 1, 2010
1:30 p.m. Pilates MVE Chair Class (free first class to members)
2:30 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (emphasis: Exploring the Bird Postures)
Monday, August 2, 2010
6:30 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (emphasis: Backbending to Open the Heart)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
7:30 a.m. Personal training
9:00 a.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (emphasis: Emotional Balance through the Breath)
10:30 a.m. Beginner's Yoga (emphasis: Eliminating Fear through Quieting the Mind)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
1:30 p.m. Pilates MVE Chair (emphasis: Sculpting with Weights)
2:30 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (emphasis: Turn Obstacles into Opportunities)
American Airlines
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
11:00 a.m. Office Yoga
Subbing for other teachers
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
South Neighborhood Y at 5:10 p.m. subbing for Sue Moore
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
South Neighborhood Y at 10:30 a.m. subbing for Jenny Dungan
Hope to see you soon! If you are an Owasso Public School employee, remember our Power Pilates classes start on Monday, August 23rd at 6:00 a.m. and Wednesday, August 25th, at 4:00 p.m. in the new Wellness Center. E-mail or call me at 855-6459 for more information.
Jeanne K. Doss
Registered Yoga Teacher/200 hr. level
Cooper Institute: Personal Fitness Trainer
YMCA Pilates Instructor
Contentment is serenity, but not complacency. It is comfort, but not submission to fear; reconciliation, not apathy; acknowledgment, not aloofness. Contentment is a mental decision, a moral choice, a practiced observance, a step into the reality of the cosmos.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
- Harriet Tubman
Years ago back in the 90's, I began practicing yoga in my living room with a simple T.V. show. I found that yoga was calming to my mind, energizing to my body, and beneficial to my spirit. At the time my weight was high, my environment was destructive, and my self-esteem was at an all time low. Dreaming to be someone who was different and proactive, I continued to practice despite the impossibility I felt of coming into some of the yoga postures, especially downward facing dog.
The great dream of being a changed person began like a small seed in a deep crevice. As my weight came off through yoga and a walking program, I found the courage to start attending exercise classes, step-aerobics, kick boxing, and what I truly enjoyed yoga. The frustration of not being able to do all the moves was overwhelming at times, but my passion drove me on toward accomplishing the goal. I began running and loved the feeling of strength and empowerment that exercise gives.
As my precious children were moving on to their own individual lives as adults and finishing my master's degree was on the horizon, I needed a new passion to dedicate my extra time. Exercise became the vehicle that moved me forward, empowered me with confidence, and helped overcome my bad habits of overeating to compensate for the stress in my life. The small dream of becoming an exercise instructor lay in that deep crevice partly due to a desire to share my story and help others who struggled with similar issues.
Through several major life disappointments, the seed continued to grow roots despite the adjustment of moving to a large city, changing jobs, and starting all over again in my forties. Yoga classes were like a haven of peace where I felt tranquil as my life moved forward into new places and experiences. The more I practiced, the easier it became to get into the harder postures. The easier the yoga classes were, the more I liked it. Thus, liking it more made me want to practice more frequently, and the dream began to be a seedling as it was watered by encouragement from others.
Instead of criticizing me or making fun of me for yoga, these precious people, especially Brian, helped me to believe in myself and have courage that this tiny seed could grow into a full blown dream. One day early in 2006 as I prepared dinner, Brian came in and laid his entire paycheck on the counter top and said, "This is for your first yoga training. I believe in you! I know this is your dream, and you cannot afford it. Sign up, and if you need more money, let me know." I was amazed by his kindness and generosity for we were only dating. As a public school teacher, my salary only covered my basic needs for housing and car payment and would never have allowed me to pay the high cost of yoga training.
June 17, 2006, I walked into the Thornton YMCA in Tulsa with my little lunch box, in my new yoga clothes, and full of excitement like a kid going off to her first day of kindergarten. When they asked for our names and a little about ourselves, I told them that dreams really do come true. At the time, hardly did I realize how true these words of self-affirmation really were. Our words are such a powerful force.
This past Friday, July 16, 2010, Brian and I completed stage 1 of converting our garage into a yoga studio. Now teaching 15 - 18 classes a week, I am still overwhelmed with gratitude at where I began in my frustrated, overweight past, with such a tiny seed of a dream. As a personal certified trainer, 200 hr. Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, Pilates instructor, I know that dreams really happen not just over the rainbow but in our own lives. I do so appreciate all of the people who have encouraged me and watered my seedling of a dream which has become "Tranquility Yoga" studio in Owasso, Oklahoma. The Thornton YMCA was part of that dream taking classes there and my first training, and I will always want it to be part of my life's work. However, having a yoga studio in my home where peace and tranquility reign is such a precious gift from God. Thank you, especially to my loving husband, Brian, who has believed in me and helped to make this dream come true. Thank you to all the wonderful people who come to my yoga classes here in my home and at the Y; you mean so much to me, and I truly love seeing yoga make a difference in your life. Thank you to God, the Giver of dreams, and the Ultimate One who makes them come true!
- Harriet Tubman
Years ago back in the 90's, I began practicing yoga in my living room with a simple T.V. show. I found that yoga was calming to my mind, energizing to my body, and beneficial to my spirit. At the time my weight was high, my environment was destructive, and my self-esteem was at an all time low. Dreaming to be someone who was different and proactive, I continued to practice despite the impossibility I felt of coming into some of the yoga postures, especially downward facing dog.
The great dream of being a changed person began like a small seed in a deep crevice. As my weight came off through yoga and a walking program, I found the courage to start attending exercise classes, step-aerobics, kick boxing, and what I truly enjoyed yoga. The frustration of not being able to do all the moves was overwhelming at times, but my passion drove me on toward accomplishing the goal. I began running and loved the feeling of strength and empowerment that exercise gives.
As my precious children were moving on to their own individual lives as adults and finishing my master's degree was on the horizon, I needed a new passion to dedicate my extra time. Exercise became the vehicle that moved me forward, empowered me with confidence, and helped overcome my bad habits of overeating to compensate for the stress in my life. The small dream of becoming an exercise instructor lay in that deep crevice partly due to a desire to share my story and help others who struggled with similar issues.
Through several major life disappointments, the seed continued to grow roots despite the adjustment of moving to a large city, changing jobs, and starting all over again in my forties. Yoga classes were like a haven of peace where I felt tranquil as my life moved forward into new places and experiences. The more I practiced, the easier it became to get into the harder postures. The easier the yoga classes were, the more I liked it. Thus, liking it more made me want to practice more frequently, and the dream began to be a seedling as it was watered by encouragement from others.
Instead of criticizing me or making fun of me for yoga, these precious people, especially Brian, helped me to believe in myself and have courage that this tiny seed could grow into a full blown dream. One day early in 2006 as I prepared dinner, Brian came in and laid his entire paycheck on the counter top and said, "This is for your first yoga training. I believe in you! I know this is your dream, and you cannot afford it. Sign up, and if you need more money, let me know." I was amazed by his kindness and generosity for we were only dating. As a public school teacher, my salary only covered my basic needs for housing and car payment and would never have allowed me to pay the high cost of yoga training.
June 17, 2006, I walked into the Thornton YMCA in Tulsa with my little lunch box, in my new yoga clothes, and full of excitement like a kid going off to her first day of kindergarten. When they asked for our names and a little about ourselves, I told them that dreams really do come true. At the time, hardly did I realize how true these words of self-affirmation really were. Our words are such a powerful force.
This past Friday, July 16, 2010, Brian and I completed stage 1 of converting our garage into a yoga studio. Now teaching 15 - 18 classes a week, I am still overwhelmed with gratitude at where I began in my frustrated, overweight past, with such a tiny seed of a dream. As a personal certified trainer, 200 hr. Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, Pilates instructor, I know that dreams really happen not just over the rainbow but in our own lives. I do so appreciate all of the people who have encouraged me and watered my seedling of a dream which has become "Tranquility Yoga" studio in Owasso, Oklahoma. The Thornton YMCA was part of that dream taking classes there and my first training, and I will always want it to be part of my life's work. However, having a yoga studio in my home where peace and tranquility reign is such a precious gift from God. Thank you, especially to my loving husband, Brian, who has believed in me and helped to make this dream come true. Thank you to all the wonderful people who come to my yoga classes here in my home and at the Y; you mean so much to me, and I truly love seeing yoga make a difference in your life. Thank you to God, the Giver of dreams, and the Ultimate One who makes them come true!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Hot body cool mind or hot body stressed out mind
Dear Yoga/Pilates People,
Summer greetings! I am excited about adding new classes, new opportunities, and meeting new friends. Power Yogilates, Boot Camp for ages 8 - 15, and Tulsa University classes are on my horizon. I love the challenge of making each class that I teach new, refreshing, and helpful to the age group, fitness ability, and wide variety of personalities. I consider each new face a friend in the making, and it is my goal to make you feel welcome, at ease, yet challenged in every class that you attend. Although yoga will always be my first love, my focus is fitness and flexibility for every body at every age.
One of the things I have noticed in the gyms that I teach or sub include stressed out people working out at a frenzied level leaving all sweaty and just as stressed if not more from their daily or weekly time in an effort to develop a healthy body. I believe that yoga can teach us a new perspective to our workout time. This is my take on it.
“However, what I have seen so far, both in the gym and online, are lot of training to tire you out but little if any awareness of how to position the body or maintain proper alignment in the execution of these exercises.” Johnathan Urla
Hot body, cool mind. Hot body, busy-overstressed mind. How many times at the gym do you see someone on the exercise machines who is watching t.v., using an IPOD with headphones, and talking? Does it make a difference in our workout?
I personally believe that yoga and Pilates teach that being mindful in the exercise helps in many ways. First, you learn to be present instead of distracted. Secondly, you concentrate on your breathing which not only promotes the mindfulness, but it also helps you find the rhythm of your breath and invites the prana (life giving energy). Finally, you pay attention to your alignment which encourages good posture and muscle alignment and prevents repetitive stress injuries.
So, it’s not always what you do, but how you do it that really counts. Alignment, action, and attitude are the three keys to a beneficial workout in yoga, Pilates, cardio, aerobics, and weight-lifting. Quantity is not always the most important. Quality workouts following the three “A’s” (my attitude follows my action; my action follows my alignment) are far more beneficial. Hot body, cool/focused mind relieves stress every time.
Brooke Siler, author of Pilates Body Challenges, says, “When performing the 10-minute challenges (for example: 10 minutes on the treadmill +15 minutes on the elliptical +10 minutes on the bike, and the rest of the time on the yoga mat) remember to work with concentration and control. Find the movements you feel work best and that provide the greatest results for you. Remember too that the postures you hate are probably the ones that are best for you and the ones your body needs. Always keep your brain inspired, and your body will follow.”
Let's keep our brains inspired, our posture and alignment in check, and our bodies fit. Join us in class this week!
Tranquility Yoga Schedule for June 27 - July 4, 2010
Sunday, June 27 at 2:30 Afternoon class Thornton YMCA - WILD Thing!
Monday, June 28 at 5:30 Evening class Thornton YMCA - Power Yogilates - Arm Balancing
Monday, June 28 at 6:30 Evening class Thornton YMCA - Turn Your World Upside Down!
Tuesday, June 29 at 7:00 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Kundalini Challenge
Wednesday, June 30 at 6:00 Morning class Tranquility Home Studio* - Sunrise Pilates
Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30 Evening class - Subbing for Gretchen at the Owasso YMCA - Vinyasa Flow Yoga
Thursday, July 1 at 7:00 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Backbends to Open the Heart
Friday, July 2 at 6:00 Morning class Tranquility Home Studio* - Sunrise Pilates
Friday, July 2 at 5:30 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Power Astanga Yoga
Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 Morning class Thornton YMCA - Yoga + Pilates = Great Workout!
Saturday, July 3 at 10:30 Morning class Thornton YMCA - Pigeon One and Pigeon Two Beginner's Yoga
Sunday, July 4 - Happy Independence Day! No classes scheduled - Thornton YMCA is closed (opening again on Monday, June 5)
Gentle Chair Yoga and Kid Yoga classes are not scheduled for this week. If you would like to arrange a small group class during the daytime hours, please call 855-6459. Small group classes by arrangement are for a regular punch card price ($5.62 each class) this summer = special discount.
(8 classes = $45.00 Tranquility Yoga Punch card with an expiration date of one year from date of purchase)
*All Tranquility Yoga Home Studio classes are by reservation only in order to know how many to plan for; if you can attend, (or something comes up and you cannot attend), please let me know. Thank you!
Namaste'
Jeanne
Jeanne K. Doss
Registered Yoga Teacher/200 hr. level
Cooper Institute: Personal Fitness Trainer
YMCA Pilates Instructor
Also certified in Zumba, Aerobics, and Step-Aerobics
"If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." William Penn
Summer greetings! I am excited about adding new classes, new opportunities, and meeting new friends. Power Yogilates, Boot Camp for ages 8 - 15, and Tulsa University classes are on my horizon. I love the challenge of making each class that I teach new, refreshing, and helpful to the age group, fitness ability, and wide variety of personalities. I consider each new face a friend in the making, and it is my goal to make you feel welcome, at ease, yet challenged in every class that you attend. Although yoga will always be my first love, my focus is fitness and flexibility for every body at every age.
One of the things I have noticed in the gyms that I teach or sub include stressed out people working out at a frenzied level leaving all sweaty and just as stressed if not more from their daily or weekly time in an effort to develop a healthy body. I believe that yoga can teach us a new perspective to our workout time. This is my take on it.
“However, what I have seen so far, both in the gym and online, are lot of training to tire you out but little if any awareness of how to position the body or maintain proper alignment in the execution of these exercises.” Johnathan Urla
Hot body, cool mind. Hot body, busy-overstressed mind. How many times at the gym do you see someone on the exercise machines who is watching t.v., using an IPOD with headphones, and talking? Does it make a difference in our workout?
I personally believe that yoga and Pilates teach that being mindful in the exercise helps in many ways. First, you learn to be present instead of distracted. Secondly, you concentrate on your breathing which not only promotes the mindfulness, but it also helps you find the rhythm of your breath and invites the prana (life giving energy). Finally, you pay attention to your alignment which encourages good posture and muscle alignment and prevents repetitive stress injuries.
So, it’s not always what you do, but how you do it that really counts. Alignment, action, and attitude are the three keys to a beneficial workout in yoga, Pilates, cardio, aerobics, and weight-lifting. Quantity is not always the most important. Quality workouts following the three “A’s” (my attitude follows my action; my action follows my alignment) are far more beneficial. Hot body, cool/focused mind relieves stress every time.
Brooke Siler, author of Pilates Body Challenges, says, “When performing the 10-minute challenges (for example: 10 minutes on the treadmill +15 minutes on the elliptical +10 minutes on the bike, and the rest of the time on the yoga mat) remember to work with concentration and control. Find the movements you feel work best and that provide the greatest results for you. Remember too that the postures you hate are probably the ones that are best for you and the ones your body needs. Always keep your brain inspired, and your body will follow.”
Let's keep our brains inspired, our posture and alignment in check, and our bodies fit. Join us in class this week!
Tranquility Yoga Schedule for June 27 - July 4, 2010
Sunday, June 27 at 2:30 Afternoon class Thornton YMCA - WILD Thing!
Monday, June 28 at 5:30 Evening class Thornton YMCA - Power Yogilates - Arm Balancing
Monday, June 28 at 6:30 Evening class Thornton YMCA - Turn Your World Upside Down!
Tuesday, June 29 at 7:00 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Kundalini Challenge
Wednesday, June 30 at 6:00 Morning class Tranquility Home Studio* - Sunrise Pilates
Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30 Evening class - Subbing for Gretchen at the Owasso YMCA - Vinyasa Flow Yoga
Thursday, July 1 at 7:00 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Backbends to Open the Heart
Friday, July 2 at 6:00 Morning class Tranquility Home Studio* - Sunrise Pilates
Friday, July 2 at 5:30 Evening class Tranquility Home Studio* - Power Astanga Yoga
Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 Morning class Thornton YMCA - Yoga + Pilates = Great Workout!
Saturday, July 3 at 10:30 Morning class Thornton YMCA - Pigeon One and Pigeon Two Beginner's Yoga
Sunday, July 4 - Happy Independence Day! No classes scheduled - Thornton YMCA is closed (opening again on Monday, June 5)
Gentle Chair Yoga and Kid Yoga classes are not scheduled for this week. If you would like to arrange a small group class during the daytime hours, please call 855-6459. Small group classes by arrangement are for a regular punch card price ($5.62 each class) this summer = special discount.
(8 classes = $45.00 Tranquility Yoga Punch card with an expiration date of one year from date of purchase)
*All Tranquility Yoga Home Studio classes are by reservation only in order to know how many to plan for; if you can attend, (or something comes up and you cannot attend), please let me know. Thank you!
Namaste'
Jeanne
Jeanne K. Doss
Registered Yoga Teacher/200 hr. level
Cooper Institute: Personal Fitness Trainer
YMCA Pilates Instructor
Also certified in Zumba, Aerobics, and Step-Aerobics
"If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." William Penn
Monday, May 31, 2010
Running and Yoga Go Hand in Hand or Foot to Head
How many times does your foot strike the ground while you are running or jogging? According to Baron Baptiste, power yoga teacher, your foot strikes the ground over 1,000 times during an average mile. Compounded by your body weight, the continuous motion causes a force of impact three to four times of what you would normally place on your body. This creates issues with your feet, ankles, knees, and hips, not to even mention your lower back.
In yoga our practice is always based on our alignment, our attitude, and our actions that follow. Our alignment starts from the ground up towards the crown of our head bringing every area into a beautifully created stack of shoulders over hips and hips over ankles. Even with the forward propelling motion of running, conscious alignment helps us to protect the vulnerable areas of possible injury in our knees and ankles. Our attitude of honoring our body and finding the rhythm of our inhalation and exhalation keeps us present in the moment and prevents competitive behavior from over-riding our body's wisdom of what pain is. Our action of preparing for our run with Sun Salutation C (the lunge salute) helps our muscles, tendons, and ligaments to warm up gradually before beginning our morning, afternoon, or evening run. Completing our daily activity with deep stretches not only prevents further injury, but it also helps with repetitive stress injuries that occur over time. Tight muscles, such as our hamstrings or I.T. bands, just continue to get more inflexible, hard, and even brittle without long held stretching at the end of a run.
However, my question is can running help our yoga practice? I believe that it can, and that is one of the main reasons why I run! Running, a terrific cardiovascular exercise, improves our VO2 maximum (the maximum capacity of our body to transport and use oxygen in exercise). Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Founder of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, based his V02 maximum formula on a run of 12 minutes. His formula was conducted for the United States Air Force in the late 1960s. One of the results of this was the Cooper test in which the distance covered running in 12 minutes is measured. Based on the measured distance, an estimate of VO2 max (in ml/min/kg) is:
where d12 is distance (in metres) covered in 12 minutes minus 505 divided by 45. Maximum oxygen intake is widely accepted as the single best measure of cardiovascular fitness and maximal aerobic power. This affects our yoga practice by giving us the endurance ability to accomplish long held yoga postures, increasing your oxygen intake in a flowing vinyasa or power yoga class, and maximizing the amount of fresh blood pumping through your body during a practice.
Whether you are training for a run, such as the Tulsa Run in the fall, or conditioning your body to take a power yoga class, running and yoga do go hand in hand. Here is my personal recommendation for yoga, run, yoga.
First, do 5 Sun Salutations with the lunge variation (knee on the floor). Give each pose one breath. This corresponds to be: Inhale - sun breath standing in Mountain pose. Exhale - Forward Fold bending your knees to keep from overstretching your hamstrings; hands touch the floor or blocks. Inhale - Half Forward Fold looking up or forward neutralizing your spine. Exhale - releasing back into a fold, stepping back with your right foot, and inhaling into a Low Lunge with your right knee on the floor, left knee directly over your left ankle, and arms beside your ears. Exhaling arms down, stepping your other leg back, and coming to a Plank position as you lower to the floor with bent knees or straight strong legs, shoulders over wrists. Inhale -Cobra pose with bent elbows; hips, thighs, and toes on the floor as you lift your chest, neck and head. Exhale - Downward Facing Dog or Child's pose. Inhale - bending your knees as you step forward with your right leg and coming back into the lunging position. Lift your hands up with arms alongside your head finding your Crescent Lunge with modified left knee on the floor and right knee directly over your right ankle. Exhaling your hands down, looking forward, step forward to the front of your mat. Inhale halfway up, and exhale down in your forward fold. Then, with bent knees sweep your arms up, and you will return to Upward Salute arms overhead and "Sama Stitihi" hands to your heart in equal standing position.
Each time you forward fold and step back, you lunge back with the opposite leg to balance out both sides.
After completing your 5 Sun Salutes, start a brisk walk or slow jog to warm up your legs gradually, building up your speed and finding a good rhythm with your breath. In yoga we learn to keep our breath primary, and in running it is the most important prevention to teach us to find our pace without overdoing or compromising our body. In order to get a good heart rate established, run for 20 - 40 minutes. For weight loss or race preparation, run for 60 - 70 minutes at a pace that works for you. A new beginner can always use the walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, walk for 10 minutes in an alternating pace. For those starting out in a running program, you can keep running a little longer distance each time and after a week, begin to lengthen the running time as you shorten your walking time.
Finish your run by slowing down to a brisk walk or slow jog allowing your heart rate to find a more normal beat and most importantly, add these stretches to lengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and prevent repetitive stress injury.
1. Intense Side Stretch - This pose stretches tight hamstrings, the outer hips, and the iliotibial bands that run along the outer legs. Start in Mountain pose or Tadasana about 2 to 3 feet in front of and facing a wall. Bring your hands to your hips and step your left foot back 3 1/2 to 4 feet (a little wider if balance is an issue). Turn the left foot out 30 degrees. Align your right heel with your left heel. Tone your thighs and align the right kneecap with the right ankle. Exhale and square your hips to the wall. Exhaling, hinge at the hips, leaning your torso forward over the right leg. Expect a big stretch in the right hamstring and the left outer calf muscle, especially after a long run. Bring your palms or fingertips to the wall for support. With the arms steady, move the shoulder blades down the back. Be sure that the neck is in line with the spine, and then gaze at your front foot. Hold for up to a minute. To come out, return your hands to your hips or walk your fingertips up the wall and raise your torso back to center. Repeat on the opposite side.
2. Downward Facing Dog - This pose will also lengthen tight hamstrings, which can be caused by time spent with legs bent. Come onto your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your hands a few inches in front of your shoulders. Press down evenly through the four corners of both hands and spread your fingers evenly bearing most of your forward weight in the index fingers and thumbs. Tuck your toes under and, on an exhalation, lift your knees away from the ground but keep them slightly bent. Gently lift your sitting bones toward the ceiling. On an exhalation, slowly lengthen your legs. Remember your legs are your anchors and use the heels moving down towards the floor as your main weight bearing. Move your awareness to your shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades on your back and broaden them away from each other. Notice which side of your body feels longer and breathe into the shorter side. Visualize it lengthening in both directions. Hold for up to 2 minutes.
3. Low Lunge - Almost an extreme exaggeration of the running stride, the Low Lunge addresses tight hip flexors and, by evenly strengthening the collateral ligaments on either side of the knee, makes the knee joint more stable, says Sage Rountree, yoga instructor. From your hands and knees, with toes tucked under, bring the right foot between the hands, lining up your fingertips and toes. See that the right shin is perpendicular to the ground, and place the right knee directly in front of the hip. Exhaling, lower the hips and take the back knee to the ground. Runners' hips are notoriously tight, so if you need to, start with a 90-degree angle between your front and back thighs. Eventually you can lower your hips so that the angle increases to about 180 degrees. Square the hips from front to back, making them parallel to the short sides of your mat. Hold here for 30 seconds. For a stronger stretch, bring your hands to your knee for another few breaths. Switch sides.
4. Half Balancing Moon pose - This pose can give you muscle strength as well as a better awareness of the position of your body in space. Practicing this balancing pose with your raised foot against a wall or door frame to help steady you. Set a block about 6-12 inches in front of your right foot and slightly to the right of it. Rest your right hand on the block, positioning it beneath your shoulder. Lift the left leg and put your foot against the wall or door frame. Runners tend to collapse in the chest and shoulders, so stack the left shoulder above the right and extend the left arm above the body, palm facing the same direction as the front of the body. Feel the external rotation of both legs opening the hips as you open your hip outwardly. Keep the right knee and toes pointing in the same direction flexing your right foot. Hold for a minute, breathe about 5 - 10 breaths before switching sides.
5. Hand to Foot pose on the floor with a belt or strap - I do this pose every day; it'll make a huge difference in hamstring and calf flexibility. Plus, it helps tight I.T. bands and can ease stiffness in the lower back. Using a strap, lie on your back with legs extended, big toes touching, and heels slightly apart. Continue to reach through the left heel as you inhale and bend your right knee. Draw the thigh in toward your torso. Feel your lower back and right hip release toward the ground. Place a strap around the ball of the right foot. Now slowly lengthen the right leg while allowing the strap to slide through your hands until the leg is fully lengthened and the elbows fully extended. Relax the upper neck and shoulders until they are lightly pressing into the ground. Press the ball of your right foot into the strap while pulling the strap into the ball of the foot. Keep the back of your left thigh pressing into the ground and the left foot flexed. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes on each side and then open the hip by bringing the extended leg out to the same side. Bring the leg back to center on the inhale, change hands holding the strap, and stretching out the iliotibial band on the outside of the leg, stretch the extended leg in a diagonal or oblique line across to the opposite side of the body. It is very important to keep the foot flexed with your toes pulled slightly in towards the shin.
So, run, yogi, run! Or yoga, run, yoga. Either way, I believe that you will find strength, alignment, cardiovascular improvement, and a terrific stretch! You will feel great on your way to a healthier heart, mind, and body. Namaste'
In yoga our practice is always based on our alignment, our attitude, and our actions that follow. Our alignment starts from the ground up towards the crown of our head bringing every area into a beautifully created stack of shoulders over hips and hips over ankles. Even with the forward propelling motion of running, conscious alignment helps us to protect the vulnerable areas of possible injury in our knees and ankles. Our attitude of honoring our body and finding the rhythm of our inhalation and exhalation keeps us present in the moment and prevents competitive behavior from over-riding our body's wisdom of what pain is. Our action of preparing for our run with Sun Salutation C (the lunge salute) helps our muscles, tendons, and ligaments to warm up gradually before beginning our morning, afternoon, or evening run. Completing our daily activity with deep stretches not only prevents further injury, but it also helps with repetitive stress injuries that occur over time. Tight muscles, such as our hamstrings or I.T. bands, just continue to get more inflexible, hard, and even brittle without long held stretching at the end of a run.
However, my question is can running help our yoga practice? I believe that it can, and that is one of the main reasons why I run! Running, a terrific cardiovascular exercise, improves our VO2 maximum (the maximum capacity of our body to transport and use oxygen in exercise). Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Founder of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, based his V02 maximum formula on a run of 12 minutes. His formula was conducted for the United States Air Force in the late 1960s. One of the results of this was the Cooper test in which the distance covered running in 12 minutes is measured. Based on the measured distance, an estimate of VO2 max (in ml/min/kg) is:
where d12 is distance (in metres) covered in 12 minutes minus 505 divided by 45. Maximum oxygen intake is widely accepted as the single best measure of cardiovascular fitness and maximal aerobic power. This affects our yoga practice by giving us the endurance ability to accomplish long held yoga postures, increasing your oxygen intake in a flowing vinyasa or power yoga class, and maximizing the amount of fresh blood pumping through your body during a practice.
Whether you are training for a run, such as the Tulsa Run in the fall, or conditioning your body to take a power yoga class, running and yoga do go hand in hand. Here is my personal recommendation for yoga, run, yoga.
First, do 5 Sun Salutations with the lunge variation (knee on the floor). Give each pose one breath. This corresponds to be: Inhale - sun breath standing in Mountain pose. Exhale - Forward Fold bending your knees to keep from overstretching your hamstrings; hands touch the floor or blocks. Inhale - Half Forward Fold looking up or forward neutralizing your spine. Exhale - releasing back into a fold, stepping back with your right foot, and inhaling into a Low Lunge with your right knee on the floor, left knee directly over your left ankle, and arms beside your ears. Exhaling arms down, stepping your other leg back, and coming to a Plank position as you lower to the floor with bent knees or straight strong legs, shoulders over wrists. Inhale -Cobra pose with bent elbows; hips, thighs, and toes on the floor as you lift your chest, neck and head. Exhale - Downward Facing Dog or Child's pose. Inhale - bending your knees as you step forward with your right leg and coming back into the lunging position. Lift your hands up with arms alongside your head finding your Crescent Lunge with modified left knee on the floor and right knee directly over your right ankle. Exhaling your hands down, looking forward, step forward to the front of your mat. Inhale halfway up, and exhale down in your forward fold. Then, with bent knees sweep your arms up, and you will return to Upward Salute arms overhead and "Sama Stitihi" hands to your heart in equal standing position.
Each time you forward fold and step back, you lunge back with the opposite leg to balance out both sides.
After completing your 5 Sun Salutes, start a brisk walk or slow jog to warm up your legs gradually, building up your speed and finding a good rhythm with your breath. In yoga we learn to keep our breath primary, and in running it is the most important prevention to teach us to find our pace without overdoing or compromising our body. In order to get a good heart rate established, run for 20 - 40 minutes. For weight loss or race preparation, run for 60 - 70 minutes at a pace that works for you. A new beginner can always use the walk for 10 minutes, run for 10 minutes, walk for 10 minutes in an alternating pace. For those starting out in a running program, you can keep running a little longer distance each time and after a week, begin to lengthen the running time as you shorten your walking time.
Finish your run by slowing down to a brisk walk or slow jog allowing your heart rate to find a more normal beat and most importantly, add these stretches to lengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and prevent repetitive stress injury.
1. Intense Side Stretch - This pose stretches tight hamstrings, the outer hips, and the iliotibial bands that run along the outer legs. Start in Mountain pose or Tadasana about 2 to 3 feet in front of and facing a wall. Bring your hands to your hips and step your left foot back 3 1/2 to 4 feet (a little wider if balance is an issue). Turn the left foot out 30 degrees. Align your right heel with your left heel. Tone your thighs and align the right kneecap with the right ankle. Exhale and square your hips to the wall. Exhaling, hinge at the hips, leaning your torso forward over the right leg. Expect a big stretch in the right hamstring and the left outer calf muscle, especially after a long run. Bring your palms or fingertips to the wall for support. With the arms steady, move the shoulder blades down the back. Be sure that the neck is in line with the spine, and then gaze at your front foot. Hold for up to a minute. To come out, return your hands to your hips or walk your fingertips up the wall and raise your torso back to center. Repeat on the opposite side.
2. Downward Facing Dog - This pose will also lengthen tight hamstrings, which can be caused by time spent with legs bent. Come onto your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your hands a few inches in front of your shoulders. Press down evenly through the four corners of both hands and spread your fingers evenly bearing most of your forward weight in the index fingers and thumbs. Tuck your toes under and, on an exhalation, lift your knees away from the ground but keep them slightly bent. Gently lift your sitting bones toward the ceiling. On an exhalation, slowly lengthen your legs. Remember your legs are your anchors and use the heels moving down towards the floor as your main weight bearing. Move your awareness to your shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades on your back and broaden them away from each other. Notice which side of your body feels longer and breathe into the shorter side. Visualize it lengthening in both directions. Hold for up to 2 minutes.
3. Low Lunge - Almost an extreme exaggeration of the running stride, the Low Lunge addresses tight hip flexors and, by evenly strengthening the collateral ligaments on either side of the knee, makes the knee joint more stable, says Sage Rountree, yoga instructor. From your hands and knees, with toes tucked under, bring the right foot between the hands, lining up your fingertips and toes. See that the right shin is perpendicular to the ground, and place the right knee directly in front of the hip. Exhaling, lower the hips and take the back knee to the ground. Runners' hips are notoriously tight, so if you need to, start with a 90-degree angle between your front and back thighs. Eventually you can lower your hips so that the angle increases to about 180 degrees. Square the hips from front to back, making them parallel to the short sides of your mat. Hold here for 30 seconds. For a stronger stretch, bring your hands to your knee for another few breaths. Switch sides.
4. Half Balancing Moon pose - This pose can give you muscle strength as well as a better awareness of the position of your body in space. Practicing this balancing pose with your raised foot against a wall or door frame to help steady you. Set a block about 6-12 inches in front of your right foot and slightly to the right of it. Rest your right hand on the block, positioning it beneath your shoulder. Lift the left leg and put your foot against the wall or door frame. Runners tend to collapse in the chest and shoulders, so stack the left shoulder above the right and extend the left arm above the body, palm facing the same direction as the front of the body. Feel the external rotation of both legs opening the hips as you open your hip outwardly. Keep the right knee and toes pointing in the same direction flexing your right foot. Hold for a minute, breathe about 5 - 10 breaths before switching sides.
5. Hand to Foot pose on the floor with a belt or strap - I do this pose every day; it'll make a huge difference in hamstring and calf flexibility. Plus, it helps tight I.T. bands and can ease stiffness in the lower back. Using a strap, lie on your back with legs extended, big toes touching, and heels slightly apart. Continue to reach through the left heel as you inhale and bend your right knee. Draw the thigh in toward your torso. Feel your lower back and right hip release toward the ground. Place a strap around the ball of the right foot. Now slowly lengthen the right leg while allowing the strap to slide through your hands until the leg is fully lengthened and the elbows fully extended. Relax the upper neck and shoulders until they are lightly pressing into the ground. Press the ball of your right foot into the strap while pulling the strap into the ball of the foot. Keep the back of your left thigh pressing into the ground and the left foot flexed. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes on each side and then open the hip by bringing the extended leg out to the same side. Bring the leg back to center on the inhale, change hands holding the strap, and stretching out the iliotibial band on the outside of the leg, stretch the extended leg in a diagonal or oblique line across to the opposite side of the body. It is very important to keep the foot flexed with your toes pulled slightly in towards the shin.
So, run, yogi, run! Or yoga, run, yoga. Either way, I believe that you will find strength, alignment, cardiovascular improvement, and a terrific stretch! You will feel great on your way to a healthier heart, mind, and body. Namaste'
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Lowering Your Blood Pressure through Yoga
I am so privileged to be a yoga instructor! What a blessing to meet so many wonderful people and enjoy the practice with them! Yesterday at the Thornton YMCA and last week at our home studio of Tranquility Yoga, we did a full hour of restorative poses to help lower blood pressure.
While I have not struggled with blood pressure issues, I have struggled with being overweight, and I have found that yoga is a great benefit in weight loss, mindful eating, and simply a terrific way to exercise.
"The exercise and weight loss that accompany regular yoga practice tends to reduce blood pressure. Yogic relaxation, in particular, appears to lower elevated blood pressure." Dr. Timothy McCall, M.D. author of Yoga as Medicine (for more info, see http://www.drmccall.com/)
While I have not struggled with blood pressure issues, I have struggled with being overweight, and I have found that yoga is a great benefit in weight loss, mindful eating, and simply a terrific way to exercise.
"The exercise and weight loss that accompany regular yoga practice tends to reduce blood pressure. Yogic relaxation, in particular, appears to lower elevated blood pressure." Dr. Timothy McCall, M.D. author of Yoga as Medicine (for more info, see http://www.drmccall.com/)
Here is a synopsis of what yogic postures we enjoyed in class:
If you would like to have more information on any of the yoga postures that I have listed, please go to http://www.yogajournal.com/ and look under the "poses" column to find detailed information on how to correctly align your body to find the maximum benefit. I hope that this practice for lowering blood pressure will be beneficial to you. Namaste'
Thursday, December 31, 2009
What's a BMI and who stole the tapemeasure?
Being accountable just means saying, "Yes," out loud, to someone else that you are going to do something to change. It always, always starts with telling ourselves the truth. If we are not honest with our own thinking, we will join the 76 - 82% who start losing weight or exercising and just drop out.
The first step is finding a tapemeasure or getting on the scales. Because body composition is a health related component of any weight loss/behavior change, we have to measure first. If you can't find a tape measure, use a string and then find a ruler to write down what your waist measurement truly is. Use a paperclip to mark the spot where the string meets!
Here's how to find where to measure. Find your iliac crest, which is directly underneath your armpit and the highest part of your pelvis with a bony protrusion. Lay the tape measure or string right above it on a horizontal plane. After a normal exhalation (no sucking in), measure three times to make sure you have the same inch measurement.
Secondly, find a scale and take all your clothes off. Hopefully, this is not in the entrance of Wal-Mart or at a department store. (: Open your eyes and see what the scale says without holding onto the wall or standing on one leg. This will give you your starting point for discovering your B.M.I. or body mass index.
Write down these two numbers in a journal, a planner, a calendar, or log onto http://www.caloriecount.com/ (free site)
Here's our truth telling moment. If your waist measurement is less than 35 inches (for women) and 40 inches (for men), you are in the 35.5% of Americans were are at a normal weight. However, if your waist measurement is above those numbers >35 for girls and >40 for guys, you are considered overweight or obese. Not the time to freak out, just the time to get motivated. Most metabolic diseases (cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, etc.) have tell-tale signs, and waist measurement is a big red STOP sign on continuing what you are already eating and doing.
What in the world is a B.M.I. you might ask? Dr. Oz talks about it all the time, and I am going to show you how to find it. It is all about your weight in pounds compared to your height in inches. Find a calculator. This will take a little basic math, but don't worry I am a teacher and can walk you through it. After you weigh yourself, see how tall you are in INCHES. Stand next to a doorway and use that ruler to mark the spot.
Now, you have two numbers with your weight in lbs. and your height in inches. Get your calculator in ready position!
Step #1. Multiply 703 times your weight in lbs. (703 is just the number we use to convert from the metric system to the English system.)
Step#2. Divide your first number (703 x your weight) by your height in inches.
Step #3. Divide the second answer by your height in inches again.
For example: Your weight is 144 pounds. Multiply 703 times 144 = 101232.
Now, divide that number by your height (5 feet times 12 inches = 60 inches). My height is 5'5" so my height in inches is 65.
Divide 101232 (my first number) by 65 = 1557.4153
Finally, divide it again by your height in inches. 1557.4153 divided by 65 = 23.960235. Round it up to 24. That would be your Body Mass Index.
Decision making time! If your answer is below 25, you are in the green zone. If your answer is 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29, you are considered overweight. If your answer is equal to or above 30, you are considered obese. I know that is a really hard thing to see, but we are only finding our beginning point. Just weighing in doesn't always tell you the whole picture! You need to do the math.
Think of it as a monopoly game. We are at the starting point, and our goal is to make progress. Progress would be measured by our waist circumference going down or our B.M.I. getting closer to that magic number of 25. Our short term goal is February on Super Bowl Sunday. We are not trying to buy "Park Place" or "Virginia Avenue," we are just trying to move down that board.
In order to make that magic number of your waist measurement or your B.M.I. go down, decrease your normal calorie intake by 300 calories per day AND increase your calorie output by adding in 30 minutes of exercise (if you can't do all 30 minutes at one time, do 20 minutes now and 10 minutes later). We are just taking baby steps in order to feel better about ourselves and be healthier in 2010. If you are not sure of what your normal calorie intake might be, just take a normal day and add it up. For example, some people eat about 2,000 calories a day. If we were to delete 300 calories, we would not eat a pastry, fried food, etc., and then add in 300 calories of walking which depending on the speed of your walk would be around 30 minutes.
Calories in, Calories out! Join our accountability group and let me know how you are doing! We can do it together; the buddy system works!
The first step is finding a tapemeasure or getting on the scales. Because body composition is a health related component of any weight loss/behavior change, we have to measure first. If you can't find a tape measure, use a string and then find a ruler to write down what your waist measurement truly is. Use a paperclip to mark the spot where the string meets!
Here's how to find where to measure. Find your iliac crest, which is directly underneath your armpit and the highest part of your pelvis with a bony protrusion. Lay the tape measure or string right above it on a horizontal plane. After a normal exhalation (no sucking in), measure three times to make sure you have the same inch measurement.
Secondly, find a scale and take all your clothes off. Hopefully, this is not in the entrance of Wal-Mart or at a department store. (: Open your eyes and see what the scale says without holding onto the wall or standing on one leg. This will give you your starting point for discovering your B.M.I. or body mass index.
Write down these two numbers in a journal, a planner, a calendar, or log onto http://www.caloriecount.com/ (free site)
Here's our truth telling moment. If your waist measurement is less than 35 inches (for women) and 40 inches (for men), you are in the 35.5% of Americans were are at a normal weight. However, if your waist measurement is above those numbers >35 for girls and >40 for guys, you are considered overweight or obese. Not the time to freak out, just the time to get motivated. Most metabolic diseases (cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, etc.) have tell-tale signs, and waist measurement is a big red STOP sign on continuing what you are already eating and doing.
What in the world is a B.M.I. you might ask? Dr. Oz talks about it all the time, and I am going to show you how to find it. It is all about your weight in pounds compared to your height in inches. Find a calculator. This will take a little basic math, but don't worry I am a teacher and can walk you through it. After you weigh yourself, see how tall you are in INCHES. Stand next to a doorway and use that ruler to mark the spot.
Now, you have two numbers with your weight in lbs. and your height in inches. Get your calculator in ready position!
Step #1. Multiply 703 times your weight in lbs. (703 is just the number we use to convert from the metric system to the English system.)
Step#2. Divide your first number (703 x your weight) by your height in inches.
Step #3. Divide the second answer by your height in inches again.
For example: Your weight is 144 pounds. Multiply 703 times 144 = 101232.
Now, divide that number by your height (5 feet times 12 inches = 60 inches). My height is 5'5" so my height in inches is 65.
Divide 101232 (my first number) by 65 = 1557.4153
Finally, divide it again by your height in inches. 1557.4153 divided by 65 = 23.960235. Round it up to 24. That would be your Body Mass Index.
Decision making time! If your answer is below 25, you are in the green zone. If your answer is 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29, you are considered overweight. If your answer is equal to or above 30, you are considered obese. I know that is a really hard thing to see, but we are only finding our beginning point. Just weighing in doesn't always tell you the whole picture! You need to do the math.
Think of it as a monopoly game. We are at the starting point, and our goal is to make progress. Progress would be measured by our waist circumference going down or our B.M.I. getting closer to that magic number of 25. Our short term goal is February on Super Bowl Sunday. We are not trying to buy "Park Place" or "Virginia Avenue," we are just trying to move down that board.
In order to make that magic number of your waist measurement or your B.M.I. go down, decrease your normal calorie intake by 300 calories per day AND increase your calorie output by adding in 30 minutes of exercise (if you can't do all 30 minutes at one time, do 20 minutes now and 10 minutes later). We are just taking baby steps in order to feel better about ourselves and be healthier in 2010. If you are not sure of what your normal calorie intake might be, just take a normal day and add it up. For example, some people eat about 2,000 calories a day. If we were to delete 300 calories, we would not eat a pastry, fried food, etc., and then add in 300 calories of walking which depending on the speed of your walk would be around 30 minutes.
Calories in, Calories out! Join our accountability group and let me know how you are doing! We can do it together; the buddy system works!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Calories in; Calories out!
Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight is an important concern for many people during the holiday season. I personally am recovering from surgery; therefore, my normal exercise is limited, and the old fear of gaining weight is ever present in my thought processes. So, how do you keep from gaining, lose weight, or find a way to eat through the holiday season?
I have learned through my personal training certification at Cooper Institute that it is all about the calories that you consume. I know, I know. Many diets tell you that calories really do not matter; it may be (according to them) the combination of foods you eat or the absence of high calorie foods. The list goes on and on. How do I know that? I used to be very overweight, and I have tried them all!
Good nutrition is a must, first of all. As I have been resting more often since surgery last week, I have watched far more T.V. than normally. However, I have a new favorite--Dr. Oz. He really has some great advice. Now, granted I have only been his viewer for two days, but I am impressed! Dr. Oz has some great advice -- "Eat the colors of the rainbow every day in your food choices."
Two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of veggies should be a great starting point. Even if you don't really enjoy these types of food, make it a priority to get these foods in by noon, and you are on your way to eating healthier. Eat a red apple, orange apricots, dark blueberries, green broccoli, yellow squash or corn, and purple cabbage. Look at the colors that you have added to the normal American diet of everything that is WHITE!
Secondly, record everything you eat. You can choose a sticky note, a journal, a notebook, or a website like calorie count. This creates mindfulness of your eating (which is what yoga teaches us), sets a standard to help us know when we are full vs. loading our plates up with goodies of undetermined amounts, and it gives us accountability. Just write it down!
Remember, it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound of weight, and 3,500 calories less to lose a pound of weight. However, these are accumulated day after day. Our goal is 300 calories less IN a day; 300 calories more OUT a day. If you cut out two ice cream sandwiches out of your normal daily eating, you have essentially taken out 300 calories of out your normal eating. Make that your goal every day. Substitute a high calorie food with a low calorie food in snacking or your afternoon or evening meal.
Now, the hardest part is always MAKING time to exercise. Once we are there, everything else flows. It is getting there that is the most difficult for us. I always tell people that participate in my yoga classes. Grabbing your yoga mat and showing up for class is the challenge. Once you are there; everything else will naturally evolve, and you will leave feeling proud of yourself for taking time out to be healthier and feel more confident due to your good choice making. Our goal is to burn 300 more calories a day. You can achieve this just by putting on a pedometer and walking 10,000 steps a day. You can do a jog/walk in your neighborhood or put your dog on a leash, strap on your tennies, and take off. You would be amazed at how much more ENERGY you have just by adding in 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. Give yourself a star every day you make this choice.
Join me in the 300 less calories in; 300 more calories out adventure this holiday season! We will weigh back in, measure your waistline, see if you can drop a jeans size (or just make a tight pair easier to wear) by the Super Bowl game! I would love to hear your daily comments or be able to encourage you through this challenge. E-mail me at jeannekaydoss@yahoo.com to share your daily count, your daily exercise log, or just let me know you are there endeavoring to make yourself healthier, more confident, and more functionally fit! Start today, and we will weigh, measure, or just look better - feel better by February 7, 2010.
I have learned through my personal training certification at Cooper Institute that it is all about the calories that you consume. I know, I know. Many diets tell you that calories really do not matter; it may be (according to them) the combination of foods you eat or the absence of high calorie foods. The list goes on and on. How do I know that? I used to be very overweight, and I have tried them all!
Good nutrition is a must, first of all. As I have been resting more often since surgery last week, I have watched far more T.V. than normally. However, I have a new favorite--Dr. Oz. He really has some great advice. Now, granted I have only been his viewer for two days, but I am impressed! Dr. Oz has some great advice -- "Eat the colors of the rainbow every day in your food choices."
Two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of veggies should be a great starting point. Even if you don't really enjoy these types of food, make it a priority to get these foods in by noon, and you are on your way to eating healthier. Eat a red apple, orange apricots, dark blueberries, green broccoli, yellow squash or corn, and purple cabbage. Look at the colors that you have added to the normal American diet of everything that is WHITE!
Secondly, record everything you eat. You can choose a sticky note, a journal, a notebook, or a website like calorie count. This creates mindfulness of your eating (which is what yoga teaches us), sets a standard to help us know when we are full vs. loading our plates up with goodies of undetermined amounts, and it gives us accountability. Just write it down!
Remember, it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound of weight, and 3,500 calories less to lose a pound of weight. However, these are accumulated day after day. Our goal is 300 calories less IN a day; 300 calories more OUT a day. If you cut out two ice cream sandwiches out of your normal daily eating, you have essentially taken out 300 calories of out your normal eating. Make that your goal every day. Substitute a high calorie food with a low calorie food in snacking or your afternoon or evening meal.
Now, the hardest part is always MAKING time to exercise. Once we are there, everything else flows. It is getting there that is the most difficult for us. I always tell people that participate in my yoga classes. Grabbing your yoga mat and showing up for class is the challenge. Once you are there; everything else will naturally evolve, and you will leave feeling proud of yourself for taking time out to be healthier and feel more confident due to your good choice making. Our goal is to burn 300 more calories a day. You can achieve this just by putting on a pedometer and walking 10,000 steps a day. You can do a jog/walk in your neighborhood or put your dog on a leash, strap on your tennies, and take off. You would be amazed at how much more ENERGY you have just by adding in 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. Give yourself a star every day you make this choice.
Join me in the 300 less calories in; 300 more calories out adventure this holiday season! We will weigh back in, measure your waistline, see if you can drop a jeans size (or just make a tight pair easier to wear) by the Super Bowl game! I would love to hear your daily comments or be able to encourage you through this challenge. E-mail me at jeannekaydoss@yahoo.com to share your daily count, your daily exercise log, or just let me know you are there endeavoring to make yourself healthier, more confident, and more functionally fit! Start today, and we will weigh, measure, or just look better - feel better by February 7, 2010.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Riding the Wave with Breathe, Release, Feel, Witness, Allow
My son, Jeff, surfing the waves in California "Riding the Wave requires a lot of energy and can make us fill depleted. Refill y...
-
Okay, I get it. You didn't sleep well last night? Especially for those of us who have a busy mind... You feel like you have inc... -
My son, Jeff, surfing the waves in California "Riding the Wave requires a lot of energy and can make us fill depleted. Refill y... -
Being accountable just means saying, "Yes," out loud, to someone else that you are going to do something to change. It always, alw...