Yoga Off the Mat: Giving Yourself a Bye

I'm a runner. I have a race coming up on July 18th. It's a 15K. It's long enough but not quite as far as a half-marathon (13.1 miles). Last fall and winter, I did two half-marathons and then I backed off on distance training limiting my runs to six miles 3 times a week.

I'm starting to increase my distance again and I'm having a very hard time this spring and summer. It's getting hot and I'm feeling very tired lately. My energy moves up and down like a bell curve.

I don't just want to "finish" the race but I have a time goal in mind. I'm goal-oriented and a bit stubborn and apparently have a hard time practicing what I preach.

What is it that I'm preaching you might ask?

Ahimsa (Ah-him-sah) and Satya (sahtch-ya)

There are two of the Yamas or guidelines for living from *Patanjali's eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. Ahimsa tells us to do no harm and Satya tells us to be truthful. Doing no harm also means doing no harm to ourselves and Satya encourages us to listen to our body. I refer to these in every yoga class I teach but I have an incredibly hard time listening to my own body or properly interpreting what my body is telling me.

With six out of seven days of the week doing some type of cardio and my love of running outdoors, I tend to ignore the signals of fatigue and discomfort from hamstring tendonitis and sore knees. I'm not twenty. I can't get over-heated at noon one day and expect to run six miles the next morning. If you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you've probably noticed the increase in temperatures and the decrease in wind. This is not a good combination for outside training runs.

You might say that I could "push through the pain" or "just ignore it and keep going". Yes, those are the tendencies I have but as I've gotten older, pain stays around longer and it gets harder to "push through it". I don't enjoy being constantly fatigued. Maybe I'm getting soft.

Today, I'm letting my body talk and I'm listening. The six miles was only a pipe dream. A quick 40-minute run/walk "workout" was it for my cardio today. In yoga, we have learn to accept whatever our practice brings us. Yoga lessons come off the mat. I'm accepting my "practice" today, giving myself a bye today, and maybe for the rest of the week.

I still plan to meet my goal. I may have to adjust my cardio workout schedule but I can accept that.

Namaste.

*The eight limbs of yoga are described in the Yoga Sutras. They provide guidelines for living in the world while studying to bring the consciousness inward. The limbs consist of social behaviors (yamas), personal behaviors (niyamas), postures (asanas), breathing practice, internalization of senses, focus, meditation, and complete absorption (nirvana or samadhi).

References:
Bachman, Nicolai. The Language of Yoga, 2004 ed.
Satchidananda, Sri Swami. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 2007 ed.

Antioxidant Fix!

I love blueberries and just about anything made with blueberries. This recipe is based on the old reliable Betty Crocker recipe but with a few modifications to add a little more nutrition to go with the good taste.

I will warn you. These are not an overly sweet muffin. They would be great for breakfast or for a hearty mid-day snack.

Hearty Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 stick salted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/2 cup chopped or ground almonds

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin tins (2 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches) with cooking spray or shortening. In medium-sized bowl, beat egg. Stir in milk and melted butter. Stir in dry ingredients and then add blueberries and almonds. Do not over mix. Bake about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and gently loosen muffins from tin to expose browned sides and bottoms for cooling. Serve warm.


Enjoy!

Is it Spring or Summer?

I hope your spring is going well. I see that we have had a normal spring here in Texas with all kinds of weather. It's been nice to see some rain but that heat can wait awhile. Just last week, I was cold!

I finished out winter and welcomed spring by working a part-time job at the TCC (Tarrant County College) fitness center in downtown Fort Worth. This is at the campus that TCC purchased from RadioShack and is the fitness center where I taught yoga classes when I worked for RadioShack (and for awhile afterwards). I was a basic gym grunt, managing the facility while the Director was on maternity leave. It was nice to get out and interact with people on a regular basis and getting paid to work out and teach a little yoga was icing on the cake.

I'm still teaching yoga classes locally. Please check the sidebar for my schedule and if you're a member at LA Fitness or Keller-Pointe, I hope to see you in a class sometime. It's great to see folks embracing yoga and showing improvements in their fitness and their lives because of it.

For the first time in a long time, I participated in several races this season. I started with the Half-Marathon at White Rock Lake last fall, followed by the Cowtown Half-Marathon in February, and then a 10K, and finished with the Komen Run for the Cure 5K in April. After a short break, I'm back to running and thinking about my first triathlon once I figure out how to swim properly!

I also gave in to the social networking craze and joined Facebook. Click the sidebar link and see my profile or send me a friend request if you would like.

Shanti ("Peace")

Yoga On the Mat - Seated Twist

ARDHA MASTYENDRASANA
(Seated Twist)

I love twists. They feel wonderful when the body is warm and ready to move. They give us a release from a tense spine, provide openings in our upper body, massage our bellies, and by using core strength, allow us to be feel grounded and stable.





After a quick warm-up, sit in staff position (sitting tall, legs extended, hands next to hips) and bringing the right foot in towards the middle of the body. Straighten thru the back and press into the floor with the extended leg, flexing the foot. Engage core strength by tucking in thru the abdominal muscles. Take the left arm and hug the leg while moving the belly button to the right easing into the spinal twist, ending with the head and neck. Take the right arm to the back for a little support. Maintain strength the core. Avoid using the right arm as a crutch.

Hold for 4-6 deep breaths and release slowly back to the center, re-stabilizing in staff position. Switch legs.

Do We Really Have Bad Yoga Practices?

L.A. Wilson is a writer, editor, and marketer living in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a dedicated yoga student, practicing Hatha Yoga as often as she can.

Recently when I was practicing yoga I was fighting it. That’s the only word I can come up with: fighting. Something in me was fighting hard. My mind refused to stay in the postures and even my body didn’t want to bend or make effort. Then, moving into headstand, not even IN headstand but going up into headstand, I fell flat on my back, hard, even managing to come off the rug I was practicing on and land everything from the shoulders down on cold, unyielding tile.

The words “I’ve landed flat on my back” popped into my head. That was, ironically, exactly what I needed to happen. It’s what I needed to become aware of: I feel like I’ve landed flat on my back. In fact, I’ve never believed that I can land on my feet. With the problems I’ve been having in headstand lately, I’m afraid to go up into the unknown, don’t trust that I can go there, that I can “achieve” this pose. The fear of falling flat keeps me from excelling.

After that I decided I had definitely earned some time in child's pose. Going into that pose the voice said, “I’ve been fighting since I was a child.” I suddenly felt very tired, and knew that I no longer wanted to keep fighting. Then my mind finally surrendered and relaxed. Like a petulant child, once I had paid attention, the mind stopped misbehaving. I received the gift of realization that the constant fighting is a manifestation of my fear: not being in control.

Do we really have bad yoga practices? The daily practice is what it is and no more. Maybe we need a bad yoga practice to bring us to an awareness that we’re not getting on our “good” days when we can be smug about what a great Warrior II we accomplished.

The trick is listening. Falling flat on my back forced me to listen. Next time you’re having trouble with a pose, instead of trying harder or just resigning yourself that this is one of “those” days, breathe and listen. You will be amazed at what you suddenly come to know.

L.A. Wilson can be reached at lawilson0525@yahoo.com.

Mexican Stew

This recipe is from Mark's family. It's a great way to have "Mexican" food that isn't loaded with fat. Enjoy a whole grain benefit by serving with whole-wheat tortillas. Yummy!

Mexican Stew

1 lb. lean stew meat (beef), chopped into small chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 heaping tbsp cumin
1 can Rotel (chopped tomatoes and green chiles)

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in *pressure cooker on medium high to high heat. Brown meat and onion. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to cover meat. Cook under pressure (10 psi) for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then run cold water over lid before releasing pressure.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.

Serve with warm flour tortillas.

*If not using a pressure cooker, cook the meat and onion until the meat is starting to get tender and then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.

Yoga Off the Mat - Awareness

Many of us may have shared the experience of going into a retail boutique and having the feeling that the sales people don't think we are worth their effort. These places usually have name-brand items at full retail. In a recent shopping experience I expected to find a couple of college-age kids working in the store. What I got was a couple of older women. They reminded of when I was in college, working at a large retailer, and being mentored by "sometimes crabby" ladies this age.

I don't know if I wasn't wearing the right clothes or maybe my mascara scared them off but it took me a few minutes to warm up to these ladies.

I walked in and was greeted. When asked if I needed help, I said I was "just looking". I started to look around. I found some pants I was interested in and pulled a folded pair off the shelf. Another sales lady comes over to me and was very assertive about helping me with my size. My initial impression was that she didn't want me to take the pants off the shelf as there was no way I could fold them correctly. She would immediately begin straightening everything I touched. It was obvious she wanted to touch them. Maybe my paws were grimy.

Fortunately, that style of pants wasn't what I was looking for so she suggested some others. She didn't seem very warm and friendly. She finally left me alone for awhile and I picked out some things and she took them back to a dressing room, warming up a bit. Maybe she realized I really did want to buy something.

Once I told her I was a yoga instructor, she told me about a special program they have for instructors. That was good. It saved me 30% off full price items.

In the meantime, another lady walks into the store. She was wearing a business suit and lots of make-up. Both ladies were very chatty with her. She left after about 30 seconds.

It's easy to place blame on them but maybe I can look at how I present myself. Each of us has an opportunity to make each encounter pleasant or not-so pleasant so shouldn't we choose the former taking control of the situation as much as possible?

I probably wasn't approachable. When I'm shopping, I prefer to be left alone until I have a question. I realize that I wasn't getting what I wanted and I was reacting to it.

I seemed hard to please. None of the pants she was trying to show me were right. Maybe that was frustrating to her and she was reacting to that.

Maybe she was just having a bad day or a bad moment. I don't have to react to other people's bad moments.

Yes, I was kind of "mad" that she seemed rude but rather than letting myself be managed by this emotion, I distracted myself and stayed focus on what I wanted to accomplish. In this case, find comfortable clothes that I liked and that fit me in this store (I had a gift card). I tried to make myself more approachable, cracked a few jokes, smiled more, and engaged the sales person in conversations about the clothes. It seemed to work. I got what I wanted. She got sales.

Yes, the encounter could have been more pleasant but I'm glad that I made myself aware of my reactions and steered myself in a different direction. There is no blame to assign, just perceptions and reactions to each moment.

Namaste.

Yoga off the Mat - Renewal

Springtime Renewal

Spring has finally made an appearance. Although April is turning out to be a bit chilly, I'm enjoying the longer days and the fortitude of my rose bushes to burst out in beautiful blooms!

Spring is a time for rebirth and renewal. It's time to check in with your goals. Are they still meaningful? Do they need a little tweaking? Align your goals with your strengths as much as possible. You will be happier and more successful. You may also find that a weakness has also improved or that the weakness has become irrelevant in your life. Reduce or eliminate areas of your life that bring out your weaknesses.

Raising our Level of Awareness

How many times do we catch our selves in judgment of others and of ourselves? Probably more often than we realize. Does this give us peace? In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sutra 1:33 is very meaningful to me as it provides very simple guidance to find peace in our lives. In summary, this sutra tells us:

Be happy when others are happy. Disregard evil. Rejoice when others succeed. Feel compassion for those that are suffering.

Sounds easy?

Well.......For me, this is a challenge.

Don't we sometimes feel jealous when someone else succeeds at something? Or maybe we resent that someone also seems happy when we struggle on a daily basis? Isn't it easier to sympathize rather than empathize and truly feel compassionate when someone is suffering? As for disregarding evil, that's very tough. It's easier to think or say that the person should not have done something. It was wrong. Shame on them. See how easy that was?

Take a moment to rejoice when someone succeeds. Notice how you feel when you do that. Put yourself in the presence of happy people. Find something in each moment that makes you happy. When you encounter something that you feel is wrong or you start to be critical of someone's actions, try to detach yourself from the situation. Think positive thoughts towards the person or situation or, if that is too difficult, replace your thoughts with something completely different. When someone is suffering, be supportive. If they need a friend, be a friend.

I can't tell you that by practicing yoga that you will all of a sudden be able to change your feelings or reactions. During an asana practice, you will learn to be more in tune with yourself. You may be able to find an openness that has been missing or you may experience an emotional or physical release.

Being in-tune with yourself will allow you to notice that you have feelings contrary to the sutra. You have the opportunity to detach and step away. Resist the urge to analyze yourself for having these feelings. Just notice and re-direct the feelings to something more positive.

References:
Larkin, Dr. William K. Growing The Positive Mind. 1st. ed. 2008.
Satchidananda, Sri Swami. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 2007 ed.

Once is Probably Enough For Me

There is a group of people at the gym where I'm currently working that are very interested in the P90X DVD workout series. This is a series of intense exercise routines designed to provide results in 90 days*. Part of this grouping is something called Yoga X. I set aside the 1 1/2 hours to do this workout recently.

My perspective is that of a Certified Yoga Instructor and I will try my best to follow the non-judgment yogic philosophy as I continue writing this post.

What I Enjoyed:

• It was an intense and challenging workout.
• Most of the poses you would see in a Power Yoga class were part of this workout.
• There was a 10 - 15 minute section of abdominal work that was very well-queued, balanced, and effective.
• The Ashtanga flows were as expected and were sequenced with increasing intensity and complexity.
• The balancing poses were also effective and included one of the rare moments when a bit of yogic philosophy was present in the class ("It's OK to be wobbly...".)
• The stretches in the final section were held for a long time and this felt very good after the intense practice.
  

Opportunities for Improvement:

• In general, this instructor does not use the mirroring style of teaching even though he is facing you. When he says "Step out with your right foot", he steps out with his right foot which causes you to be going the opposite direction than him and his class. This is confusing to many people and this is normally a characteristic of an inexperienced instructor.

• I would have preferred to have a warm-up flow that builds on dynamic movements as part of the class. What was presented at the beginning of class was a few stretches and three quick Sun Salutation flows that were ineffective for me as my muscles were not ready for Sun Salutation. I think the workout expects that you have already warmed-up with some type of cardio activity.

• I would not recommend this yoga session for someone that is new to yoga and new to exercise. There isn't much explanation about how to do the poses and would require someone to continually look at the television during the poses which could cause neck strain. Since the workout is difficult, it might be frustrating for someone new to exercise.
  

• I grew tired of the instructor pointing out the "great bodies" of his students and how "good" they were at doing the poses. This should not be part of a yoga practice. Poses are never-ending and expectations of a great body from doing yoga poses should not be encouraged. There was an occasional comment about how everyone has a different level of flexibility, though.
  

• Once we were on the mat in the final 20 minutes of class, the transition between poses was ineffective and almost non-existent. For example, while on our back, we moved to child's pose and then from child's pose back to lying on our back. This was awkward.
  

• After an hour and a half of stressing the physical practice of yoga with very little philosophy and very little focus on breathing, we sat up after Relaxation Pose and did 3 sets of "Oms". This seemed out of place.

This workout is definitely for an experienced practitioner in good physical condition who is not expecting much beyond a physical challenge.

*This a claim published on their website.

Lemony Launch into Spring Recipe

I made these yummy lemon cookies over the weekend. The recipe is based on the recipe in the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion cookbook. I hope you will enjoy them.

Lemon Coolers

3/4 cup butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon rind/zest or
1 teaspoon lemon rind/zest and 1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, baking powder, lemon zest and lemon oil. When the mixture is creamy, add the sugars, a bit at a time, beating until fluffy. Finally, mix in the flour. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough for each cookie and roll into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie to about 1/4 inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in confectioners' sugar.

Bake the cookies 1o to 12 minutes, until they are very lightly browned on the bottom and edges.

Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Carol's notes:

• I use the lemon zest and lemon flavoring. I made my last batch without lemon zest and they were wonderful.
• I use 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup salted butter to make the 3/4 cup butter.
• When I see just a tiny bit of browning on the edges, I take the cookies out. In my convection oven, that was at about 6 - 7 minutes.
  

Go to Maui, Pass on the Expensive Meals, and Collect the Benefits of a Healthy Vacation

I can see your jaw dropping now. How does one save money in Maui much less eat healthy?

It's true that in general, food is not cheap anywhere in Hawaii. It is possible, though, to find good, healthy food and keep to a budget.

Here are some suggestions:

Order from the Bar Menu or Order Appetizers - Most resorts have a pool bar or a smaller restaurant that will have a bar menu. The offerings are usually $10 - $14 dollars and most have several fish offerings, along with the typical fried whatever. In the Ka'anapali area, LeiLani's Beachside Grill has a wonderful fish sandwich dressed with spinach and a light dressing. The fish is fresh (Ahi Tuna or whatever is available) and very tasty. Their fish tacos are also good and can be considered reasonably healthy as they are grilled, not fried.

Another option is the Beachwalk Market and Pantry at the Ka'anapali Marriott. They have your typical pre-packaged sandwiches and salads in the coolers but they also have sushi, banana and other fruit-based breads, and a grill for a few made-to-order selections. Breakfast options are grilled items such as eggs and bacon or toast, bagels, yogurt parfaits and a few baked goods.

If these is no bar menu, the appetizer menu usually offers some good choices for a light meal for lunch or dinner.

Buy fresh food and prepare your own meals. Local markets or natural food stores are good choices for local items and may have some of your favorites from home. Try some of the local favorites such as pineapple, apple bananas (a smaller, less sweet version of a banana), starfruit, mangoes, papaya, and many others that are grown on the island. The Beachwalk Marketplace mentioned above turned out to be a good option for us on our latest trip.

Many hotel rooms or condos at least offer a toaster and a microwave. If possible, buy food for breakfast in your hotel room. When my husband and I travel together, breakfast is usually the hardest meal to arrange and I get frustrated spending money in restaurants just for breakfast.

Here's something that I've put together on past trips to get a reasonably healthy breakfast:

• Whole-Wheat English Muffins
• Low-fat cheese or soy cheese
• Trans-fat free buttery spread for taste
• Eggs (if you have a stove to cook them)

Occasionally, I'll buy some instant oatmeal packets and make them in the microwave or using the hot water from the coffee pot. I'll add a handful of walnuts for some protein and fat.


Avoid eating at a full-service restaurant for every meal. Try a place that offers counter service. The prices are usually lower and you don't have to tip (although a tip jar is usually available).

I grew up in Texas and I love the many varieties of "Mexican" food: Tex-Mex, Northern New Mexico Green and Red Chile dishes to more authentic dishes from Mexico. I've learned that Hawaii is not the place to find good Mexican food. That's not surprising but I keep trying. The exception is Maui. There are several places on the island that are counter service and have extensive menus ranging from traditional enchiladas to burritos to fish tacos. You won't find these items drowning in cheese like some of the Tex-Mex selections served in Texas but consider this one of the health benefits! Some of our favorites are listed in the Our Favorite Eateries section below.

If you're going to splurge, try one of the breakfast buffets. You won't leave hungry. Watch the carbohydrates and don't skimp on the protein. Look for island specialties like macadamia nuts (for your pancakes) and fresh guava juice. If you make it a brunch and you balanced your meal, you should have enough energy to last until dinner. Try for a light dinner to balance the heavy breakfast.

Move it or lose it: I'm sure all of us enjoy eating good food and sampling some of the local fare but to stay healthy, our bodies crave movement. It's very easy to be active on Maui. Besides the obvious beach activities such as swimming, snorkeling, body surfing, boogie boarding etc., there are numerous other activities to keep you from getting bored:

• There are some wonderful hikes throughout the island, from the top of Haleakala at over 9000 feet to rainforest hikes that start at sea level.
• Many of the resort areas have walking paths that are well used by travelers of all ages.
• A variety of golf courses are available at all levels of play.

I've just barely touched on the activities that are available. Check out some of the guidebooks for more information.

Don't forget to stay hydrated: Trust me. It's easy to forget this part. There is usually a nice breeze that will keep you comfortable and hide that your body is sweating and losing fluids from the higher temperatures and humidity. Yes, it's OK if you want to have a soft drink (make it diet if you can) but water or tea are better at giving your body what it needs so lean towards those choices when possible.

Bottom line: To get the most out of your trip and to avoid those few extra pounds or an energy drain, do your research and then come up with a plan for what you want to do each day. Identify food options that match your activity level and your location (so you're not driving in circles). Make time for the trip to the local markets to buy fresh food.

Finally, don't make healthy eating into something stressful for you. Don't feel bad about a few splurges while on vacation. After all, it is a vacation and you are supposed to be having fun, right? A high-calorie meal or two won't derail your health and fitness plan.

If you can, plan your trip for late February or March during the peak of the humpback whale season. They are amazing creatures and Maui is one of the best places to watch them dance and play in the water.

Our favorite eateries. All offer reasonable priced items except for Roy's which is a full-service, upscale restaurant (expensive but worth it):

(B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner)

Beachwalk Market and Pantry (West Maui, Ka'anapali)
100 Nohea Kai Dr. 808-667-1200
Sandwiches, salads, baked goods, grill (B,L,D)

Leilani's Beachside Grill (West Maui, Ka'anapali)
2435 Ka'anapali Pkwy. 808-6614495, http://www.leilanis.com/

Roy's Kahana Bar & Grill (West Maui)
4405 Honoapiilani Hwy. 808-669-6999, http://www.roysrestaurant.com/
Fish, Steak, Pasta with an Asian/Island flair (L,D)

Cilantro (West Maui, Lahaina)
170 Papalaua Ave 808-667-5444, http://www.cilantrogrill.com/
Counter-service Mexican food, extensive menu, vegetarian options (L,D)

Maui Taco (Multiple locations), http://www.mauitacos.com/
Kihei: 2411 S. Kihei Rd. 808-879-5005
Kahalui: Q. Ka'ahumanu Ct. 808-871-7726
Napili: 5095 Napilihau St. 808-665-0222
Lahaina: 840 Wainee St. 808-661-8883
Counter-service Mexican burritos and tacos, including fish tacos (L,D)

Las Piñates (Kahului)
395 Dairy Rd. 808-877-8707
Counter-service Mexican food, extensive menu, (L,D)