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!