Category Archives: Training

Personal Training

Past Peak and Still Beautiful, Natural Seasons and Life Cycles Suggest Each Other

Watching as the world around us transition from season to season circling the year’s clock face, pass through clearly defined phases and then reconnect to begin again is a lesson in change, adaptation, and light. Yes, light. If we look – really look – with our physical eyes, inner sight, mental clarity and creative vision, we learn lessons that support and sustain us as we move forward.

Watching necessitates a pause. Framing a vast scene or a tiny fragment for a photo or mental image is an act of simplification, magnification, wonder and respect.

Last weekend here in Vermont we were flooded with gorgeous, brilliant colors topped with a dusting of snow on our highest peaks. This weekend we are Past Peak and Still Beautiful. As I noted this on my walk, I was startled to realize that this is a meaningful concept indeed! How often do we admire an antique, painting, vintage clothing or older friend? How much do we appreciate the athlete who has transitioned from the prime days of record-breaking achievement to an athlete who, with maturity, coaches, writes, and reaches out with shared skills?

What of the senior executive who mentors and the musician whose tone becomes deeply resonant? What of the model who turns to design, the performer who directs, the parents who grandparent?

Is any of this less? Perhaps the transition itself is the learning curve to land experience as something useful rather than degenerative.

And yet, though Past Peak may Still be Beautiful, there is a demand for strength and energy.

In the world of health and fitness, we teach that as our bodies age, the absolute priority is muscular strength to enhance bone health and joint stabilization, mobility and balance.

Quite a few experts have quite a lot to say about this subject. Here are a few resources if you’re so inclined.

In the following podcast, Dr. Gabrielle Lyons makes no bones about it (pardon the pun) – strength training, cardiovascular exercise and HIIT (high intensity interval training) are a must!  (She is also an advocate of substantial amounts of protein but I won’t touch a nutritional topic – so many options to be suggested!) https://drchatterjee.com/the-critical-importance-of-strength-training-and-eating-more-protein-with-dr-gabrielle-lyon/

Arthur C. Brooks is a popular author whose latest book is From Strength to Strength, Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. I’m taking my time with this one as there are gems on each, page. You might also enjoy this podcast conversation of Brooks with Rich Roll:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE0giQ4znNw

From the get-go Brooks is encouraging. Using science, experience, research and logic he proposes that the beautiful mind of a younger person utilizes “fluid intelligence” and later, mature folks use “chrystalized intelligence.” To tease you I will share his quote from British psychologist, Raymond Cattell:  “When  you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom. When you are young, you can generate lots of facts; when you are old, you know what they mean and how to use them.” (Is your interest piqued?)

I also love the way Brooks connects physical, mental and spiritual fitness. He, himself, has a practice that is significant and actionable. He advocates clearly defining one’s moral values, daily meditation and daily reading something by a great thinker, words of wisdom.

Within the principles of the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we have fully entered the time of year associated with the Metal Element and find ourselves involved with the process of refining, honoring wisdom and self-knowledge. (Past Peak but Still Beautiful?) As Gail Reichstein writes in her excellent book, Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, the emotion associated with this time of year is grief. “Grief also teaches us what we value in our lives and in the lives of others, giving us the opportunity to redirect our energies toward becoming who we most want to be.”

Further study reveals that Metal represent both the seeking and that which is found. Coincidental to Brooks and Cattell, Reichstein writes that “the soul of Metal is wisdom …Wisdom turns experience into understanding, allowing us to know more about the present because of what we have learned from the past.” She further states that “The soul of Metal also creates teachers; those who pass their wisdom on to others.”  I think everyone is on the same page!

Continuity. A circle. As green leaves become vibrant with reds, yellows and oranges creating a spectacular vista, they then fall to the ground to become nourishment for future growth. But even in their transition, there is beauty. There is a time and place for value, opportunity, energies and self-actualization. There are lessons to be absorbed simply by sharing breath and space and light, by walking through the calendar year with the natural world as our habitat and companion. And, when we are “Past Peak, it is Still Beautiful.”

From Strength to Strength, by Arthur C. Brooks, Penguin Random House, 2022.

Wood Becomes Water, by Gail Reichstein, Kodansha America, 1998.

SNACKS* IN 2021

May 2021

Snacking is good. Well, let me qualify this at the start – I am NOT talking about food.  (Yes, I confess, I jumped on the eat-something-small-every-four-hour bandwagon years ago when grazing was first promoted – about the same time carbs for athletes was being touted. My how things change!  I have definitely jumped off that wagon! So much new science – IF and Timed Eating ….) However, there is another way to embrace snacking and I do so.

The concept of snacking overrules ambitious grand schemes for study, practice, health … and the list goes on and on. I first heard this term used a few months ago referencing adding a walking program to a sedentary person’s life. Presumably sparked by a noble New Years resolution, a couch potato sought advice on how to jump into a schedule. Rather than suggest an idealistic goal of 30, 45, 60 or more minutes a day (in one exercise session) or an unattainable mileage goal, the response was to make snacking a habit. To embrace the habit would be more valuable than scoring high numbers of minutes, steps or miles. In other words, snack on your new habit and walk whenever possible – maybe just 2 minutes to go up the steps, or 5 minutes to the mailbox, or 7-10 minutes around the house, or …. You get the idea. BUT indulge on these snacks frequently. Maybe every hour. Add them up at the end of the day and perhaps the achievement would be as much as or more than the initial but daunting goal of a huge block. The key, of course, is to DO it, to make it a habit that will be repeated daily.

Personal Fav = Peloton:)

(of course, this is not a new concept but perhaps bears repeating or reframing – and of course your Fitbit or Apple Watch or whatever app you might love will do the same thing – just reframing)

Recently I have been enjoying an eclectic selection of podcasts. My current favorites are from Functional Medicine doctors Mark Hyman and Rangan Chatterjee. I know, I’ve mentioned them before, but their interviews are so very thought-provoking. I especially love that Dr. Chatterjee (has an awesome accent but …) concludes his lengthier interviews by asking his expert to sum up with just 4 or 5 actionable tips for the listener to walk away with. Snacks, I think.

a close up is a snack!

Today I was listening to Arianna Huffington talk about “micro habits,” bits and pieces of actionable practices in keeping with the concept of snacks. Perhaps it is the inclusion of  5 minutes of gratitude, or 10 minutes of stillness, or 2 full minutes of breath observation, or reaching out to help one person, or pausing to acknowledge one thing each did well this day.

There are huge obstacles to overcome in each individual’s life. Or perhaps it is more likely that there are huge obstacles to work with and be shaped by, learn from, and move on. After all, Augusten Burroughs says something along the lines of: “I, myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”  (how much do you love that?!)

It is also said that pain is the agent of change. Without disturbance, one might become captive to a shrinking comfort zone. And to borrow from another of Chatterjee’s guests, is one a performer on life’s stage or does one live one’s own unique, exquisitely individual and complex life?

You see, podcasts, essays, blog posts, conversations, and even fortune cookies might offer a sentence or two to take away and chew on as a snack.

Note: an endurance athlete might need a 7-course dinner, not a snack. Snacking is for habit building, for waking up that which might be dormant or for maintaining the forward moving inertia that one has worked hard to put in motion. Snacking fits into the spaces created by life when life gets real and necessary and very demanding. Doing nothing is not an option. Physical activity, mental stimulation, and yes, even pockets of silliness are snacks that sustain and nourish us.

For example: Do not send the kids outside to play – go out with them – at least for a snack. Do not put the dog in the yard and clean up later; take the dog for a walk even if it is frustrating to accommodate the dog’s busy nose as spring scents entice. Stuck on Zoom? Stand up, stretch, pick your knees up, kick your butt, do those infamous six positions of the spine, then see if your stretching snack gave you a pick up. Stress steam-rollering you? Close your mental door and slip behind your eyelids for a moment of stillness, your own personal pause in a world where chaos reigns if you allow it. Brows furrowed? Take a minute or three to thumb through your adolescent kid’s favorite lame joke book. You will laugh, I guarantee it. (If not, you need more than a snack!)

In my teaching and coaching I often encourage students and clients to try to do less but do it more efficiently and achieve the same or greater results. Years ago, before I learned what I know now, I would quip: turn your tension into energy. Yes, well, why not? Stress, striving, pushing, forcing, tend to shut down the flow of energy within and without the body causing pain instead of power. Allow the energy to flow freely and in concert with your inner and outer strength and you will find that which you could only imagine, redefining limitless goals.

Balance, of course, is key. All snacks won’t work forever but will always have a place in one’s daily habits. Constantly shuffling the deck of fitness and wellness components helps sustain equilibrium. Exercise, healthy nutrition, hydration, and sleep are vital. Exercise itself has many pieces: aerobic, strength, power, quickness and mobility/stability training. Nutrition is as varied as the consumer and needs to be studied and tested carefully avoiding extremes. Meditation, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Qi Gong, and, of course, Peloton, offer plentiful snacks or main courses.

So, what does one ever wait for? You can do this. You can creatively space snacks throughout your day and teach your body, mind and spirit to live life more fully. Expect this of yourself and your expectations will be fulfilled. Engage others in your habits.

SNACKS TO SHARE

PAUSE or PAWS

  • First thing in the morning, take a few minutes to look outside. Even better, take an early morning walk. (if you have a dog, this is a no-brainer)
  • Clear head space before bed and when first awakening as a non-digital time zone. In other words, don’t take your phone to bed with you and when you open your eyes in the morning avoid reaching for it. Deliberately wait to do so until after your first cup of coffee?
  • Adopt the habit to PAUSE. Stop the rush, halt the wave of anxiety in its tracks, seal your lips before saying the four-letter-word busy, or look at your plate of food before diving in.

    PAUSE or PAWS

    PAUSE. Maybe for a moment of gratitude. Maybe for a breath. Maybe just to reorganize your intention for the next step.

    OK, don’t remember where I got these but I wrote them down to share with you:

  • Replace anxiety with curiosity.
  • Gratitude is the antidote to ruminating.
  • Rather than gulping (breath, water, etc) try sipping.
  • And this may be my favorite – before entering your next Zoom meeting, check your face to replace your frown with a smile!
  • And finally, note what others may have done for us. Perhaps a friend has offered time to simply listen or has reached out with a text message just to say hello. Stop to recognize this gift and then pay it forward.

Snacks, little manageable bits, are seeds that, once planted in fertile acceptance, provide unimaginable opportunities for organic growth. And don’t forget to share your snacks!

 

*Disclaimer. True confession – no, I did not know that teenagers use the word snack to refer to someone they might find attractive – usually sexy. I do not have a teenager in my house. Yet.

RETURNING? I DON’T THINK SO. Reimagining a new way to teach and train in studio, gym, outdoors or virtually.

 

It’s not just the large gym or small studio in urban or rural U.S. Globally the fitness industry is metaphorically scratching its head wondering how to handle each day. Though there is no one who is able to predict the future, it is becoming increasingly clear that a “return” to life as it was before the pandemic (and it’s not over yet, oh dear) is not a reality. Can we patch things up and do a mockup of something similar? Can we limit numbers, insure spacing, sanitize endlessly, mask uncomfortably, and provide safety assurances? Is that even productive or wise?

finding ways to distance and pause

This post is not yet another diatribe about the state of today’s world financially, socially, politically, or medically. It is a small voice from the small perspective of a small town in Vermont. I am a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor and, primarily because I have participated in many activities and am constantly studying anything available relative to my work, my depth of information and practice is appreciable. Over the years, working one on one, in small groups or large classes, as a director of a gym and as an athletic coach for individual sports, I have watched participants, sometimes reluctantly-sometimes enthusiastically, strain, drive, compete and press towards goals on individual paths. I, too, became obsessed with heart rates, watts, mileage, speed, power and an infinite variety of numbers to measure everything from fuel to output to recovery time all designed to indicate success or failure.

Savasana

Fortunately for my own personal well-being and hopefully for that of my students and clients, I have become passionate about the practice of Yoga – whether it is Yoga for Athletes (my introduction to Yoga with Sage Rountree), Vinyasa (thank you Freeport Yoga Company and Kripalu) or the complementary practice of Yin Yoga (Josh Summers and Terry Cockburn, Summers School of Yin Yoga). I can speak only from my very small dot on the map of “return.”

Who knew? Those of us who have spent 200, 300, 500, 1,000 hours in Yoga Teacher Trainings, specialty courses, even in cadaver labs as we have learned about the thousands of years old Yoga theory and practice, anatomy, even how to teach; who knew that we would need to add a crash course in technology and become adept at something called live-streaming, recording or Zoom? Who knew we would suddenly need to learn to teach a different way – and, for that matter, to learn a different way as we joined other students in other teachers’ virtual classes? Who knew we would be faced with legal technicalities, internet crashes and how to create space in which to teach, adapt or purchase camera and sound equipment and on and on and on. 

Perhaps the trickiest hurdle has been connecting with our students and providing them with practice and support that is worthy of their fee. In the beginning many teachers offered online services as a gift. The next step was an honor system. Then links and passwords needed to be purchased and voila a new industry was born. Recently I listened to a mind-boggling podcast about a new wave of abuse – no, not the inappropriate touching scandal that has suddenly vanished – but the abuse of instructors who are paid a set sum to teach their class and then forever after their videos are sold with profit only to the business owner. Ouch. (And, as I have used the word “small” frequently in this post, please note that in the small studio where I work this is a completely foreign concept. We are all in this together supporting each other and our lovely leader, Ana. http://www.mountainrosevt.com) Just sayin’

quiet trails for exercise and contemplation

But there are beautiful and significant observations to be made as well. As soon as it was deemed safe to go outdoors, masked and spaced, individuals and families, thrilled to be able to do so, were out the door walking, running, hiking, strolling, climbing, cycling and paddling. Gone was the drive that forced such an adventure. Exercise, action, the outdoors, all became a privilege and, in this new light, became gifted joy.

Community has been redefined. Even the tiniest connection – a phone call or text, photo or face time, card or package – is duly appreciated forging bonds replacing tenuous strands. And in my own small (there’s that word again) world of Zoom, those minutes of unmuted video before and after a teacher-led practice are golden; they are fun and sensitive and compelling moments of genuine community.

Inserting stillness, a by-product of Yoga, everywhere and anywhere.

Virtual hugs are bogus, are they not? Those foolish little emoji of the smiling face with 2 arms? Give me a break. I’m not so sure about the etiquette of a handshake, but we will hug again. We cannot resist! But perhaps we will retain some of the goodness of this experience. Perhaps we will live a cleaner and simpler life. Perhaps we will offer and receive touch untainted by skepticism or misunderstanding. Perhaps we will gratefully relish the effort to proactively care for our own well-being in order to reach out to others in our lives. Perhaps we will loosen the fetters of restrained emotions and be honest, sharing and, yes, grateful. Perhaps we will find cause for happiness in things as presumably insignificant as a buzzing bee all the way up to financial stability or a clean bill of health.

Perhaps we will like taking a Yoga class in a new setting, bringing our own props, and washing our hands.

create a personal home Yoga space

Perhaps we will even like participating in a Yoga practice in a virtual community, as we say, “live or later.” Perhaps we are ready for what is new and not a mended version of what was before. Perhaps.

Adaptation – what to do when “real life” interrupts your exercise plans

We set goals, plot the course, equip, journal, and journey towards fitness or performance achievements. We prioritize and are on a roll when wham! a kid gets sick, a car breaks down, an ankle gets sprained, a meeting is scheduled, the flu is diagnosed, a flood-tornado-heat wave-ice storm-hurricane (fill in the blank) strikes. And so on. Derailed. The balloon of motivation and grit is popped. What to do?

Adapt, don’t quit. Plan in breaks.

It’s really not so simple as to just get back on the horse once you’ve fallen. Physical gaps take time to close; damaged enthusiasm takes time to rebuild, mental toughness is tested.

There are long and detailed explanations of what happens physiologically to the many body systems utilized in recreational or competitive activities. I leave it to you to employ your favorite search engine to discover what you will.

For purposes of this post, let’s consider the emotional and mental consequences of an unexpected interruption to your athletic endeavors.

Perhaps most importantly, though diligence, perseverance and determination are attributes to be admired, an excess of these qualities might translate as obsession, rigidity that robs the initial joy and excitement of the pursuit. If the cancellation of a practice or event is inappropriately upsetting to you, perhaps it is time to reexamine.

Explore a new trail that might peak your interest if not your heart rate.

I do not mean that we should be calm at all times, moderate in our action or accepting of the slightest discouragement as a sign that we should change course. Rather I suggest that we are better for the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the anaerobic and the aerobic, and that a forced change in plans might be the perfect time to reevaluate progress, priorities and perhaps notice that recovery might be personally important at this particular time.

During the winter of 2018-2019, we in Vermont had a lot of snow, a lot of cold temperatures and hazardous driving conditions. There were so many mandated changes in training schedules, that I finally wrote a note on the bulletin board of my studio encouraging my clients and myself to “EMBRACE CANCELLATION.” What a novel idea! Just looking the disappointment of a cancellation in the eye might help to honor that unexpected free hour to do something else that you would never have had the time to do otherwise; or to take a needed respite from yet one more day of training. Who knows? Well, actually you do.

The danger, of course, is breaking the momentum. If this alarms, perhaps the momentum isn’t as strong and healthy as it should be. Rarely does a missed day or two or even a week make serious physical changes. However, if lethargy sets in and momentum comes to a standstill, then it’s time to pick yourself up and get back to your plan.

Often, to one’s great surprise, a break in the action rests both body and mind clearing out damaging stress and fatigue. Returning to training is often short, sweet and catapults you beyond your expectations.

And then there is safety, injury avoidance if you will. There are times when the call must be made and the training or event aborted.

This past week many areas of the United States have experienced unusually hot and humid conditions that could, if not acknowledged, cause health problems. Again, hit that search engine to find ways to deal with heat, cautions about exercise, hydration, etc etc. What I want to discuss here is the mental side of this equation.

Water is always a good option!

When the sun is shining and especially when a weekend invites, it is mentally challenging to prepare well for conditions and to honor the needs of others. For some it is more difficult to dial it back to a less intense ride, hike or run than it is to push through but perhaps cause a problem down the road. Slogging through is never optimal unless in certain competitions. But for the weekend warrior as well as the competitive athlete, learning to modify builds mental toughness and a better understanding of one’s own unique body.

Often creativity saves the day. Can your find a way to take your activity to a pool or pond? Running in deep water or swimming continuous laps or distances will surely challenge! Can your find ways to cool down during game breaks by waiting in the shade and getting water in and on you? Can you explore a new trail that might peak your interest if not your heart rate? Can you –maybe not spend the day in a hammock (or maybe do!) – but depart from your exercise plans and adapt to what the day is, not what you wish it might be?

Train smart, maximize as well as protect potential, seek opportunities to change it up, adapt, play, and thrive.

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING SPACE

What you REALLY need for your personal fitness training.

Functional is an organic term. Today we embrace the concept of that which works, that which is specifically designed, practiced or identified relative to one’s own experience and practice. Functionality has grown organically to seep into systems of medicine, fitness, alignment and even meditation. So, let’s consider you, your fitness practices, location, equipment and program. Can you trim the fat, so to speak, and make each and every thing you do count, make the composite functional, specific to your own needs and goals, efficient and effective?

Perhaps you gather your gear and block out a small space at your local gym. Or perhaps you are fortunate enough to be able to dedicate a few square yards or even a room in your home to your fitness quest. Let’s run with the latter.

BACKSTORY. Years ago I resigned my position as the Director of Personal Training in a large, fully equipped facility to work with clients in a small but attractive area. Everyone was happy about the move and no one missed the Nautilus machines or other objects of torture, as they were fondly referred to.

The character of my studio changed each year, it seemed, in an attempt to meet the individual needs of each client, their growing fitness levels, newly assumed challenges, and for some, the aging process.

Training was designed to follow the lead of the “functional training” model utilizing combined muscle groups, serious attention to the functional strength of the core – all of it, not just the abdominal muscles – and applying strength, mobility, balance and endurance to the activities of daily life along with both recreational and competitive sports performance.

COMPONENTS OF A HOME GYM. Now, in a new home, I can label a small oddly shaped but beautifully bright area my “home gym.” As I began to equip the renovated space to make it work for me (thus functional) I found it quite exciting to define my fitness needs and the least amount of gear I could use to meet those needs.

NEEDS AND GOALS.

  1. General health and well-being
  2. Strength, endurance, quickness and agility to deal with my Chocolate Lab as we walk, play and maneuver good manners.
  3. Overall strength as well as strength endurance
  4. Cardiovascular fitness: endurance as well as HIIT
  5. Mobility (previously considered flexibility but now reframed as mobility for all populations, especially athletes and those who push the envelope)
  6. Balance in all aspects of physical, mental and emotional living

My current sport of choice is HIKING. (that too will change but I love doing new things and meeting new challenges) So I need hiking-specific training. I also have an active Yoga and meditation practice so my training space needs to accommodate that as well.

EQUIPMENT LIST.

  1. My own body – one’s own body weight is a formidable tool!
  2. TRX
  3. Bosu trainer and 2 Stax
  4. Stability Ball (55 cm)
  5. 6# medicine ball
  6. 5# ankle weights
  7. jump rope
  8. assortment of bands and mini bands
  9. foam roller
  10. Yoga mat, bolster, blocks, strap, blanket, meditation cushion
  11. The outdoors. I rely on roads, woods, trails, rocks, water and snow for aerobic exercise.

(Later? Perhaps a Spinning® bike or Peloton and maybe a few more dumbbells though I rarely train with them preferring TRX and body weight for strength.) As you can see, though there are a number of training tools listed, all fit in a limited space with room leftover for work.

INTANGIBLES. My gym must include identifiable and quantitative amounts of education, motivation, gratitude, specificity, curiosity, compassion and the good sense to dedicate the time. Oh, yes, and that wonderful 4-letter word – PLAY!

What you have just walked through is a functional exercise, one that I did for myself and am sharing with you. Now, it’s your turn.

SUNSHINE AND FITNESS

 

How sunshine affects one’s fitness level is obvious, but significant in definition. It is patently apparent that a good, sunny day puts a spring in our step and lures us outdoors to participate in a variety of healthy activities that might have seemed drudgery on a different day.

The physical advantages to exposure to sunlight include sizable doses of Vitamin D, which is credited to help strengthen bones and inhibit some forms of cancer. Thanks to Wikipedia, I also learned that UV exposure boosts endorphin levels, while simply viewing the sun through the eyes adds to “robust circadian rhythms and reduced risk of seasonal affective disorder.”

OK, so far nothing sounds like new news.

The dangers of sunlight are also familiar. Skin takes a beating with the risk of cancer and premature aging. Though some question the use of sunscreen, most strongly advise being adequately protected all seasons of the year. Furthermore, wearing sunglasses is encouraged – not so much as to appear suave, but to protect eyes that are vulnerable to damage resulting in cataracts and macular degeneration.

Once again, as with so much of what we live with in our personal lives and in the world around us, too much is too much and too little is too little. (When it comes to sunlight, “Conversely, sun avoidance is associated with increased mortality.” Wow.)

Finally, sharing again from Wikipedia, “…a number of public health organizations state that there needs to be a balance between the risks of having too much sunlight or too little.” Not exactly profound, but there again is that word BALANCE.

Leaving these thoughts behind, but ever cognizant of balance, let’s look at the lift a sunny day gives to motivation and energy. Living here in Vermont where a spectacularly clear day is treasured, as much as possible, those who live and work here do their best to adhere to the notion that, should one of those days dawn, rearrange the schedule and GET OUTSIDE! For many, this is why we live here. The scenery is gorgeous and there seems to be a shared expectancy that everyone here wants to actively appreciate it.

(On the other hand, there is a great deal of moaning and groaning when wet soggy days link together or, for some, when sub zero days do the same. In fact, something I personally don’t understand but do honor, quite a few complain of the heat when we hit 70 or above!)

In Yoga, practicing a few Sun Salutations first thing in the morning prepares body, mind and spirit to face the day with clarity and a degree of readiness. Whether the Sun is symbolic or actual, it propels us to move forward energetically which in turn maximizes whatever movement we are practicing and multiplies the gains.

For example, headed out the door for a fitness walk or training run, chances are that when the day is bleak, so too is the outing – a slog that is happily over at the end. On the other hand, if the sun is beckoning, steps are invigorated, faster, more powerful with resulting enhanced fitness and training rewards. Many bodily systems are taxed and, having risen to the challenge, are enhanced. Muscles strengthen, joints protect their range of movement, heart and lungs efficiently handle aerobic and anaerobic tests and even coordination, quickness and agility benefit. Emotionally the activity turns to pleasure, fun (maybe even play) and mentally, thinking becomes more creative and logical. Can we do this without the sun? Sure. We can. But environment is enormously influential as many architects and planners have learned.

Technically it is still spring. In some parts of the country it has apparently come and gone; in others it is still fragile. But the notion of new growth budding and blossoming and all that it represents is a notion to hold dear. Each new morning is the springtime of a day. Each new idea, each new adventure, each new connection is the onset of creativity and ultimate fruition.

Perhaps it is helpful to view life itself as organic and those who seek the sunshine will grow accordingly. While awareness, education, protection and balance are integral to our best experience, so too are enthusiasm and joy.

And then there’s this:

“I have noticed that people are dealing too much with the negative, with what is wrong. … Why not try the other way, to look … and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

Motivation – possibly the most important tool in your toolbox!

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt  Motivation is possibly the most important tool in your toolbox. Motivation  drives many minutes of each day. It is motivation that underpins major chunks of enthusiasm, fuels the determination to persevere, and keeps one moving on a forward path professionally, personally and simply in being alive.

What IS motivation? It is many things to many people. Motivation can be defined as that which inspires one to thought or action. It can be a basic need for survival or switch that turns one on to maximum effort, performance or creativity. For some, it is extrinsic, set in action by outside influences. For others it is intrinsic, a life force from deep within. For yet others it is the seed from which inspiration is born, the putting one foot in front of another to keep going, or the explosion of energy, power and one’s being to make a quantum leap. Bottom line? I challenge you to pause for a moment right here and define motivation in your own words for your own use.

Type the word into your search engine and you may come up with something like this: Motivation is “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.” Pretty basic, huh? Enthusiasm is a word that keeps popping up, also goal and sense of purpose. To broadly consider the word, yes, sure, without purpose why would anyone do anything?

As some of you know, I work a great deal with the word “functional.” Don’t you think that “purposeful” comes in a close second? So, if one is motivated by what might work functionally for one’s unique self, wouldn’t it follow that proceeding with a sense of purpose would carry out what is needed to sustain the motive and/or goal? “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” —Michael Korda

Recently I have been involved with a corporate group doing its best to prepare for a local 5K race. Many in the group have limited experience in doing so and, not surprisingly, the demands of consistent training have taken a hit in the form of disintegrating motivation. Try as one might to help influence another, it is only by embracing the tasks at hand can one succeed.

This is one of my all time favorite photos, taken in 2010 by my friend Jeb Wallace-Bordeur.

This is the time of year to find a variety of motivational signals bounce off each other. A nice sunny day makes us want to abandon responsibility and rush outdoors. Likewise, a cold and dreary day tempts one to table some of the day’s goal-oriented activities – especially ones that require intensity, creativity or physical and mental effort and endurance.

On a personal note, I found myself slipping from some of the structured practices that I know benefit my day. Early morning journaling and meditation was being lost in a few minutes of extra sleep, at home Yoga practice was giving way to lethargy, outings in the woods with my pup were abandoned. Of course, there is solid reasoning behind this – I need that sleep or the woods are just too wet and messy right now. (Besides, the bears are waking up and they’re hungry!)

The results of these failings began to add up and I noticed a general malaise, a sluggishness that is simply not my general demeanor. So, I went back to my own advice: put one foot in front of the other and just do it. Is it working perfectly? Of course not. But at least I am moving. I have resumed my practice of planning each day to include the necessary time to achieve my goals. Even if my mediation and Yoga practices are short, they need to exist to retrain the HABIT, which will ultimately perpetuate  

Because one of my goals is to be ready to hike when Vermont trails open again the end of May, I need to build strength and endurance now. Much to the delight of my dog, we are leash walking dirt roads a minimum of 3 miles a day, adding ½ mile to our one weekly long walk which should give us at least 10 miles by the time the hikes begin, adding at least one straight up climb each week (useful to live near a ski area that is closed for the season), and, for fun and mental flexibility, daily making sure to have plenty of off-leash ball play and some agility drills for both of us.itself.

Do I love doing this? H— no! Some days I think I spend as much time getting the mud off of both of us as we do in the activity. Some days I come home drenched to the skin. Other days, however, I am so happy and feel so energized that the motivation that got me out there has blossomed into enthusiasm, inspiration and pure joy! And, in June, when I want to hit the heights, will I be glad that I’d prepared a strong foundation? H— yes!

Utilizing motivation as a tool or as fuel is a skill. It is also deeply personal. No one can do it for you. A coach or trainer can stand on the sidelines and cheer, shout, badger, encourage, curse, scream, plead or whatever; but, only you, the individual, can do this.

And without that spark of vitality, excitement or energy, what would life be like other than flat, dull, and perhaps boring. (Heaven forbid!) And then there are dreams. Do you have one or more? I certainly hope so. “The future [does indeed belong] to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

 Note, I have no idea where the motivation to write this post came from. I had just returned from a Yoga class, it was snowing pretty hard, I sat down to check my email …. ? lf

ENERGY, STRENGTH & COURAGE

An athlete, (and here I include anyone who strives for fitness and well-being), is familiar with words like energy, strength and courage – as well as concepts of power, force, endurance, patience, effort and performance.

Flexibility is another one. We make our plans, structure training and when something topples that structure, are required to become flexible in more ways than physical. For me, today was one of those days. Beautiful though it is, a heavy wet snowfall cancelled my work-day but gave me time to pursue studies.

As a student of the Summers School of Yin Yoga (https://joshsummers.net/school/), and, preparing for an upcoming week of training in “Mindfulness,” I am about halfway through reading Joseph Goldstein’s “Mindfulness, A Practical Guide to Awakening.” Often my study requires mental discipline. Sometimes I set a timer for one hour and force myself to persevere. Physically it is an effort to remain seated for that period of time and to exercise patience with myself. But the study stealthily creeps into my thinking and I find myself revisiting bits and pieces and, my favorite exercise, flip to the Index to pursue more pages about a word that has teased my interest. Ultimately I suppose I could say that my performance is enhanced and I am empowered to take the next step. Hmmmm.

This morning, after my timer had jingled, I hop-skipped-&-jumped through the citations pertaining to energy. So, let me ask you, have you ever deliberately connected these three words: ENERGY, STRENGTH & COURAGE? I guess on some level we have all assumed that they relate. However, let me share with you a few sentences of observation written by Goldstein who

suggests that “Energy (viriya, in Pali) is the root of all accomplishment….and is the capacity for activity, the power to do something. This energetic capacity, the power to do, manifests in a variety of ways.”

Strength, therefore, is the power to do, a “channeling of energy for the development of wholesome states of mind….” Courage, at first an unlikely companion to energy and strength, “powerfully energizes our heart as we walk on the path.” And here might be the crux of the matter: “Courage is energized by challenge; it is inspired by difficult tasks and even seeks them out. When courage is present, we rise to meet different challenges for the sake of what we want to accomplish, and we’re not discouraged by thoughts of hardship or by the length of the undertaking.”

We are all familiar with exhortations to play with our edge, move outside our comfort zone, achieve balance in all things, yadayadayada. But here is something we can sink our teeth into. Use energy purposefully – perhaps not as if driven, but as if seeking. Support our energetic endeavors with moral, mental and physical strength and perseverance. Utilize courage to embark, continue and perhaps complete. Rather than imposing limitations upon ourselves based on an inadequate assessment of what we are capable of, after choosing a course of action, do so with “qualities of interest, willingness, and the courage to explore. It is not a question of ‘should’ or right and wrong.”

Thankfully we are all students. There is so much to learn, ponder, process, practice and either embrace or discard as something that is not inherently bad, but as something that is no longer useful to us.

This snow will melt. There will be more. Flexibility will always be needed. May we all have the energy, strength and courage to move with life’s changes and challenges in a way that is most beneficial to ourselves and others. May we all always be practicing students.

AFTEREFFECTS OF TRAINING (and Yoga) LAST FOR HOURS

There is a phenomenon, sometimes called the “afterburn” and sometimes referred to by a more official sounding title, “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption,” or EPOC. Simply put, when you exercise (here the intensity of your training is relevant), your heart rate, oxygen consumption, metabolic rate and thus calorie burn are elevated. The minute you walk out of class, step off your bike or kick off your running shoes your system does not dive to the level prior to working out. Surely you remember that it took time to stretch, breathe and gradually shift gears in your remarkable machine of a body in order to get it to perform at full capacity, or at least efficiently. It makes sense, then, that it would take an extended period of time to do the reverse. It’s a lovely bonus that your fit and tuned body will continue to crank it out even after your reps or miles are done. A bonus, as well as a strong incentive!

Today as I closed my Yoga class, I offered my students an ineloquent prayer or wish for them. “Your Yoga does not end with Namaste. May your practice – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – go with you through the remaining hours of this day.”

I thought about what I had said a few hours later as I walked through the woods on trails wet with rain. Years before I would have been snug at home with a book (or maybe my computer) and a cup of tea. These days, however, my Sophie gets me out there and by the time I stop whining at her I realize I’m so happy to have done so!

Sophie.

On one hand, I watched with interest as my young Chocolate Lab raced through the woods chasing birds (good luck with that), chipmunks, and all sorts of imaginary or otherwise creatures. (I’m so proud of this girl – she comes right back when she flushes out a deer. We know there are bear(s) out there but so far so good and I have no idea what she will do. Practice recall. Practice recall. Practice recall.)

On the other hand, the slippery roots, muddy patches, and dense yet soundless dimness of the woods guided me back to my morning Yoga practice. I was ‘taking my practice with me through the remaining hours or my day.’

Because I am a dedicated student of my teachers, Terry Cockburn, Freeport Yoga Company, and Josh Summers, Summers School of Yin Yoga, I borrow heavily from them. Periodically I will “workshop” a particular asana or principle, stopping to spend time to explore a shape, identify target areas, and practice execution suggesting appropriate functional alignment. (There’s oh so much to say on this particular subject – but that’s for another day and another post.)

I urge my students to consider their own anatomy, discover which of several possible target areas they address, and then, the big question – “what do you feel?” Yes, when one has taught, studied and observed bodies for many years, one can sometimes have an educated opinion of what a student might be feeling. However, the bottom line is NOT what you, the teacher, thinks, it is what the student feels!

Think of it this way. Say something very sad, or even traumatic, has happened to you. You are emotionally exhausted and broken – say the death of a family member, a broken marriage, or a terrible accident. Someone you meet offers compassion and says ‘I know exactly how you feel….’ You want to shout back at them ‘NO YOU DON’T!’ Enough said.

To accompany that bottom line is the equally important objective to help our students become informed about their bodies, movements, and potential. A commonly accepted concept in the practice of Yoga is to be able to know one’s “edge,” and to work towards and with that edge within a given practice. To be a student is a marvelous adventure and one that thankfully never ends. I encourage all Yoga students to read, study, practice, experience and learn, learn, learn about each individual uniquely precious being that he or she is!

So, see? I was thinking about all of this as I walked. (Fortunately I didn’t trip over anythingJ)

Yogic principles can be applied to so many situations. Physically one can seek strength, balance, endurance and a means to meet and complete tasks and challenges. Universally Yoga teachers often begin classes by encouraging students to “set an intention.” Perhaps that intention is to work with the concept of a target area or a level of intensity. For example, when I head out with Sophie I try to take that idea with me and set a goal for the day’s activity – sometimes a strenuous hike (I do live in Vermont and I do love those rocky climbs above the tree lines), sometimes distance, sometimes off-leash playfulness with fartlek for me, sometimes on-leash controlled pace, sometimes a run, sometimes, like today, just a walk in the woods. It’s all good and it’s all better when you know what your goal, your target, is.

Mentally, emotionally and spiritually taking time to absorb your surroundings, notice your breath, stop to watch a sunset, calm anxiety with trust, reach out to others in loving kindness and tolerance. Such thoughts are so possible and somehow easier to embrace while moving and “practicing” Yoga throughout the day.

Don’t allow rain and mist keep to distort your vision.

By all means, roll out your mat and give yourself the necessary gift of a Yoga practice (or a fitness training session), and then, when you have considered your purpose/goals/target areas/intention, let them guide you through your practice and on, as you step off your mat into your day.

A SILENT MEDITATION RETREAT IS INDEED AN ENDURANCE EVENT

I was counseled that a Silent Meditation Retreat is an Endurance event and so it is. Let me compare:

In the days, weeks and months prior to the event, there is periodized training that culminates in show-time. Mentally and physically the upcoming event takes center stage and preparations are made to ensure the best possible performance.

Tapering ignites anxiety and eagerness, doubts and concerns, anticipation of the as yet unknown. Bags are packed, gear or tools are checked and double checked. An endurance athlete may well have run the marathon, raced the ultra distance trails or cycled the century route before, but each time is always a confluence of new conditions.

Then its time to begin. You want to either turn around and run away, or explode over the start line. The gun goes off and you’re in it. There’s no turning back and at this point you really don’t want to. You’re a trained athlete/meditation practitioner so you get right down to it. You find your pace or position. You begin – not too fast at first, not too aggressively – to build your momentum. As an athlete, you kick out that initial anaerobic rush and level off in what will be a sustainable aerobic pace. Meditating, you find stillness, perhaps begin your practice with the help of a guided technique, then settle more deeply into stillness.

But let’s take this analogy to a slightly different place. Lets consider the endurance event, say a timed century (been there/done that-many times) with an entire week of silent meditation and Yin yoga practice (been there/done that as well).

Kelly Brush Ride, Linda Freeman through the covered bridge, Middlebury and Addison County Vermont, September 12, 2015. Photography by Caleb Kenna. Coincidentally, as I write this post, the KB ride is coming up in a few days. It was my first century, and about 6 years later possibly my last and definitely my fastest (over 2 hours faster!). It is a ride and a cause dear to my heart and epitomizes my cycling soul.

Mile 0-10. Ouch. That first hill really hurts. I’m breathing so hard – will I ever catch my breath? Ahhhh, a downhill….

Day .5 -1. OMG this is awful! It is so so hard! What was I thinking to actually choose to do this? What time did you say it was? Day one? Really?

Mile 11-40. OK, I want to push a little harder here. I am determined to better my time and send better stats to my coach. Raise those Watts a bit and lower the HR and continue the drive across the top and into the downhills…. Commit.

Day 2: I don’t think I can do this. I want to go home. I hurt physically and my head is tired from moving so very slowly from minute to minute. Simply waiting for the bowl to sound at the end of each meditation period takes more energy than I possess. This is so truly a friggin’ sufferfest…. But, I did Commit.

Mile 41-60. Are you kidding me? Is that all I’ve done? I’m getting tired! I keep forgetting to drink enough. My butt hurts. My mind is wandering. My right gastroc is threatening to quit on the next climb, maybe today is just not my day…. But, recommit.

Day 3. This is it. If it doesn’t get better soon I can’t guarantee the results. Even my stomach hurts. I decided to fast from the noon meal until breakfast. Maybe that will help. And then – there was small group. It was the turning point. I’m not the only one. Meditation can also mean to “just sit”. Recommit.

Mile 61-80. Just do it. Do not give an inch. Technique, fueling, breath. Do not lose focus. Watch that white line.

Day 4. Just do it. Take hold of what is happening and move forward. Do not entertain doubts or self-criticism. Watch that strip of grass when walking down the path.

Mile 81-90. Rededicate. Power into the climbs. Pass anyone you see ahead. Breathe. Stay centered and calm. Focus on each pedal stroke. This is not the time for an adrenalin rush.

Day 5. Rededicate. Patience. Interest. Awareness. Be not tempted to look to the finish. Continue one moment, one step at a time.

Mile 91-100. The race is won or lost right here, right now. Give it all you have, leave it all on the course. Replace whatever might be frantic with pure, beautiful strength. Dig deep. Then fly.

Day 6. This is it. There is renewed energy and my practice goes deeper, more spiritual, more comfortable yet more demanding. I don’t want to make any mistakes. But wait, that’s wrong. Refocus and give it all I’ve got which might be translated as release, open, but DO be aware of absolutely everything.

Post race: It takes a few minutes, but then there’s the rush; the joy of knowing that I have done my best and that I have indeed bettered my past performance is overwhelming! I personally am sensationally energized after an event. I want to laugh, change out of my sweaty kit into a dress and Birkenstocks, hang out with family or friends in attendance, and finally pack my beloved bike, find some good coffee and enjoy the long drive home alone.

Day 7. After morning meditation, the lifting of silence and the return of our cell phones, it takes a few minutes, but then there’s the realization that I did it!

I can hardly believe that I actually remained silent for the better part of a week. Yet that was the easy part. Oh! The meditation! Those incredibly long minutes were surely equally as strenuous as the most serious climbs on my bike. Yoga practice was a gift. But the meditation. All that thinking and processing and practice and awareness….I want to laugh and talk with my new friends. I want to wear my red threads on my wrist forever. I want to take home everything I can – incorporate meditation in my daily schedule, reclaim those sweet spots of stillness, practice loving kindness – all these grand ideals and down to the pragmatic – what was that amazing natural cleaner I used when I did my work chores and what cookbooks did Steve and Tim suggest?

Take home: For the athlete and the meditation practitioner – what we do, even once, we DO own. That experience can never be taken from us. How we use that, and what we choose to do next, is up to us.Mt. Moosilauke, 4802′, NH. 2018