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THE HIKING CONNECTION

Sharing the summer months with an informal group of individuals loosely connected by their interest in hiking is proving to be a learning experience for all of us. Arguably, any able-bodied person can hike. But does everyone want to? No. I certainly didn’t.

Until 3 summers ago I loudly complained about the rocks and roots and snakes and bugs and shadows and mud and heat and cold and schlepping and slipping and …. Skeptical to hike alone (probably not a bad thing to avoid especially since I have/had a tendency to get lost) and fearful of bears (yeah, I know, they are hopefully more afraid of me), I was surely a poor candidate for the sport.

And then came Sophie, my now almost 3-year-old Chocolate Lab who opened this wonderful world for me. Because training is in my psyche, poor Sophie underwent/undergoes lots and lots of training. An exuberantly friendly pup (she IS a Lab, after all) with reliably good trail manners, she also serves as a canine GPS. All this is to say that because there is nothing (except swimming) that Sophie loves more than trails, I have become an avid hiker!

Though I have seen the uninformed exit their vehicle at the trail head and set off with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing and most likely highly inappropriate footwear, enjoy an eye-popping great experience when they summit. I have also witnessed the inexperienced and ill-prepared turning back early, nursing blisters, or worse. (I once shared Sophie’s water with a dangerously thirsty guy.)

Over the past two months I have kept an eye on a disparate group with equally disparate goals, professional and family obligations, time constraints and fitness levels. At the halfway point I see that the initial goal is not really working for some, some seem to have changed their minds about participation, and yet others excite me with their obvious strength, pace and distance gains while at the same time still others challenge me to keep up with them! What I am loving about this group is finding the joy of hiking shared surpasses the task of hiking alone. (Note, there is also a sweetness to the solitary experience; but that is a subject for another post.)

How does one define hiking, anyway? There are meandering forest trails, picturesque bogs, barely defined paths, and rocky climbs with steep precipices and vistas to die for. It’s all hiking and, ultimately, it’s all about making the decision to get out the door and go.

As we hike along with others, there are times of companionable conversation and times of reflective silence. Trail etiquette suggests that this is not the time, however, for loud chatter or, please no(!), a cell phone visit. (Yes, there are exceptions to every rule. If hiking in an area with active bear sightings, it’s a good idea to make some noise. Sophie wears a bear bell on her collar and a hiking buddy has attached one to her pack.)

Often conversation prompts sharing of so much more pertinent information than one can Google – news of other trails, reports on new boots or shoes, what kind of insect repellent does or does not work, what is the best snack or electrolyte drink, what do you think of hiking poles, what resources are you using, and on and on.

Mt. Abe, Long Trail, Vermont, July 2019.

Experience is an invaluable teacher. On my last hike, for example, one that I know fairly well and love because it is deliciously challenging, I made a few rookie errors and lagged behind as I finally scaled some totally fun rocks.True confessions:

I needed to retie my shoes to tighten them up a bit, but didn’t want to stop for fear I would fall farther behind. Wrong.
Because it was chilly at the early a.m. start, I layered on a long-sleeve top that I needed to take off, but didn’t want to stop for fear I would fall farther behind. Wrong.
With a relatively long drive to the trail head, I had rushed out of the house with only a few bites of my usual pre-hike breakfast (oatmeal, Icelandic plain yogurt, walnuts and dried tart cherries), and badly needed to refuel with either a few bites of dates or a bar or, even more importantly, a few swallows of my favorite electrolyte drink (Tailwind), but didn’t want to stop for fear I would fall farther behind. Wrong.

And so, I fell farther behind. Granted, it took under 2 hours to summit, but duh! Retied shoes, shed layer, swigged some liquid and I was flying. Again, DUH!

Each hike, each day, each weather condition, each hiking partner(s), each new pair of shoes, each trail snack, each guide book, each hangover (oops), each season, each year – there are no two hikes alike and no one hike that stays the same. It’s all experience – and connection.

EMILY DICKINSON, JANUARY, the FULL MOON and MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

January, the Full Super Blood Wolf Moon, (phew, that’s a mouth full) and honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. serve to remind us of challenges, transformation and potential. Where does Emily Dickinson come in? Right here: “I dwell in possibility,” she said. As do we all.

I write this post on January 20, 2019, as snow falls heavily with the promise of much more to come – exhilarating news for snow sports athletes and daunting news for commuters. It is also a holiday weekend decorated by a full moon (if we will see it, that is). Let’s unpack all this together.

On 12-30-12 I discussed JANUARY in the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. Here’s part of what I wrote:

“Janus is the god of beginnings and endings, of transitions and of time itself. The two-faced head of Janus often crowns doors and gates with one face looking back and the other looking forward. Is this not what we are doing at this time of year: looking back over the year that has just passed and looking forward to the year ahead?

An interesting aspect of the Janus head that I recently observed is that each face is the same. One is not looking forward with furrowed brow or looking back frantically as if to say “where has the time gone?” Both faces consider what has gone before and what lies ahead with equivalent composure.

I don’t know about you, but I am a firm believer in history. Yes, there is history to be revered, individuals to be honored. There is history made up of dates and wars. There is history made vibrant by inventions and discoveries. The history that intrigues me begins with the development of cultures and communities. What benefits us immediately, however, is our own personal history.

Within the context of the spiral theory of history in which history repeats itself and what came around once will surely do so again, we can look to our own personal history to see what lessons we have learned and what we might do differently. After all, as somebody once said (it is usually attributed to Einstein) “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Within the context of fitness and training, history provides important information of one’s progress. Dedicated efforts result in diminished limitations and increased capabilities. Weakness develops into strengths, skills are acquired and goals are either scored or reached.

Best of all, there is a history of immediate feedback related to one’s dedication, one’s efforts. Become sedentary and our body and health will bottom out. Continue our efforts to exercise, fuel appropriately, live healthfully, and train for our sport or activity of choice and we see positive results over time. We can look back on interaction with others, the evolution of like-minded individuals enjoying the benefits of community. Bodies and minds are enhanced. Enthusiasm is nourished. Energy multiplies.

Confidence, born of experience, gives us a powerful tool upon which to rely. History allows us to dream, to formulate achievable goals, to make a bucket-list and then to stretch ourselves in pursuit of what we identify as important to us”.

Today we anticipate a rather spectacular lunar event. This particular Wolf Moon (January moon so named to suggest the howling of wolves in winter) will be a huge super moon and because of its proximity to earth may emit noticeably stronger energies. About 9:30 p.m. EST we might watch the eclipse and comprehend why it is also called a blood moon. Shortly thereafter the moon will reach peak fullness.

Is there significance to this confluence of events? “Lunar eclipses are often associated with change, mystery, and upheaval.” (Tempest Zakroff) Another writer, Mickie Mueller, suggests: “As this one coincides with the first full moon of the regular calendar year, it’s a good time to contemplate what things — ideas, habits, practices — you may wish to leave behind, and what you want to bring into your life and build upon for the year to come… It’s a magical reset button.” Might this be a good weekend to reevaluate our New Year’s goals and resolutions? Are we on track? Might we need, in wisdom, to rework those ideals and restructure our coming weeks and months?

Because I write in the venue of fitness, health, and well-being, I tend to translate what I encounter as applicable to the same. For example, I learned that the full moon is a call for balance. OK, physical balance is a no-brainer but so is balance in all aspects of our training and life experience. I hear that an eclipse represents power and fruition and can be transformative. Ditto.

Finally, I have brought Martin Luther King, Jr. into this equation. Why? Well, of course, we active individuals love having an extra day off to go do something and this year we can go play in the snow. More significantly, however, it is a time to pause to honor history: past, present, future, personal and universal.

We all know of MLK’s “I have a dream” speech. But time spent on your favorite search engine will provide hundreds of pithy, compelling quotes. I will close with a few for you to apply as you wish. Consider your personal “possibility” (Dickinson), reevaluate your personal experience, and move forward on your personal path.

“No person has the right to rain on your dreams.”

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better. ”

“Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service… You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”

WINTER SOLSTICE

Solstice, sun standing still, happens December 21, 2018 at 5:23 p.m. There’s a boatload of science behind this precise moment, but there’s also a great deal of myth, poetry, anxiety, practicality, paganism, and just plain opportunity to celebrate.

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is another story entirely. For most, eagerness for more daylight is a common denominator. There are practical issues such as light for the morning commute or not arriving home in the dark after work. There are visibility concerns for kids waiting for school busses or pedestrians along city streets or country roads. And, perhaps the worst for those of us who crave outdoor activity, is that daylight affects, if not controls, our time outdoors. There’s only so much we can do with headlamps! Even our pups grow cranky or overweight with less action and we, their guardians, must find creative ways to keep them exercised mentally as well as physically.

There is also the good news about longer periods of darkness. Used properly, they gift us with time – time to linger over a meal, to read a book, work a puzzle, or finally reorganize that closet or maybe even catch up on paperwork (I guess I should say email). Just as farmers traditionally mended harness and repaired machinery over the winter months, so, too, these indoor hours encourage repair and restoration of sports equipment, furniture or whatever we have put aside as we darted out the door last July.

Nor is it all about darkness. What’s wrong with night skiing or skating at lighted venues or a moonlight snowshoe? (Perhaps the only caution here is to be certain of the route, let someone know where we are going, and please try not to get lost and tax a local rescue team. Maybe now is the time to learn how to use one of the many apps guaranteed to keep us from doing so!)

But back to Winter Solstice. Some things I learned from a Google Search:

Ancient peoples whose survival depended on a precise knowledge of seasonal cycles marked this first day of winter with elaborate ceremonies and celebrations. Spiritually, these celebrations symbolize the opportunity for renewal, a casting off of old habits and negative feelings and an embracing of hope amid darkness as the days once again begin to grow longer.

[Perhaps this is why the Winter Solstice is followed so closely by New Year’s Resolutions….]

And, did you know this? The solstice this year will be extra special because it will be followed the next day by a full moon known as the Cold Moon, and you might be able to see a meteor shower to boot.

And, finally, a few words to ponder: “I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” (Og Mandino)

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.

TO HIKE-Random Reflections on Dayhiking in the Northeast

To hike: “to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise: to suddenly increase the cost, amount, or level of (something)” merriam-webster

with Sophie on Mt. Worcester, Vermont 2018

UP-Perhaps it is because I live in Vermont, to me to hike means to go UP, i.e. “suddenly increase the … level.” I somehow associate the long slogs through wooded areas with trekking, or hitting the trail. I like to do both but I especially enjoy the challenge of climbing the rocky segments of a steep trail – as long as there are some good hand holds and I don’t look down! Interestingly, though I do gaze in awe at the view from the summit, that’s not what attracts me to the hike – it is time with my BFF, Sophie, my Chocolate Lab, and the process, the journey. Hiking is such a metaphor for life. And, as I add the years, I accept the slower pace, the digging deeper for strength and endurance, the need for focus and the attention to balance. In fact, I realize my personal hiking challenge is not fitness, it is footing. Again, such a metaphor for life!

SEQUENCE: Prepare-Up-Pause-Down-Recover-Repack

A hike begins weeks and months before it actually happens. (Rather, a successful and comfortable hike does.) All the elements of training for athletic endeavors apply to hiking as well. Deliberately enhancing fitness in all its aspects including nutrition over duration – not just packing an energy bar for the top – programs a better experience on first and subsequent hikes. (Here I write of day hikes since through hiking is an entirely different animal.)

Preparation also includes researching the trail, planning for emergencies and changeable weather conditions, putting into practice safety concepts (letting people know where you are going, when you anticipate returning), packing your pack. Note: cell phones are great but here in Vermont there is limited service. Find alternative apps, etc. And, please observe cell courtesies in the presence of others.

Up often includes a preliminary portion of the trail that is either through the woods or along a path leading to the climb. It is a good chance to warm up (and, if hiking with your dog, spend a few minutes with some “pay attention to me” on-leash reminders). It is a time to gather thoughts and energies for what lies ahead. I don’t know about you, but I find that if my mind wanders, I might also wander – maybe even off trail. I may slow down or become careless with my steps. Then there is the chatter. I talk to Sophie – a lot. When hiking with friends I am tempted to chatter away. Stop! I need to remind myself! Value the silence sometimes. FOCUS.

Pausing at the top is a must! For many, this is the entire purpose of hiking. For others it is a perfect lunch break, rest or photo op. Note: if hiking with dogs or children, beware of fragile vegetation at the summit or potentially hazardous drop offs. Safety and consideration always rule.

Down is my least favorite direction to travel. Roots, loose dirt or rocks, muddy or slick surfaces and sometimes huge steps are as much of a challenge to me as navigating a stream crossing. (I admitedly defer to descending purposely on my butt!) This is definitely not the time to relax and assume that the work is done.

Recovery is too often neglected. There is the immediate recovery of post hike refueling and rest at the bottom. Perhaps a change of clothes, especially foot wear, and a few stretches before getting into the car would be smart. Depending on the challenge of the hike, active rest the following day might be the ticket. Not to be underestimated, sharing the story of a hike, posting on FB, journaling or simply reviewing the experience is instructive, pleasurable and restorative.

Repack. Aha! Here’s the trick! First unpack and dry out anything damp or wet. Then either repack for your next adventure, lay out your necessities, or make a punch list for the next time based on what you may have needed or learned on your most recent trip. Remember those moments on the trail when you said “I wish I had …?” Now is your chance.

Sunset Ridge, Mt. Mansfield,Vermont

COURTESY-Yes, there are trail courtesies and, as with most good manners, they are all about consideration. Leave No Trace (essentially pack in/pack out, https://www.greenmountainclub.org/hiking/leave-no-trace/), greet other hikers pleasantly and step aside as the situation dictates (some feel the uphill hiker might chose to allow the downhill hiker to proceed while others feel one should always concede to the uphill hiker-so perhaps let the situation dictate is the better rule), offer assistance when called for and, of course, observe stewardship of the trail and surroundings.

GEAR-Oh, so much to say about gear! Choosing the right gear is very individual and usually based on experience and conditions. Hiking the more popular mountains in Vermont I am always astonished when I see folks leave the parking lot to head up wearing sandals or fashion tennis shoes and carrying – nothing. There is no need to reinvent the wheel on a packing list so please, if unsure, look for advice from those who have been there/done that. (The Green Mountain Club or the Appalachian Mountain Club are always good resources. For example: https://www.greenmountainclub.org/the-long-trail/trip-planning/) Note: some readers live in other areas of the country so, of course, utilize a local hiking resource. But if and when you visit Vermont ….

The basics are obvious: appropriate attire including several layers, one of which is waterproof, good shoes or boots (often personal preference here – I like trail runners for the most part because I opt for traction and flexibility but my ankles sometimes call out for higher boots, etc), poles, and a pack. Note: when I hike the Whites or with my friends, I am the only one without poles. In the past I have cited my need to have hands free for Sophie. Now, with my new vest that easily snaps in folded poles, I have a pair on order. When I hike on easier day hikes in Vermont, I see many without poles. Good to have options! Oh, and BTW, Ultimate Direction now makes poles with 2 levels of handgrips that so easily address the dilemma of uphill and downhill https://ultimatedirection.com/fk-trekking-poles/.)

Speaking of Ultimate Direction, it is a company I have just discovered in my search for the perfect pack. I lug a lot of water on my hikes because of Sophie and those water bottles are both awkward and heavy. I bought a nice one from Orvis that includes a top for her to drink out of, but again it is awkward. (Hate it when I bend forward and the water bottles drop out and hit me on the head!) And, yes, I know, Sophie should carry her own – but I hate to interfere with her freedom to explore when it is ok for her to do so and I certainly don’t want to affect her balance when scrambling up or down steep rocks. Better me.

Now about that pack …

LOVE this vest from Ultimate Direction!

https://ultimatedirection.com/adventure-vesta-4-0/ While I understand that there are many excellent products for far less money, after having tried and returned several varieties, this is the one that works for me. (besides, I ordered from Amazon and had lots of extra Amazon dollars to put towards) I’ll let you click on the website for the details, but here’s what I carry comfortably and securely (summer hiking season): for Sophie, I fill the bladder, remove the hose and carry a soft folding bowl, treats and several edible nutritional bones for her lunch break; water for myself in the front bottle, electrolyte powder to add, energy bar and/or food, cell phone (hoorah – this is the only pack/vest I have found that accommodates iPhone8+ in front!), rain jacket, wind jacket, extra layer if needed, gloves if needed, head lamp (needed or not), wallet, whistle, map, ibuprofen, bandaids, dry socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, and the kitchen sink. Just kidding. I can snug down the pockets and snug up the fit so this vest, parts of which are water repellent, is like a second skin and carried higher on the back which prevents lumbar fatigue and protects balance. Yeah, I know, this vest is designed for women ultra distance trail runners. But hey, if it works for them, surely it works for me.

I always wear a baseball cap and my RoadID bracelet with emergency contact info; states that I am hiking with my dog just in case…and Sophie’s collar sports her name and a phone #)

TRAILHEAD-The trailhead is the beginning and the end of an out-and-back or loop day hike.

useful resource for running or hiking

It marks both anticipation and accomplishment. Adventure begins here; memories are saved. A day alone or with friends, physical exertion, exhilarating views, woods, wildlife, time, and then well-earned fatigue are all to be had for a hike. Won’t you plan to visit a trailhead soon?

The Whites – New Hampshire – Mt. Moosilauke, 2018

YOGA IN THE OUTDOORS

Take your yoga mat outside and sample the benefits of a practice limited only by your personal curiosity, creativity and awareness.

When several clients asked for a yoga practice in the garden, I needed to do a little research. What I learned began with the fruits of that research but developed by experience. One thing I know for sure is this – please, if at all possible, practice outdoors – grass, deck, dock, park, beach or woods – take it outdoors!

SPACE: Create a safe space. For added comfort or stability, you might want to use 2 mats. Practice early in the day if heat or humidity is a concern and, as always, protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Hydrate frequently as both sun and air may increase fluid needs. Know your tolerance for insects and possible poisonous plants. Know your neighborhood. Be savvy and secure.

MEDITATION: Some believe it easier to meditate in the outdoors. Clear air helps to clear the mind or to acknowledge thoughts with clarity. There is simplicity and sweetness in being.

SENSUALITY: Both stillness and movement are deepened by enhanced senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell. Changes in air quality over the time spent in practice are palpable; air movement touches the skin as a reminder that the world is always in motion. Bird song accompanies asana and provides easy focus for meditation. (Depending on where you practice you might hear city sounds or water rolling, crashing or babbling.) While plants, soil and trees exude smells of their own, the very scent of freshness is real. Practice yoga, practice meditation, practice balance, practice awareness.

BENEFITS: Practice becomes more expansive as you breathe deeply, reach upwards and outwards in inexhaustible space. Connection with the earth encourages groundedness, stability, security, and a sense that you are a piece of a larger whole.

ASANAS: What fun it is to explore the many yoga poses that connect with nature. For starters try Rabbit, Deer, Bear, Lizard, Eagle, Mountain, Tree, Lotus …

Practicing outdoors stimulates a sense of gratitude for what is. “Grant me daily the grace of gratitude, to be thankful for all my many gifts, and so be freed from artificial needs, that I might lead a joyful simple life.” (Edward Hays)

GO TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

HEART. Synonyms include core, mind, soul, spirit, compassion.

HEART. Defined in part as a muscular, blood-pumping organ; the center.

To keep your heart happy is to keep it healthy, strong and efficient. Sure, genetics play a role, but so does lifestyle. What you eat, how you exercise, how you relate to the world around you and how you love all affect the health and well-being of your heart.

Get the idea? This is one enormous, vast subject – researched, discussed, cheered, cajoled, and handled with care in more ways that one from poets to scientists, athletes to teachers, and Hallmark to the American Heart Association.

Physically, the heart as a muscle, needs to be exercised. It needs to be clean and lean and function with strength and precision to keep the body supplied with blood, oxygen, nutrients and life support.

Emotionally the heart that is open, generous and kind guides a life lived with enthusiasm and joy.

Blurring the line between the two, it is well-documented that stress, anger, depression and a host of negative thoughts and behaviors are as destructive to the heart as inappropriate ingestion of food, drink, drugs or inappropriate amounts of physical taxation.

But today, on the eve of another Valentine’s Day, consider this. Life is challenging, to be sure. You and I will experience difficulties, loss and great sadness. You and I will also experience inexpressible joys, pleasures and giggles. You and I are human.

As human beings, then, let us celebrate what is central to our being, what drives us, sustains us, encourages us and loves us in return. BLESS YOUR HEART.

DUALITIES. BALANCE. THINK ABOUT IT.

Dualities. Balance. Yin and Yang. Effort and ease. Activity and stillness. Community and solitude. Sound and silence. The list just might be infinite. Sage Rountree (http://sagerountree.com) introduced the concept of dualities to those of us participating in training at Kripalu to Teach Yoga to Athletes. It is a profound concept.

It’s something we think about – a lot – in the practice of Yoga. Life is so full of ups and downs, ins and outs, happy and sad, ease and disease. Our quality of life, our emotional and mental stability, in fact our very lives, depend on the balance of these opposites, these dualities, these partners in each individual existence. And it is, in fact, a balance rather than the elimination of one or the other. Many dualities are equally positive or equally challenging, just different. Often it is a matter of coincidence, coordination, comingling, cooperation.

In our Yoga practice, we give equal time to stretch and strength, twist and bend, prone and supine, kneeling, standing, lunging, forward fold, back bend, Tadasana and Savasana. And those are just the Asanas, or physical poses. (Asanas are but one of the eight limbs of Yoga so there’s plenty more to practice!)

In the gym we make certain to cover all our bases: warm up and cool down, challenge ourselves aerobically, build muscular strength, enhance quickness and coordination, balance without falling as well as balancing opposing muscle groups in training, and, of course, flexibility.

Once again I am reminded of the shared elements of all forms of training. Yoga has been around for a very long time, so coincidences in functional training, physical therapy, Pilates, and so much more can usually be traced back to some form of Yoga. Likewise, practice in one discipline aids performance in another.

Perhaps I find it most significant to remember that there is no right or wrong. Of course, asking each individual body to move in a way appropriate to that body, seeking maximal alignment for each, is key. Repeatedly practicing a movement, a training exercise or a Yoga pose inappropriately leads only to overuse or even wear and tear that negates the effort invested over long periods of time.

But that being said, there should be no feuds between instructors, coaches, athletes, or schools of practice.

Josh Summers (https://joshsummers.net/podcast/what-is-yin-yoga/) presents an excellent definition of Yin Yoga. The notion that Yin and Yang are BOTH valid and should BOTH be practiced, simply triggers the imagination to consider the value of blending opposites of all kinds.

Balance is, after all, equilibrium.

*****************************************************************

For the past three weeks I have indulged in shared time spent with my dog, or friends, or family. Each dynamic generously gifts its own special blessing. This year has been different from past in that my “me-time” has been with my 11 month old Lab. (As my brother quipped, “it’s just like having a toddler!”) She has been by my side for multiple and daily trail walks, swims, off leash runs/on leash training, and even a little rock scrambling in Camdenhttp://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/camden-hills-state-park-interior-trail-network). We’ve both learned a great deal about each other and have kept each other moving almost constantly, mutually increasing fitness as we go.

Balancing outdoor activity have been hours of Yoga practice (both Vinyasa and Yin at Freeport Yoga Company, http://freeportyogaco.com) and the deck.

Time spent on the deck where I am living is time sketched in gold. Vivid oranges and pinks fire up the day even before the sun makes its early appearance, bouncing color and energy off the surface of the water. (No wonder Sun Salutations are integral to one’s Yoga practice.) Though the sunset on the other side of the peninsula is equally dramatic, there is something oh so lovely about its residual glow from our deck. And the full moon? There are not words …. But if it weren’t for the deck, would I pause to sit there and observe?

The deck is the intuitive gathering place for all of us. Sophie could sit there and look for hours. My family and I can talk endlessly, but there always comes the fall into a reverent or contemplative silence – just watching. Tides ebb and flow, lobster boats motor up and down the sound working while I play, fish rise and re-enter with a significant slap, ducks search for food as cormorants dive under for so long I wonder if they’ll ever reappear. They do.

But it is not in stillness that my random thoughts are born. Movement, not stillness, generates curiosity, the attempt to define, ponder or even organize what floats in and out of mind. Hours spent hiking the trails, walking the rocky shoreline, or riding the roads are the hours that produce thoughts that beg follow up study.

So, in my experience this summer, it seems that balance has been paramount. The Yin and Yang of the hours teach. May I be a receptive student.

CREATE YOUR OWN, PERSONAL LOGO? WHY NOT?

A logo is a symbol that helps to represent or identify a particular business, organization or individual. A logo plays a key role in “branding.”

Did you notice that I said “individual?” Do you have a logo? If not, why not?

Creating your own, personal logo is not just crafting a design, but it is an exercise in probing who you are, how you identify, what you would like others to see in you, and perhaps peeling away a few layers to find core values, purpose and preferences.

After developing this website in 2014, I waited to work with a professional to design a logo. I’m glad I waited. This is not something to do frivolously or hurriedly. And, most likely, it is not something to do only once.

With a few simple lines, colors or words, one must snapshot a profession, service, career, qualifications, or even a belief system. Good grief! While a logo might characterize services available, it equally suggests more intrinsic values and personality.

Let me use my own new logo as an example. While I chose to work with a professional designer, it was also significant that she is a friend who knows me – my work and enthusiasm. What I thought would be a quick and easy exercise (since I had done plenty of groundwork prior to our first meeting), turned into months of give and take, trial and error, introspection and expression.

Professionally I have altered my course. Yes, I am still a dedicated Personal Trainer working with individuals and small groups. Yes, I have untold hours of continuing education and training in many aspects of fitness, sports performance and rehabilitation. And while I am still passionate about cycling, I am no longer teaching multiple Spinning® classes per week or spending hours and indeed days on the road riding and training.

My life has taken a turn that perhaps is more a continuum, bringing me back full circle to my early days. As a 13 year old, I began a series of 3 summers on scholarship at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Lee, Massachusetts. (I went on to have a long and successful classical dance career performing and later teaching.) When I began the study of yoga in January 2015, I attended an eye-opening workshop, Yoga for Athletes, with Sage Rountree, at Kripalu – just a stone’s throw from Jacob’s Pillow. Full circle?

In any event, I am now a dedicated Yoga practitioner, thrilled to be a student, and, with my RYT 200 completed, am on my way to 500 hours. I am also eager to share what I am learning, to enrich the work that I do with my clients and classes, and perhaps more. I am also passionate about family, Vermont, the outdoors, and well-being in its broadest sense.

Linda Freeman Fitness logo designed by
Carrie Baker Stahler, 2017.

Therefore my logo embodies more than a superficial business. Hopefully this one small design suggests life, health and wholeness as organic – to be lived, loved and savored.

The central design suggests an athletic body in a yoga pose that is part of the Dancing Warrior sequence, a composite of strength and grace. The mountain is Camel’s Hump, Central Vermont’s well-loved and well-hiked mountain.

The rings represent miles of cycling as well as full circles or life’s spirals. The colors? Spring green is all about newness, freshness, birth, curiosity and possibilities. Shades of blue touch on the spiritual. And orange? Orange, of course, is all about fun: laughter, playfulness, the ability to let go, be spontaneous, recognize happiness, honor joy.

It is quite possible that when I look at this logo, only I know what brought this design into being. That’s ok. It works.

What about you? You may well have a professional or business logo with which you work day in and day out. But what about yourself? Given the opportunity, how would you design a logo for yourself? What would you like to put out there for others to see? What would your logo say about you? Are you willing to expose yourself, to share, to relate, to touch?

Designing a logo can be fun/meaningful; frivolous/intense; disturbing/satisfying….

“Given the opportunity?” Well, why not? Maybe it will be just for you, tucked away in a journal or the wallpaper on your computer screen. But I suggest that the process of conceiving a personal logo is an act of self-awareness, identification and perhaps meeting yourself as others might meet you. Go ahead. Take the “opportunity” and have a go at it. What have you got to lose?

Kelly Brush Century Ride

Kelly Brush Davisson has a story to tell and work to do. The Kelly Brush Century Ride, September 12, 2015, will help. It is a ride to savor, remember, and feel good about. Read below what was featured in the Rutland Herald & Times Argus ACTIVE VERMONT section on 8-23-2015.

Kelly Brush Davisson at the start of the 2014 Kelly Brush Century Ride

Active Vermont: ‘Getting people back to life’

As the story goes, Forest Carey, head alpine ski coach at Middlebury College in 2006, sent his athletes home for the summer with the mandate to each to “Raise $1,000 or don’t come back.”

Though there may not have been teeth in this charge, the 20 or so member team one-upped their coach by raising $60,000 for their injured teammate, Kelly Brush, to purchase adaptive equipment that would allow her to pursue her athletic dreams.

Today, Kelly Brush Davisson is still dipping into those funds.
But there’s far more to this story. Let’s go back to the beginning.

Kelly grew up skiing in Vermont and, after graduating from the Green Mountain Valley School, went on to ski for Middlebury College. Racing in February 2006, she crashed into a lift tower, broke her back, and became yet another in the growing number of spinal cord injuries.

The damage was done at T7 (the seventh disc of the thoracic spine located in the upper back) resulting in permanent and total paralysis from that point downward.

During a long and intensive rehabilitation, Kelly thought of her then-boyfriend, Zeke Davisson, her sister, Lindsay Brush, her parents, and her friends, all of whom were still out there on the slopes skiing and subject to the same risks.

“How could this have possibly happened to me?” she thought. Furthermore, what could she do to help prevent the same thing from happening to others?

At first she wanted to form a foundation to improve ski safety. “I felt like my life as an athlete was over,” she said. “then I learned I could get back.”

Getting back, however, is expensive. “It is so unfair for people who have this injury to be faced with higher life costs and then expensive equipment to help them live a full life.”

The Kelly Brush Foundation was born with a twofold purpose: to assist groups in promoting ski safety and, perhaps more significantly, to help injured individuals to explore and pursue the active lifestyle available to them with appropriate funding for adaptive equipment.

Zeke Davisson illustrates the problem a potential adaptive athlete faces: “If you want to do something active, say walk or run, you can buy yourself a good pair of shoes for less than $100 and head out the door. But if someone like Kelly wants to begin, even entry level costs are prohibitively expensive, starting at a minimum of $2,000 for equipment.”

The first annual Kelly Brush Century Ride. photo supplied

Each year since its inception, the foundation has raised funds that are in turn awarded to selected recipients. In 2014, the foundation awarded $240,000 in grants fulfilling only a part of the $525,000 received in grant requests, yet up 62 percent from 2013. “Grants to date are nearly (if not over) $1 million,” Zeke said. The goal is to do more.

Zeke and Kelly, married in 2012, live and work as a team. I met with them at Sea Dog Brewing Company near Brunswick, Maine, where they currently live, though the foundation is located in South Burlington.

Kelly works full time as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Zeke is executive director of the Kelly Brush Foundation. One cannot spend time with this young, athletic, attractive couple without being caught up in their vivacity, enthusiasm and passion for life and their shared goals.

The fact that Kelly is in a wheelchair becomes irrelevant. She is just like everyone else.

This young woman overcame logistics and her own nerves and with the help of a team of friends, skied Tuckerman’s this spring. This same young woman not only skis, but cycles, plays golf and tennis, and drives a car to work where she pursues her chosen profession, suffering the same anxieties and stresses as others.

Kelly’s achievements are impressive. In 2009 she was awarded the NCAA Inspiration Award and followed that by winning the women’s hand cycling division of the Boston Marathon in 2011. In 2012 she was one of 10 chosen “Athletes Who Care” by Sports Illustrated, possibly topped by snagging viewers’ attention in the Buick Human Highlight Reel broadcast during the Final Four Men’s Basketball Tournament of 2013.

This year Kelly is the featured subject of a spotlight on athletes who have overcome adversity and turned that adversity into advocacy at the A2A Alliance. Anther milestone in 2015 is the 10th anniversary of the Kelly Brush Century Ride, which this year will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Kelly Bush Century Ride

The sixth annual Kelly Brush Century Ride in Middlebury on Saturday drew 721 riders including 24 adaptive athletes using handcycles.The event supports the Kelly Brush Foundation raising money for spinal cord injury prevention and adaptive sports equipment grants and is one of the best attended events in the Northeast for adaptive athletes using handcycles.

Riders along the scenic route.

At a time when fundraising events proliferate, many “whose time has come” fall by the wayside from dwindling participation, the Kelly Brush Century thrives. Each year there are more cyclists, more funds raised for the foundation, and more fun had by the growing community that embraces riders new and seasoned.

Why a century ride? The Davissons are often asked that question since skiing is Kelly’s primary sport. “It just happened,” Kelly said. That first ride just took off and has mushroomed since.

Part of the attraction is the scenic and forgiving course, some of which is often described as rolling hills. The country roads meander through a piece of Vermont’s most beautiful landscape and along Lake Champlain. With the start/finish at Middlebury College, riders choose distances from 25 to 100 miles with optional turn-backs along the way. Furthermore, the event is well organized, the course well marked and the support excellent and plentiful.

Originally twice around a 50-mile loop, the full ride now continues up to Shelburne, and back, partly along the Lake. It is truly a ride designed for each participant and can be adapted according to each one’s needs for the day.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride Powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Saturday, September 7, 2013. Photographs © 2013 Rajan Chawla Photography.

Sharing the road with hand cyclists reminds all riders why they are here (For more information, to register or to donate, go to http://kellybrushfoundation.org). Kelly, along with most hand cyclists, rides the 25-mile segment. From Jan. 1 to 7 a.m. the day of the ride there are ups and downs of planning and stress.

“It’s a really fun event, “ Kelly said. “A lot of work goes into it to make it enjoyable, a good ride, but there is definitely a stressful component.” The day itself, however, makes it all worth it.

“A month after, giving out the grant money, makes it more than worth it,” Zeke added.

One look at a smiling Kelly on century day proves the point. But right now? “As I get closer I begin to stress about the shape I’m in,” Kelly confessed. Preparation becomes a matter of logistics and conditioning.

An active lifestyle

Kelly maintains her fitness and conditioning, her athletic edge, by training and pursuing recreational and competitive activities along with Zeke, her family and friends. “You should see our garage,” Zeke said. “Kelly’s equipment claims prime real estate.”

A hand cycle is just like a bike but with three wheels. It has arms, the same gears as a regular bike and the same tires on somewhat smaller wheels but equally susceptible to flats.

Hand cycles are built for a broad range of capabilities from recreational to racing. The entry level, recreational variety is more upright and has more padding, starting at around $2,000. Racing hand cycles can range to far higher costs much the same as a two-wheeled bike, depending on materials, components and design.

Kelly added to her stable of hand cycles a mono ski and a tennis chair (similar to an everyday chair but with wheels that have enough camber to allow the chair to spin faster).

“Tennis and skiing are some of the few conventional sports that work well with or without disability,” Zeke said. Kelly also plays golf by means of her golf cart that is a power driven wheel chair designed to enable her to stand up to swing her club and drive the ball.

An investment

The Kelly Brush Century Ride is a win-win, a sure investment despite the condition of the day’s economy. Entry fees and money raised buy more than a great day for the participant, and, might I add, some of the best swag and incentive gifts around.

“All donations go directly to our mission,” Zeke said. And that mission is more expansive every year. “Over the last 2 years we have grown a ton and have become nationally recognized,” Kelly added.

The KBF has made a strategic decision to grow and has restructured accordingly. “The demand is huge and is only getting bigger,” Kelly said.

“We can never do enough,” Zeke added. “There are 12,000 newly diagnosed spinal cord injuries documented each year. An average individual grant is $3,000. We want to allow anybody with a spinal cord injury to lead an active lifestyle.”

There are two types of individuals who submit grant applications. One is clearly the athlete, perhaps injured during his or her athletic pursuit. The other is the individual who may or may not have been previously active but suddenly sees the possibilities of adding something to his or her altered life expectations.

Adaptive sports programs that offer coaching and equipment fill an essential role in developing adaptive athletes and introducing the potential to engage in sports.

“We want to be the next step,” Zeke said. “We want to offer to that individual the ability to take ownership of an active lifestyle, and to be able to join family and friends when and where the opportunity exists.”

To offer opportunity, possibility, a level playing field, this is what drives the KBF. And this is what could drive each of us as we cycle through our ride on September 12 or ask our friends for support.

“I was so active before,” Kelly said, “now this is what I want to do.” Her message? It’s all about “getting people back to life.”