Category Archives: Yoga

THRESHOLDS BETWEEN BUSYNESS AND SELFCARE

Though a threshold often mark the start, the beginning or an entrance, perhaps a threshold also marks transition and connection. Recently I had removed a partition between living rooms in my house and another room designated as my home gym. A threshold was installed to make the transition from one room to the other safer, easier and more attractive. Yes, it is a physical piece of wood, but it is also a metaphorical threshold that invites and welcomes me when I enter my gym space to take some time for myself to ride my Peloton or lift weights or step on my Bosu. threshold gives me permission to use the room as intended and encourages dedication to my training. When I finish, I can almost hear my threshold saying “Well done!” as I cross back into my daily life.

Today on my walk I paused to look across a country road to two wonderful old draft horses with nothing more to do than swish off flies and pass the time away. The low stone wall separating them from the road and beyond was more of a visual boundary than an actual restraint as they could easily have made their way over it if they had wanted. Likewise, I could have joined them in about 3 strides. But from what – respect? – it seems we all bowed to the appropriate separation and continued on our way. Does threshold represent boundary or freedom?

As some of you know, over the past months of Covid related changes, I have stolen more time to read and have done a deep dive into the works of John O’Donohue. If ever there is a writer who tackles the concept of “threshold,” it’s O’Donohue, and I urge you to make his acquaintance.  He often speaks of duality, opposition and the striving for balance. “Duality, then, is informed by the oppositions that meet at this threshold. I would argue that an authentic life is a life that is aware of and willing to engage its own oppositions, and honorably inhabits that threshold where the light and darkness, the masculine and feminine and all the beginnings and endings of one’s life engage.” (Walking in Wonder by John O’Donohue, Convergent press, 2015)

As a Yoga instructor and practitioner, I am in love with Yoga itself, the physical strength, mobility and stability benefits, and the mind-body connection. In my teaching I encourage all to balance the Yin and Yang in their Yoga practice, sports performance, daily life, etc and to become aware that these are not competing forces, but necessary opposites that integrate, support and find equilibrium in us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

“Genuine spiritual practice offers a way to face both our inner and outer worlds and to bring these two related realms into living, loving dialogue.” (from tricycle.org; Gaylon Ferguson, “Natural Bravery”)

I did hear a few complaints of boredom after the lockdowns of spring. For the most part we found ourselves busier than ever sourcing food and supplies, learning coping mechanisms and how to protect our families, teaching our kids, and for so many businesses, how to remain viable when all but essential workers showed up via Zoom or other internet platforms.

Busyness has taken on new meaning. So has selfcare. There was a time when selfcare was for the individual with abundant funds and time to spend at the spa. No longer. Now we honor the concept. Selfcare precedes care of others and without it reserves of generosity and service empty too quickly. Selfcare underpins effective action and softens the edges of tolerance. Selfcare multiplies patience and gives value to connection.

And just how does threshold play a part in all of this? There is all too often an inherent resistance to selfcare. Perhaps there is a mental boundary keeping us from doing for ourselves, investing in stress relief or strength and energy production. Maybe, just maybe, that boundary could be observed as a threshold – a line between time or space, to be sure, but a line that encourages  transition to cross it. Like the stone wall separating the horses from the road, that line just maybe will discourage anything that might devalue or intrude upon our time of selfcare.

At the beginning of each day, as we cross the threshold from sleep to wakefulness, may we do so knowing that at some point when we need it most, we will step over another threshold into that which will renew, settle and free the flow of energy and goodness within us so that we may begin again to reach out to those in our lives and do whatever needs to be done. May your personal threshold say “Well Done!”

Seasonal changes offer nature’s threshold into what is to come.

ZOOM FATIGUE

Yoga at home with Zoom

Zoom Fatigue is more than a hip and savvy buzz-phrase. It is relevant, here and now, blurring the lines of work and home while robbing possibilities and extinguishing the potential to thrive.

As the early days of March are crawling forward through the remaining weeks and months of 2020, reliance on technology continues to provide that which is desperately needed as, at the same time, it overwhelms and causes very real problems.

As early as April, 2020, Zoom Fatigue received media attention.  Forbes.com, for example, pointed to communication disconnect, technical challenges, and maintaining a work/life balance as energy draining. Physically what does all that screen time do to our shoulders, necks and upper bodies as well as our eyes and those poor hands and wrists typing away in response. We stare at the screen and need to work harder to find the nuances of personality and body language reactions. Even what has been the fun of showing up in our pajamas, has a down side. Dressing for an event puts us in the mood and helps sharpen us mentally as well as energetically.

This is a broad topic indeed. Let’s narrow it to the Yoga business. Yoga teachers and business owners are creative! By the end of March, my colleagues and I were all doing battle with streaming live classes, recording those classes to be shared later, seeking ways to build an accessible video library and, perhaps most daunting, reaching out to students encouraging them to open their hearts and minds and shift their practice to an online format.

We as teachers had to quickly relearn how to plan and teach, how to adapt space, camera, audio and light to recording. We needed to seek help from others and simplify our practices, slow down, and offer safe asanas and flows that could be easily followed. We became addicted to podcasts of those who had gone before us. Studio owners needed to compute the costs of maintaining a studio in hopes of future use, recalculate when partial use was offered, and care for their instructors as well as clients. (Note: some business owners furloughed their instructors without pay while others nurtured online teaching.) As I write this, many large and successful big city Yoga studios and franchises – with big city expenses – have gone out of business. Small studios fell early on, except for a few who are hanging on due to the dedication and generosity of their owners. The tipping point is precarious. Often what saves is the sheer commitment of the clientele who realize that their continued support is more than a kind gesture; it is an act of continuing self-respect and self-care.

There is no question that this business is forever changed. Numbers tell the story. First there was the initial reluctance assuming that things would return to normal in a few days or weeks. Then there was surprised enthusiasm for streamed classes in which participants could actually visit with each other prior to and after the class. Noting the value of this, many who started on Facebook made the move to Zoom. For awhile, it took off. And then the numbers began to decline. Students no longer prioritized their class times and somehow just didn’t get around to opening the link to the recorded session. The HABIT, and yes, jumping on a Zoom call for a Yoga class became a new habit, was weakened if not broken and Zoom Fatigue became a reality.

ZOOM FATIGUE

What about the student? I can speak here from experience as I am both a student and a teacher. As much as I love my Yoga practice, it is often very challenging for me to roll out my mat and fully engage with the online class I am about to take. Once begun, it is equally challenging to remain with the practice and not wander to the kitchen to refill my coffee mug or stop to check my text messages. As my community gradually reopens I find more and more conflicts with the live classes that I have joined daily, and then am challenged even further to put aside the space in my day to utilize the video recording. There are times when I simply must force myself back into the momentum and, of course, after, I am transformed.

As a student and a teacher I can say, if we want our Yoga connections, if we want to maintain our Yoga habit in community, if we want our studio to be there for us in the future, if we want to truly realize the value of this amazing practice, we must step up. Stepping up might mean buying another class package or stepping up might mean creating a Yoga space in our home where we will step onto our mat daily to balance, strengthen and regenerate ourselves with or without guidance and support. Stepping up might mean exactly what we do in Savasana – receive, be open to other options, look forward with curiosity and anticipation not back with regret.s

Thich Nhat Hanh said:  “If you want a garden, you have to bend down and touch the soil. Gardening is a practice, not an idea.”  Well, there you have it.

Fatigue can take you down so far it redefines itself into something dark and dangerous. Each individual experiences fatigue in a uniquely personal way. Some do the proverbial “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” thing and, by putting one foot in front of the other, get back on track. Some find it best to honor fatigue – give it space and time to heal and regenerate. Whether we simply keep on or take a break assumes that first we have acknowledged that fatigue is threatening. Quit or renew? Ahhhhhh.

Yes, Zoom Fatigue is real. It is a very today thing. Though Zoom may not be your platform, it is clear that the foundation of your daily life as you knew it on New Year’s Eve is substantially altered. Where next? Seek courage?

“Know that you are not alone  And that this darkness has purpose;  Gradually it will school your eyes  To find the one gift your life requires  Hidden within this night-corner.  …

A new confidence will come alive  To urge you toward higher ground  Where your imagination  Will learn to engage difficulty  As its most rewarding threshold.”*

 *FOR COURAGE. Excerpted from To Bless the Space Between Us, A Book of Blessings, John O’Donohue, Convergent Books, 2008.

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.

POST LOCKDOWN

POST LOCKDOWN. Thoughts on what lies ahead from a small-town Yoga instructor. May 8, 2020.

As I write this, the strands of the tightly laced corset of a National response to the pandemic Coronavirus of 2020 are being loosened. Unprecedented. Social distancing. Refrigerated trucks. Protest. Connection. Zoom. Essential. Quarantine. Hoarding. Generosity. Curbside. Antibodies. And my personal favorite: “Anthony Fauci has been nominated as sexiest man of the year.” Not only is the Coronavirus “novel,” daily life is about as novel as it gets.

Those of us who live in Vermont have experienced a microcosm of what the world has known. Most of us are proud of our State and proud of our Governor and staff who have led us relatively safely through dangerous territory. To be science-based and bipartisan is to be honored. And we’re not home free yet. Nor will we be in the foreseeable future. “New normal.” How unpleasant has that flippant remark become? Economically, will some of us still be here when the dust settles?

Oh, how heart wrenching are the photographs of loved ones touching through a plate glass window or disturbing footage of patients on ventilators or bodies awaiting disposal or hungry children in this, our country. No, folks, sorry but social distancing, wearing a mask and gloves, respecting our neighbors, is a much smaller price to pay to this enormous unknown.

Slow down – the best way to merge.

Many years ago, I passed another road sign that stayed with me:  Merge Gently. May we, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our social settings, merge gently back to a safe tomorrow. May we, for heaven’s sake, put aside bickering and pontificating as if we know it all. Patience.

Yes, fine for me to say. I hear you.

As a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor, my singular experience has been far removed from the tragedy and horror. Immediately I scrambled to maintain an income on one hand and to reinforce my connections with family, friends and students from near and far. Ahhhhh. Bless technology (which I have frequently cursed – just not my forte) and social media (a kidnapping I had tried to avoid!) To make a long story short, teaching live stream Yoga classes has become a means of connection and perpetuity. I am a teacher. I must teach. To have this opportunity to continue to do so – even if I find myself talking into the camera of a MacBook Air – is an unintended blessing and perhaps an unintended consequence of where so many of us might be headed as the, can I even say it?, “new normal” defines itself?

In my own daily life I am happy to be able to “see” my teachers and Yoga students as we practice together. We can exchange verbal or “commented” greetings and experience, with exquisite sensitivity, a connection that perhaps transcends the physical. Thus enriched, perhaps as we do, once again, practice in spatial proximity or meet for coffee or a hike, we will do so with authenticity and leave behind some of the trivialities that plague human bonds.

But instead of offering my own thoughts, let me share a few written with wisdom beyond my imaginings.

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness…because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.” (Frederick Buechner)

Comparing our tentative steps during these days and weeks might well parallel a dawn.

“Nighttime is womb-time. Our souls come out to play…We rest in the night. The dawn is a refreshing time, a time of possibility and promise…Just as darkness brings rest and release, so the dawn brings awakening and renewal. (John O’Donohue, Anam Cara)

And, finally, from Marianne Williamson: “It is contrary to the universal order for darkness to remain. All storms pass. The prince always arrives to kiss and awaken Sleeping Beauty.”

Oh that we might emerge from this darkness with “awakening and renewal.” (And what about that Prince, you ask?)

A good time to come to the mat.

[ If you would like to join me for a Yoga class, live-stream or video reproduction, visit the Mountain Rose Integrated Health and Wellness Center Facebook page where my practices appear on Tuesday and Thursday 5-6:15 p.m. (Yin Yoga) and Friday mornings at 8-9 a.m. (Core & Go, asanas with an emphasis on the core and subsequently getting outdoors!). Contact Ana on FB for payment. Hope to see you on your mat!]

JANUARY THAW 2020

The concept of THAW is pretty simple: what is hard or frozen softens or liquifies in the presence of warmth. When THAW = MELT one can explore myriad possibilities and implications – physically, mentally and emotionally.

When the thermometer rises, the winds blow and the rain pounds down in Northern New England, plans change abruptly to include flood warnings, power outages and just plain disappointment. As I write this, it is January 11 and there is, of course, the notion that this is simply our “January thaw” for this year. On the other hand, with all the horrific weather events that we’re (almost) getting used to, and the fact that this is, what, our 6th thaw this winter (?), is this alarming? At best, though it gives us pause. In spite of the ever-present threat of the possibility of damage or danger caused by irresistible forces of nature, there is relief from biting cold and an almost playful tease in the air. (60 degrees? Really?!)

Yes, our snow sports, and by extension, our winter recreational industries, take a hit. Alpine trails are at the mercy of lifts shut down on wind-hold, deadly dangerous ice and nearly as dangerous slush. Kids and young athletes wring their un-gloved hands in distress when they hear that their early races have been cancelled. Nordic ski areas suffer the melting of meticulously groomed tracks, ponds transition to off-limit, VAST trails reduce to dirt, and even wooded walks require a strange mixture of waterproof boots and microspikes to slog through varied conditions.

Perhaps there’s a good side to all this. For one thing, we do so appreciate the vividly clear winter day when there is nothing more beautiful than sunshine on clean white snow. The flip side is always bleak, muddy and messy.  But isn’t life like this?

Today, while Sophie, my Chocolate Lab, and I took an unusually long time to travel an unusually short distance trudging our usual trails, I had plenty of time to laugh at her as she found opportunity to make a game out of just about everything. I also pondered the word THAW. Playing with shades of significance is an organic game. Toss a pebble (word) into a pond (mind) and watch the ripples (ideas) flow and expand.

To look on the dark side, thawing represents loss. To look on the bright side, thawing suggests softening, warming, even reshaping. Perhaps a thaw is a reminder of impermanence.

And then there’s the notion of melting. Yoga practitioners are familiar with Anahatasana, that wonderfully delicious heart-melting pose. After several minutes settling into this posture, the pose informs the body and the body informs the heart – it is good, it is safe, it is worthy to open, to be receptive, to love and be loved.

From the wisdom learned and shared by those who have come before us throughout generations, centuries, millennia, and previous to that, we embrace the balance of power and peace, strength and flexibility, masculine and feminine, Yang and Yin. We learn that softening the rough edges of aggression and force does not necessarily dilute strength. We hear the suggestion that melting the heart to practice tolerance and empathy does not, in turn, open us to vulnerability. We hope to melt debilitating tension to a form of useful energy. We recognize action as positive and, likewise, that passive does not mean weak, lazy or ineffective, but rather, thoughtful, generous and enduring.

A Yoga class is often ended with “OM” or a metta – a heart opening practice of loving kindness expressed to self and to others. In closing, I open my heart to you: “May you feel protected and safe. May you feel contented and pleased. May your body support you with strength. May your life unfold smoothly and with ease.” Happy January Thaw!

NOVEMBER NOTES FROM VERMONT 2019

 

A PERSONAL NOTE. On October 28, 2018 I moved into my new home, returning to the place I love the most – the Mad River Valley, Vermont. On October 30, 2019 I closed on my former house after an arduous and anxious year of being the “seller.” These 2 dates seem to be so clean and neat and uncomplicated, but they represent years of seeking, finding and adapting; years of identifying problems and defining solutions; years of change bolstered by the need to be bold yet sustained by faith, family and friends.

Now, before I go a sentence farther, rest assured – I am completely healthy, strong and always grateful for an inordinate supply of energy and positivity. No, there was nothing really wrong with my life, but it was simply time to change things up, to take the next step, and to live a life more in concert with my personal goals, ethics and inner voice. (and no I am not talking to myself – though I do talk to my dog a lot!)

All of this being said, perhaps the thoughts that are front and center to me from my waking minutes on throughout my day are thoughts of gratitude. As I return to these thoughts time and time again I find I am continuously renewed and supplied with the curiosity and creativity I need to do my work and live my life.

Irresistible advice shamelessly lifted from the FB page of Janet Richardson.

So, that’s me. What about you? Do you relate to any of this? Does each day’s sunrise herald a new day to explore or the start of yet more drudgery? If the latter, are there any changes you can make to find joy? Do you pause to notice the trees’ shadows on the snow as the moonlight shines through? (Yeah, I know, snow, right? But that’s exactly the pause I needed to observe last night and it’s only 11/9.) Yes, of course, life can be unerringly difficult, but even finding a few pockets helps….

STUDENT LIFE. I love being a student. I love research and prefer it always to creation. I could never, for example, write fiction, but I could do a decent job collecting and sharing researched material. I’m not clever enough to reinvent the wheel, but will happily use what is already in place, the excellence of someone smarter and wiser who has gone before me. It is natural, therefore, that my work is in the field of fitness, and in recent years Yoga, where student opportunities are infinite and experience plays a significant role.

And now, in November, I find myself associated with a beautiful studio near my home, Mountain Rose Integrated Wellness Center, (http://www.mountainrosevt.com) founded and led by Ana del Rosal, a deeply qualified and gifted professional who has created a sacred space in which to share the practice of Yoga and oh so much more. Furthermore, though I had roots in this Valley, I am excited to reconnect with friends, make so very many new friends through my teaching, and sharing my work with former clients in new surroundings.

When I first visited this area way back when my babies were babies, I distinctly remember driving to the grocery store and thinking – “wow, in this place, even a mundane task is gorgeous!” – and I promised myself that I would never take it for granted. This week, in one of my classes, I shared this quote and it reminded me of my previous vow. “Life is mostly about mundane experiences. When you start thinking that only your most thrilling experiences are significant, you have already lost the most precious thing in life, the ability to fully immerse yourself in every experience.” (tricycle.org)

Please, I implore you, find the student within. Now that we are all grown up (ha!), we have probably left behind our childhood aversion to school. Whatever our personal lives may look like, whatever physical, emotional, financial and professional limitations are imposed from without or self-imposed, we can always jump on that wagon of curiosity and take a little ride. (And don’t you just love that word – curiosity?!)

ARE YOU SAFE? My final November note comes from an unlikely source. Recently I had a flat tire. As a cyclist, “flatting” took on a dreaded significance as I truly hated changing a tire on the side of the road. Did I say I hated it? Indeed! But when it comes to my car, it’s AAA all the way. I made the call and the very first thing the answering voice said was “Are you safe?” I was. I was at home and my car was in the parking lot outside my door, thanks to a very slow leak. I was serviced immediately and everything turned out just great. But those 3 words set me off down many mental paths. Should this be a question we ask ourselves far more frequently during each day? Should these three words govern decisions or initiate warning bells in our heads?

You know what? I’ve sounded a bit too preachy in this post so I’m going to leave it at that and let you take it from here. If you have shared a Yoga class with me you know that I often refer to our Yoga mats as a place of safety, our own personal space where we can move and experience our practice in an entirely and uniquely individual way. (Note, even here we must always question those 3 words. That’s a topic for another day. It is also the blessing of an impeccable studio and staff.)

NOVEMBER, by Terry Cockburn (https://freeportyogaco.com). This week I taught a 90 minute Yin Yoga practice and borrowed the following words from my teacher, Terry Cockburn. The only hitch was that our outside world was being quickly covered by snow so the timing seemed a touch off. But you’ll get the pointJ Enjoy, be safe, be curious and be bold.

“November is a time of transition.  Here in New England, we witness the rapidly changing landscape as the trees shed their leaves, and the chill of wind moves through, drying the earth, the air and our bodies.  As we move toward shorter, darker days, the expansive, yang energy of summer is consumed by the contractive, introspective yin energy of the autumn.   Observing and honoring the downward, inward energy of this time of year and learning to live in harmony with the spirit of the season can contribute to our overall health and wellbeing.  Taking a cue from nature, as it slows down and rests for a bit, we too, may benefit from sleeping a little longer, eating warm, nourishing foods and paying closer attention to our inner world.”

a snapshot of inevitability – lfreeman

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

YTT. WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Yoga Teacher Training has found itself in the spotlight and presumably would be happy not to have done so. This, from a client, just arrived in my inbox: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/06/style/corepower-yoga-teacher-training.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share So, yes, even the NY Times has taken a penetrating look into the training of potential Yoga Instructors. 

If you are one of the growing numbers who roll out their mats in a Yoga studio, you have most likely heard a teacher say “I have my 200 hours.” This means that your teacher has undergone a study of 200 hours (now stretching to 300, 500 and 1,000 hours). When you stop to consider how many thousands of years Yoga has been around, don’t you wonder how much one can learn in 200 hours? Other questions arise such as does one really need a certificate to teach? Is the high cost of training suspicious? If I really enjoy just taking classes, do I really need to become a teacher as well?

DISCLAIMER.

I am NOT an expert on the subject. I completed my 200 hours and am currently pursuing an additional 300 hours through the Summers School of Yin Yoga (https://joshsummers.net/school/). My passion is to study. After a long and successful career as a professional ballet dancer and teacher, I transitioned to the fitness industry first teaching pre and post-natal classes as my family was growing, seguing into group exercise and finally personal training. I have participated and competed in a number of sports and have had the privilege of working with a top level cycling coach, thus learning a great deal more about endurance training, nutrition, the systems of the body, and, of course, performance.

And then came my introduction to Yoga, just 3.5 years ago. Almost immediately thereafter I pursued my initial YTT believing that, though I had little interest in teaching, that would be the best resource for learning as much about Yoga in an intensive fashion as possible. Over a year later I completed my training, but in the meantime had found yet more exciting Yoga training which I jumped into with enthusiasm. Let me say here that I am deeply indebted to all the teachers with whom I have studied. (especially Terry Cochburn, Josh Summers and Sage Rountree,). Clearly my personal experience colors my opinions to follow.

Do we need to know all there is to know about a subject before we can teach it? I sincerely hope not! Were that so, a great number of highly gifted teachers would be side-lined. But we do need to be open, observant, and sensitive to the needs of our students, willing to say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” We need to leave our egos at the door and lead a lifetime of continuing study so that we can safely care for our students and never cause physical, mental or emotional harm.

YOGA ALLIANCE

Yoga Alliance is: “…the largest international nonprofit association representing the yoga community. We support the integrity and diversity of yoga teaching.” Many of us are products of training that was sanctioned by YA and many of us are members of YA as well.

 

Be on the alert! Yoga Alliance is taking a hit from many sides. Claims range from profit motivation to encouraging a cookie cutter curriculum that can be damaging in some cases. If you’re interested, you will find it easy to check into.

200 HOURS?

Perhaps if a student enters YTT with a background in exercise science or something similar, 200 hours will provide a good foundation. In my own experience, I began with decades of training and professional practice , but little to no experience with Yoga. Yes, I learned many asanas and how to teach them. My 200 hour teacher was generous in teaching the principles of Ayurveda as well. What I was left with was a growing confidence teaching the physical components of Yoga practice, but in awe of teachers who were able to delve so deeply into the other and more spiritual aspects – you know, all about Patanjali, etc. My own training was very generic as my teacher did not want to label her teaching as one school of Yoga or another. I am grateful to her for that.

FUNCTIONAL ALIGNMENT.

Devising a training plan that will pass the judgment of YA for accreditation may be responsible for so many teachers floating about in the Yoga universe, teaching that there is only one way to execute a pose. One of the blessings of my introduction to and work with Yoga for Athletes and Yin Yoga is the understanding that there is no one way to do something, no one perfect alignment. Just as each of us is (physically, mentally and spiritually) our own uniquely designed individual, so our practice must be functionally appropriate for our personal and particular bodies and minds.

The absolute beauty of working with functional alignment is that practice and teaching are ever new, ever freshly creative and energized.

On a personal level, though I have studied and worked with anatomy and exercise physiology for many years, and learned much of the science behind performance, maintenance, injury including prevention and rehabilitation, it was not until I had the good fortune to participate in a basic cadaver lab through Dartmouth Medical School that I was able to connect the dots. Indeed, to be a personal trainer, athletic coach or Yoga instructor, continuing education is a gift as well as a mandate!

$.

Ah, yes. YTT is very, very expensive. Yeah, there’s the old “you get what you pay for” thing, and yes, of course, a YTT teacher should be compensated appropriately for his or her hours and hours of course development, organizing and teaching what may well become life-altering for students, but has the ideal slipped down that proverbial slope to financial opportunity? If we, the students, expect a great deal from our teachers, yes, then, we, the students, should pay them for what they give us. On the other hand, if the YTT presenter considers the work primarily from the point of view of financial enhancement, perhaps he or she should at least try to refocus.

I sit squarely in the middle of the fence on this one as I respect the professional’s need to be adequately paid for the work done, but not motivated by desire to swell business profits. Expertise, I believe, is worth the cost!

Recently I learned of J Brown who has an extensive website, blog, and podcasts. In 2015 he addressed this issue: https://www.jbrownyoga.com/blog/2015/7/pros-and-cons-of-yoga-teacher-training Then just this month he said in part: ““After twenty years of providing yoga teacher training at premium-priced 200, 300, or 500-hour increments, the yoga profession is beginning to reckon with the unintended consequences of relying so heavily on this deeply flawed economic instrument. …The best way to disrupt a failing system is to create something better.” https://www.jbrownyoga.com/blog/2019/4/reimagining-yoga-teacher-training

YOUR PRACTICE.

What do you think? The practice of Yoga is embraced in as many ways as there are people to embrace it. For some it is all about the asanas and fitness, for others it is most instructive with respect to meditation, Pranayama, or relaxation. To still more, Yoga literally links Yin and Yang. It is about lifestyle, balance, medicine and spirituality just as much as it is about strength and flexibility. As you go to your mat, my recommendation is to make your Yoga your own. Whatever upheavals may rage in the Yoga community (and there are more than just ‘200 hour’ arguments!), leave them, for awhile anyway.

Most of all, I encourage you to choose well before you entrust yourself to the teaching of another. Vet your teachers as diligently as you would interview a new pediatrician. Once you are satisfied that the teacher (or, of course, teachers) you have chosen is/are well qualified in areas that are important to you, try a few classes first to be sure you value that teacher’s personality and potential connection. Once decided, go for it. Learn what you can. Question what you will. Practice. Relish. Enjoy. NAMASTE.

One Woman’s Path to Meditation

One Woman’s Path
photo lfreeman 2-22-19

“Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.” Wikipedia further suggests that in today’s world, the practice of meditation is being examined as a tool to be used in the rising struggles with mental and physical illness and debilitation.

Happily our medical and philosophical society seems to buy in to the proverbial mind-body connection, and has been doing so for quite a few years. In fact, meditation, once considered a land populated by peculiar and extreme individuals to whom self-harm was a norm, has become a part of everyday speech. Programs abound to guide a huge variety of people to the practice of meditation – from school children to cancer patients to athletes to the elderly, and so on.

But just what is meditation? Is it as vast and unattainable as it appears? I am one of those who prefers an academic approach to any subject. In a lecture, I am the one scribbling madly trying to capture every word being said (and often missing the meaning in the process; yes, I know). I am the one who wants clear definitions. I want to know what skill sets are required and how to obtain them. I want to identify progress and see an end result.

I am but one woman on the path to meditate (or rather meditating along the path) that has but one beginning and one ending – birth and death. I’d like to share a few thoughts. To me, what meditation is NOT, is sitting painfully while disallowing my mind to wander, constantly reeling in my thoughts to a static center. Also, to me, while sitting is centering and possibly calming, it is also energizing. Keep in mind that I am a novice, barely beginning this fascinating and transformative practice, and about as far from an authority on the subject as one can be. But I hope that my musings might stimulate musings of your own, openness and acceptance of what you may already be doing, or even that little nudge to search your own experience for signs of meditation and perhaps bring a practice to your daily life.

  1. I have recently returned from another block of training with my teachers Josh Summers and Terry Cockburn, this one themed as “Mindfulness,” a required module in the Summers School of Yin Yoga teacher training. I emerge from this experience realizing that there are not enough years remaining to me to possibly understand the avenues, teachings and precepts that underpin such broad concepts as mindfulness, meditation, spirituality and right living. But oh what a gift to travel the path in the company of valued guides and understanding companions!
  2. There seem to be unlimited ways to meditate. Let me be clear, I stand (or sit) in awe of the dedicated seekers who spend weeks, months and years, even a lifetime, with their personal guides on the path to meditation, often in unimaginable situations of hardship. For thousands of years representatives of mankind have sought more, have sought meaning, have reached deeply into soul often neglecting body in the process. To me it is irrelevant if the path is marked by The Buddha, Patanjali, Moses, Jesus or any other magnificent leader.
  3. In fact, in my own experience, I am coming to believe that meditation takes on many shapes from a mere pause, to prayer, to sitting on my meditation cushion for a predesigned period of time. For example, as a child I was raised in a lovely and loving Christian religion that encouraged spending a few minutes at the beginning of each day reading a lesson from the Bible and having a conversation with God. Over the years this practice has continued and morphed into various ways to begin each day in some form of stillness, listening, balancing or centering as I prepare for the hours ahead. Is this meditation? Looking back I see examples: as a professional performer, I would stand in the wings before my entrance and pause to collect myself and dispel the fears; before entering the ring I would stand at the in-gate and find moments of calm that united my horse with me; minutes before a client walks in the door to my studio, I pause to be open and sensitive to his or her needs of the day. Are these examples of meditation?
  4. In our training, we learned of both Yang and Yin  styles of meditation, recognizing that there is no right or wrong but that each and both can be practiced. Perhaps I might prefer the structure and direction, the generative aspect of Yang meditation. But the notion of an anchor to stabilize my practice does not appeal. An anchor is cold and heavy, attached to a massive chain, and lands in the mud at the bottom of the waterway. I prefer the buoyancy, grace and freedom of the Yin approach, the Perch to which I might return lightly for stability and the permission to fly away again should I chose to do so. I want something to go back to, but I also want to explore my mental edge and to be comfortable in doing so.

I close with a little story. My morning meditation today prompted me to share these thoughts with you and encourage you to sift through your own experiences. Use them as foundation for what lies ahead, gift yourself with a meditation practice that both comforts and supports as it teachers and expands your horizons. Functional. There’s that wonderful word again. Meditation, mindfulness, introspection, prayer, whatever, need be Functional!

My 20 minute morning practice: I took my seat in front of my wall of windows looking out at the snow covered landscape that lights up with morning color as the sun rises. My dog and I had already been for a walk and I had already had my first cup of strong coffee, so was ready to get down to it. But today, though physical stillness was, as usual, my go-to, my mind was active. So, I decided to “notice.” I noticed the warmth of my sleeping 65 pound dog as she tried to become one with my body. I noticed the increasing brightness beyond my closed eyelids. I began to think that just a week ago I was sitting in a studio doing just this in the company of a dear community.

Then I was drawn back to the present as I noticed that a squeaky toy was being pushed invitingly into my lap. And when that got no response, the toy was crunched repeatedly making quite a racket. Then came the sloppy kisses. Then stillness. OK, I peeked. My Chocolate Lab was upside down with nose and legs in the air hoping desperately for a belly rub. No deal.

I returned again and again to pondering what is meditation? I love stillness – physical stillness helps me find mental and emotional stillness, even if only for a brief time.

Then, without knowing how I got there, I actually was still. I had decided to post these reflections and had then let it go. Also, one of my most useful tools is to return my attention to my hands. Usually they are resting on my thighs. This morning, for perhaps the second half of my meditation period, one hand rested on my dog. When I noticed that this had happened, I settled, honoring the connection with my furry friend and companion, the one who pours loyalty and unconditional love into every minute of my day.

When our metta transitions from self, to those in our lives and finally to all living beings, surely my pup (and yours) are included. When my iPhone timer chimed and I opened my eyes, I saw that my dog was relaxed, pressed up against me, not sleeping, but awake and still. Ahhhh shared stillness.

 

See also earlier reflections on Meditation, Stillness, and a Silent Meditation Retreat, written after a week in the Berkshires with Josh Summers and Terry Cockburn as a student of the Josh Summers School of Yin Yoga. http://lindafreemanfitness.com/2018/09/

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.