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If you train hard but drop the ball when it comes to stretching and eating well, you might be surprised with what happens when you take out the garbage and add in recovery training.
Flexibility is Power! www.flexiblewarrior.com
Whether you are a swimmer, cyclist, runner or just a desk warrior taking the time to do "heart opener" stretches is very worth while to keep your shoulders and chest open and your posture aligned. And what better day for Heart Openers than Valentine's Day!
Heart Openers are simply chest and shoulder stretches. Many sports and daily activities we participate in round our shoulders forward and "close our heart". When we keep the chest and shoulder muscles both strong and flexible we allow fuller range of motion and power, injury prevention, and improved posture. What's not to love about that?!
For many, Valentine's Day is about candy and flowers. I absolutely love both! But for me, everything I love, I love more after I do some yoga. So maybe just for today you can join me (and maybe someone you love) and do a few minutes of yoga. Here are two quick sequences you can try...
First, start with the Heart Opener Sun Salutation to get warmed up
Then, try the Upper Body stretch sequence for some deeper chest and shoulder stretches...
And if you don't have time to leave your desk today, try the Desk Warrior sequence...
We're 41 days into 2011. One of my intentions this year is to do 365 consecutive days of Sun Salutations. Yesterday was my 40th consecutive day and I celebrated by taking class with one of my best friends and favorite teachers. Today I woke up and have a stomach flu. But this is just one of many major obstacles I've hit so far this year.
Here is the thing...
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." - Jim Rohn
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." -Dolly Parton
When I set my goal of doing 10 minutes of Sun Salutations a day I felt like it was a very achievable goal. At the time, I didn't realize I'd be facing two family deaths within the first 6 weeks of the year. But I'm proud to say that despite many sleepless nights, stress and sadness, I maintained a commitment to my daily 10 minutes and it has been a worthwhile investment.
The day my Grandma died, my sister joined me for my 10 minute mini practice. We did yoga on Grandma's living room floor early in the morning despite barely sleeping the night before, getting up every two hours to nurse and check on her. Grandma died later that afternoon peacefully in her home, and I feel like my sister and I also had so much peace through the entire process.
I'm sure you can relate when I say there were many days "I didn't feel like it" but boy did I feel better after I did it. Ten minutes might not sound like much, but it can make a world of difference during times of challenge. I realize that an important reason I take care of myself is so that I have the energy and ability to help take care of others. We can't give from an empty cup.
Today my 10 minute practice might not be Sun Salutations since I have a stomach flu. But being flexible is as much mental as physical. I believe a 10 minute seated meditation or guided imagery Savasana will suffice on sick days.
Obstacles are part of life. Setting a goal and achieving it is not supposed to be easy. If it was, no one would ever achieve anything worthwhile. It's the challenges that set us apart.
By mid February many people who set a New Years fitness goal start to fall off the wagon. Now is the time to reset your committment to your health and wellness. In a few more weeks it will be spring and it will be worth it...
"What appears to be impossible may be the wall you can only see from your present stance. If you are willing to give thanks for something you want before you see it, you will not be disappointed. Be constant to your goals, show gratitude - And one day soon you will look back and wonder why you ever doubted." - Joyce Sequichie Hifler
I set an intention to do 365 consecutive days of yoga in 2011. That sounds like an extreme goal to many. But most days I count a 10 minute yoga session as a full practice. Other days I can do 20 - 30 minutes. And once or twice a week I can do a full hour. I'm 29 days in, and I feel great.
Even though yoga is "my job" it is challenging for me to find the time to practice for myself / by myself daily. My schedule is busy too, and in my down time its much easier to get lost on Twitter, Facebook, a magazine or TV. Next thing you know an hour can slip by. Taking 10 minutes a day for yoga is totally doable FOR EVERYONE. You can complete 10 Sun Salutations in less time than it takes you to make your morning coffee - And the energy you will feel will astound you.
What's the number one reason you don't do yoga? No time, right? If you are an athlete, your training time is likely focused on strength, speed, and endurance. You can find time to strength train for an hour and run for two hours on a Saturday morning, but taking the time to stretch for 3 minutes is often a challenge. We are time crunched and juggling a lot, so stretching is the first thing to go because we don't feel like we get "results" from stretching (like increased speed, muscle tone or even weight loss).
But truly you will get all those results and more by doing yoga and stretching regularly! Your speed and strength will increase as your range of motion increases. Think of a rubber band... The more elastic it is and the futher you stretch it, the further it goes and the more power when its released. And how do you think your performance will be on race day if you're overtrained or sidelined with an injury? Could your weight loss efforts possibly be improved by reducing stress? Studies show absolutely YES. It has to do with cortisol, the stress hormone which can make it harder to lose weight.
I could go on and on about the benefits and why you should be doing yoga and stretching daily. But you already know it, and can find articles in every publication these days. And whether you're an athlete or a new mom, Yoga has probably been "on your list" for a while. So, what's stopping you? If you're waiting for the perfect time to begin, you have to make the time. There is always an excuse.
All you need is 10 minutes and an open space. You really don't even need a yoga mat. And your body is your equipment so there is nothing to buy. Above is a link to Sun Salutation B. I hope you'll try it with me! And keep me posted on your progress...
Happy New Year! I'll admit I've been seriously slacking on my blog posts. I started to write posts for both November and December and somehow never finished what I started. To me, not finishing is worse than not starting!
My main excuse is that a foster puppy moved in mid October and every spare moment of time I have goes to her (Playing with her is more rewarding and fun than being on the computer!) Her name is Piper (the one in the Santa hat :) and she is a soldiers dog. Her Dad is serving in Afghanistan, and it's an honor to care for her while he serves our country. The program is called Guardian Angles for Soldiers Pets - Check it out! If you're an animal lover, and want to give back to a soldier, this program is for you. Foster caring Piper is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
Piper even has her own Facebook Fan page called "Piper Power" so her Dad can see what she's up to while he's away. I'm having fun filming video segments of Piper these days, and I rarely post Yoga segments to my Youtube channel since she moved in! Below is a yoga segment I filmed with Piper (She loves to sit beside me and chew her bone while I do yoga. As soon as I roll out my yoga mat, she is by my side!) Try it with us!
So, while I've been slacking on my blog and video segments, I can assure you the time is being well spent with Piper. Fostering caring and volunteer service falls into the catagory of Karma Yoga (selfless action) - Or yoga "off the mat" ...which is rewarding in ways beyond Asana practice (the physical poses).
But now that it's the New Year, I like to take a little time to reflect on the year that's past and look forward to the upcoming year. One of my goals this year is to practice yoga 365 consecutive days! This might sound like an unrealistic goal to many, but I often count 10 minutes Sun Salutation as "a practice". It's rare that I get a full hour practice in, but for me a little every day works. If your days are full like mine, try 10 minutes a day for 7 days and see if you don't feel better in one short week! Below is a short Sun Salutation demo to get you started...
