Being Disappointed, Having Faith & Getting Brave.

Most of you know that I graduated from The Institute of Integtative Nutrition and published a book a few months ago. Neither one of those things would have happened if 1) I had gotten what I wanted last year this time or 2) if I had let my fears get the best of me. 

Let me explain. First, I have been teaching yoga for the Baltimore Ravens on and off for over 10 years. They are always trying to improve but have limited time to fit everything in, so yoga just wasn't on the list last season. Admittedly I was disappointed but the extra time gave me the chance to travel to France with my sister and our hubbies for a once  in a lifetime Normandy hiking adventure and to register for a year-long course to become a health coach. Plus, a few months into nutrition school, I also decided to write a book which was an all-consuming 5 month project. I would have never had the time to go to nutrition school, write a book and travel to Normandy if I had been working with the Ravens last season. 

The Dalai Lama always inspires me with his words of wisdom. I too believe that health, happiness, faith and compassion are keys to a fulfilled life and it's our responsibility to make the most of the life we've been blessed with. Feelings of fear and self-doubt will often creep in and problems will inevitably arise. Ultimately, it's all about our attitude. Being flexible and resilient when faced with challenges and "remembering that not getting what we want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."

Second, I had no idea how much courage it took to write a book! I knew it would take discipline and focus, but it was the fear that quickly set in and literally made me squirm so much I tried to drop out of the writing program twice! Thankfully both times I slept on it and had my husband to help buck me up and rise to the challenge. 

I bought this decal for my yoga studio and I'd practice hand stands against the wall. There's something about turning your world upside down and standing on your own two hands that helps get me head on straight...

I wrote daily for five months straight from Nov - March. I always took a break to cheer on my Ravens on game day! It was a rough winter. But nothing worth doing is ever easy! And by the time April rolled around I had a published book in my hands! A few weeks later, I was teaching off season yoga for the Ravens again. Talk about good timing! 

On the days I felt extra stuck with my book, feeling like a college student slumped over a desk with writers block, I'd break away from my computer, blast some inspiring tunes and do 10-15 minutes of yoga. The playlist was key to get the blood flowing and brain in gear... 

Brave by Sara Bareilles 

"I wonder what would happen if you say what you want to say and let the words fall out. I want to see you be brave!"

Brand New Me by Alecia Keys 

"I'll never be perfect but at least now I am brave."

There were lots of other songs on the playlist but these two really got me in the right frame of mind to just speak my truth from my heart and not worry if it's perfect or if everyone likes it. Just write and share your truth! 

The happy ending is ... 1) I won the top 10 writing contest for my school and 2) I'm back teaching yoga at the Ravens this season. Yeay!!! 

The reason I'm sharing this story is to encourage you to be brave and speak your truth and to remember that sometimes not getting what we want when we want is the best thing for our life's journey. 

Keep your heart high. Have faith. Be a Flexible Warrior... Never give up. Always let go. 

Namaste

Karen Dubs

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Obstacles and Inspiration

I'm a busy girl. I'm guessing your schedule is maxed out too. There is hardly enough time in the day to whip up a green smoothie much less stretch! And definitely not enough time to write a book. But I believe it's more about making the time instead of making excuses. My fast food consists of superfood smoothies I make in about two minutes and drink out of a to-go mason jar in my car, my stretching routines happen in 10 minute increments, and my book was written in 5 months during gaps in my schedule. I even wrote a few paragraphs while waiting in doctors offices and in my car between clients (thanks to Google docs!) 

Why did I write the book? What made me want to challenge myself and sacrifice every spare moment of my life for 5 straight months? 

My first inspiration for the book was my Dad and my brother. My dad was an alcoholic who died when he was 50 years old. My brother was a type 1 diabetic who died in a car accident when he was 44. I'm 46. 

The cliche "life is short" became very real to me after losing my brother suddenly. Often we wait until we get sick or are diagnosed with cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes until we wake up and take better care of ourselves. I would like all of us to take better care of ourselves NOW - Before something tragic happens. There is no perfect time. The time is now. 

My second inspiration for writing the book was you. Even though I may not know you, I truly want to spare you any of the pain I suffered and want to help share what I learned along my healing journey from Lyme and autoimmune thyroid disease and how an anti inflammatory superfood diet, self-care and yoga / stretching transformed my health and my life. Little changes make a huge difference. 

I don't know about you, but some of the most powerful lessons of my life came from the obstacles and challenges I faced. Both Lyme and autoimmune thyroid disease derailed me from my goals, crushed my spirit and zapped my energy. Losing my dad and my brother woke me up in ways nothing else could. 

If you've read my book, you know I'm all about the balance of opposites... willpower and doing hard things versus chillpower and doing easy things. Being strong and brave while maintaining flexibility and resilience... 

I'm not gonna lie - Writing the book was a hard thing. Sitting at my desk for 8 hours a day pouring out my thoughts is not a strength of mine. But life is short and I knew the months would pass whether I dug in and finished or I dogged it and bailed. Just like crossing the finish line at a race, I wanted to look back, smile and know I did my best. 

Whatever obstacles you're facing right now, try to find gratitude and be inspired to stretch yourself. The obstacles are there to teach and stretch us into the new person we are meant to be. Maybe you too have a story to tell and a book to write! 

Flexibility is power! 

Namaste, 

Karen Dubs 

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Holy Crap! I wrote a book!

Exactly five months ago today, I got the crazy idea to sign up for a book writing program with Integrative Institute of Nutrition. I'm in the IIN Health Coaching school and I had an idea of what I wanted to write about (flexibility of course) but aside from the vague concept of "how to be more flexible, balanced and resilient" I was starting from nothing... no outline, no title, no budget, not even any book writing experience. But it was November, and we were heading into winter, so I figured the timing was perfect to hunker down and write. 

The writing journey has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. Like many big commitments (a wedding, having a baby or training for your first marathon), at first, I was super excited and enthusiastic with all the possibility and with the feeling of stepping out of my comfort zone. I knew it was time to challenge myself and experience something new. Then, I quickly became overwhelmed, got cold feet and even tried to bail out of the program. All the excuses and fears came into my head like "who am I to write a book", "I don't know what I'm doing" and "what if I'm terrible at this." 

If you're reading the "Flexible Warrior" blog, you're likely someone who is used to stepping out of your comfort zone too... and the thrill that comes with that challenge. And you've likely experienced cold feet too. Whether it's birthing a child, graduating from school or crossing the finish line at your first race, the feeling of "Holy Crap! I did it!" is quite exhilarating, especially after over coming all the obstacles that will no doubt arise during your journey.

But, unlike a race, writing a book is more like having a baby in that the work doesn't really begin until the baby is born. So, I'd like to introduce you to my new book "Find Your Flexible Warrior: Think, Stretch and Eat for Balance and Resilience. I plan on doing some combination yoga, spinning and book signing classes, but in the meantime, if you'd like to pre-order my book, signed copies are available on my Flexible Warrior web site or you can order (unsigned copies) on Amazon.

I wanted to keep my post short today (honestly I just want to get outside after sitting at my desk for 5 months straight!) I'll talk more in future posts about topics that are in the book including nutrition, self-care, balance, willpower, chillpower, anti-inflammatory foods, superfoods, healing with diet, autoimmune and Lyme disease, recovery, stretching techniques and how to create a more resilient, adaptable and balanced mind and body.

Thanks for your support! Let me know how I can support you on your journey to your best self.

Namaste,

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com

Olympic Flexibility

As I mentioned in last weeks blog, my upcoming trip to the London Olympics is made possible by a small town girl with a big dream.  US Modern Pentathlon is a multi sport event like now other, combining fencing, swimming, horse-back riding, running and shooting... All in one event! 


In many ways, Suzanne Stettinius has been training for the 2012 Olympic games all her life.The daughter of a Navy Seal, this girl knows how to shoot a gun and has been riding horses since she was a little girl. In high school and college she was on the swim team and cross country run team. The fencing was the one new sport she had to learn "later in life" (she's now 24, so its all relative!) 

Suzanne lives on a farm "in the boonies" of beautiful north Baltimore County. Ironically, she is about 5 minutes from my house (and NOTHING is near my house). When you live in the hills of North Baltimore, you're used to driving... A LOT. Suzanne drives great distances to train, particularly for fencing in DC and swimming at McDonough (since she can run, ride horses and shoot all at her parent's farm).

The fact that we live minutes apart was random good luck. She could stop by for stretch sessions after a run or before swimming or fencing. I always joked that she either smelled like horses or chlorine (and often it was a mix of both :)

On a side note, after I working with Suzanne for a few weeks I was hanging out with my sister, niece and nephew. They started talking about this local Olympic hopeful that my niece and nephew went to high school with. I said "you mean Suzanne Stettinius?" Turns out, my nephew was best friends with Suzanne's brother Ed (pictured above shooting with Suzanne at their farm) since they were little kids, Suzanne graduated high school with my niece and I had briefly met Suzanne when she was probably 5 years old. So our paths had crossed in a previous lifetime.  

The flexibility technique I use with Suzanne is called Ki-Hara. It's the same technique five time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres touts as her "secret weapon" that allows her to compete at an Olympic level with athletes half her age.

The Ki-Hara technique was refined by Steven Sierra and Anne Tierney of Innovative Body Solutions and incorporates Resistance Stretching and Mashing to create dynamic flexibility with strength. I also trained under Susan Bianchi at Intrinsic Health Systems, who has been stretching Jets football players for years.

More and more, athletes from all different sports are understanding the importance of flexibility and how it relates to power, performance, recovery and injury prevention. I've stretched several Raven's players over the years as well (and no I won't name names) but I can say that even though she's small and lean, stretching Suzanne's long legs and powerful swimmers arms is just as much of a workout for me (but I'd take that any day over bicep curls!) I often get asked what I do to get my arms, and I say "I stretch athletes!"

A typical session with Suzanne includes mashing (pictured below) which literally means I am walking all over her to get her muscles warmed, loosened up and prepared to stretch. Yep, I use a walker to help me stabilize so I can really dig my heels in (trust me, she's not complaining). The benefits are similar to a deep tissue massage, which is essential for an athlete who trains as hard as Suzanne. But often many athletes either don't have the money or the time to invest in weekly massage or sports specific stretching. A one-on-one Ki-Hara session combines both the benefits of massage along with flexibility.

After we mash for a good 20 minutes (which gives us time to chit-chat), we'd move onto the Resistance Stretching for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on what training she just completed and what training was up next (often she was fresh from a run and had a swim or fence training next) so we'd focus on stretching out the legs first, which also helps flush the muscles, lessen soreness and speed recovery to she bounced back faster and was more ready for her next run. Then we'd move onto her favorite upper body stretches to increase range of motion and power up her arms for swim practice. Fencing is more of a one-sided sport, so the Ki-Hara technique works at bringing her body back into balance and staying centering from a strong core throughout all the stretches, which applies of course to the horse back riding and shooting as well.

During the stretch session, there is very little chit-chat because Suzanne has to stay focused on resisting and staying engaged from her core. The stretches move her arms and legs through full range of motion in specific, rotational and diagonal patterns, engaging the core continually to achieve full body flexibility with strength. Trust me, stretching Suzanne is a workout for me too. 

Here is a short clip (because my batteries died half way through the filming!) to give you an idea of what the Ki-Hara Mash and Stretch session is like (guess we'll film Part 2 when Suzanne is back from London): 

After the stretch session, we finish up with another 20 or so minutes of mashing, along with some restorative yoga poses. Once in a while she'll stay for a quick snack (got her hooked on occasional green smoothies and chia seeds) ...then off she goes to her next training session! 

I offer private sessions at Performfit Sports Conditioning facility in Towson. If you want to stretch like an Olympian, let me know! More info at www.flexiblewarrior.com

Did you know that the U.S. Government is one of a few countries that does not fund Olympic Athletes? The athletes rely on contributions from private donors to to help fund their expenses. Here is a great article about How Athletes Fund Their Olympic Experience http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/804894/how-athletes-fund-their-olympic-experience

To donate to Suzanne's Olympic Fund, visit http://www.suzanne.mintmeadows.com/home - For a $25 donation, I will mail you and Flexible Warrior DVD (just email a copy of your receipt to karen@flexiblewarrior.com and let me know which DVD volume you want). To choose a DVD visit http://www.flexiblewarrior.com/

Thanks for supporting Suzanne and her her Journey to London Summer Olympics!

Olympic Flexibility

Journey to London 2012 Olympic Games 

 

It's been a LONG while since I last Blogged. One day I just realized that sitting in front of the computer more was not a goal of mine. And that writing is not one of my greatest strengths. 

An important part of happiness and success in life is doing what you love and what you're good at, which are often one in the same... This leads me to my friend, client and TEAM USA Olympic Athlete Suzanne Stettinius (pictured above right at a Spinning and Yoga fundraising event I hosted for her a few weeks ago). This girl knows what her gifts are and she is turning them into an Olympic dream. 

Suzanne is the reason I'm picking my blog back up for a few weeks. She is also the reason I get the huge honor and privilege to attend the 2012 Summer Olympics in London!

Few things inspire me more than Olympic athletes following their dreams, testing their limits with dedication and discipline and representing their country with pride. Watching even an Olympic commercial on TV makes me feel like I want to do more and be more. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I see it live! It's a refreshing reminder that nothing worth having comes easy, but with hard work and sacrifice we all have a chance at making a dream come true. 

Suzanne Stettinius is no exception to that inspirational Olympic spirit. I read about her hopes for the 2012 summer games in the local paper last summer. Her story moved me and I instantly wanted to help her with flexibility and recovery, the one thing most athletes aren't naturally good at or don't take the time to practice on their own, yet it can make a huge improvement in performance. 

In sports and life, its essential to focus on developing our gifts, yet its also important to practice what we're not good at (like me sitting down struggling to write). This is how we create balance in our bodies, brains and lives, grow and broaden our horizons and increase our potential. 

I've been stretching, mashing and practicing a little yoga with Suzanne 2 - 3 times a week for a year (more about her flexibility and recovery routine next week). We were instant friends despite a 20 year age gap. She has the kind of raw, real energy that lights up a room and is a pleasure to be around. She knows how to have a lot of fun but she also has a work ethic that sets her apart and gets her places. Her fearlessness and laugh are both contagious. The has a star quality yet is so down to earth. You want to cheer her on!

Suzanne trains for five sports.  She has a swimming coach (Jeff Hiestand), a running coach (Thomas P Bernier) and a fencing coach (Damien Lehfeldt), all of which are key players in her success and have donated their time to help her get to where she is. In addition, she did cross training, strength and conditioning with Patrick Hedge and Tim Bishop at Performfit. 

As her "flexibility coach" I can say that donating my time to support Suzanne's Olympic journey has been rewarding in all the ways that matter most in life. And the fact that I now get to cheer her on in London is just unbelievable. It's yet another time in life that reinforces my belief in Karma. 

All of us coaches, along with Suzanne's family appreciate any contribution you can make to support her Olympic Fund. I am personally offering any Flexible Warrior DVD of your choice with a $25 donation (just forward your donation receipt to me via email to karen@flexiblewarrior.com). I will cover the shipping. To pick a video, visit www.flexiblewarrior.com 100% of your donation will go to Suzanne's Olympic Fund.

To read more about Suzanne or to donate to her Olympic Fundraiser visit:

www.suzanne.mintmeadows.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...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Obstacles

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

365 Days of Yoga

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...

Join me for 10 minutes of Yoga - Try Sun Salutation B