Last night I had the incredible opportunity to sit in on a Skype Q & A session with Darren Main. I'm currently mentoring a group of new yoga instructors through the studio I work for, and part of their education has been to read Darren's book The Yogi Entrepreneur. The book is about the business of and ethics within the yoga world. The students I'm mentoring, along with about 40 other newer instructors, had the chance to do a Q & A session with Darren via Sype. Being the yoga nerd that I am, I forced myself to sit as far away from the computer as possible so that I wasn't the crazy yogi with the huge eyes who was constantly nodding her head in agreement to every syllable that came out of his mouth while making that strange "mmm" sound that intellectuals make when a speaker makes a poignant statement. I swear, I didn't do any of that....
Anyway, nearing the end of our Q & A, one of my fellow instructors asked Darren about longevity in the yoga world. "How, after teaching for 20 plus years, do you still do it without feeling like you're just going to burn out?" Deep down, I was so grateful that my colleague asked this question. It's something I often worry about. I've been teaching yoga non-stop for the last three and a half years. I have no intentions of slowing down. I never feel like I'm worn out or sick of it. But my concern is that someday it might happen. Darren had so many great responses to the question, but there's one thing he said that truly resonated with me. He said, "Because of yoga I am alive." Not only was he sharing that yoga has helped with his physical health, but he was expressing the feeling of being alive through yoga. And cue tears streaming down the face of the crazy yogi in back!
Seriously. Darren hit the nail on the head. It's so hard to put into words, but through yoga I now feel 100% alive. I think back a few years in my life at times when yoga wasn't part of my life and those memories feel like dreams or like they happened to someone else and I was just a bystander watching the mess unfold. I can say that I now truly experience life because of yoga. Perhaps yoga has taught me to be kind and compassionate towards others and that kindness has oped my eyes and mind to so many wonderful people and experiences. Maybe yoga has allowed for me to be comfortable and confident in myself and my own being so that I am not timid to truly be myself. Or maybe it's my, as I like to call it, Spidey Sense that I've acquired through yoga so that I'm now deeply in tune with my mind, body, and spirit in a way I had never been before. Whatever the reason, there's no doubting that yoga just makes me feel alive.
Of course stepping outside and experiencing the current weather in Minnesota, a lovely wind chill of -20, could also make someone feel amazingly alive!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Seeing the Light Within the Dark
My immediate yoga circle was all abuzz after reading a recent article in the Huffington Post. Entitled "Yoga's Dark Side", yoga and pilates instructor, Erin Motzenbecker, describes what she feels is the "dark side" of yoga. She believes some yogis are becoming characters straight from the movie Mean Girls, critical and aggressive, in what should be an non-judgemental community. She also points out the ever expansive consumer driven side of yoga.
There's a lot going on in Erin's article. There's a lot that I agree with, but also a lot that I see in a different light. First, I can totally identify with her food issues in the yoga world. On a daily basis I'm surrounded by people guzzling down green smoothies and eating Lara Bars like they're going out of style. When I started to teach yoga more regularly, I would be very mindful of what I packed in my lunch. I'm not a vegetarian, but there was no way in hell I was going to bring a turkey sandwich to a yoga studio! I was sure to be judged while eating sliced up animal flesh! Of course that was just my own insecurities shining through. I know eating a plant based diet is better for me, but no one was going to criticize me for eating meat. That's a decision I was making on my own. The judgement I was worried about was simply from an internal dialogue. Of course now that I'm more immersed in my yoga practice, I'm just naturally drawn to a more plant based diet as I know that's what serves my body best.
Second, Erin points out the egos that are growing in the yoga world. She states, "Studios are full of people who can barely be bothered to make eye contact, let alone build any kind of friendship". This is definitely alarming. Granted Erin maybe has never experienced the "Minnesota Nice" yoga community, but rarely have I come across such cold yogis. Majority of my closest friends are yogis from the studio. However, I have practiced in more serious spaces where people are simply quiet and keep to themselves so that they can fully focus on their individual practice. I don't see anything wrong with that. When working with a guest instructor, especially if it's only for a short workshop, I keep very quiet and to myself. When I'm focusing on my studies, I rarely go out of my way to make conversation with my fellow yogis. Maybe that's me being self-righteous, or maybe that's me clearing my mind and preparing for my practice.
Lastly, the consumerism part has been a constant struggle for me. I own expensive mala beads that usually just sit on my bedside table. The outfit I'm wearing right now probably cost me no less than $125. Because I have the newest and best pair of yoga pants does not mean I'm going to serve my students better on a particular day. I know yoga is not about material goods. However, when I'm teaching students in studios that are no less than 95 degrees all day long, it's important to have clothes that are going to last and withstand my lifestyle. Usually those $80 yoga pants are the only things that'll do the trick. Of course most of my students wear the same brands and are happy to shell out the big bucks to be seen wearing those brands, but who am I to judge them? If a student walks in wearing Target brand yoga clothes I don't treat them any differently. I even have students approach me about not being able to afford the expensive yoga brands so they ask me tips on how to care for their few articles of yoga clothing to make it last longer and stink free. I'm happy to share this with them because I want them to stay with their practice! I even tell them where to shop to find great deals on the best brands! No one should feel like they can't practice yoga because of the clothes they practice in or the mat they practice on.
In a nutshell, it comes down to judgement. Erin definitely has valid points, but where is the judgement coming from? Is it an internal dialogue on something she's insecure with? Are these judgements that she's making about others? Or is she just simply feeling judged in her yoga community? It's hard to say, but there's a good chance it's all of the above.
There's a lot going on in Erin's article. There's a lot that I agree with, but also a lot that I see in a different light. First, I can totally identify with her food issues in the yoga world. On a daily basis I'm surrounded by people guzzling down green smoothies and eating Lara Bars like they're going out of style. When I started to teach yoga more regularly, I would be very mindful of what I packed in my lunch. I'm not a vegetarian, but there was no way in hell I was going to bring a turkey sandwich to a yoga studio! I was sure to be judged while eating sliced up animal flesh! Of course that was just my own insecurities shining through. I know eating a plant based diet is better for me, but no one was going to criticize me for eating meat. That's a decision I was making on my own. The judgement I was worried about was simply from an internal dialogue. Of course now that I'm more immersed in my yoga practice, I'm just naturally drawn to a more plant based diet as I know that's what serves my body best.
Second, Erin points out the egos that are growing in the yoga world. She states, "Studios are full of people who can barely be bothered to make eye contact, let alone build any kind of friendship". This is definitely alarming. Granted Erin maybe has never experienced the "Minnesota Nice" yoga community, but rarely have I come across such cold yogis. Majority of my closest friends are yogis from the studio. However, I have practiced in more serious spaces where people are simply quiet and keep to themselves so that they can fully focus on their individual practice. I don't see anything wrong with that. When working with a guest instructor, especially if it's only for a short workshop, I keep very quiet and to myself. When I'm focusing on my studies, I rarely go out of my way to make conversation with my fellow yogis. Maybe that's me being self-righteous, or maybe that's me clearing my mind and preparing for my practice.
Lastly, the consumerism part has been a constant struggle for me. I own expensive mala beads that usually just sit on my bedside table. The outfit I'm wearing right now probably cost me no less than $125. Because I have the newest and best pair of yoga pants does not mean I'm going to serve my students better on a particular day. I know yoga is not about material goods. However, when I'm teaching students in studios that are no less than 95 degrees all day long, it's important to have clothes that are going to last and withstand my lifestyle. Usually those $80 yoga pants are the only things that'll do the trick. Of course most of my students wear the same brands and are happy to shell out the big bucks to be seen wearing those brands, but who am I to judge them? If a student walks in wearing Target brand yoga clothes I don't treat them any differently. I even have students approach me about not being able to afford the expensive yoga brands so they ask me tips on how to care for their few articles of yoga clothing to make it last longer and stink free. I'm happy to share this with them because I want them to stay with their practice! I even tell them where to shop to find great deals on the best brands! No one should feel like they can't practice yoga because of the clothes they practice in or the mat they practice on.
In a nutshell, it comes down to judgement. Erin definitely has valid points, but where is the judgement coming from? Is it an internal dialogue on something she's insecure with? Are these judgements that she's making about others? Or is she just simply feeling judged in her yoga community? It's hard to say, but there's a good chance it's all of the above.
It's 2013 and People Still Smoke Cigarettes?
I am aware that the question "It's 2013 and people still smoke cigarettes?" is probably a pretty dumb one to ask. However, I am completely shocked at the amount of people who STILL smoke cigarettes in 2013. Hasn't enough research come out to inspire people to take control of their health and put the cancer sticks down?
I was driving to work this morning and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reported that 19% of adult Minnesotans smoke cigarettes. 19%! That means about one in every five people in Minnesota smokes! (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/01/29/health/one-in-five-minnesota-adults-smoke) WHAT? REALLY?! Now maybe my world has been completely turned upside down by this information because the people I'm typically around don't smoke. (Of course I can't leave out those certain friends who think it's a great idea to light up when they've had one too many cocktails.) Maybe I'm just being naive about it all.
The real shocker came when my mom, sister, and I were meeting up with a group of ladies at an establishment that allows indoor smoking. They do also, however, offer non-smoking areas. My mom and I, who are non-smokers, made it to our meet-up spot first so we decided to set up shop on the non-smoking side. Considering my mom was just getting over a horrible case of bronchitis, my sister was on day 15 of trying to quit smoking, and I just didn't want to put my lungs through two hours of smoky hell, we thought it was the best choice. As the rest of the group joined us it became clear that they did not appreciate our decision to be on the non-smoking side of the room. Without acknowledging the situation, the rest of our group just turned around and set themselves up on the smoking half of the room. In a group of ten women, only three were not smoking that afternoon. Although my mom felt guilty about separating our group by smokers and non-smokers, I just refused to fall victim to secondhand smoke.
There's no doubt that cigarettes are extremely addictive. It's the instant buzz that's processed through the brain that makes those tobacco filled tubes hard to quit. Both of my sisters successfully quit smoking cigarettes while they were pregnant, however, even after nine months of clear lungs they went right back to lighting up. But I must say I am so proud of my one sister who currently hasn't had a cigarette in almost one whole month without being pregnant!
It's such an odd thing. As a society we're aware of the dangers of tobacco smoke to our overall health. It's even printed on the cigarette packages! No one can play dumb to the effects of smoking cigarettes. But what makes humans decide to ignore all of that and still light up?
Now with all of this rant about tobacco usage, can't we say the same thing for the food we eat?
I was driving to work this morning and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reported that 19% of adult Minnesotans smoke cigarettes. 19%! That means about one in every five people in Minnesota smokes! (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/01/29/health/one-in-five-minnesota-adults-smoke) WHAT? REALLY?! Now maybe my world has been completely turned upside down by this information because the people I'm typically around don't smoke. (Of course I can't leave out those certain friends who think it's a great idea to light up when they've had one too many cocktails.) Maybe I'm just being naive about it all.
The real shocker came when my mom, sister, and I were meeting up with a group of ladies at an establishment that allows indoor smoking. They do also, however, offer non-smoking areas. My mom and I, who are non-smokers, made it to our meet-up spot first so we decided to set up shop on the non-smoking side. Considering my mom was just getting over a horrible case of bronchitis, my sister was on day 15 of trying to quit smoking, and I just didn't want to put my lungs through two hours of smoky hell, we thought it was the best choice. As the rest of the group joined us it became clear that they did not appreciate our decision to be on the non-smoking side of the room. Without acknowledging the situation, the rest of our group just turned around and set themselves up on the smoking half of the room. In a group of ten women, only three were not smoking that afternoon. Although my mom felt guilty about separating our group by smokers and non-smokers, I just refused to fall victim to secondhand smoke.
There's no doubt that cigarettes are extremely addictive. It's the instant buzz that's processed through the brain that makes those tobacco filled tubes hard to quit. Both of my sisters successfully quit smoking cigarettes while they were pregnant, however, even after nine months of clear lungs they went right back to lighting up. But I must say I am so proud of my one sister who currently hasn't had a cigarette in almost one whole month without being pregnant!
It's such an odd thing. As a society we're aware of the dangers of tobacco smoke to our overall health. It's even printed on the cigarette packages! No one can play dumb to the effects of smoking cigarettes. But what makes humans decide to ignore all of that and still light up?
Now with all of this rant about tobacco usage, can't we say the same thing for the food we eat?
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Planning + Patience = Change
I recently read a blog entry that resonated me. Gretchen Rubin, the mastermind behind the Happiness Project, had a post entitled "Why I Treat Myself Like a Toddler. A Cranky Toddler.". The blog post focuses on the idea of referring to oneself in the third person, or more specifically like a toddler, in order to stay on track in life. Anyone that has spent time with a toddler, or more specifically a cranky toddler, knows that things just move along so much easier if everything is planned.
For instance, in the morning when I'm preparing my food for the day, a typical conversation with myself will go as follows: "Erin, you know you can't just pack dark chocolate in your lunch. A spinach salad is a much better choice." Of course that cranky toddler within me responses with, "But chocolate tastes soooooo much better!" It's a never ending battle, but typically the adult Erin wins out.
As we're now in the new year, it's resolution season. It's only January 9th and I can guarantee most Americans have already broken the promises they made to themselves only a week ago. Unfortunately, that's just how it goes. It's normal to break down on New Year's resolutions, but I think Gretchen Rubin's advice to think of yourself like a cranky toddler can help with any resolution you may have set.
Now usually resolutions have to do with health and changes you wish to make to your health, so that's what I'll focus on, but of course resolutions are different for everyone. Want to get more sleep? Set a mandatory time that you must be in bed by every night just as you would your 3 year old daughter. Want to add more vegetables into your diet. Plan out your meals for an entire week. If you're away at work all day and typically stop at the local deli for a sandwich, buy a lunch box and pack your own sandwich with lots of leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and whatever else tickles your fancy that day. Want to exercise more? Get out your calendar and schedule in the exact time you'll be heading to the gym, going for a run, rolling out your yoga mat, etc. Keeping children on a schedule makes their lives more manageable. Same goes for adults.
Of course this all sounds much easier than it truly is. However, there are a few more keys to your success. Children love surprises. Of course sticking to a schedule is important, but adding in something special every once in a while is important too. Maybe on Fridays you put in a little bit of candy in your lunch for an extra treat. Perhaps after your Sunday morning workout you treat yourself to massage that day or even a beer at night. If you feel like you're a slave to your plan of action without some type of reward, it feels like change is just impossible. Treat yourself and add in small surprises.
Lastly, be patient. I cannot stress this enough. I get so down on myself when I stray from a plan or schedule, but I just have to remember that tomorrow will happen and it's okay if I need to jump start everything on the next day. Maybe today I didn't consume as many vegatables as I was planning, I shouldn't feel like I need to make up for it later in the week. Instead I just get back on schedule tomorrow and know that my plan is still there to keep me grounded. Be patient with yourself and just know that the small steps you're taking now are moving you in the right direction toward something bigger and better.
For instance, in the morning when I'm preparing my food for the day, a typical conversation with myself will go as follows: "Erin, you know you can't just pack dark chocolate in your lunch. A spinach salad is a much better choice." Of course that cranky toddler within me responses with, "But chocolate tastes soooooo much better!" It's a never ending battle, but typically the adult Erin wins out.
As we're now in the new year, it's resolution season. It's only January 9th and I can guarantee most Americans have already broken the promises they made to themselves only a week ago. Unfortunately, that's just how it goes. It's normal to break down on New Year's resolutions, but I think Gretchen Rubin's advice to think of yourself like a cranky toddler can help with any resolution you may have set.
Now usually resolutions have to do with health and changes you wish to make to your health, so that's what I'll focus on, but of course resolutions are different for everyone. Want to get more sleep? Set a mandatory time that you must be in bed by every night just as you would your 3 year old daughter. Want to add more vegetables into your diet. Plan out your meals for an entire week. If you're away at work all day and typically stop at the local deli for a sandwich, buy a lunch box and pack your own sandwich with lots of leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and whatever else tickles your fancy that day. Want to exercise more? Get out your calendar and schedule in the exact time you'll be heading to the gym, going for a run, rolling out your yoga mat, etc. Keeping children on a schedule makes their lives more manageable. Same goes for adults.
Of course this all sounds much easier than it truly is. However, there are a few more keys to your success. Children love surprises. Of course sticking to a schedule is important, but adding in something special every once in a while is important too. Maybe on Fridays you put in a little bit of candy in your lunch for an extra treat. Perhaps after your Sunday morning workout you treat yourself to massage that day or even a beer at night. If you feel like you're a slave to your plan of action without some type of reward, it feels like change is just impossible. Treat yourself and add in small surprises.
Lastly, be patient. I cannot stress this enough. I get so down on myself when I stray from a plan or schedule, but I just have to remember that tomorrow will happen and it's okay if I need to jump start everything on the next day. Maybe today I didn't consume as many vegatables as I was planning, I shouldn't feel like I need to make up for it later in the week. Instead I just get back on schedule tomorrow and know that my plan is still there to keep me grounded. Be patient with yourself and just know that the small steps you're taking now are moving you in the right direction toward something bigger and better.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Eggs, Hot Tea, and a Record Player
Yesterday (Sunday) morning was probably my favorite morning ever. I woke up, motivated myself to do the dishes, and then I proceeded to make the most amazing breakfast. I'm currently trying to minimize the amount of food in our refrigerator so I decided to throw some random ingredients into what turned out to be a lovely breakfast. Eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and a little bit of goat cheese and I was in Sunday breakfast heaven. The boyfriend and I enjoyed the meal along with a hot cup of milk oolong and JD McPherson (currently my favorite musician) and eventually the Beach Boys on the record player.
It's incredible how happy I was for the rest of my Sunday. Start your day out with something enjoyable and you're bound to have a great day! Hell, I think I'm going to have a great week since yesterday was so great!
It's incredible how happy I was for the rest of my Sunday. Start your day out with something enjoyable and you're bound to have a great day! Hell, I think I'm going to have a great week since yesterday was so great!
LIfe Lesson from Yoga #2: I Now Know How to Breathe
Now I know this sounds kind of crazy, but yoga has taught me how to breathe. Breathing is one the many involuntary things our body naturally does. I don't have to tell my lungs to fill when I inhale or to release when I exhale. The body just does these actions to bring in oxygen.
Not that I needed to learn how to breathe, but yoga has taught me how to use my breath effectively. In my yoga practice I try to keep my breath steady in even the most challenging of postures. When the breath becomes inconsistent, that's my signal to hit child's pose and come back to my breath. Breath works the same way in your everyday life. The moment things get rough and your breath becomes rapid or uneven, it's time for a break. Stuck in traffic and already freaking out because you're late for an appointment? Take a few deep breaths. Significant other left a sink full of dishes for you to take care (again)? Close your eyes and take five deep breaths. When one of those challenges from life is thrown your way, the challenge becomes a whole lot easier if you're able to just breathe.
Not that I needed to learn how to breathe, but yoga has taught me how to use my breath effectively. In my yoga practice I try to keep my breath steady in even the most challenging of postures. When the breath becomes inconsistent, that's my signal to hit child's pose and come back to my breath. Breath works the same way in your everyday life. The moment things get rough and your breath becomes rapid or uneven, it's time for a break. Stuck in traffic and already freaking out because you're late for an appointment? Take a few deep breaths. Significant other left a sink full of dishes for you to take care (again)? Close your eyes and take five deep breaths. When one of those challenges from life is thrown your way, the challenge becomes a whole lot easier if you're able to just breathe.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Bodhi the Lionfish Slayer
Back in June I had the amazing opportunity to vacation in Vieques, Puerto Rico. In preparation for the trip I decided to get scuba certified (eventually more posts on my personal experiences while diving will follow). Never in a million years did I think I would be scuba diving in Puerto Rico, but I did it and it was incredible! My first dive experience has left me with a very good story...
He was the stereotypical scuba diver, adrenaline junkie, extremist. He had unkempt blonde locks that he assumed sea life had been growing in. Not only was he a scuba diver, but he was a sky diver and surfer and had been known to stay in hammocks on the beach. This was Bodhi, my scuba instructor in Vieques.
I had been anxiously awaiting my scheduled open-water dive to finalize my scuba certification and here I was paired with Bodhi. A man probably no older than 32, but with the energy and spirit of an adventurous 12 year old boy. Of course he was an outstanding instructor and had plenty of patience with me when I had a minor panic attack during one of our dives. But I was mainly intrigued by Bodhi's story.
Turns out Bodhi had been living and working as a dive instructor on the Puerto Rican island for a year and a half. Originally from Michigan, he left his position at a company he started. He believed the job would give him a heart attack before the age of 38 and figured it just wasn't worth it. He was drawn to Puerto Rico to complete his scuba training to become an instructor and the rest is history.
He enjoyed his time in Vieques, but was ready to move on to something else. At this point in time, there was a one way ticket to Thailand with Bodhi's name on it. I've known a few people who have bought one way tickets across the country, but they usually plan on backpacking through Europe and when the money runs out or they catch some weird disease from a hostel they just come back home. But there was something about the idea of Bodhi leaving paradise to head off to Thailand to see what Southeast Asia had in store for him. He was literally following the ocean seeking out his place in this world.
Inspired just doesn't fully cover how I felt about Bodhi's next adventure in life. I just kept thinking to myself, "I want to do that!" Of course I couldn't shut up about it all to my boyfriend. My boyfriend, the dreamer of our duo, just reminded me that I can do that. Whether I want to travel and teach yoga or simply pick up and see what else is out there for me in this world, I CAN do that! I too can follow the ocean and see what's in store for me and my life. However, I just kept telling myself, "You currently don't have the money to do something crazy like this. And once you actually do have the money to travel, you'll be too old." More on this later...
Back to diving with Bodhi, during my open-water dive sessions Bodhi would go over hand signals with me that we'd use underwater for communication. Signals include things like "out of air", "I'm okay", "my ears aren't equalizing", "danger", etc. During our hand signal refresher course, my boyfriend had pointed out to Bodhi that the signals for "check your pressure gauge" and "lionfish" were visually very similar. One is to make sure your tank isn't low on air and the other is to communicate that there's a lionfish nearby (a sting from a lionfish can be extremely dangerous to humans). Bodhi just kind of laughed off my boyfriend's observation.
While swimming around Bodhi made a signal which I read as "check your pressure gauge". As I was about to signal to him how much pressure was left in my tank I realized he wasn't even looking at me for my response. Instead he had pulled out his dive knife and proceeded to stab a lionfish. As an invasive species in the Carribean, divers are welcome to kill lionfish and I was witnessing just that. Unfortunately Bodhi missed, but I was left both amused and totally freaked out by the image of Bodhi pulling out his knife underwater. Of course his killing a lionfish with a beginner diver at his side would only add to his level of extreme.
Now his name wasn't actually Bodhi, but his adventure seeking nature reminded me of a certain character played by Patrick Swayze (rest in peace) in the film Point Break. By the end of our two days diving together I told him I could no longer call him by his actual name and I would call him Bodhi moving forward. He thought it was fitting, but swore he hadn't robbed any banks as of recently.
"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
Bodhi in Point Break
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