Yoga Adan

a google search indicates further elaboration -

***

Tidbits

tidbits are, by definition, tiny bits

qualities such as “pleasing” and “choice” are mentioned -

“small” and “bite-sized” also come up…

thus, this series of tidbits, of small bite-sized posts, are both my choice, and, hopefully, pleasing

if this tidbit comes from, or leads to, a much longer, more complex post, a link will be provided, thank you much

***

Intro

studying afaa’s personal trainer material, has some overlap with that for group fitness, and afaa’s starting point with the concept of wellness is a vital instance

Adan Lerma

i knew immediately, when sheila and i began our group fitness studies, that the idea of wellness as presented by afaa, appealed tremendously -

since then, nearly a year later, i can also see why yoga appeals the same way for me

yoga and wellness are, in starting premises, hard to pry apart

and i won’t try to do so

my tidbit today, is merely to show their commonality, which substantiates my feelings regarding the continuity of so much of human movement and fitness

***

Definition

afaa, in their personal trainer study material, defines wellness, in part, as :

“Many people associate wellness with fitness, nutrition, or stress reduction; but it is much more. It is the self-empowered practice of prevention and full development of all the dimensions of life. But remember, wellness is a process, a way of life; it is not a state that can be achieved once and for all.”

there’s much more of course, such as identifying components like physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual [1] , but what a wealth just in that one paragraph above

i can see substituting “yoga” for wellness in that paragraph above

Concern

my concern, in feeling the similarity of wellness and yoga, is, how many people may or may not become embroiled in the question of whether wellness is simply yoga re-named for western consumption -

or if and how wellness, in today’s society, may or may not differ from yoga…

and my heartfelt sense is, for my purposes, any differences are like the differences between schools of thought in yoga, fitness, art, and even politics and peoples of the world :

the commonality is much more important

both in the short and long term

Commonality

my wife and i just (finally) got to see “mao’s last dancer” on dvd at home

yes, it was beautifully filmed, the main character was brought from childhood through the teen years to adulthood, and the political process of engagement between the u.s. and china was developed from the cold war to talkin’ to give and take -

plus, the love story (stories) and dancing were fleshed and flush -

but the scenes that took my heart, and mind, a rare combination accomplishment, was the thread that heard the fearful warnings of li’s family about the dangers of western influence and strangers “not like us” on their young child, echoed by taunts of “chink” and “but he’s chinese,” all lost in the merging of characters from each culture falling in love, despite all that

why?

because the only strangeness of the strangers, was the fear of the unknown

li’s family was like my own family, the same concerns for each other and need to survive…

yoga and wellness are sorta like that for me, the same concerns for each of us, and our need to survive -

in this case, as the best people and souls we can be…

Final Thought

the value of this for me is, yoga doesn’t need to fear wellness, nor wellness fear yoga

the two realms are vast families, much like each other

with characters like :

fitness, nutrition, choice, process, balance, integration, oneness, individuality…

namaste – con dios – god be with you

***

tidbit series

footnotes

[1] as per John Travis, MD, MPH (2004) - this is a great bio on dr travis

his answers to the question, what is wellness? emphasis things like choice, process, balance, integration, and more

disclaimer: i am not an affiliate for any of the above links or services in this footnote

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! (yoga-adan.com)
Teaching My First Yoga Class – One Month Later (yoga-adan.com)
Yoga Wakes Me Up (in the middle of the night) (yoga-adan.com)
Teaching Yoga – Preparing a Class (my beginner’s view) (yoga-adan.com)
Does Cross Training = Recovery Time? – My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 4 (yoga-adan.com)
Yoga Breathing – Nose? Mouth? or Both? (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Fitness, Fitness Area, Philosophy/Metaphysics, Seniors, Tidbit Post, Yoga-Adan

“Mind-Body Connection Optional?”, a Comment

16 Jun

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“mind-body connection optional?”, a comment

***

Intro

back earlier this year, i posted an article quoting a comment response i’d made to the question of dvds vs live instruction

this is a similar format-post, but regarding another important topic, is the mind-body connection optional? is yoga, yoga, without that connection?

j. brown, via a post on yorkdork, “mind-body connection optional?” posited and answered then responded to a variety of comments, including my own

the article, and responses to comments, by j brown have spurred my own thinking, helping me ask myself some questions, and is well worth reading – i’ll however, out of respect for both j brown and yogadork, only quote a snippet from the originating article

among the questions i found myself wondering, were in regard to:

Adan Lerma

is yoga possible to learn via cross-training, and, why is my own blog named yoga-adan, and say, not dance-adan, or art-adan?

my own article on cross training, “does cross training = recovery time?,” regards cross-training from a different perspective, but is also very important, that of the principle and necessity of recovery

all in all, as often happens on the yogadork blog site, the comment thread develops an interesting thread-response to the posted article, and this is, i believe, especially after a return-reading, no exception, and due in no small part to j brown’s thoughtful article and responses

Added Links

i’ve added links within my comment response, here on my blog, that i didn’t include in my comment responses on yogadork

generally, unless i feel it’s important enough, such as if needed for clarity, i don’t include internal links in my comments on other sites; sometimes but generally not

Comment-Responses

From J Brown’s Article :

[ among many good points ]

“I think of growth in yoga like I think of growth in plants. Watering a plant more does not necessarily make it grow faster or better”

and

“In layman’s terms, the aspect of yoga that makes it different than just working out is often referred to as the ‘mind-body connection.’”

My First Comment :

“adan Lerma June 8, 2011 at 5:36 pm

“i’m with you on most of this, gotta have the mind-body connection

“i have intermittent articles on just one aspect, chest openers, that’ve been trying to encompass the depth of range of just that one type movement: physical rom recognition, visualization, prop use – and don’t much expect i’ve done much more than scratch around

“i do also feel though, true fitness endeavors, in dance or jogging, etc, don’t benefit the same without the mind-body connection, which might mean that a fitness only endeavor won’t benefit to the degree a more gestalt routine would

Details # 1 Mind-Body Connection, Original Photography Adan Lerma

“wedmd this week tweeted a link http://bit.ly/mkKI0A to a nice slide show type post showing effective vs ineffective exercises, and near the end of the series, not reading while cycling or on the treadmill, was one of the suggestions

“my own experience, roofing in houston heat for nearly a decade as a teen and young guy, and from “trying” to excel at track in jr hi, was that i wasn’t able to ignore my body’s pains and attempts to cope with being pushed -

“doing roofing for a whole day every day no matter how hot, demanded i find a way to swivel right to left with shingle and nails and hatchet in hands, motion after motion, breathe in a way i could keep it up, get a decent amt of work in, then repeat again the next day -

“jogging in my 20′s was similar, finding the motions and breaths to enable me to do what i wanted, jog longer distances, and, enjoy it

“so i don’t think you’re incorrect, i just think your definition of what yoga is, is very much what dance and jogging and sports are also about – take away the mind-body feedback, and it’s no longer dance or sport or jogging cross country one with nature

“chopping any of these usually fun activities away from my own mindfulness of what i’m doing, would mean i not only wasn’t really doing the activity, but gaining a diminished personal and fitness enhancement, which is of course what you’re saying happens to yoga reduced to merely asanas (though iyengar does saying beginning this way is more than valid)

“re the body’s ability to adapt to a level of exertion, i really think that that type adaptation is a different definition from the adaptation in yoga to oneself, or to an individual by a teacher

“though not exact, i think the differentiating idea, for me, about the two types of adaptation, is like white in the color wheels for light and physical matter – in one all the colors make white, while in the other no color means white – ie, the word light, or adaptation, differs in meaning and experience, depending how it is applied

“lastly – i know, i’ve run on longer than i have in a long time huh – as we get old(er), there’s a tipping point, where, in my experience, less intense exertion is required to maintain, or re-fitness-fit, a body that’s requiring less energy to maintain health – sure, my 60 year old body isn’t as strong as my 20 year old memory of how i was but the strength level appropriate for me, and that i am able to achieve and maintain, is lower than then, thus requiring less intensity, even if only slightly so -

“anyway, the subject you featured, mind-body vs body-only (and probably also true for mind-only!) is extremely important -

“and continuous exertion to the point of pain, simply to increase one’s physical numbers, without an accompanying complimentary mindset, seems, well, unnecessary, and counter-productive

“and the reason my blog is yoga-adan, and not dance-adan, or jogging-adan, is because, like you, i sense a more easily complete connection to my wholeness via yoga – not impossible, and actually desirable via other activities, but sure a lot more conducive

i hope i’ve only added to what you’ve said; thanks so much j brown”

J Brown’s Comment Response :

[ j brown had numerous compliment agreements i appreciated in his response, plus an interesting anecdote ; this quote is just what happened to stick with me and compel me to respond to his well laid out response to my first comment ]

“The point is…….if we don’t learn yoga first, how will we be able to apply it to our other activities. As far as I know, no one has ever learned yoga from cross-training”

My Second Comment-Response :

“adan Lerma June 11, 2011 at 12:05 pm

“j. one of the things that came to mind as i jazzercised with my wife here in burlington this morning, was how much participating in some of these comment threads has helped me either clarify or recognize (or both) my own thoughts and feelings about yoga, fitness, and the arts – for me, they are only separated by convenience of notation (nothing to be ignored, and, i believe, extremely useful in living in our everyday world)

Details # 2 Mind-Body Connection, Original Photography Adan Lerma

“so we kinda see where our communication of our ideas’ edges match enough for us to agree on the issue of the value of mind-body connectedness

“i actually was gonna leave it at that, but, as mentioned, during some jazz dance routines (modified for aerobic fitness of course) during class this morning, the question about yoga & cross-training, kept coming up in my thoughts :

‘if we don’t learn yoga first, how will we be able to apply it to our other activities. As far as I know, no one has ever learned yoga from cross-training.’

“i realized that, for me, yoga, as a mind-body-activity-necessity, is not dependent on any one system, whether it be a 5000 year old ancient durable art, such as texts on yoga, or the latest jazz beat mind-body pulses done to jennifer lopez’s latest hit -

“…realized that, that type yoga, existing as a description of a valued human condition, existed in me, and many other people apparently, separate and in unknowing benefit, since first aware of being an individual as a child -

“my jogging poem on my blog, “cross country,” my scattered remembrances of growing up doing construction in houston, my years of dance aerobics, my decades of art and poetry production, all have given me experiences descriptive of yoga when referenced to a fullness of connection with all the parts of oneself -

“i didn’t have to “do” yoga to be that, or learn that, or enhance that -

“in that sense, yes, one doesn’t learn yoga by cross-training, one would learn yoga either before, after, or during cross-training, because yoga, universal yoga, is not dependent on even the very wise ancients that’ve preserved an articulate roadmap to wholeness, more articulate than what i’ve “generally” read or been taught in track, art, literature, dance, fitness, etc

“but – anyone who’s studied or practiced art or dance or literature or fitness “deeply” ie personally, has encountered experiences and/or other people who’ve expressed much similar experiences to what yoga offers, in their own iconic languages, without being trained in yoga

“so why, i ask myself again did i choose yoga-adan as my handle, and not dance-adan, or art-adan, or just “adan” ?

“because, though i recognize that most the things yoga claims as “yogic” – if stripped from masters and texts, and described as simple human experience (as i’ve seen iyengar express on dvd), i already experienced, [ and i believe most of us experience ] and became more aware of, while painting, dancing, writing, singing (before my voice changed ) – these, the more generally-thought-of, day to day, yoga activities of :

Details # 3 Mind-Body Connection, Original Photography Adan Lerma

“mindfulness, breath, meditation

“these three elements alone, i experience on a daily routine basis from as far back as i can remember, while roofing, running, writing, painting, loving – but,

“yoga speaks directly to these elements…

“thus yoga has clarified and enhanced my understanding of what i was experiencing -

“and i’ve always contended, in my writings and posts, that i believe yoga’s true enduring quality, in particular for me, is awareness…

“thanks so much for your thoughtful article, and especially for spurring even further clarification in my own thoughts and feelings – that was very yoga of you ”

Final Thoughts

it’s great to be able to have discussions such as these as easily as we do -

no more carrying around large stone tablets chiseled so roughly they were not only heavy, but cut into tired fingers

no more reaching only a handful of people solely because of technological limitations

Full Image Mind-Body Connection, Original Photography Adan Lerma

no more restrictions by a religious body, guru, or self-appointed master

no more lack of access to past or missed bits of information

we are truly blessed -

though a long long ways to go, our communications have begun to match what i ideally imagine a universal yoga might mean…

for me, it’s definitely a process…

possibly a process of becoming aware of how much all of us already experience…

now if we can just get to enjoy it a bit more

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Open Link Night ~ Week 33 – Recycling “Evolution of a Yoga Pose” (yoga-adan.com)
Does Cross Training = Recovery Time? – My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 4 (yoga-adan.com)
Teaching Yoga – Preparing a Class (my beginner’s view) (yoga-adan.com)
Undercurrents, Poem Prompt Response via dVersepoets (yoga-adan.com)
Early Spring Header 2012 (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Arts Area, Fitness, Philosophy/Metaphysics, Seniors, Teaching, Yoga-Adan

Heart Openers with Elastic Bands – a Tidbit Post, # 2

14 Jun

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Pictured, “Everyday Gratitude Vol 1″

Small gratitudes found in the day to day living of daily life.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

heart openers with elastic bands – a tidbit post

# 2

a google search indicates further elaboration -

***

Tidbits

tidbits are, by definition, tiny bits

qualities such as “pleasing” and “choice” are mentioned -

“small” and “bite-sized” also come up…

thus, this series of tidbits, of small bite-sized posts, are both my choice, and, hopefully, pleasing

if this tidbit comes from, or leads to, a much longer, more complex post, a link will be provided -

thank you much

***

Elastic Bands and Yoga

Wait, What’s Elastic Bands Got to do with Yoga?

good question actually

Connections

it’s about connections

in this case, as in my article on gratitude and visualization during a hand-heart opening movement, using an elastic band expands our awareness of this gesture

whereas the article, “opening a view of gratitude” exercises connecting the hand-arm opening movement to feelings and images of things we enjoy and are glad for, the use of an elastic band aims for a kinetic connection for deeper awareness of the pull and stretch of our muscles during the movement

the idea is to provide a stronger and also “visible” resistance, the elastic band, that both mimics our muscular movement when we open our arms to our heart, and provides a colorful outward visual of what’s happening inside our body

though i’ve gotten a few of eric franklin’s books, because of our recent move preps and move, i’ve only gotten a chance to glance through them, yet feel his work is a very developed system of what i’m only sensing right now

further reading and research into his work seems promising and interesting

***

please note, if you are unsure if you should use an elastic band, please consult a medical professional

***

Elastic Band Heart Opener Demo - Closed Starting Position

sheila took these shots a day or two before our final move

unseen, i hope are piles of boxes!

it should be obvious how tired we were, but pacing and attentiveness to reaching jittery limits, is part of why yoga’s awareness enhancing is important

my purpose in this picture is to show initiating intent for what i want to do: in this case, do some much need physical heart openers to stretch my pecs, while simultaneously visualizing our upcoming move as the positive for opportunities we have planned for

Elastic Band Heart Opener Demo - Extended Arms Preparatory Position

maintaining a soft but purposeful stance, through out my mind and body, i extend my arms firmly, yet not in a clenched way

i want to experience a relaxed strength and resolve, not a forcing or fearfulness

placing my arms before me, is like turning on the switch

Elastic Band Heart Opener Demo - Arms Open to Set ROM-Band Position

this is an important step for me

i’ve extended my arms maintaining as much of my initial relaxed resolve as possible, while extending my arms against resistance

the elastic band’s, and my own natural range of motion set point, where the level of exertion reaches a natural stop, is important for me to recognize, and accept

recognition of this natural set point within myself, is easier to feel when joined to that of the elastic band; i’m allowing it to help inform myself of all this

at this point, if i were to feel undue pain, pinching, or sudden disruptive change of breathing, i should stop

if i feel some pain or pinching, and one or more deep full breaths allow me to dissolve that pain, without intentionally deluding myself, or if i feel fine, i then feel free to go to my final step in the actual stretch (beyond that, i can remain outstretched, and breathing into that stretch, if that’s an edge i’d like to play)

Elastic Band Heart Opener Demo - Arms Extended Heart Open Position

without intending to, i think my rusty smile shows the stretch has done my mind, my heart, my body, some much needed good

much thanks to sheila for retaking the picture enough times to get my hands placed where i’d envisioned them, and for not letting me have to look like an old propellor plane banking hard into a ridge of clouds

Kinetic Awareness of Self

Result

the end result for me, and for many in my classes that tried this, was to become more aware of the pectoral stretch and opening when the arms are extended and abducted

the elastic band resistance intensified the set point of awareness each of us experienced

more conscious breath was required

attention had to be paid to how much resistance to create via hand distance placement and still be able to fully open one’s arms without undue stress

Awareness Retained and Applied Without a Band

when the heart opener-chest expansions were repeated, without elastic bands, in a new set moments later, the body memory was a blessing of the continuity of awareness

Heart Opener Without Bands - Arms Extended Heart Open Position

btw, i cheated, and had sheila take this image now almost two weeks into our vermont move; our kitty cat pillows are out, but some canvases are still waiting for more bulldog hangers

so the dramatic change decor and background isn’t an instant magical transformation due to successfully switching from bands to no-bands…or was it?

ok, so maybe the magic just took a couple thousand miles and a sense of a new place taking shape

i did mention this is a process? yes, quite a process!

the implications are numerous

asana learning can be given a deep sudden jump in awareness

folk with little or no memory of that type physical motion, can create an awareness

an awareness of one’s set extension, what our natural stretch point is, vs extension with external resistance, is more easily formed

a clearer sense of the distinctions, for one’s self, of what would constitute a strength vs an aerobic vs a stretch movement, is helped created

variety and options are introduced

and there’s more, but essentially, a continuity of awareness across a wider range of movement, of the same basic movement, seems to be created

it’s something i personally enjoy

Suggestion

combine with visualization

again eric franklin has tweeted ideas, such as:

FranklinMethod Eric Franklin

Imagery has been proven in conjunction with physical practice, to be the fastest avenue to affect change on a cortical level.

26 May

as an artist, who’s felt the strength of connections between what i was painting, both the visualized idea and concrete painted canvas, and how i felt, i say: seems to make sense

namaste – con dios – god be with you

tidbit series

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! (yoga-adan.com)
Does Cross Training = Recovery Time? – My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 4 (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Asanas, Fitness, Fitness Area, Teaching, Tidbit Post, Yoga-Adan

Hand-Wrist Positions with Prop Work – a Tidbit Post, # 1

6 Jun

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Pictured, “10 Sports Lessons I Can Smile at Now”

Light humorous re-telling of a layman’s love and play at sports.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

hand-wrist positions with prop work – a tidbit post

# 1

a google search indicates further elaboration -

***

Tidbits

tidbits are, by definition, tiny bits

qualities such as “pleasing” and “choice” are mentioned -

“small” and “bite-sized” also come up…

thus, this series of tidbits, of small bite-sized posts, are both my choice, and, hopefully, pleasing

if this tidbit comes from, or leads to, a much longer, more complex post, a link will be provided -

thank you much

***

Hand – Wrist Using Props

using props is a natural go-to for me

i consider the use of props a natural extension of what i can do, often allowing me to develop my rom (range of motion) in a manner and to a degree i might not have so easily, or as quickly

a recent post, “teaching limitations = teaching awareness” elaborates on this idea

today, i want to present two instances of two ways i can use my hand-wrist position

depending on my needs or goals, i can either strengthen my wrists, or relieve the pressure on them

***

The Idea

the same principle applies in both paired pictured examples, with the chair or the block

basically -

do i want to use my wrist to support my weight?

if you are unsure if you should, please consult a medical professional

whether using a chair for a lateral or fwd bend, i can extend my wrist to support my weight

***

Wrist Extension with Props Examples

Wrist Extension Using Chair as Prop

Wrist Extension Using Block & Pillow

the above hand-wrist positions, though they can strengthen my wrist, also can put more pressure than usual on them

also note :

1) the standing lateral bend, though minimal in this example, still pressures my wrist

2) likewise, the deeper reach toward the floor (the earth actually), though itself cushioned by both a soft block further softened by a small pillow, also pressures my wrist

there are days this is no problem for me, there are days it is, and i have to adjust my wrist-hand position

***

Wrist – Hand Alignment with Props Examples

Wrist-Hand Alignment on Chair

Hand-Wrist Alignment with Brick

*
notice, though i describe these two latter images as showing a hand-wrist alignment, both the hand and wrist are actually also aligned with the forearm

though my wrist is not being taxed, or strengthened as in the first two images, the increased degree of alignment is providing me with a great deal of structural bone support

and aligned bone support or stress seems to promote bone growth

please see yoga journal‘s may issue for the article “good to the bone” by catherine guthrie

an online article on yoga journal’s online site by the same name, but by linda sparrowe, appears to be similar though different enough i think both would be good to read

whether a person is getting old(er), needs the use of props, or simply likes how props make you feel when you use them, i’ve found that learning to use props in different ways helps me become more aware of what i am experiencing during yoga

and gradually, it seems, as it’s often expressed in yoga, beyond the mat

namaste – con dios – god be with you

tidbit series

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

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Categories Asanas, Fitness, Fitness Area, Teaching, Tidbit Post, Yoga-Adan

Texas to Vermont – Have Yoga, Will Travel (Transition)

2 Jun

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Free at participating outlets.

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

texas to vermont – have yoga, will travel (transition)

Texas to Vermont – Have Yoga, Will Travel (Preparations)

***

Texas to Vermont – Have Yoga, Will Travel (Transition)

In Vermont

today will be my first full day in my new location with sheila, her home state and town of burlington, vermont

Shore & Lake View, Burlington Vt, Original Photography Adan Lerma

different from arriving to visit, we’re here to stay awhile

Transition

i call this a transition, not a beginning, or preparation, like my previous texas to vermont post, because i have a final in-progress step toward having the pieces for integrating my interests in yoga, fitness, and the arts:

further fitness education encompassing the gestalt that would enable me to become nationally certified as a personal trainer

when my wife sheila and i became AFAA group fitness certified, i realized that the breadth of knowledge i wanted to know and share, that fit so well with yoga, dance, jazzercise, zumba, resistance work, so much! was one more certification away

barring those pesky unknowns i can’t by definition know, i plan to end the year fully certified to be able to offer, not only private yoga sessions, but sessions grounded in fitness theory and practice to the level of a personal trainer

i believe, with my other interests in art and poetry, this will be enough to balance those very heady life-long passions of mine

*

Balancing

while many yogi’s and yogini’s understandingly are driven to dive into the yogic depths of bhakti devotion, i find myself needing to balance an immersion-like childhood of mysticism, devotion, and emotional faith

i grew up not only in a heavily traditional conservative catholic environment, but one within the spanish speaking hispanic culture of south and southeast texas

incense, bells, angels, devils, unknowns, plus both wonderous and horrific faith-based knowns

i know the power and draw of total devotion, letting hot wax from hand held candles drip and cool upon my skin as family and parishioners chant-walked the night, in and out a tiny wood-frame stain-glass-filled church

i know the power of prayer that says that prayer not only heals and forgives, but crosses into purgatory, setting souls free -

i don’t know how much of the above is actually true, in terms of having happened beyond my childhood beliefs and years, but they were a potent reality at the time -

and i don’t, and can’t dismiss them, til proven otherwise -

but i don’t rely on them…

i seek balance -

A New Beginning Begins to Be Born

so my plan is to balance -

Sunset Sky over Lake Champlain, Burlington Vt, Original Photography Adan Lerma

to balance my faith with my science -

if i accept a fitness concept as a fact, a working paradigm, it becomes part of me, my science

each moment i study and gain perspective on our life here on earth, my imagined new beginning nears closer to its birth

***

Bloggin’

A Humored Stance

as so often seems to happen, as i prepared this article, i’ve come upon articles expressing much of what i am wanting to express, but differently enough to warrant, i believe, my sharing a link to them with you

of all places, though why i’m surprised i’m not sure yogadork has an article by j brown, “screw union with the divine“

don’t let the irreverent title throw you (if it does) – this is a serious down-to-earth well thought out piece; if nothing else just take a sip

here’s a snip, from the article,

“An important distinction needs to be made: Monks do yoga practice for different reasons then moms and dads”

and then there’s a wonderful piece, an interview, that cora wen put up links to on her facebook page, “BKS Iyengar Interview – Times of India May 25, 2011,” subtitled “YOGA IS AN INDIAN HERITAGE, NOT A HINDU PROPERTY”

there’s so much humanity and compassionate understanding just in this little interview, but his emphasis, as so often in his work, i think, was on balance

regarding heart vs head, he says,

“They are both strong in their own spheres. But I find that nations which are geographically centred in the world map — such as Russia and Africa — have the best of both approaches. They use the head as well as their heart to their advantage”

in our shrinking world of expanding awareness, using both to our advantage, very much appeals to me

My Own Blog Plans

my own blog plans then, are to emphasize, though not exclusively, posts that reflect what i need to concentrate on for a while, fitness information

i’ll of course, as i do with my paintings or photography or poems, draw what lines and interweavings i can see and feel, to yoga, to both the reader’s and my own attention

after all, shouldn’t waste a convenient synergy, should i?

namaste – con dios – god be with you

Texas to Vermont – Have Yoga, Will Travel (Preparations)

Texas to Vermont – Have Yoga, Will Travel (Transition)

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Early Spring Header 2012 (yoga-adan.com)
Open Link Night ~ Week 33 – Recycling “Evolution of a Yoga Pose” (yoga-adan.com)
dVerse ~ Poets Pub : Patterns Pictures & Poems, PhotoPoem “Diving” (yoga-adan.com)
Press Release – - Three New Original Mini eBook Series : A Month of Mornings ** Everyday Gratitude ** Everyday Inspiration – PhotoPoems (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Arts Area, Bio Updates, Fitness, Texas to Vermont, Yoga-Adan

Adam Light Creations, Parent DBA of Yoga-Adan, a History

12 Apr

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Pictured, “101 Sports Poems”

Baseball, dance, yoga, bicycling, football, volleyball, and much more!

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

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adam light creations [1] , parent dba of yoga-adan, a history

Yoga-Adan now also on Facebook

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adam light creations, that’s me also

Adan Lerma

integrating yoga fitness and the arts!

finally -

decided i’d keep my originating DBA (“doing business as”) i’ve had from the early 80′s, plus re-direct the traffic i’d had for my old art & poetry website, adanlerma.com, to yoga-adan.com also

this provides me a paper, mental, emotional, and spiritual continuity

re-directing my old site’s traffic to here is what clinched the decision to create this post

people searching for old titles of poems or art work or reviews, now know i’m here

and i figured, well, might as well make the best of it so, here goes -

*

Those searching for previously posted poetry or art :

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3 cups 40x60, circa early 80s

[2]

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poetry titles to do with education (special ed, elementary school teacher, etc), sports (baseball, basketball, etc), family (mom, sister, etc), special occasions (mis quince anos, wedding, etc), and more philosophical work (i know, you’re thinking, more philosophical than this already!) like “riches within, etc) -

there are evidently numerous searches failing to find some poems that were on my previous site, so i’ll try and place those here on my new site first

and -

art images of austin, texas countryside, new york city, san antonio, galveston, and older abstracts -

those are either coming, or already posted, but please be aware, it’s a slow process

next week, i post my first full featured art work (much like i do my poetry), “Swan on Lady Bird Lake” – a contemporary impressionist piece from 2002

to search, try one or more of these :

* the “poetry” or “art” category will be a good way to find them

* another method is via the excellent search box at the top of each page

* and a final method is via the category list near the top right, also on each page

* oh, and there’s a category drop-down search box right above my “tweety bird” twitter tweets

email newsletter :

if a person would like to be notified of new postings, please sign up for the email newsletter alerts – news of new posts are sent out automatically

though i’ll more “consciously” be trying to tie my poetry writings (integrating them) to my growing awareness and interest in yoga and fitness, most people who are familiar with my work and writings, will probably think, “well, he’s just added the name yoga to what he was already saying” -

i can’t much disagree with that

integrating my art work to yoga, is only slightly different, as it’s visual

but my commentary will show, that there also, not much has changed in my views

added, though, will be bits of my photography i hadn’t featured on my previous site

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Galveston, Man & Nature

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what’s changed, is simply a more conscious broadening…

photography series

poetry series

art series

namaste – con dios – god be with you

***

footnotes

[1] adam light creations was a temporary name i came up with when trying to name my first real efforts to market my art and other efforts -

the name has happened to stick

my idea was, that adam light creations reflected :

me – i’m adan, which is spanish for adam; and adam usually means the first, and these marketing beginnings were to be my first consciously made efforts

light – i’d always heard, and believed, that if something had a sense of light to it, visually or impressionistically so within the person, that was a good thing

creations – and these then, were my first creations with the intent to create light in people’s lives

not much’s changed since then, though, as evident, i’ve now consciously added all the fitness work i was interested in back then, like jogging, dance, etc

[2] ”3 cups” is an early 80′s acrylic on linen canvas painting i did as a series of “cup” images

i’d wanted something that reflected my love of the sea and shells and flowers, and figured “cups” would be a good generic – then people could “choose” what they felt the image represented, if anything

currently, one of our granddaughters has “dibs” on it

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

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Categories Areas, art, Arts, Bio Updates, eBook Area, Fitness, Fitness Area, Foundation Posts, photography, poetry, Yoga-Adan

Yoga Breathing – Nose? Mouth? or Both?

6 Apr

Nice Thing 'Bout Getting Old(er) - Articles, Reviews, Creativity

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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yoga breathing – nose? mouth? or both?

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basically, if this was only a question of beliefs, or philosophy, or even spiritual teachings, then my stance would simply be, that’s up to you

freedom of religion as a belief system, is fundamental to our country -

and constitutionally separate from the “state” -

so, my position, rests on fitness…

me me me

what do i need to be able to do the routines that provide my foundation of health to let me share more than heart felt wishes for the people around me and to myself?

Basics

afaa, in their group fitness certification text book, “fitness, theory and practice,” provides some nice pages comparing differences between typical western fitness routines, pilates, and yoga

breathing is one of the comparison / contrasts

it appears that not holding one’s breath is agreed by all…

First Breath Connections

and, generally speaking -

it appears that the main difference is in regard to the exhalation -

while yoga has traditionally taught nostril breathes for both the inhalations and exhalations [1] , fitness theory and pilates emphasize exhalations through the mouth

the idea, i believe, is two-fold:

increase the air way for greater air movement

increase the ability to eliminate toxins and waste material

yoga, on the other hand, as i’ve heard or seen it taught (early 21st century u.s.a.) -

seems to feel that, if you have to exhale via the mouth, too much exertion or other problems (too much stress, not enough peacefulness, etc) are occurring

that these type exhalations are a signal to stop or change one’s activity

changing one’s activity is usually thought of as slowing down

but for me, these are simply variations on intent

for example, if in playing my “edge” (the apparently yogic-correct way of saying being assertive or self-goal-competitive) i determine my edge is receding and i can push further, there may be a short period of further physical conditioning (days? weeks?) where i simply need more air -

or need to expel more co2 -

i would never have reached my “intent” to be able to enjoy the level i enjoyed jogging in my 20′s and 30′s, if i had ceased my efforts when i couldn’t “only” breathe through my nose

i’ve thought about this question of the breath since way back -

back to the days when wild turkeys (this is in houston!) would chase me on my bicycle with training wheels and i learned early what ray long is talking about in his chest expansion articles

back to my junior high sprinting days when i learned a full belly of pizza, and wind sprints didn’t go well together -

back to moments of grief when heaving was the only way to breathe, period…

i’ve been aware of my breath in varying ways and wondered about it for many years, but without anything more than vague wonderings to grasp to…

More Recently

…as i re-examined yoga in light of the current fitness information available, that old style yoga adamancy i remembered from the early 70′s, that only one style breathing was appropriate for yoga, came roaring back [2]

yet lately, it seems like several posts, either brought the subject up explicitly, or that even simple yoga movements kept bringing the subject up to me again for attention

More Breath Connections

jill miller’s yoga tune up video (short simple very effective routine & video) -

adding arm movements to bridge pose, co-ordinated with the inhale and exhale -

evoked almost an ache to ask, again, why why why the “how” regarding exhalations and inhalations

core power yoga has a nice article from last dec speaking more directly to my issue, saying “More importantly, the body’s movements…then put your nose to do if you are able to….”

so some people were challenging the notion of one pathway for the breath

Pros Regarding Nostril Breathing

undoubtably there are many pluses attached to pure nostril breathing, among them:

filtering the air more adequately than via the mouth

warming the air more completely before it enters the lungs

regulating the oxygen / carbon dioxide flow

calming the mind and heart

serving as a signal when exertion of mind or body creates a need for more pronounced breathing effort

reported astral or subtle energy or spiritual effects [3]

so what could i quibble with that?

not much really

it’s the when and why i have trouble with…

My Quibble, Individuated Practice

i’ll leave aside i have a deviated septum, since that’s just me

i’ll start with my “why” of why i quibble with nostril-only breathing

let’s say, to begin with, i grew up in houston, worked summers outdoors since i was a young teen, and have known years of months of 100+ days

and no, it wasn’t a dry heat, even in austin

so “warming” the breath is like putting the ac on in vermont in the winter (my wife’s from vt and i’ll take her word for it )

filtering the nose?

well, gotta admit, with the allergies i have and the pollutants in the air, that’s probably a good idea, but nostril breathing’s not gonna filter out enough pollen or smut to make enough difference for me -

yet, staying aerobically active, in any aerobic activity, does…

third eye activation?

well, for better or for worse, since my more playful experiments in the early 70′s, i’ll leave this effect for those more inclined to pursue this

if there’s truth to this, it’ll come to me in its own best time, and i’ll be waiting for it

Breath Connection

more important for me then, is the “when” of nostril breathing

like, all the time? really?

true, it may be a great discipline builder, and probably was, in its time

and believe me, if taking full deep breaths via my nose does the trick, yah! for me

but if not, and i need air, or need to expel it, i do…anyway i can

there’s lots of good info supporting this stance in fitness theory – i believe one day, probably in my lifetime (i’m 60) the separation of fitness theory and the promise of yoga, will be seen as having been, just another illusion

Closing Thoughts, uh, Breaths

my closing thought involves another early memory of the importance of my breath

age 9 or 10, i was having occasional dreams of drowning -

it was no co-incidence i was learning to swim at the neighborhood public pool, and had carefully been avoiding any depth deeper than the height to my nose

i’d slid my way along the pool’s rounded tiled edge, skirting my fear by pretending not to notice i’d slipped past my safe depth,and joined my friends already playing push-pretend; once among them, i forgot my fear, all of us playfully pushing and pulling each other along the slick sun shimmered wet of the pool’s busy edge til a push unseen sent me into deeper water than i wanted to be in to be sinking in to be not-breathing in

i remember staring wide eyed at the clearness of the water, i could see kid’s feet dog-peddling, numbered markings on the pool floor, and my arms and legs rising slowly as my back led me lower

i remember thinking – i’m gonna die i went to confession that morning i was clear no hell for me, i relaxed

my feet touched the firm pool floor

and gently

pushed me to air

i knew instinctively, that my faith in having no sin, saved me

i also knew, less instinctively, more guiltily, it was my belief that gave my faith its power to save me – it felt like cheating

all i’d had to do was believe, and i could breathe

would i be so fortunate all my life

yoga, my yoga, is like that

fortunate in my life, allowing me to breathe more fully – when i believe i can, i do

allowing me to breathe between the sea of feelings and worlds of thought

helping me join what feels like art with what i know is science

letting me picture a pose, pristine in my poised mind

connecting concept with ligament and bone

caring that i’m whole

my yoga is integrating the art of living with the tissues of the living

my yoga says i can breathe any way i need, when i need, so…relax, and breathe….

late postscript

one of the better breath articles i’ve come across recently, appealing to me on several levels – knowledge, breathing reference tie-ins to our everyday language, and most importantly for me, it’s balanced reasonable presentation, is judy lasater’s article on yoga journal online, “breathing lessons“

The Breath Connected

namaste – con dios – god be with you

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footnotes

[1] exceptions in yoga show up in particular breathing exercises

i couldn’t find a nice comprehensive listing of the various exceptions allowing mouth-exhalations, but a search among various google searches, like this one, has them showing up in scattered form

exceptions include, the ohm meditative sound, the victorious breath, deep cleansing breaths, and the golden thread exhalation

[2] was this the fabled “lion’s breath” ?

not quite, not much tension relief going on there

[3] my intent in this article is in regard to fitness yoga and the arts, and i assume each person has beliefs they pursue, so i leave the detailing of what these other effects may be to each person

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Creative Arts Yoga & Sports = Sharing = Teaching (yoga-adan.com)
eBook Page – All Available eBooks
My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Asanas, Fitness, Fitness Area, Philosophy/Metaphysics, Seniors

Yoga Wakes Me Up (in the middle of the night)

30 Mar

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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yoga wakes me up (in the middle of the night)

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first, it was waking up to find myself in tree pose [1] , supinely if sublimely so

now, it’s a supine spinal twist [2] , only not nearly as sublime -

Suspended Knee

i woke with a seldom but unwelcomely recurrent pain in my right hip -

re-positioning, the pain eased quickly -

but my yoga studies -

after 10 years of physical home practice in blissful ignorance…

after nearly a year of intense fitness learning from AFAA and SilverSneakers…

after a much more recent yoga teacher immersion plus other yoga workshops dvds books and ongoing online offerings… [3]

yes, my yoga studies!, have begun to teach me in my sleep!

***

so i woke, looked down at my legs under the covers, though not in pants like this picture, of course and saw what i wouldn’t have seen, hadn’t seen, and didn’t see, even a few weeks ago!

i sleep like this a lot…feels good to me [4] , and the hip pain has been sparsely spaced in time – so i must only at times have been doing this :

Unsupported Space

balancing my lower leg so neither the medial edge of my foot, nor the medial side of my knee, rested on support -

ahhh…

…my leg had been suspended [5] , to wobble to waver, to tired in the night, unable to find its spot of rest -

sorta a supine twisted tree with a leg-branch see-sawing to sound of zzzzz’s

***

i’d felt the pain immediately when i woke [6] , recognized the memory of its location, plus the intermittent times i’d have a lingering pain pop up some mornings…my nagging companion for the day

the solution?

simple as a pillow, as per doctor oz

Support!

yes, my fitness interests in alignment etc (or rather sheila’s, she’s as regular to doctor oz as i am to my favorite online sites) provided me my pillow-talk solution -

while my yoga “practice” is refining my awareness for alignment, support, and, oh yes, comfort…

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so, to my favored closing,

namaste – con dios – god be with you

may i add, this one time,

may your leg branch find the forest floor and bring you “sweet sweet dreams”

have you had something similar happen? tell us, leave a comment!

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footnotes

[1] aka, vrksasana, like tree-bark-asana – best way so far, for me to remember the sanskrit name

[2] supta matsyendrasana, like super sitting on the mat, with a twist laying down

[3] ton! like ray long, paul grilley, magazine of yoga, yoga dork, the yoga lunchbox, more more more -

for suggestions with links for yoga fitness and the arts, please go to my links page

[4] doctor oz, in this video link, says this position is good for the spine, so i had that part right

[5] all three images in this post by my wife sheila and myself

[6] “will doing yoga make me sore?” is a question ann pizer at yoga.about.com asks, providing a short useful answer, plus related links

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

101 Sports Poems – the Poems

My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Asanas, Fitness, Fitness Area, Seniors

Does Cross Training = Recovery Time? — My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 4

23 Mar

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“a beginner’s view – the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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does cross training = recovery time? — my yoga-to-dance aha! moments! – # 4

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The Crux of It

the obvious, literal answer, is – no, but…

Cross Training Chaos

cross training is defined many ways, but seems to boil down to doing an activity differing from your norm, thus working either different muscles, or working them in a different way (like: aerobic vs anaerobic, stretching vs strengthening)

one could probably add group work vs individual work, as the mind is further worked differently re attention-direction

one could even get silly, though within definition, and add hot vs cold vs humid or dry conditions

depends on the person’s idea of what is being “cross” trained

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The End-Around the Crux of It

recovery itself, especially exercise recovery, implies the body’s (especially the musculature) ability to resume the previous same activity, either becoming too fatigued to continue, or to at least continue at some level

conditioning, getting fit, or doing your routine more regularly, evidently increases both your recovery ability, and your recovery time

again, recovery can be applied to the mind, as in restoring interest, thus avoiding burn-out [1]

yet -

implied in a cross training effort, is that something gets to recover, at least some…

so if i mix one part cross training doesn’t = recovery time, with one part yes it does, i get, for me, a limited time offer…

i can, to a point, switch and pitch myself a new fitness routine, promising myself eternal interest, energy, and commitment – [2]

swap yoga for elastic bands then jazzercise for yoga, to senior chair stretches for yoga (my favorite way to do a light recovery workout) til i can’t remember what i’m swapping for what…so i rest….

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The Brick Wall We Build Past the End-Around of the Crux of It

each time i swap out an exercise activity for another, no matter how smartly timely or fortuitously, i lay a brick upon a rising wall of resistance to further work

Organized Chaos

each time i (finally) rest, sleep well, cuddle with my wife, pet my pet (in my mind), i remove a brick -

…sometimes exposing the earth to much needed air and rain and light

and i rest…

so this game can go on for quite a long time, and it did – so long i began to think i’d beat the recovery variable of the formula

til…

practicing a couple days before my two wed yoga classes, one am, one pm- gives me lots of time to rest, i said to myself -

practicing intensely, i should add…

and not just “getting down” a series of anatomical moves [3] i’d been reading about on ray long’s blog, “daily bandha” -

not just sequencing the various asana enhancements he so carefully depicts -

not just trying to remember the sanskrit-like latin names of muscles i didn’t know i had, much less used -

but also “working” the nuances that relax my hamstrings, or straighten my pelvic bones over my femurs knees and feet, or broaden my breathing -

then working the nuances that rose from the nuances -

fitting it also for those who’ll come to class -

then, i taught the my yoga classes, incorporating much of what i’d practiced, into the class routines -

in my classes, that means, as i mentioned in a comment on yoga journal’s “beginner’s mind” blog :

Simplified Chaos

“it has lots of start and stops and talk about, not just alignment, but muscles involved (incl, sometimes, agonist & antagonist), which energy system’s being used (aerobic or anaerobic), ROM (range of motion options), and lots and lots of breath work variations and options” -

my two current classes are focussed on a blend of learning and doing, great for us beginners, teacher & class

bottomline-starting-to-form - wednesday night, after my second class, i was sorta sore, but, said to myself, not too bad

thursday i did some box-sorting from sheila’s and mine’s 30+ years of stored stuff we’re determined to dump donate or divvy up with family

did i mention i worked in a 1/2 hr elastic band workout, for fun?

well, friday morning i didn’t feel too good, but i suited up (here in galveston, early march, that usually means an extra t-shirt and either heavy shorts or thin exercise pants) and headed to jazzercise – i really had missed not having a great aerobics for almost a week!

a funny thing happened part way into my movement routine, another yoga-to-dance aha! moment, only it wasn’t the smile-on-my-face little light bulb look i’d come to expect, no…

i hit a six foot brick wall - i’m 5’6″

thud – i was out of juice..

my recovery time was not equalling my cross training -

that old concept from college days, point of diminishing return…returned!

my yoga work was saying, screaming, whispering, speaking in sanskrit, english, and spanish, saying, dude, you gotta rest

i don’t usually say “dude” so i figured that was an echo of how lex spoke at my immersion

but i’d got the message, or, more accurately, heard it and heeded it

i rested….

i finished my friday morning aerobic routine, but only by dialing down my ROM, my intensity, by deepening slowing my breath…

i paced…

i knew about pacing from my old (decades old!) running jogging days

and 1/2 hour into the hour long routine, i was already pacing…

i’d begun to rest before i knew i would be resting -

lubricating my joints and cooling down…

i was listening to my body…

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Candle at Rest

so what was the yoga-dance-aha! moment, really?

i’d gotten tired before, couple years back, where i had to force myself to rest; and a few other times, way way back, when my kids were born and i’d stayed up all night (yea, i know, i had it easy )

i’d rested between workouts before, taking a breather, cross-training, or dialing down the intensity, or my ROM, my time or even my mindfulness

but this time, it was that i’d begun to really listen to my body, it seemed to speak more directly to me since i decided to also teach yoga -

it’s like the change from doing yoga at home (active home practice of over a year), then adding teaching to weekly routines of zumba and jazzercise and resistance work, woke up another part of me

i’d begun to see it happen when i woke, waking up in tree pose

i’d started seeing it happen whenever i did do a cross-training routine

I’d begun to see, more and more, a crossing-connecting pattern between the motion or muscles or holding – something would click from what i was doing while working with elastic bands, or dancing a salsa…that connected to yoga -

and now this, a sorta need-to-rest-your-aging-body meter

my “mission” statement for my website is “integrating yoga fitness and the arts”

i knew i’d wanted to do that with my blog, yoga-adan

i didn’t know it’d also do it to me…

well why not? we’re all one

namaste – con dios – god be with you

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eBooks Page – All Available Titles

yoga-to-dance aha! moments series

***

footnotes

[1] “10 way you know you’re burned out on exercise” from about.com

i esp liked # 8 “Getting out of bed feels like an anaerobic workout”

[2] though the article is titled, “Making the Cut, Training Techniques” and is mostly about “options for progessing” resistance work, jillian michaels does a nice job including ways to rest and let muscles or muscle groups recover (which then is part of the training techniques!)

American Fitness, Nov-Dec 2010 issue (via AFAA), pp. 24-29

this article is also avail for ceu afaa credit online

[3] ray long is fairly emphatic on his site about recovery needs when learning or doing some of these learning exercises, “Allow about 48 hours for recovery before repeating the technique on any given muscle group….”

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/02/the-poverty-of-dvd-yoga–colin-hall/

Teaching Yoga – Preparing a Class (my beginner’s view) (yoga-adan.com)
My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! (yoga-adan.com)
DVD Review – “Jazzercise Core” (yoga-adan.com)
Teaching My First Yoga Class – One Month Later (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories Aha! Moments, Fitness, Fitness Area, Seniors

DVDs vs Live Instruction, a Comment

1 Mar

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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dvds vs live instruction, a comment

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intro

below is a comment i placed to an article titled, “the poverty of dvd yoga,” by colin hall

the article makes excellant points that are actually extremely important, but i disagreed with the presentation, mostly, i suppose

i don’t know if the link above still works, or will be working in the future, as the article is posted on elephant journal and i’m new to their articles and not sure how long the article’ll be available -

i hope it is in some form since, as mentioned above, it presents very important valuable points

the comments, of which mine is only one, also appear interesting good discussion generated by this article…

directly below is my comment :

***

a really large # of good points about the preference for more effective instruction, in this case yoga, when done live vs taped or scripted as in a dvd

Adan Lerma

the problem i have reading really well written points-thought-out articles, whether like this on teaching, or on the necessity for accepting oneself as a large participant, for example, is the intense rejection of what is being advocated against

for example, “The yoga DVD may play a role as a motivator if you have a hard time practicing at home, or as a source of inspiration if your teaching is getting a little dry and repetitive—but ultimately the yoga one encounters on DVDs is a yoga of poverty utterly bereft of the living experience of yoga necessary for actual yoga instruction.” -

the yoga dvd “may play a role” and “a source of inspiration if” both legitimately attempt to “see” the possible positives or use for an individual in certain circumstances – i like that, i can begin to relate to the thesis, then -

“on dvds is a yoga of poverty utterly bereft of the living experience of yoga” – wow

what happened to the understanding compassion?

is that what i am missing by not attending the live class?

is there a disconnect here? or am i merely “utterly bereft” also?

and in all fairness, though this is highly prevalent in yoga, it’s also seems highly prevalent in discussing immigration laws, women’s and minority rights, or either being very poor or being very rich, and, certainly being in the middle, any middle i guess

i totally agree that “live” instruction, whether in dance or singing or football or trading stock options, is “usually” better than taped or scripted or written non-interaction non-live mediums

does that mean the above article is merely then, the “same crap” as described in the article? – i certainly don’t think so

but neither are other articles that foster dialog or even “just” private thought

nor are dvds from, say, paul grilley or denise austin or stronger seniors, among many many others, i believe, faltering in “usefulness” -

would the inability of a living human being to attend or afford a “live” session, assuming it was taught or conducted by someone who actually cared to some hypothetical higher level, or was knowledgable as per someone else’s esteemed opinion, make the use of a dvd or tv program or tape unworthy, or invalid…useless? “crap?”

i don’t think so, and that’s while also believing live “can” be best

my mildly offered apologies for the return-rant…

but i feel the author has such valid points, it hurts me almost as much to see them lost on people who need them, because of unnecessary betterment-battering, as it surely hurts the author above to see the value of “competent” live instruction under-appreciated

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

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Categories DVD Reviews, Fitness, Fitness Area, Philosophy/Metaphysics, Seniors, Teaching

DVD Review – “Jazzercise Core”

28 Feb

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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DVD Review – “Jazzercise Core”

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my wife sheila has jazzercised since the beginning of the 80′s, and i joined going to class with her on her birthday, valentines day, 2001

so we’re familiar with the regular class format [1]

going to a jazzercise class from galveston is a time/driving challenge at times, so we decided nearly a year ago we needed a dvd for home use

“jazzercise core” has turned out to be one of my own personal favorites for routines i frequently go to and enjoy doing

there are 4 routines offered on this dvd, a 60 minute, 30 minute, 20 minute routine – all standing, and one floor routine

my review will concentrate on the two segments i use almost exclusively, the 30 and 20 minute standing sets

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things i liked:

* video and sound quality are both top-notch [2]

* variable time-sets cover a useful range, less than an hr to a full hour

* three alternating instructors [3]

* a few modifications offered

* excellent anatomical & movement cueing

* music is upbeat yet soft and in the background

* really liked the encouragement to both put some attentiveness into each movement, yet pace or alter as needed for each person – very yogic

* there are sectional breaks even within the 30 & 20 routines, for instructor changes and change of exercise sets

* nice range of movement styles, from aerobic to latin to boxing style

* weights included in some sets [4]

* many of the moves are used in class, providing welcome continuity

* humor and smiles and clarity from the trio of instructors

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Reviews: Clear Sailing?

***

things i would’ve liked:

* my perennial favorite wish item: closed captions [5]

* muscle captions to go with the excellent verbal cues of primary muscles being used [6]

* more modification samples, which i believe they include more so in some of their other dvd’s, so this may’ve already been addressed

* probably asking too much, but maybe a ten minute, well rounded set [7]

closing thoughts:

i want to point out that, though both the 20 & 30 minute routines “work the core,” the shorter set has more weight work, and the longer set has more range of footwork movement (you’ll need more floor space to move in) -

and, i really like having those two differing-emphasis to work with; the shorter set is more strength orientated while the longer set leans more toward cardio, though both of course engage the core

sheila and i continue to find that jazzercise and yoga are great compliments to each other; and have recently seen more yoga showing up in the choreography, which is nice

ultimately, we don’t see any need nor necessity to choose between the two; they compliment each other, yet each style (yoga and jazzercise) provides distinctive benefits and enjoyments the other touches on, while emphasizing its own strengths

that’s the beauty of integrating one’s interests, they feed each other, and should make us happier

namaste – con dios – god be with you

dvd review series

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footnotes

[1] there are jazzercise classes for seniors we’ve attended a handful of times, and classes for teens, which we’ve been far too removed from to attend

the senior classes seem to be as well rounded and paced as the regular classes

[2] there’s a short behind-the-scenes look at the production and studio on the dvd

[3] judy sheppard missett, founder and creator of jazzercise, plus her daughter, shanna, and one of their certified instructors, chere, model the routines

judy’s elegant easy fluidity are a perfect compliment to her daughter’s more power-based solid moves, while chere is a treat to listen to and watch and work out with, great humor and clarity in her instructions

[4] chere gives some weight-modification cues within one of her sets too, very useful

[5] though i’m an early senior my high-frequency hearing loss is something i’ve had since at least my mid 20′s

[6] “body by bethenny,” a nice yoga dvd i reviewed last week, does a nice job of placing a written caption onscreen for the primary muscle group used – please see under related dvd below

[7] denise austin has several dvd’s with ten minute sets; in the future i’ll review one i’ve used for nearly 10 years!

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) – Original Yoga Poetry (yoga-adan.com)

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Categories dance, DVD Reviews, Fitness, Fitness Area

My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 3

26 Feb

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 3

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what might yoga or dance inform to the other today, i wondered, as i made my 30 mile drive to clear lake for jazzercise this morning

as jazzercise’s trademark music and moves began, i slowly started working out the kinks of the drive, letting my limbs decide my range of motion, gradually, letting my limbering lengthen my reach and internal muscle-stretch “feel”

felt good, nice, fun moves

but nothing new…

oh well, i thought, i’d just gotten spoiled with all this integrating, internalizing an unrealistic expectation of endless aha!’s in me -

besides i miss my kitty leo, i pictured him waiting for me at home, but he wasn’t – my mom had helped, smiling for me, a group of us, as we shared a few jokes, saying, “isn’t it good when we can laugh and forget our worries for awhile” – didn’t need to stop at groceries going home but would need gas, the truck – opps, i missed a, a step – anyway, need to see if i have everything ready for silversneakers yoga class [1] next week darn missed that chasse turn – oh, i know, concentrate, i’ll concentrate on the music

fairly quickly, i regained movement-concentration, muscles mimicking the dance of bouncing beats – i was back in the moment, brain smiling

i’d forgotten expecting-wanting a new aha! moment -

that’s when i got my yoga-dance connection -

Adan Lerma

it wasn’t about the steps themselves this time, or a commonality of muscle movements, or similarity of pose expressions [2]

it was about concentration, which i’d done for decades, bringing my focus back into the now, being able to enjoying the moment more completely -

but, i realized, i was not giving myself credit for knowing this -

this was and is, legitimate motion meditation i can do…

as i flowed more fully thru the music, my sense of motion, i sensed the similarity of sensation, leading the breathing exercise, the beginning of yoga class, the night before, similarity, to exercise, in jazzercise class, the focusing the grounding -

yet there was a nudge of something missing -

***

i inhaled deeply during a right then left half spin of the torso as i reached down behind me with alternating arms, almost zumba salsa-like, and inhaled deeply again – the breath!

moving to the music i joined my static-pose breathing-exercise in yoga the night before to the bouncing breathing i needed dancing, expanding my chest with breaths, an instant memory, reading ray long’s keys to deeper breathing articles the night before…completed the links…

meditative-concentration and the breath – their span crosses all disciplines…

i knew this before, but i know it better now, more consciously…

it’s a process…

namaste – con dios – god be with you

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footnotes

[1] it’ll be interesting seeing how the typically very useful-information-dense silversneakers class, focussed on yoga, would feel after my recent yoga teacher immersion

[2] for examples of previous aha! yoga-dance connections, please see the related article links below

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related:

My First Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moment! - Feb 12, 2011

My Yoga-to-Dance aha! Moments! – # 2 – Feb 19, 2011

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS