Namaste is a sanskrit word that is often used at the end of a yoga class as a blessing to "honor the divine essence that resides in all". You can deepen your connection to the meaning of namaste by bowing your head and placing your palms over the center of your chest while directing your inner attention toward your heart, or the seat of your soul, thus connecting to your eternal essence. Breathe...and connect to the source of your breath, the source of your life.
My issue is simple: my calves cramp like crazy most times I surf. I drink more
water than the average bear, and eat a few bananas a week, so hydration
and potassium may or may not be the issue. I heard yoga can help.
Nathan Southern California June 2007
Peggy answers:
You're right -- my first thought was dehydration. That is usually the
cause of cramping. I recommend about 3 liters of water (100 ounces) to
be sipped throughout the day. (Much better than gulping it down in a
couple of sittings.) Try to avoid caffeine, Red Bull and other
stimulants since they are dehydrating, even if you're drinking water.
Make sure you're eating healthy, too. Get rid of packaged, processed
foods like deli meats, salad dressings, frozen entrees, etc. because
they are loaded with artificial sodium and other chemicals.
Now, if you're well-hydrated, well-nourished and well-stretched out,
then the cramping is probably because you’re tensing up your low back
and glutes when paddling, and -- most likely -- you're not breathing
fully enough, so the oxygen isn't traveling all the way down to your
legs. With yoga, you’ll learn effective breathing techniques and
stretches to prevent those calves from cramping up.
One more tip: try taking a liquid calcium-magnesium-zinc supplement –
one tablespoon every night and one tablespoon before surfing. Magnesium
has a relaxing effect on the muscles, so that should help ease the
cramping as well.
Hope that helps!
I’ve been surfing for about ten years off and on and I still want to
improve. I struggle to get to my feet fast enough and feel I have lost
my confidence because I have been surfing for so many years but still
have not mastered it! I love surfing in uncrowded waves but as soon as
there are other people around I don’t enjoy going out. I feel like I’m
getting in their way. I hate fighting for waves and find it hard to
focus on myself and my surfing with others around. I want to improve my
fitness, do more yoga, and just get out there in the surf as often as
possible in any conditions… Any advice would be appreciated.
Susan
New Zealand
March 2007 Peggy answers:
Surfing is so much like life: ups and downs. Some good rides, some not.
Yoga helps us just experience whatever is going on -- including
frustration and disappointment -- from the standpoint of allowing
it; just being open to the immediate situation and circumstances,
and experiencing it fully. We do that through the breath.
So as you're paddling out, breathe and hear the words in your mind "I
feel powerful, calm and free." Keep repeating it, even if you don't
feel it. Say a prayer of gratitude to the ocean for sharing its beauty
and abundance with you. Say a prayer for yourself "May I surf
with courage, patience and joy, embracing the wipeouts as well as the
rides." Let yourself focus on your own special experience with the
ocean, imagining you're the only one out there. Practicing yoga will
also help you develop the ability to focus and pay attention in the
midst of distraction. Rely on your breath as your safety net. Breathe
in energy; breathe out and feel calm. Energy - calm. Energy - calm.
Instead of saying "I struggle to get to my feet," change that to "I'm
working on getting to my feet faster." Words are everything, and the
mind and body will respond accordingly. Visualize yourself surfing with
power, grace and ease. When you practice yoga and you jump your feet
between your hands from down dog, really engage your lower abdomen to
help those feet move quickly. That is the best ways to practice getting
your feet up. Also, make sure you are bringing your front foot all the
way up under your chest. Practice these pop-ups on the floor. (Our next
dvd series, "Fit for Surf" has a whole section on this.)
So, I hope this info has been helpful! I’m sure there are many among us who feel the same way.
Thanks again for writing and please let me know how it goes for you! How often should I do the Yoga for Surfers dvds? I
wake up early in the morning five days per week for 30-60 minutes of
weight training or cardio. Now I’ve incorporated the YFS yoga routines
in the evenings.
Am I overdoing it?
I’m very confident in my knowledge of weight training, since I’ve been
doing it since I was 16. I’m now 34. I’m just not so sure on the yoga
side of things. I don’t want to over train.
You’re knowledge
and input is greatly appreciated. The dvds are great! Thanks for your time and patience.
Alan G.
Connecticut
Feb 2007 Peggy answers:
Glad you are getting into yoga! It will really help balance your body with all the other activities you do.
Adding in yoga three times a week is probably plenty, given your other
fairly rigorous activities. I'd recommend alternating the YFS programs
(or even just segments of the dvd), depending on what else you had
going on that day. In other words, if you lifted heavy that morning,
you'd probably want to do YFS I (or even just the post-surf segment
which is more rejuvenating) instead of YFS III which is all about
strength and power. YFS II is more of a continuous cardio-type of
routine, so you could do that on the days when you didn't do other
cardio.
You're very smart in not wanting to overtrain.
The great thing about yoga is that it will quickly help you deepen your
body awareness so you can tap into the signs and signals when you're
body needs more rest. The key is to listen!
Believe it or not, the main purpose of yoga is restore energy, not
deplete it, like weight training and vigorous cardio will do. Yoga is
about integrating all the various aspects of your being (physical,
mental, emotional, spiritual) so your life can be more balanced. It's
not just another workout, it's more about developing your skills of
awareness and focus so you can stay calm and free in any situation.
I hope that all helps! Please feel free to keep in touch and let me know how it all works out for you.
In the meantime, take care and happy surfing!
Do you believe in New Year's Resolutions? Shelby, Laguna Beach, CA
Jan 2007
Peggy answers:
Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, (which often make me
feel depressed, because they are usually recycled ideas and dreams that
never really took off in the previous years) I discover and create what
I call "new truths".
Truths are different from resolutions or affirmations because they aren't
something we hope will happen or something we want to stop doing -- instead,
they are statements of fact. They simply "are".
The urge to make New Year's Resolutions comes from a perspective that we
aren't good enough, smart enough, rich enough, thin enough, attractive enough,
successful enough, etc. But what the heck is "enough"? And who or what is
really behind those resolutions anyway?
Instead, think about who you really are at your core...not what other people
think you are or who you should be, but who you really are, your true self.
To help reveal my own true self, I find it very powerful and effective
to create my "new truths". I repeat them all the time. I suppose some would
call them affirmations, but for me, they are truths. I state these new
truths in a matter-of-fact, concrete, absolute way. After all, they are
truths, not hopes, not dreams. They simply "are". Well, maybe not this moment,
but that's not for us to decide. Just find those truths, state them, believe
them, repeat them, even in the midst of despair.
"I've let go of the struggle and obsession. I am free!"
Keep repeating it, even when you are struggling and obsessing.
Keep repeating. Keep repeating. Keep repeating.
Trust yourself and trust your body. Trust life.
Create your truths. They are yours, ready to be manifested in your
life.
How to Create New Truths
1. State your new truths in a positive, concrete manner, in the present
tense.
For example:
"I love to nourish myself with healthy, natural foods" (Not "I am going
to give up junk food")
"I am smart about how I spend my money" (Not "I have to stop using credit
cards")
"I love getting to work on time and putting in 100% effort" (Not "I am
going to stop being late for work")
"I feel strong, light and lean" (Not "I need to lose 10 pounds")
You get the idea.
2. State those new truths all the time, even when your behavior doesn't
match. Keep repeating, keep repeating, keep repeating. Write them down, read
them, say them to others, hear them in your own mind. Make them yours and
believe them.
Here are some of my own real-life experiences with new truths:
One of the truths I created for myself was "I am a writer." I always
wanted to be a writer, even when I was an English teacher, even when I was
working in the corporate world, even when I thought being a writer was an
impossible dream. But I knew I was a writer, I just knew it!
So instead of struggling against myself (wondering if I was every going
to be published) I just started talking about myself as if I were already
a writer. When people would ask me what I did for a living, I would say "I
teach English ... and I'm also a writer!" I kept lists of my soon-to-be-published
titles, always with the byline "by Peggy Hall". So imagine my delight when
later (oh, all right -- it was a few years later, but it did happen!!) I
actually was a working, published writer!!
So explore. Get back to yourself. Spend some quite time in nature, reading,
writing, walking, daydreaming. Have the courage to ask your heart what is
inside and have the courage to trust your gifts and follow their path. Create
your new truths and get ready to live the life of your dreams. Remember:
what you seek is seeking you.
I've heard that weight loss is simply a matter of calories in, calories
out. I’ve been eating only about 1500 calories but I can’t seem to lose
weight!
While "a calorie is a calorie" in
terms of measurement, your body uses the nutrients from those calories
differently. You need to consume a balanced diet of protein, carbs and
healhty fats and have a lot a variety to make sure you're getting all
the nutrients you need. Metabolically, calories from different sources
are different -- it takes more energy, for example, for your body to
metabolize protein and raw vegetables whereas processed carbs like
cereal and crackers and simple carbs like fruit will be metabolized
very quickly. These calories do have different effects on the body and
used differently.
A 1500 calorie diet made up of
mainly junk food will have a completely different effect than a 1500
calorie diet of nutritious foods. In fact, you could eat 2000 calories
of nutritious food and lose weight, if those calories come from the
proper combo of macronutirents that will cause a chemical reaction
resulting in weight loss.
A meal high in processed carbs, for example, will cause a surge of
insulin that will cause the body to store those calories as fat. Many
studies show that high fructose corn syrup, for example, is not even
used by the body as energy but goes directly into fat storage.
An apple on the other hand, is digested and absorbed by the body.
Additional calories are expended in the process, and the end result is
more calories burned!!
Just like to set the record straight because it's so common for people
to think that only the number of calories matter in weight loss. I
recommend no more than about 200-250 calories a day be used for treats,
otherwise weight loss will stall.
Focus on eating a variety of
healthy, natural whole foods in a balanced combo of protein carbs and
healthy fats. Stay away from processed, packaged foods and avoid excess
sodium (1500 mg per day is plenty). Drink about 3 liters of pure water
every day and get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the
weekm abd you should soon start to see those pounds melt.
My
wrists hurt when I try to do pushups or certain yoga poses, like cat
stretches or plank pose. What should I do? Can I strengthen my wrists?
Yes, you can strengthen your wrists. Yoga is one of the best things for
that. Be sure to circle your wrists before and after the move to
release and stretch the wrists.
In the meantime, try these techniques as well:
Make a fist and rest on your knuckles instead, or use your forearms for support.
Be sure to engage your low abdomen (drawing the muscles in and up) to
protect your back. Engage your chest muscles as well bu firming through
your upper arms and feel like you are pressing the floor away. This
will take more of the weight into your torso and out of your wrists.
Make sure that your fingers are spread wide and your hands are
suction-cupped to the floor to provide a larger area of
foundation. If your palms are not all the way pressed into the
floor, your wrists will take the brunt of the weight. Soften your
elbows a little bit and press the floor away. Engage your chest and
abdomen for support.
I’m
embarrassed because as soon as I start exercising, I really start
sweating profusely. What is wrong with me? Waht can I do about it? Thanks for writing. I think other people may have this same question.
Rapid, profuse sweating means that
you are in great cardiovascular health! What happens is that the body
perceives exertion and so starts up the sweating mechanism as a natural
way to cool down the body and maintain a healthy temperature. Sweating
easily and profusely (as long as it's not accompanied by a feeling a
pressure in the chest or any strain or discomfort) means that you are
in great shape!!
So sweat and smile! (And be sure to drink extra water when exercising to replenish that which you've lost...)
As a vegetarian, I'm concerned about getting enough protein. What are are good choices for me?
I was a vegetarian for a long time (even going vegan at one point -- no
animal products whatsoever, not even honey) so I can relate!
Here are some excellent vegetarian choices for protein servings:
1/2 cup - 1 cup of
any legumes including garbanzo beans (chick peas), lentils, kidney
beans, red beans, black beans or any other bean or legume (rinse them
very well if you’re using canned because they often loaded with salt)
1 oz any raw unsalted nuts
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter (read labels and avoid sugar and salt)
1 oz rice protein or other protein powder such as hempseed
Also, if you're not vegan you could have:
1-2 eggs or 3-4 egg whites
1 cup yogurt
1 cup almond milk, rice milk, oat milk (limit soy servings to about 3 per week)
I personally only have
yogurt for my dairy, and because of the extremely high sodium
content, I avoid cottage cheese and imitation meat products.
Remember that fruits, vegetables and grains are also good sources of
protein! A medium sweet potato has about 5 grams of protein as does a
cup of cooked oatmeal. Focus on getting lots of veggies in your diet
and be sure not to use vegetarianism as an opportunity to live on pizza
and junk food. You might also consider taking a Vitamin B complex just
for added protection, as many vegetarians are deficient in this
nutrient.
No matter how many situps I do, I can’t seem to get rid of my lower tummy “pooch”. Help!
This is the all-time lower ab move I use in my yoga classes. You'll get a grean burn and really feel it the next day!
Fold up a thick towel or blanket into a square. Lie on your back and
place it between your thighs, not your knees. Extend your legs
straight up into the air, and interlace your hands behind your head.
Inhale and squeeze the blanket with your legs, then exhale (keep
sqeezing!) and lift your hips off the floor by flattening your belly.
Fett move higher toward the celing. Then peel your head and shoulders
off the floor as well. That is one rep. Slowly lower head and shoulder
and hips but keep legs over head. Continue that way, very slowly and
with control. If you're working with intensity, you'll probably eek out
about 10. Work up to 2 sets of 15.
The key to a flat lower belly is to actively contract through the low
abs. This engages the transverse abdominis, a deep horizontal muscle
that acts like a corset to compress the abdomen.
Also, be sure to follow a healthy eating plan and get enough
cardiovascular exercise to help shed any fat covering those muscles.
Check out my article “Flat and Fabulous Abs” in the December 2006 issue
of Oxygen Women’s Fitness.
