1/2/2024: It’s a New Year – Just Breathe!
Happy New Year! And I thought I’d make my first newsletter of 2024 a reminder to just breathe – no matter what you’re doing.
The photo is from either 2018 or 2019, when I led a pre-game yoga session before a Fort Myers Miracle minor league baseball game. Of course, I’m wearing a Yoga Bird shirt, but I’m also wearing a 2 The Top baseball cap. At the time, I was working out with a trainer there, and now I am a trainer there.
Yoga, of course, is all about the breath – one of my favorite quotes (paraphrased here, and from multiple sources) is, “Without awareness of breath, there is no Yoga.” That means that if yoga is awareness of breath, then you can be a yogi any time!
The breath plays a major role in workouts, too – as in yoga, there are inhale moves and exhale moves. There are also times when you don’t need to match breath precisely to movement. And as in yoga there are times in a workout when you breathe to calm yourself, and times when you breathe for power (and even use mouth breathing!).
Next time you’re exercising, check in from time to time to pay attention to what’s going on with your breath. (If you already do this, good for you!) Don’t concern yourself with whether you’re doing it right – just notice. Some ideas to try:
· For any brisk exertion (running, biking), notice at what point you transition from nose- to mouth-breathing
· For weight-moving exercises, notice which movements happen on inhale, which on exhale
· For periods of rest, try to recover your full breath (nose to navel center on inhale, navel center and out the nose on exhale)
Want to know more? Join me at 2 The Top for Sunday morning yoga at 9 am. Lots of attention to breathing – for movement, focus, and relaxation. And if you work out with me, I’m sure we’ll talk about breathing then as well. Remember – just breathe, and you’re well on your way to doing yoga!
1/10/2024: Why do Warrior 2…and Big News for New Folks!
The Warrior poses are among my yoga favorites. You can hold them for focus and purpose (make sure you keep breathing!) or flow through them into many, many other poses.
In the video, I take you through a warmup to prep for Warrior 2, the pose itself, and some others that often accompany a Warrior 2-themed sequence. (Next week, I’ll include a video of Warriors 1 and 3.)
There are three Warrior poses, and they are not necessarily meant to be done in order, so you don’t have to do Warrior 1 first and Warrior 3 last – actually, it makes more sense to go from 1 into 3 because both of those face the short front of the mat. You’ll notice that most of what I do in this week’s Warrior 2 video is facing the long side of the mat.
Often, I include movements into and out of Warrior 1 and 2 as warmups for workouts. It’s a great way to move the body through all ranges of motion, and to feel good and ready for some vigorous exercise. (You could cool down and recover with warriors, too – another great example of the versatility of yoga!) And by the way, I just took a break from writing and held Warrior 2 for 10 breaths on both sides. What an energy boost!
Now, the big news for curious newcomers…
If you haven’t yet joined me for workouts at 2 The Top and you’re curious about it, what better time than the new year to have your questions answered? Join me at 10:30 am on Sunday, January 21 for a fun and free interactive demonstration and Q-and-A session at 2 The Top. I’ll demonstrate (maybe with the help of some volunteers!) and we’ll discuss what a workout looks and feels like.
If you’re already working out with me, maybe your friends and family have been asking why you feel so great – send them my way! And I’ll add – it’s free and it will be fun!
As always, email or text your questions to me for more info about Warrior 2 or about my fun Sunday get-together!
| 1/16/2024: Open House and Q&A Session-no registration required! |
I’m sending out the newsletter a day early because I want to remind those of you who have yet to work out with me at 2 The Top about the Open House this Sunday, 1-21, at 10:30 am.
If you’re curious about what a workout with me is like (hint – it’s fun and accessible to all levels of fitness!), what better time than the new year to have your questions answered? Join me at 10:30 am this Sunday for a fun and free interactive demonstration (maybe with some volunteer assistance!) and Q-and-A session at 2 The Top.
If you’re already working out with me, maybe your friends and family have been asking why you feel so great – send them my way! And I’ll add – the Open House is free and it will be fun! No advance sign-up is necessary, and email or text if you have any questions.
And now … what about that photo? Anna was cleaning out some computer files, and she thought I might like that one. And on this dreary, rainy day (third in a row) it’s nice to look at a photo of me outdoors.
Now, on to today’s video:
I’ve been incorporating yoga movement (called asana, by the way) into workouts more lately – both my own and those I do for others. Last week, I shared some Warrior 2 ideas – this week it’s the other two Warriors.
Also prominent in the video is Chair pose – which is one of my least favorites but one I make sure I do every few weeks or so. (When it comes to workout moves I don’t like, it’s certain core work on the floor – but I love other ways to get to the core.)
As always, questions and comments are welcome. And thanks for reading!
1/25/2024: More On Meditation
Recently I was going back through my previous newsletters, and I realized that although I’d mentioned meditation, I’d never written specifically about it.
(The photo is from May 2018 or 2019, when we did an outdoor “meditation flash mob.”)
I love teaching meditation (maybe some of you didn’t even know I’m a meditation teacher!). I’ve studied with some excellent instructors at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and based upon what I’ve learned and experienced, I teach a practical, accessible way to meditate.
The actual technique I teach for meditation is not that hard, but it is challenging to find time to develop a routine. And because we don’t always see the benefits right away or every time, we wonder if it’s worth the effort.
First, benefits of meditation: clarity, focus, calm, stress reduction … I could go on, but you get it.
Now, the obstacles: delayed benefits (as mentioned), finding a good place and time to do it, figuring out how to sit, and the big one – thinking it’s weird.
(The photo below of our dogs is not just because they are cute, which of course they are. They are sitting in my meditation spot in our sunny front room. I sit tall on a yoga blanket, both feet on the ground. Occasionally I sit cross-legged, but not usually.)
I could go on and on about why it’s not weird, how you should treat it as a non-negotiable part of your day, etc. But I’d rather have you ask questions and have me teach you more about it. (Lesson 1 – sit still and follow your breath for 30 seconds or so)
And if you already do it and want some support for your practice, I’m here for that, too. So reach out and let me know what point of the meditation path you’re on. And I’ll even relate it to fitness, if that helps!
Fitness With Chip 