Running Yoga

For the fourth year, my colleagues and I ran the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge here in Chicago. It’s a crazy race, with 20,000 participants making their way through Grant Park to cross the finish line and get to the party tents. We always have a blast and are generally one of the last groups to leave the park.

I am not a runner. I’m not fast and I don’t particularly enjoy running. But I like what running does for my body, so I run. I have to listen to music while I run; it’s what makes running bearable. Getting ready for the race, I discovered that I didn’t have my iPod. No tunes! What would I do?! My husband lent me he iPod Shuffle, but as I made my way to the starting line, I realized the battery was dead. Hit with the same no-tunes stick twice. Ouch.

I was late getting to the starting line, so I was stuck at the very back, behind all the walkers. No tunes, and stuck in the back: I’d never make it to the tent and the cold beer. At that moment, I realized I had a choice. I could stay stuck in the idea of how terrible this race was going to be, or I could dwell in each present moment. Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.

Since I was made aware that I had this choice, I chose the pass less grumpy and breathed in and out for 3.5 miles. I breathed and smiled as I waited seven minutes to cross the start line. I breathed and smiled as I weaved my way through the mobs of walkers. In this running meditation, I just kept coming back to my breath. For the first time in four years, I didn’t stop to walk any portion of the race, even though I hadn’t trained. I realized the race wasn’t just about body; it was body and mind and breath. It was yoga. So I practiced and I ran.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears

I love my Forrest yoga class. It’s not that I know much about Ana Forrest or that I dig keeping my neck relaxed or my toes lifted or that I really enjoy all that lower ab work. It’s the teacher and my classmates. Rich gets us all to give our best for 90 minutes and to try new (sometimes scary) things. And my classmates and I take the risks. We do handstands and headstands—or at least try. It’s a wonderful, challenging, and nurturing environment.

This weekend I participated in a workshop led by Gabriel Halpern, a devoted student of Iyengar. As Gabriel told me more than once to lift my head and rattled off asana names in Sanskrit, I realized that I needed to find a class to complement Rich’s class (Forrest uses English names for asanas, so I've forgotten the Sanskrit names for many poses).

The day after I documented this observation in my journal, Rich dropped a bombshell. He was moving to Vermont to become Dean of Faculty at a small college, a dream job for him and near family. The class was of course supportive and congratulatory of Rich’s accomplishment and decision. And while I did feel bad about the loss of this particular teacher and class, I was surprised at my overall reaction: this is happening for a reason. As the Buddhist proverb says, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

I’m going to enjoy the hell out of Rich’s classes until he leaves. And I know I’ll miss the Tuesday nights that I’ve become so fond of. But I’m also filled with anticipation about what a new teacher will bring. Who will it be? What will the class be like? I’m not sure of anything except that this is happening for a reason and this will be another significant turning point in my yoga journey.

The student, she is ready!

The Cleanse Menu

Last post on the cleanse...I've been to Austin and Key West and back and probably could use another detox (particularly after Key West), but I did want to capture the menu.

Sunday

Steel cut oats and grapefruit

Tofu with mushrooms, scallions, and hot bean sauce; broccoli rabe and olive oil

Quinoa pasta with tomato sauce and VEGGIE?

Monday

Oatmeal and grapefruit

Kitchari

Leek and potato soup

Tuesday

Buckwheat with blueberries and strawberries

Roasted vegetables, mixed greens salad with vinaigrette, rice

Vegetarian chili

Wednesday

Oatmeal with blueberries

Kitchari

Quinoa pasta with mushroom ‘crème’ sauce; asparagus, zucchini

Thursday

Oatmeal with blueberries and pineapple

Vegetable curry

Leek and potato soup; mixed spring greens with cucumber and avocado, olive oil, balsamic  vinegar

Friday

Oatmeal with blueberries, strawberries, pineapple

Roasted vegetable sandwich (yes, with wheat)

Grilled asparagus and portobello mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini; rice; salad

Saturday

Oatmeal with blueberries

Thai basil eggplant and rice

Breaking the cleanse: veggies, fruits, hummus, bread…and wine!

Spring Cleanse: The Results

The day before the cleanse, I went to my favorite spice store, Penzey’s www.penzeys.com and stocked up on new spices. I cleaned out the messy spice cabinet, the pantry, and the fridge. I headed to Whole Foods for a load of vegetables, lentils, and quinoa pasta. It was like Ayurvedic Passover. I was so excited!

Sunday began with an intense caffeine withdrawal headache for Brian. It was so bad we had to leave church early and he went back to bed for three hours and felt extremely ill. It was so bad we thought maybe he had a virus. I had given up caffeine for Lent this year, so I could totally relate. Luckily I didn’t go back to daily coffee, so I was just sympathetic to his pain and not sharing it. Monday brought another headache for Brian and the beginning of the work week. I kept reassuring him that it would get better and I hoped that was true. By Tuesday the headache had disappeared and Brian was feeling better. I think he was even enjoying the challenge of the cleanse.

I had fun experimenting with food and cooking—I’ll publish our menu separately—and was surprised that after I stopped trying to taste every weird bitter green out there this wasn’t so bad. With only a few hours to go, we’ve both lost a few pounds and feel great. I feel clear and filled with energy. I interrupted the cleanse yesterday by introduced wheat into my body and definitely felt the difference: I immediately felt bloated and foggy. I was so shocked that a little sourdough could do that! Tonight, I’ll share wine with friends, and over the next few days begin slowing easing back into a diet that is hopefully a more healthy version of our old diet.

This process was helpful in so many ways, particularly in making us both so aware of what we usually eat at and between meals. I was surprised that—with the help of quinoa pasta in particular—that going ‘without’ wasn’t so hard. We were much better at the "don'ts" than the "dos" (must be the Catholic upbringing). We weren’t super disciplined about following foods for our doshas; I forgot about kapalabhati and candle gazing until yesterday; we really didn’t eat as much greens as we should have; we probably shouldn't have had balsamic vinegar or tofu. And I never did teach Brian meditation. But wonderfully, I still feel a great sense of accomplishment. And I know there's room for improvement next time.

Yes, next time! And Brian said he would too. Who’d a thunk it?!

Thanks to Don for inspiring us to try and to Kelly for your guidance in making it real.

Namaste.

Spring Cleanse: Why on Earth Would You Do That?

This past Sunday my husband Brian and I began a week-long Ayurvedic cleanse. The principles of the cleanse were pretty simple:

• Consume no meat, dairy, wheat, sugar, processed foods,  caffeine, or alcohol
• Eat lots of spring greens, especially the bitter ones
• Eat organic produce whenever possible
• Eat no leftovers. (Preparing food one day ahead for lunch would be allowed.)
• Eat fruit that is lightly cooked or eat it with hot tea
• Eat foods appropriate for our doshas (he’s Kapha; I’m Pitta-Kapha),
• Have detox tea after each meal
• Drink lots of water
• No iced beverages
• Get extra rest

I also committed to practicing some of the traditional kriyas: neti (nasal cleansing) and kapalabhati (a breathing exercise), and candle gazing as well as daily meditation and Ayurvedic self-massage.

Since beginning the cleanse, I’ve gotten lots of questions on what is and why on earth we’re doing it. Here’s my best answer (please keep in mind I’m new at all this!).

When digestion is efficient and complete, all of the food we eat is either converted into fuel for the body or flushed out as waste. However, the modern diet is hard on the digestion system and partially digested food matter gets left behind in the digestive system. This leftover toxic substance is called ama in Ayurveda. Modern science supports the notion of this toxic build up in the colon; for example it’s estimated that eating a high fiber diet can reduce your risk of colon cancer by 40%. Dr Oz of Oprah fame once did a demonstration to show how your colon gets filled with a toothpaste-like substance if you don’t eat enough fiber. That toothpaste-like substance is ama.

Ayurveda recognizes that this build up of ama affects not only your digestive system, but your entire being. A build-up of ama can make you slow, foggy, constipated, and spaced-out.

The goal of the cleanse is to get rid of the ama, leaving you with more clarity and energy. Because the cleanses are done seasonally, they also allow you to settle into the foods and rhythms of the new season. The cleanse is a restorative process and leaves one feeling rested, rejuvenated, clear, and energized.

So, that’s the theory. More later on how it went!

Open up your plans and, damn, you’re free!

I’m a planner, a list maker. In business and at home this serves me well. I’ve planned Girl Scout events for 300 girls, meetings for hundreds of customers, product releases, women's retreats, week-long camping vacations—you name it, I’ve planned it. And vacations are what I love to plan the most: the research, daydreaming, and anticipation are a big part of the vacation fun for me. I like to look forward to things, whether it’s vacation, a night out, or a yoga workshop.

But, boy, once those plans are made, do I get attached to them. Most of the time this works out fine because the plans go off without a hitch. I’m lucky enough to live in an area where there are lots of yoga classes and workshops to choose from. This last month, however, three separate workshops I’d signed up for were cancelled. And then I realized attending this summer’s yoga conference didn’t make fiscal sense for our family. I was really disappointed. I mean go-into-a funk-for-two-days disappointed. I had been so attached to the idea of what I thought each of those experiences would be like, it was hard to let go. (And if I’m honest, it still is.)

My yoga angel sister reminded me that changes happen for a reason, that I need to be open to what’s supposed to happen. So my challenge now is to stop looking back at all those imagined future and be present. That is always my challenge!

In I’m Yours, Jason Mraz says it so well:

Open up your mind and see like me.

Open up your plans and, damn, you’re free.

Open up your heart and you’ll find love, love, love.

Namaste, Jason.

Meditation Breakthrough (not only did it not suck; it was good!)

Meditation has not come easy to me. When I started a few months ago, it was pure torture. My mind filled with monkey chatter and my eyes peaked at the timer to see how much longer I had to sit. I was like a child in a time-out. I was lucky if I practiced twice a week.

Thanks to my teacher's prodding ("twice a week ain't gonna cut it" were his words), I began a daily meditation in earnest in February. I realize now how many people influenced my meditation practice over the past couple of months. Not only my teacher, but my friends at church who introduced me to Centering Prayer (meditation!), the readings of Jack Kornfeld and Mark Whitwell and my friends and fellow yoga teacher trainees. They all gave me permission to relax: don't worry about the monkey chatter. Don't worry about stilling the mind: just observe it. Don't judge all the lists, daydreams, and stories. Just name them and let them go. Just enjoy the time sitting.

Once I gave myself permission to relax, I began to enjoy meditation at times. Some mornings I actually looked forward to my quiet time before heading to the gym. Maybe "look forward" is too strong a term, but I didn't dread it anymore.

This morning was a beauty in Chicago land and I decided to take my crazy border collie Annie for a walk. Unfortunately the leash was in my husband's car, so no walk for poor Annie. And my iPod was not working, so no tunes for me. I decided to take the walk anyway, to enjoy the flowering trees and singing birds. And all these things, it turned out, happened for a reason.

About a half mile into my walk, I wandered into my neighborhood church's Prayer Garden. I don't think I even knew that it existed. It's a pretty little spot, with flowering trees, perennials, and a few statues with benches in front of them. I sat myself in front of Mary and took a few quiet breaths. I did a couple of rounds of Kapalabati (wonder if that was a first for this particular Prayer Garden Madonna?!) then prayed for my Meditation mantra. It was envelope (the verb, not the noun). As I sat and breathed, I felt enveloped by energy and love. I was able to stay focused for a pretty long time and when the monkey chatter appeared, I returned to that thought and feeling if being enveloped by energy and love. It was a really beautiful time.

For the first time, I really enjoyed my meditation time. I hope to visit that garden of energy and love soon, wherever I happen to be.