Tag: yoga

Wednesday Workout: 7 Workout Mistakes to Avoid

Posted on by Joy Held

Happy new fitness year! Month? Week? Can you get to the gym at least once pretty soon and see what happens? In the year of 2012 I hope you’ll try your best to exercise and figure out how regular workouts can be a part of your life. I’ll admit it. Sometimes if I wasn’t the teacher, I’d just skip a day or two or three of exercising especially if I’m by myself. The tip about exercising in a herd or with a buddy really does help. But there is such a host of possible pitfalls when it comes to exercise that it’s no wonder people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolution to exercise more. Perhaps if you can be proactive and head off the troubles before they hit, you’ll stand a better chance of exercising longer and stronger.

This list isn’t the typical “do this” and see if it helps list. It’s designed to prevent some potential problems that make exercise a chore or at least a bother.

1. No pain, no gain is the cruelest fitness cliché ever coined. Because it rhymes it has stuck in the exercise vernacular, but the idea does more harm than good. Bouncing while we stretch went out in the nineties with leg warmers and headbands. Pain is a signal that should alert you to an important message from your body. It’s your muscles and bones telling your brain to back off. “Ripping” muscle fiber to achieve a temporarily visual affect if not what is meant by health and fitness.

2. Timing is everything in the world of exercise. Your body loves consistency and your brain loves the high it gets from habit. Give them both a good reason to keep supporting you in everything you do by exercising as close to the same time on the same days as often as possible. This is the number one way to increase metabolism and speed up fat burning.

3. A good workout includes a warm-up period, an intense aerobic series, and a steady cool down. With practice or a good class with a competent instructor, you can learn to do this safely and efficiently in thirty minutes a day five times a week with a variety of different practices. Most people don’t exercise enough however and don’t get the cumulative benefits. Physical fitness is a lifestyle for the long haul. That way intensity can be safely implemented into a long term exercise plan. Think of your workout schedule like riding a roller coaster. Some workout days are more challenging than others. This actually provides muscles the work/rest time needed to develop safely.

4. If you’re talking too much while working out, you won’t be able to concentrate on the correct breathing. Breathing patterns can aid or detract from the value of an exercise. Muscles and the brain need oxygen and lots of it, especially during physical exertion. Learn how to breathe for the exercise program you’ve chosen. There are different philosophies in some fitness corners and they really do contribute to the overall benefit of the program. Focus on good breathing patterns when you exercise.

5. Unless you’re running a marathon, you can make it through a 55-minute exercise class WITHOUT taking a drink of water. Hydrate before and after because drinking water while you exercise draws blood and oxygen away from your muscles and to the stomach to deal with the fluids. You’ll make it.

6. As mentioned in #3, a balance of high intensity and gentle workouts aids the body in recovery and development. Try for three aerobic sessions per week and two or more lighter workouts in between.

7. Throwing money at exercise will not make your workouts any better. Low tech equipment such as light weights, good footwear, and a decent yoga mat are all just about anybody needs to accomplish a decent fitness plan. When money is involved, the brain starts thinking value and outcomes and ratios and “did I get my money’s worth?” Exercise doesn’t work that way. The value is experienced over time as health care costs are lower and self-esteem is higher. You can try, but placing a monetary label on something like positive mental health defeats the purpose in my opinion. A good instructor is worth her weight in chocolate, I mean calories, but be careful about obsessing over what it costs to be physically fit. The price of not being in good shape is the real number you should be worrying about.

Do you have any suggestions for things to avoid that have made your workouts better?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Stillness and Discovery

Posted on by Joy Held

When someone says exercise most people think of bodies in constant motion. Of course, some people think of lying down until the urge to exercise goes away, but that’s an opposite idea. There are many ways to achieve physical fitness and health with exercise, and there are many varieties of exercise. One practice is hatha yoga. The word ‘hatha’ means physical in Sanskrit, so every style of yoga where people are physically active is hatha yoga. Some styles of yoga encourage continuous activity (vinyasa,) and some styles of yoga incorporate long periods of stillness in a pose to achieve benefits. One of these styles is the Iyengar tradition of hatha yoga developed by B.K.S. Iyengar of Pune, India. Of particular importance to his method is the practice of seeking stillness in a pose by holding it for a lengthy period of time. During this time a point of discovery is possible if the yogi is paying attention.

All yoga requires a process of embodiment, sustainment, and transition. This is repeated for every yoga pose and it’s important to apply awareness to the breath during these three stages as well.

Embodiment of a pose is the actions taken to get into the pose and the breath necessary to prepare the muscles. Stepping feet wide apart and inhaling at the same time is one example.

Sustainment of a pose is the point at which the body has achieved its full expression of the pose and when the breath is steadied while holding the pose for the desired length of time. This is also the place where many discoveries take place. When we think we can’t sustain the position any longer, we have reached a challenging edge. It’s here where we can either back away from the pose and return to center or choose to enhance it by applying greater awareness. Breathing is a good first step in facing the challenge and moving past it to develop physical stamina and improve self-esteem. Sustaining a pose just a few seconds past the point where our minds say, “That’s enough,” encourages us to continue because we can feel ourselves improving and changing for the better each time we encounter the edge and breathe past it. This is the mental focus that teaches us to believe in ourselves regardless of the dilemma.

Transition is the moment of action and breath that bring us out of the pose and into the next one.

Have you ever discovered a strength you didn’t know you had during a moment of stillness?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Monday Meditation: Stillness

Posted on by Joy Held

 

The soft, gentle place of peace and tranquility at the end of a yoga class is known to some students as the “prize” at the bottom of the box. After the stretching and the breath work, the relaxation pose at the end of class for five to ten minutes is a welcome relief. It’s also a place for something we don’t receive often enough during the day: stillness. We are so busy doing, darting, and thinking throughout the day that we forget or run out of time to find balance and do nothing but breathe. Day after day of being out of balance creates the stresses we are desperate to dissolve in our bodies and minds. The simplest way to reduce stress is to be its opposite. Stress is an active pressure on something. The physical or emotional pressure created by stress is blasted into oblivion by simply being still, not moving except for breathing for whatever time can be set aside for it.

Physical stillness is miraculous in its ability to energize our muscles and internal organs. However we’re so used to putting demands on ourselves physically and mentally, that it feels awkward to some people to be without motion so they “hold” themselves still and think this is relaxation. This is more doing. Stillness is letting go and just breathing in and out for five minutes and nothing else. It works better and achieves a better overall result to lie down, but it’s possible to let go while sitting up. But that’s the challenge of meditation isn’t? To meet the urge to do something with just being. So if life feels out of balance, it probably is. When we try to find balance with the practice of stillness, remember that there are two ways to achieve the stillness. We can grip something so hard it is still, or we can let go of everything until the bliss of just being pervades us on the deepest of levels. This is stillness.

How do you achieve stillness?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Books that changed my life week

Posted on by Joy Held

LIGHT ON YOGA by B.K.S. Iyengar published in 1966 is the definitive publication about the poses (called asanas) practiced in hatha yoga. This book opened my eyes and my practice to the possibilities of what the human body can do to exercise and heal itself. Many people have looked at the pictures of a barely clothed Iyengar and stopped there instead of looking at the anatomy and the skeletal beauty of his yoga. This book explains the how and the why of the strange looking poses. Before modern day westernization of hatha yoga, the body and the earth were the only exercise tools available. Today our blankets, props, straps, etc. (many developed by Iyengar to aid the less flexible student) make the benefits of a wide variety of yoga poses available to almost everyone. The props compensate for a lack of flexibility and allow a yoga student to learn beginning versions of the perfection depicted in LIGHT ON YOGA.

“By performing asanas, the sadhaka (seeker) first gains health, which is not mere existence. It is not a commodity which can be purchased with money. It is an asset to be gained by sheer hard work. It is a state of complete equilibrium of body, mind and spirit. Forgetfulness of physical and mental consciousness is health. The yogi frees himself from physical disabilities and mental distractions by practicing asana. He surrenders his actions and their fruits to the Lord in the service of the world.” (LIGHT ON YOGA, B.K.S. Iyengar)

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: The Little Engine in the Gym

Posted on by Joy Held

Remember the wonderful “Little Engine That Could”? He got to that mountain and huffed and puffed all the way to the top saying, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Loved that book, and the positive attitude of the Little Engine is perfect for juicing up our workouts in the gym. A positive attitude before, during, and after exercise adds to the genuine results we see long term. The exercise itself is a great way to create feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, and physical activity actually helps create brain-derived neurotrophic factor that contributes to the growth of new brain cells. New cells, new energy, new attitude.  Perfect!

“I’m So Excited” is just the half of it when you prime your workout with positive affirmations. But honestly, going into the gym some days is worse than the thought of having a tooth pulled without a large Novocain cocktail. Ick. So try some of these tips for staying positive about your regular exercise routine.

1.Variety-mix things up every week. Walking, swimming, weight lifting, jogging, yoga, kickboxing, and on and on. There are so many options to choose from when creating an exercise regimen that overload is a potential hazard. Don’t forget to throw in a dvd workout from time to time, and check out some of the online fitness routines that are free. Lots of them are really quite good for the short term. Of course, find a particular workout you enjoy like a weekly yoga class and work everything else around that.

2.Map out your success-put a smiley face on the calendar for everyday you get out and exercise. Just try it one month and watch your challenge grow into a good habit.

3.Tough spots first-get the more difficult parts of a workout over with at the start of the session. Warm-up then attack problem areas like arms and abs first then finish with less strenuous activities. When walking, for instance, do the walk-sprint-walk-sprint session early on then gradually wind down with a slower pace or some stretching.

 How do you keep your little engine roaring in the gym?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Fitness In Six Words

Posted on by Joy Held

 

 

 

Sweat nourishes my brain with rebirth.

Comments limited to six words, please.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Avoid These 7 Workout Mistakes

Posted on by Joy Held

1.No pain, no gain– Listen to your body. Know when it’s had enough. This takes a great deal of practice, however, to know the difference between whining and warning. Better to pull back before something gets hurt.

2.Timing-an erratic workout schedule confuses your body and your brain. Try to exercise close to the same time each day.

3.Not enough exercise-it takes the body and brain up to twenty minutes just to warm-up and be ready to exercise. Devote enough time to your workouts to make them productive.

4.Talking too much-more confusion. Focus on the workout for the body and don’t complicate things with comments or running conversations. Do focus on breathing.

5.Too much water-Drinking fluids during a workout can cause stomach cramps because when the liquid hits the stomach blood rushes to digest it. This drains valuable oxygen from the muscles which need it for energy. Drink before and after a workout but try to avoid drinking during the session.

6.Not enough recovery time-Plan exercise routines of varying intensities and space them out over several days.

7.The wrong clothing-Wearing improper clothing will interfere with the body’s ability to move safely. No jeans or big floppy shirts that cover your face when upside down in Downward Facing Dog pose. You need to breathe!

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Visit my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Plank Power

Posted on by Joy Held

Hopefully, you know by now that sit-ups are soooo yesterday. They only irritate the hip flexors and don’t do anything whatsoever for the rectus abdominis or the transversus abdominis which are where the real abdominal work needs to be done. Enter hatha yoga poses to save the day (again.) When the grunt-and-sweat method produces nothing but smelly gym clothes, people look around to see who has accomplished what they want to be and look like and copy them. Usually without giving the successful programs and people any credit. Fitness gurus are promoting an ancient yoga pose to build deep abdominal strength instead of multiples of useless sit-ups and crunches.

It’s called the plank pose (Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana, Sanskrit for utthita=extended; chaturanga=four limbs; danda=staff or stick.) Yogis never do crunches. In twenty-five years of practicing hatha yoga, I have never done a sit-up in yoga class, yet I can hold plank pose and all it’s variations a plenty long time. And it burns the twenty-two year-old college athletes in my classes who have lifted weights and chugged protein sludge daily for five years and they can’t hold plank the first time they try it for more than 15 seconds. When they drop to the mat with a thump and a loud grunt, they remember I’m old enough to be their mother and I’m still holding plank and talking about its benefits and beauties and they get irritated. Sixty seconds later, I SLOWLY lower  to my stomach, sit up, smile and begin my brief explanation of the abdominal muscle system and how, while they may have a six-pack in their refrigerators, they will never have a true one on their bellies without working diligently on the transversus abdominis muscle hiding behind their flabby rectus abdominis out front. Once I say “core”, the lights go on and they listen.

What’s so great about forward inclined plank pose? It’s practically the all-around exercise. The only thing it doesn’t offer is a twist for internal organ. Wait, yes it does. The extremely advanced variation where you wrap one arm around your back, bend your leg, and grab your toes behind your back is a twisting variation of plank. It’s probably out of your range at present, but never stop reaching! Plank pose develops the abdominals by calling them into action because when you are balancing on your arms as required in forward plank, the spine’s natural orientation to gravity is negated. Gravity pulls the front of the body and the spine to the earth and our work in plank is to pull those elements up and away from the gravitational pull. The muscular effort required to do this, simple as it sounds, builds strength and stamina in the whole abdominal area. The other reason it works is because the spine is kept straight and this frees the abdominal muscle group to do its job which is to hold you up. Just suck your belly and chest up to your spine and wait. It’ll happen.

Need a milder version that still works the abs? Balance on your forearms instead of your hands. Either way, don’t let your chest or belly sag toward the mat and work up to holding the pose for 60 seconds. What’s fun is trying the exciting variations of plank pose we do in hatha yoga all the time. Reversed inclined plank and side plank have even more options. That’s the neat thing about yoga. There is always a way for anybody of any condition to try any part of it.

Plank a yogi, I mean, thank a yogi for an amazingly simple and challenging pose that produces results.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

Be well, write well.

Monday Meditation: Monkey Mind Matters

Posted on by Joy Held

I’ve got bad news. Meditation is not the “quick and easy” idea several teachers and websites claim it to be. It’s so simple, it is REALLY, REALLY difficult. During my teacher education courses in college, I was admonished about forewarning students that “the following information or activity may be difficult, but do your best.” As a student, I would have appreciated knowing in advance that I was about to be trying to tame extremely hungry lions, but the prevailing teacher education message of the day was, “Don’t tell students in advance that the lesson is difficult. You are setting them up for failure.” Poo (and I don’t mean Tigger’s friend the chubby, blond bear.) If something is going to take work, I want to know up front.

Meditation takes work.

“How is that possible?” you ask. “All you do is sit there with your eyes closed. I do that every night once the wine kicks in.” Meditation is not sleeping. Snoring is a sign that your brain is bored and has fallen asleep. This is not meditation. Meditation is CONSCIOUS RELAXATION where thoughts are guided, not controlled or followed, but guided. Huh? We all have this state of thinking that is fondly referred to in meditation circles as “monkey mind.” Meditation is taming your monkey mind to keep it from jumping from thought to thought, image to image, and idea to idea. Taming monkey mind is not as easy as cracking a whip or stabbing at the air with a wooden stool. This may cause hungry lions to back down, but it does not scare monkey mind. Monkey mind responds better to kindness and compassion. Monkey mind ceases to chatter and screech, and finds a still place to rest if it is fed a steady diet of calmness, reassurance, and love.

I’ve recently explained how a simple set of words repeated over and over in your mind will calm your brain, breath, and body. It’s called a mantra, which literally means “mind tool” in the ancient Sanskrit language which is the mother tongue of meditation and yoga. It is always a very simple phrase like “Breath in. Breath out,” that is repeated rhythmically with the movement of the breath and sometimes the body.  A mantra is not quite a chant because chanting is a call to order, a statement of purpose, or a dedication. Mantras are always really, really simplistic and tend to feel musical as they are repeated over and over. They aim to produce a hypnotic state of stillness and peace by repeating the chosen phrase over and over until it doesn’t want to be repeated any longer. Yes, I said until the mantra decides it has been said enough. This is one point where the difficulty arises.

It reads like a simple exercise to mentally repeat a phrase until your mind is at rest, but the actual practice is challenging because monkey mind is typically very immature and difficult to appease. With time and practice, just like any normal toddler, monkey mind will learn to quiet down sooner and sooner when it hears the mantra, but it requires practice, practice, practice. One thing toddlers and monkey mind do NOT respond well to is punishment. No spanking, yelling, or time-outs in the corner for monkey mind. It will only mature and become quiet with patience, practice, and love.

So here’s the plan. Sit comfortably with your spine supported and your eyes closed. Yes, you can recline slightly as long as you PROMISE not to fall asleep. Better to sit upright. Begin by allowing monkey mind to chatter away about everything it can possibly think of. When you think the time is right, begin repeating the mantra you have chosen. (See list below.) Anytime monkey mind interrupts your mantra, kindly and gently IGNORE it and return to repeating the mantra. Set a timer so you don’t get frustrated. Start with three minutes once a day and gradually add a minute as you notice the time seems to “fly by.” That’s a signal you’re ready to increase your meditation time.

Simple? Let me know. Be kind to monkey mind and it will be kind to you.

Mantra suggestions:

Breath in…breath out

I breathe in…I breathe out

Peace in…negative out

I…am

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

Be well, write well.

Wednesday Workout: You ARE Independently Wealthy

Posted on by Joy Held

The practice of yoga is founded on the principle that we are each naturally endowed with what we need to survive and thrive during whatever time period we exist on Earth. Each of us lives a unique life and serves a particular role in the grand scheme. Some prosper longer than others or are equipped with what seems like better health than others. In yoga the goal is to live a life of health and devotion to the divine, self, and others that honors whatever time we have been allotted. Therefore, we are each expected to make the best of and appreciate what we are born with, and we are all independently wealthy in a sense because we have exactly what we need if only we will respect our basic gifts.

The basic gifts are:

                Breath

                Muscles and bones

                Mental ability

                Immunity

Breath: Yoga teaches breath practices known as pranayama just the same way yoga teaches physical poses or asanas. The belief is that we are each supplied with a certain number of breaths to take. It is important to make each breath productive and to recognize its value. No one knows in advance how many breaths they have received so it’s important to take care of the breath and honor it. That’s why yoga classes provide so much instruction and reminder about breathing. The breath is just as much a tool as the physical body. Use it wisely.

Muscles and bones: The wild, wild westernization of yoga has expanded its perspective in many ways. Purists are somewhat disheartened by the ideas but I believe the variety contributes to the evolution of yoga. It must continue to grow right along with the progresses of mankind. One of the changes in yoga has been the implementation of equipment. Props (blocks, straps, blankets, etc.) help students find unique ways to participate in some poses but  yoga is founded on the concept of wholeness, and whatever muscles and bones we are each supplied with is what we are expected to work with when it comes to yoga. This way we are considered rich in ourselves because we strive to strengthen what we have instead of reaching for what we cannot ever realize.

Mental ability: Advanced yoga pose variations look complicated and they can be intricate, but an upper level pose is really just a twist (sometimes literally) on the basic mental attitude of the student. Basic yoga poses such as Standing Mountain Pose and Triangle pose represent the basic thought processes of a simple idea leading to a more convoluted concept. Meditation is the opportunity to recognize a simple thought and understand its place in more intricate thought processes.

Immunity: The human immune system is fascinating. It strengthens us against disease. While some immune systems are born weaker than others, there is some degree of immunity natural to everyone. Yoga contributes to the maintenance and development of our immunity by calming the nervous system. With breath control (pranayama,) physical actions (asanas,) and mental calmness (meditation,) we are working with our individual gifts to be the best we can be.

Do you realize how wealthy you are?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 Be well, write well.