On the Importance of Final Relaxation in Savasana

If you have taken some yoga, you are all familiar with savasana - the corpse pose - used as a final relaxation in many yoga classes. Because yoga engages your body with so many simultaneous stretch and strength exercises, it is extremely important to have some relaxation time at the end of your practice.

As I worked with my DVD yoga classes this year, I was always annoyed with how fast the teachers raced through the final relaxation. Two minutes wasn't cutting it for me. I noticed that the teacher Yorie at my Wednesday night yoga class includes between 10-15 minutes of relaxation in savasana at the end of her workout. I compared how I felt the next day.

After a 2 minute relaxation the way I practiced at home, I felt very sore all over - particularly in my back and in the backs of my legs. The day after Yorie's class, I felt only a little sore even though the intensity of the workout was similar to what I do at home.

Over the last few weeks, I listened to what my body needed and have routinely clicked the DVD player pause button on my controller at relaxation time. I haven't strictly timed my relaxation, but have stayed in relaxation until I really felt a peaceful sense of calmness not just in my mind, but throughout my whole body. About the time when I am wavering between thinking about my body and thoughts are drifting elsewhere into dreamland, I slowly get myself up to seating by rolling over to my side and taking a few breathes before siting.

For me, I like sitting in simple crossed legged pose or half-lotus position with my hands on my knees facing up - to draw power from the earth. I also to hold this longer than the DVD teachers do. Much like Yorie's class I prefer to do this for about 3-5 minutes (eyes closed), and then follow this with my hands in prayer position for 3-5 minutes (eyes half open) before bowing and saying namaste.

Compare a short relaxation time in your practice to a 10-15 minute relaxation time, and see if you can see the big difference too!

Yoga in a Cold Place

If you live in a home with no insulation or central heating, even a fall morning or evening can feel frighteningly cold. Muscles that should be warm when you practice have to be massaged quickly in the shower or after sitting and watching TV, or you feel you have to do aerobics before you get going with yoga. Aerobics!? You didn't plan an evening of aerobics did you you!? You wanted to do yoga! So, how are you going to keep your body warm, so that you can safely enjoy a full yoga practice in your cold home in a place where even running a space heater is too expensive?

Tai chi, whatever style you practice, can be done just about anywhere and in any weather. With the exception of Yang style that requires a wooden floor to do turns, tai chi can be done on the beach or in a park. Assuming you are preparing for a yoga practice in a cold apartment, a 10-15 minute tai chi long form can be done without any prior warm up because of the slow and gentle speed of the practice. By the end, your body will be slowly warmed up, and prepare you to start a yoga routine with slow deep breathing and a calm and meditative state of mind.

Another warm-up I like to do are what yoga teacher Lucas Rockwood calls gravity poses. These are a series of yoga poses designed to increased flexibility through the use of gravity and deep breathing. Most of these poses are held up to 5 minutes. I like to do about 15 minutes of these even if I have done tai chi on a typical day. Because of their use of gravity, they are in fact perfectly safe to do without a warm-up - though they are even better after some kind of warm-up. I think they themselves are a good warm-up too.

In Japan, I also have a Kotatsu, which is a Japanese floor table with a heater under it. A Kotatsu is great to warm your legs, so that once you get out of it after about 10 minutes, you could comfortably start a yoga practice. Alternatively, a hot shower or even better yet a bath - would have the same - if not even greater benefit to make sure your body is warm and that you are in a relaxed and comfortable state to practice Yoga in a cold space.

My apartment also has an air-conditioner in the living room area which fortunately doubles as a space heater. Set this going and the room will be warmer, and at least more comfortable to work-out in.

Something else I tried recently was putting on heavy layers of clothing for 20 minutes. By heavy layers, I don't mean putting on 6 or 7 sweat pants over one another. What I mean is buying a winterized pair of snow pants. Uniqlo and other clothing stores have affordable winter clothes that are light, but specially designed to trap heat. A hoody is also great to wear over a long sleeve shirt for a while around the home. I also have a neck warmer. This is basically a tube you can wear and pull down to warm your neck.

After you feel warmed up from wearing extra or special winter clothes, change your pants to a pair of full length sweat pants. If you feel you need to, you can wear dance or exercise tights under these. Some people also like to wear leg warmers. Make sure you are wearing socks to keep your feet warm. Keep your hoody on until you feel warm enough to take it off. After taking this off, keep it close to your yoga mat along with a small blanket. You will need them during slow cool down times and the blanket is a must during the final rest or savasana time.

A note of caution is that you will need to be extra cautious to listen to your body. You may not be able to get your legs as warm as you could in a heated space. You may therefore need to go easier on your stretches. I also find that my body is not as good at telling me that it is thirsty in colder weather. Drink regularly before the practice, and if necessary during the practice. Drink something warm if possible as warm drinks are best for the health of your throat.

Be your own boss. When you practice at home, the DVD teacher is just a guide. You are your own real teacher. The controller is your friend and should be used as needed. In a cooler room, you may sometimes need a longer time to move into a particular position you find challenging. I have tight hamstrings on my right leg for example. In cooler weather, I sometimes need to pause the DVD player to give myself more time to get into a wide angle stretch.

Finally, in a cooler temperature, a regular sleep routine is more important than in warmer seasons. A tired body, in my experience, is more susceptible to chills and infections (such as sore throats or irritated sinuses) in cold weather. Don't push yourself as much in your training if it is getting late. But, you will need to keep yourself moving throughout your practice without breaking much (if at all) or you will find yourself cool down much faster than in warm weather.

Be safe!

Guiding My Practice through Illness to Recovery

Although the human body is an intricate marvel that can exceed our expectations, it breaks down and gets sick. Even when you are being careful, illness may knock you down. It's quite easy (and is the problem in my case) that you push yourself too much without realizing it. It is a funny thing to hear teachers tell you that you have to discipline yourself to make sure you practice regularly and don't miss a day of yoga etc... But, the truth for me (and perhaps you too) is that it is quite easy to take too much on. You might find that a certain yoga practice makes you feel good, and that you can add this much more to your practice. Suddenly, you may find yourself with a practice that is too long (when you are doing a personal home practice). In my case, I was staying up too late and lost the balance between work and exercise.

I think this probably happened too me twice this year, and now I am going through a second recovery. While the first time I got sick was an ear infection and I was pretty much able to keep to my yoga routine, this time with shingles it was not comfortable or good for my recovery to continue my practice full tilt. My shingles in fact was accompanied with a cold and fever, and I had to take a whole week off of yoga. The next week when the fever was gone and the shingles on my left side was a little better, I did yoga 6 days of the week but only for 30 to 40 minutes a day. On the third week, I am still recovering from my shingles, but have brought my daily practice up to about 40 to 65 minutes. So far so good. The question then is whether I will go back to alternating days with 3 days at about 100 minutes and the other 3 days at about 40-60 minutes of yoga practice? Probably 100 minutes is too much for an office worker... I have also been out of my yoga class for 3 weeks as well. I would like to go back next week on Wednesday.

I have learned through the course of this sickness recovery process that you can do yoga while you recover from an illness, but you may need to modify the types of exercises you do and the length of time (shorten) your practice. I haven't practiced headstands for a while because of clogged sinuses. It is very uncomfortable to feel like you got water up your nose from swimming when you are just doing yoga! However, downward dogs have been fine, as have forward folds. So, other times of inversions - less extreme kinds have been possible for me.

As you recover, rather than suddenly jumping back to your previous intense schedule of practice, it is better to gradually build it up. No doubt I haven't felt as strong as I did before I got sick. I need to build up my strength again, and get my lungs breathing again now that my sinuses have healed and are no longer congested.

Something that I have learned that is very important - is TO TRY AND DO A LITTLE LESS THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN DO! This is a very hard lesson for me and I may fail to listen to my own good advice. This means that I will have to make a shorter workout schedule and commit myself to it by putting it on paper.

Sometime soon I will post a more parred down schedule from the one I posted in an earlier blog. I think I will post both the new and the old side by side. I would also like to make them a little more informative for the reader. It is all very fine for me to post that I will do 40 minutes from this DVD Tuesday and 60 minutes from this other DVD on Friday, but that does not tell you the content of the lesson. Sometime I will will post the sequence of my workouts as my goal is to eventually work out on my own listening to my own body. This means at some point memorizing the lessons on these DVDs and deciding based on how my body feels on a given day what material or materials to cover. I think this is a good goal for all students to eventually strive for.

It is of course true that no two people are alike, but in sharing these sequences and exercises I hope I can help others gain new insights and ideas to incorporate in your own home practice.

Stay healthy - and while you should always keep to your workout routine - when you have the temptation to add more to your workout - avoid being addicted to your practice or adding more than you can handle. Again, try to do a little less than you think you can do!

Namaste!

Flexibility Gains through "Gravity Yoga" - Part 3

I just want to add (on this series of posts on "flexibility gains" - although this post has nothing to do with discussing flexibility gains) that a part of the reason that pursuing yoga is so fun is that I get a lot of positive energy from the people involved. I met some great people in the world of dance, but the fierce competition made for a lot of behind people's back gossiping, bullying, and cutting others down that was not at all constructive. I don't see these elements in the world of yoga as much (as far as I've seen the world of yoga!). Perhaps this is also part and parcel of my more advanced-in-years take on things. But, by and large people are going to yoga classes for themselves. If you can get past who has their leg higher and get over competing with yourself (I'm guilty a little of the later - but I'm working on getting over this!), yoga classes are an ideally supportive environment where teachers are really there for you and classmates are very respectful of one another.

With this frame of thought, I wanted to perhaps comment a little more on some of the negative comments I made about Lucas Rockwood and his stretch products. Yes, he has many products to sell and he is aggressive about selling them. But, I don't work with him in person. To me he is a teacher on a DVD, and his ideas on the DVD have been helpful to me. I also have found working with Rodney Yee DVDs very helpful, but know as a fact he teaches at incredibly expensive yoga retreats and sells expensive products there. Teachers have to make a living, and I guess that is how you have to do it. What gets to me is when you are continually bombarded with the sales pitch. Back in New York, I was bombarded with a sales pitch from a dance teacher I did work with to buy (sign up for a monthly order for) health products right at his dance classes. How quickly he cooled off to me when I said "no" after ordering from him only once! He was a teacher that for a time I regarded as a personal friend. Some where along the line when the selling becomes too pushy, the feeling of competition (not yours - the teachers) messes up the trust you have with the teacher. Without the trust, you question that you are being respected as a student and that your best interests are truly being met. This is after - in one way or another - you have paid for the teacher to look after your best health interests in dance or yoga.

But to say "no" to a Lucas Rockwood or Rodney Yee product via email is simply a quick click on the delete key. None of my teachers "hooked" me into racking out cash, and I have found what I gained from them far more valuable than what I have lost (monetarily or emotionally - fending off sales pitches!) Take the best from your teachers and ignore the bad elements with a simple delete key. If you experience a teacher in person that is selling products, it is probably time to change classes or even yoga studios. I dropped my former dance teacher, and I felt much better for doing so even though I learned a lot studying with him.

The reality today is that yoga teachers probably have to work a day job too. I know my teacher in Japan does. This does not make it easy to calling yoga teaching your profession. So, naturally many yoga teachers are drawn to ways to make money. They may produce DVDs, teach at yoga retreats, teach at universities or studios, and even sell products. In the most extreme cases, some teachers can look extremely greedy and self-serving. But, in my experience, a nicely put together class DVD is a nicely put together class DVD. If the DVD is nice, it is all you need to take from that teacher. The rest you can ignore if you want...

Where am I going now ...? - Part 2

Okay. I think I got a little more response on my last post than I expected. Blogs are meant to entertain the reader and to some extent sensationalize the events of the writer's life - in this case my own regarding my journey through movement and yoga - and all that that entails. There are no lies in my blog, but the last one I guess was more of a vent than I realized. I really haven't expected much readership at all, so I was a little surprised (even though I in part instigated it by posting a link to the new article on Facebook) when I had my 3rd comment ever on this blog since starting it a few months back, and 2 comments on Facebook sounding quite concerned. My doctor told me shingles was from stress and this was echoed by posters on Facebook (a family member and a friend) wondering if I was ok and what's wrong. The truth be told - and here I am really taking aside from the theme of this blog - is that I have a little more stress than usual because I am an expat living in a new country that has new customs, food, and language. In Japan, I experience these things (both wonderful and challenging) on a daily basis, and there is no time out from it really other than at my home with my wife or by talking with my American colleagues. When  you don't have a good grasp of the local language, it is kind of like feeling like a kid again who can't tie their own shoelaces on their own. I need my wife to go with me to the doctors or the dentists, and while I can basically make myself understood at stores and such it takes much more effort. So, there are times I get a little frustrated and more short-tempered than I would in New York where I last lived, but these are also the growing pains of settling into a new country. I have been through a huge number of changes this year, but have experienced things that I think are overall positive. Over time, stress usually gets less as you adjust to a culture. Yoga certainly has been helping me tremendously, and will have a great role in helping me have a happier and healthier year in 2012. To round out the New Year, I will be visiting family and friends in New York City at the end of December and through New Years and have a chance to sample some yoga classes in Westchester and in New York City. I will even visit my old Astoria, NYC haunt, Agora Yoga - with their great atmosphere and kind teachers...

Where are I going now...?

This year in spite of getting healthy and doing yoga, it has been a deplorable one in other ways. Before I started yoga at the beginning of my Japan life in March 2011, I had a manditory medical check by nurses and doctors who check all the students and all the staff. They set up at various nursing stations taking blood samples, urine samples, blood pressure, and checking how "fat" you were among other things. The results came back that my heart was "bad" (an irregular heart beat - but I already knew that), and that I was too "fat." Now I've been a guy who has been called skinny all my life, and so this was pretty funny for me. They also told me that I was eating too much sugar. I knew that too. I couldn't stop eating delicious Japanese chocolate when I first came here. Everywhere this delicious boxed chocolate is abundantly available at 24-hour convenience stores located every couple of blocks in Japan. I would go so far to say that Japan stole the convenience store model from the US and shaped it into an abominably perfect masterpiece of shopping utopia for all tastes - in my case - catering to my insatiable craving for chocolate. So, with a bit of struggling at first I knew I had to shape up, and do something to kick or at least control my chocolate habit. One box of chocolate covered almonds a day was intolerable! I was riding my bike a little, but I needed something regular that would take care of my very immobile sitting at a desk reality at my work.

Even though this blog has discussed my hard work getting a yoga training routine going, I've skipped over my illnesses this year like I was something invincible. Illness unfortunately is an important part of the struggle to keep healthy - my struggle - this year. This year I had a week of influenza just after my medical exam. After starting yoga, I've have 1 ear infection, 2 colds (one included a fever), and most recently my last cold included shingles on my left side. In fact, last week I had to take a week off of yoga. This was frustrating and drove me a little crazy. I was trying not to irritate my shingles which if scratched or rubbed will get worse. This week as I began to get a little better, I got back a little into yoga. But, a new obstacle entered the picture. The weather is getting colder, and most homes in Japan, including my own, have no central heating. I have a heater under a floor table called a kotatsu, but this hardly helps when you want to get up and move about. I've ended up doing far more tai chi than I've wanted to do to get my body warm. Then, I have to wear a lot more clothes and be a lot more careful stretching. I also need to cover myself when I go into savasana. Headstands are also out until my sinuses have recovered. My workouts tend to be shorter, and I have to be patient with the cold.

Where am I going now with my yoga practice? I guess now I am learning the lesson of patience, and a better understanding of my vulnerability. I am trying to do what it takes to be healthy rather than obsessing about my yoga progress. I can worry more about that when I am healthy again, and the weather is better. Perhaps my illnesses this year are a sign that the balance of all things in my life (family, work, free time, and yoga) were out of balance. Rather than doing as much as I can - which I think I have been doing - I should try to do a little less as well as I can. This is I think is a better way for me to do the best that I can do without doing too much...

Flexibility Gains through "Gravity Yoga" - Part 2

Well it's been a good month since I started working with the Lucas Rockwood "Flexibility" DVD. His claim is that with 15 minutes a day (over a period of time he does not state...), he can double your flexbility. As I work with the DVD, I am convinced that the exercises help my yoga practice, but that the gains are much more subtle. For example, I've noticed a little bit more openess in my hips and in doing doing downward dog in my shoulders. I am not certain whether I can atttribute this all to Lucas' magic product, however. His 15 minutes is of course only a small amount of the time that I dedicate to yoga each day, and my gains may also be attributed to consistently practicing yoga and consistently doing a variety of workouts. One thing I will say for the DVD is that it is a great way to warm-up the body for a steady breathing rhythm. The DVD emphasises deep steady breathing through the stretches. I generally go to a more typical type of class DVD after, but find I start this practice with a much greater awareness of breath. I would say then that the DVD is no "magic bullet" as Lucas Rockwood claims, but rather that his DVD is a helpful supplement to a comprehensive yoga workout.

I've noticed in frequent E-mails I get from him (he sends these on mass to anyone who orders from him)with his "stretching secrets" that he is connected to or is a follower of Anthony Robbins. For the uninitiated, Anthony Robbins is an inspiring motivational speaker and author who almost had me convinced about how to chance my life a few years back. What does he convince people to do? He argues from a health perspective for us all to pursue vegetarianism. This is very good, and there is good science to support this. What I am less convinced about is why he tries to convince everyone that they need to drink his green drink. I would be more happily convinced if Anthony Robbins wasn't trying to push his own green drink (for a high price) on his followers. I noticed that Lucas Rockwood does too. Drink Mr. Rockwood's "stretch formula" and you will become more stretchy! Well... er... um.... maybe... But for such a pricey product...? Sounds sketchy to me!

What am I doing it for?

When you do headstands do you use the wall for support or not? I try not to use the wall. Why?! This was a very good question. I understand that you will still make great gains with your alignment, develop your upper body strength, and do good things for your cadiovascular system etc. by using the wall to support your balance. Asking the question "why?" led me to think about how the body can naturally move and how the body can be trained to move. Babies have a tremendous flexibility which we in our lives either try to maintain or gain back through yoga or other exercise practice. Babies do not run around doing headstands (although children do run out and do cartwheels!). While we are capable of training to do this, it is not natural repertory for the body. Then why do it? Why do I still seek the challenge? I guess I amaze myself when I overcome a challenge and learn to do something that is "extraordinary." It keeps me feeling young and gives me the courage to sit at my desk at work another day. But, I should never pursue ways of moving, levels of flexibility, or new positions in yoga with a spirit of competition (or at least not too much!). Yoga is meant to develop our bodies and minds and improve our ability to relax and do things one step at a time. This means letting them happen... rather than making them happen. I think I'll keep trying to do the headstand without the wall to feel like I can "climb Mt. Everest" when I learn to do it consistently, but I need to rethink my journey but "unthinking" in my daily practice and just allow it to happen. I've run into problems of feeling "stressed out" before trying a headstand. I've noticed that the times I just go and do it are the times I am most successful. I make poor progress when I feel any anxiety by trying too much to do it...

Between Joy and Pain in the &*@&#^$%^!!

Things can get kind of ugly when something you love - that helps you relax and do something good for your body and mind - becomes a chore and you feel as though your strength is half what it should be and with your teeth gritting you count down the seconds till you end your practice... Well, learning is supposed to be cyclical. That is learning is like a circle slowly moving up - the idea being you take 2 steps up a staircase, but also 1 step back before you move on.

This week I think in many respects I'm taking that one step back. Last night my arms seemed weak and I was not connecting properly with my abdominals. I could not do a headstand even though I was making progress and was beginning to be able to do it each evening after 2 or 3 tries. While my upward bow is getting good enough, it was a chore getting up there and my lower back was sore. It took me almost to the end of my practice last night to get to my best downward dog - as least as close to properly as I could.

What made me feel better about this practice was that I have practiced very consistently for the last 5 months. I also had studied with an interesting DVD with teacher Erich Schiffman last Friday. In the DVD, he spends 1 1/2 hours to teach you how to do the FULL lotus position through a variety of stretches and hip opening exercises. His voice through the practice is very soothing and gentle. He says kind words such as "Don't push yourself - wait for it to let you in..." or "Do it so that it feels good, do it so that you enjoy the stretch." As I was reflecting on my practice last night, I thought about the kinds of things that Erich Schiffman said, and maybe part of the problem is that I am overthinking my practice and not enjoying it. I always find that I can do my headstand best when I feel the most relaxed. The fact that a very inflexible me was able to get my legs into a lotus (at least lying down) says something about what the power of enjoyment can do to your practice.

Enjoying your practice rather than doing it as a pain in the *&^*$^&%R&!!! may be the difference between making those important gains in your yoga practice or not... Anyways just some hazy self-reflection here... but possibly a grain of truth hidden behind all of this....

Flexibility Gains through "Gravity Yoga" - Part 1

This week I started working out with a flexibility DVD. The teacher, Lucas Rockwood , claims to have a stretching program of 15 minutes a day that can dramatically increase your flexibility over a short amount of time. By targetting key muscles and using what he calls "gravity yoga stretches" and changing by your diet to one rich in greens and with his special mail-order only dietary supplements, he goes so far as to claim that he can double your flexbility. I first came across Lucas Rockwell in a web search for some kind of DVD or book that could help me improve my own flexibility. After several years of dance and now yoga, I remember peaking at a certain point in flexiblity and then not making discernable gains. Certain positions in yoga are likley harder for me than a more flexible person because I am working harder at finding the positions. I always feel I am working to go beyond my maximum, while more flexible students can work more within a comfort zone and thus work less hard. This has always disconcerted me. I am not inflexible, but I would say certain things such as tight hamstrings have always limited the range of motion I would ideally like to have. I'm sure you know many people who feel the same way. Perhaps even yourself. On Youtube, I found many video clips by Lucas Rockwood about how to do various yoga poses successfully. What struck me about him was his clear matter of fact instructional style that made it sounds like anyone could learn to do any pose. Also, he was incredibly flexible and could do an upward bow or wheel like none other! I thought maybe this guy could help me if he had a DVD or something. What was his secret? I looked around the Internet and sure enough he has his own website (www.yogabodynaturals.com/ ) and --- a yoga stretch DVD! This week I started using the DVD considering I have nothing to lose except the $26 or so dollars I paid to order it... Please note I will be skipping on all of his powder or dietary supplements. It is possible that there is something to good diet and improving your stretches - but it is important to maintain a successful workout that is an affordable one and forgo pricey designer brand neutraceuticals if possible. I will update on my progess and see whether there is anything to his gravity yoga stretches or whether it is just a clever gimmick or marketing ploy. Stay tuned, and see whether (or not) I can get "bendier"!

Yogi Oki Doki

If you've ever lived in the US, and these days even if you haven't, you are probably familiar with Fox News. To discerning viewers in the states, Fox is well-known for editing audio and video clips to the point of distorting stories. The same could be said of a very unfortunate video clip which continues to haunt Youtube even though many postings have since been removed. The controversy surrounds a dedicated and I might add veteran yoga teacher by the name of Max Thomas, who is based in California. This teacher created a TV program intended for pre-school children called EiEi Yoga. Whoever got their hands on this video edited down to a roughly 2-minute Youtube clip to try and show what a "creepy" and "scary" man this yoga teacher is. Taking clips out of context, repeating them, or emphasizing them could turn any children's program into something awkwardly campy and creepy. Take the late popular television series Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I'm sure if anyone took the Fox News style editing approach to even a single episode by picking out certain clips, changing the order, and putting manipulative subtitles on the screen, we could end up with the same conclusion that the late Fred Roger's was a "creepy" and "scary" man who should never be near our children. At first, I was drawn into the myth that EiEi Yoga was hosted by a "creepy" and "scary" man until I saw a post from the wife of Max Thomas (whose character is Yogi Oki Doki in the program) that said that the video was given very positive reviews in Yoga Journal and in the New York Times. She goes on to write that along with being a long-term respected teacher of yoga, he has down community outreach with yoga to help patients with HIV and teens with schizophrenia. She concludes that children like the program. On looking around the Internet for these reviews, I was able to dig up the New York Times review which sure enough gives EiEi Yoga. Randy Hutter Epstein writes after showing his kids the video for "...two classes and weeks..., I am starting to become convinced that yoga can aid children physically and emotionally." Amazon.com which still has the video available has it currently rated 3 stars out of 5. I looked through the reviews to see if anyone called the video "creepy" or "scary," and found that either the parents gave the video rave reviews or complained that it energized the kids too much without a calm down section at the end of the tape. All of these reviews are a far cry from evil troll behind the Youtube clip.

Controversial Youtube clip (PLEASE WATCH SKEPTICALLY - if is highly edited!!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld4rPpYLYq0

Blogger who at first promotes Max Thomas negatively (Note the comments and how easily the public gets swayed by misinformation):
http://www.yogadork.com/news/who-is-the-eiei-yoga-farmer-meet-max-thomas-aka-yogi-oki-doki/

Listing for EiEiYoga on Youtube with real reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/i-i-Yoga-Kids-VHS/product-reviews/1561764019/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

A website with information about Max Thomas and his current work in Yoga:
http://www.highdeserteden.com/yoga.html

A New York Times review for EiEiYoga (Notice how postive it is):
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/15/health/the-novice-hardly-out-of-diapers-and-now-into-yoga.html?pagewanted=all

Notice how the blogger listed above changes their tone towards Max Thomas when his wife posts the following:
http://www.yogadork.com/news/ok-everybody-make-fun-of-the-hippie-dippy-e-i-e-i-yoga-farmer-video/

Robin Maxwell August 4, 2009 at 8:47 pm

As co-creator and producer of EiEi Yoga, and proud wife of Yogi Oki Doki (you may call me Mrs. Oki Doki) I would like to ask that someobody re-print Richard Rosen’s stellar Yoga Journal review of this video (1997) in which he unequivocally gave it “4 hooves up!”. Yogi and Rasta the Rooster appeared on several national TV magazines, and the science and medical writer for the New York Times said “Yogi Oki Doki is a hero in my house.”

Max Thomas (a/k/a Yogi Oki Doki) is one of California’s most beloved and respected yoga teachers. He was the director of the Center for Yoga in L.A. for four years in the early `80s before yoga became hip and ubiquitous. He has taught teacher training courses at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, and in his own studios in L.A., Topanga and currently in Yucca Valley, CA. He has worked gratis for HIV patients in West L.A., and for schizophrenic teenagers at UCLA Medical Center. He was one of the first yoga teachers to acknowledge that if children were taught yoga we would be living in a much saner world.

Now, on a badly edited YouTube clip that has received close to a quarter of a million hits and 1,100 comments in 6 days (“Weird Hippie Yoga Farmers”) Max has been derided in every way imaginable, called “creepy” and “a pedophile.” One viewer referred to one of the beautiful children he was teaching as “that little nigger.” I know that the mental capacity of most of these people makes Fox News viewers seems like Rhodes Scholars, but it would be nice to see a little support from the yoga community for a fellow teacher, one who has dedicated the last 35 years of his life to bringing yoga to the world.

Perhaps you can go to the “everything is terrible site” and throw in a positive comment.

And yes, kids LOVE this video.

Punk Rock Yoga

In my search for the new, interesting, or controversial in yoga, I recently came across Punk Rock Yoga classes offered in Canada, the US, Australia, and Germany. At first I thought these classes were anarchical yoga classes set to alternative or punk music. But, as I read more, I became more intrigued. At punkrockyoga.com, the site describes the classes:

Punk Rock Yoga is Hatha yoga with a twist. We practice yoga in unconventional spaces and often feature live musicians. We offer an open-minded and straight-forward approach to yoga philosophy while embracing the ancient yoga tradition of Do-It-Yourself. We believe yoga is for everyone.

Founder Kimberlee Jensen Stedl says she started Punk Rock Yoga in 2003 to "...scrub the elitism and rigidity out of modern yoga." She said she wanted to teach in a nightclub setting and attract teenagers to yoga class. She writes that yoga from its inception 6000-years ago was passed on to be interpreted and developed by the students. Yet, today she said it is often treated as something codified into rules. She says the personal exploration aspect of yoga has been lost, and students follow teachers too much. She writes that: "the teacher should provide different interpretations on the subject and allow the students to discover their own answers." Punk Rock Yoga tries to take away the recent modern yoga obsession with attaining the perfect body through yoga by making all students feel comfortable in their bodies. It tries to break down the socio-demographic elitism of yoga by having students take class in a circle rather in rows. While a good summary of these basic tenants of punk rock yoga can be found on the Punk Rock Yoga website, Kimberlee wrote elaborates more in her book the Punk Rock Yoga Manifesto in 2010.

Though I haven't had the opportunity to take a Punk Rock Yoga class or look at her book, her ideas have got me intrigued about ways I could or perhaps even should improve my practice. An interesting starting point for myself down the road is "freeing" myself from relying on my exercise DVDs and really self-explore and evolve my own practice. Can I set up my home practice without DVDs? Second, am I open-minded enough to break away from using new age or classical Indian music to accompany my practice? Can I find relaxation and meditation through other forms of music? Thirdly, can I practice yoga outside of the confines of my apartment in other settings? 

So Much To Learn In So Little Time...!

These days I am not near a big city, and I only have access to 1 good yoga class a week. I've heard that many people are in the same situation, and hope they could study more. I, myself, want to study 6 days a week. But, the proliferation of instructional yoga DVDs and Internet sites with yoga resources and classes is tremendous. So, I can - with a certain amount of self-discipline - study yoga 6 days a week. So far, I've been very impressed with the quality of instructional yoga DVDs I use, and I have been able to learn a lot on my own. In fact, I've heard that it is strongly recommended that all students of yoga set up some kind of home practice in addition to their live classes to make discoveries on their own! Of course, I have to save my questions during the week for my teacher, or rewatch a certain section of a DVD over and over. But, I now have enough DVDs to have a varied and interesting practice. For the past few months, I have been rather spontaneous about what I would do for an evening of yoga. While it is good to always listen to your body, I felt I needed something a little more structured for a weekly schedule. This past weekend, I went over my DVDs and designed a schedule that would focus on different things that my body needs throughout the week. I tried to pay attention to my weaknesses, but also allow time for myself to enjoy things that are easier for me to do. Of course, picking and choosing can be difficult if you start collecting a large number of yoga DVDs, and I certainly wish I had a few more days to add other exciting workouts to my practice. Feel free to use or rearrange or delete or add to this suggested workout practice. I probably will as time goes on! Happy practicing!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Long Form 15-20 min. Gravity Yoga Work on Headstand DVD (Lucas Rockwood) Day 1 15 min. 15 min. Power Yoga Total Body DVD (Rodney Yee 2005) 80 min.	Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Long Form 20-25 min. Work on Headstand 15 min. Gravity Yoga DVD (Lucas Rockwood) Day 2 15 min.   Strength Building Yoga DVD (Rodney Yee 2004) Do Workout  1 42 min. (DVD is   65 min.)	Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Long Form 20-25 min. Work on Headstand 15 min. Gravity Yoga DVD (Lucas Rockwood) Day 3 15 min. Ultimate Power Yoga DVD (Rodney Yee  2010) Do Workout 1,2,and 4 or 5 Do 1,2,4, and 5 only if you feel really energetic 1. Power Foundation (15 min) 2. Sun Salutations (20 min) 3. Standing Poses (20 min) 4. Back Bends (20 min) 5. Restoration (10 min)	Gravity Yoga DVD (Lucas Rockwood) Day 4 15 min. Yorie’s class at Kokubu’s community center 70-80 min.	Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Long Form 20-25 min. Work on Headstand 15 min. Gravity Yoga DVD (Lucas Rockwood) Day 5 15 min Yoga Burn DVD (Rodney Yee 2005) 60 min.	Yoga Abs DVD (Rodney Yee 2004) 30 minutes AND Backyard Yoga: Lotus Pose DVD (Erich Schiffmann) 81 min. OR Repeat 1 or 2 sections from classes during the week i.e. parts from Strength Building Yoga or Ultimate Power Yoga OR Try a new yoga DVD workout Optional: Roller Take 30 minutes to roll through back and hang at various points	BREAK Go for a walk or ride your bike.
125-130 min.	92-100 min.	95-100 min.	85-95 min.	110-115 min.	60 + min.	Any amount

Competitive Yoga is Not Yoga

If you have a look at yoga videos on Youtube (of which there are many!), you will probably at some point come across yoga competitions! I was a little surprised to learn about these because I always thought yoga was a personal journey into mental, physical, and spiritual self-improvement - and not a journey into seeing who can lift their leg higher or bend their back more... One of the things I have always loved about setting foot in a yoga class was that it was not showy and competitive like a dance class. In fact, ideally the lights are dimmed, so that you can focus internally on - the self - your self - and not on others... and gradually develop your practice over time. What nags me is that the competitive yogis are missing all of the "spiritual" or mental parts of yoga practice. So, quite frankly the idea of yoga competition turns personal yoga practice from an intimate moment of retreat and therapeutic relaxation into stressful sport. It is hard enough for aspiring yogi like myself not to be seduced by pictures - let alone videos - or people doing mind boggling poses or asanas. Yoga is about turning down the noise created by multi-media, the stress of often itinerant work realities, and the high pace of living in the modern world. We turn down the noise to listen to ourselves, and do what we need to do for ourselves - so that we can be happier and lead more peaceful lives. Sadly, competitive yoga does not help turn down the noise. Competitive yoga is not yoga.

"Half-baked" Asanas

Through the practice of yoga we try to fine tune our connection to our bodies, our mind, the collective consciousness, and world around us. But, Liz McDonald and a few other LA Yoga instructors are now offering so-called "baked" yoga classes where students are encouraged to indulge before practice! Speaking from my experience training in dance, tai chi, and more recently yoga - this kind of stimulant would do more harm than good for your practice. Good balance, for example, requires full attention to your body alignment and muscular connections. During an asana sequence, it is important to work on breath and keep pace with the class. How well can you breath when you have just abused your lungs? If your senses are numbed, how well can you truly listen to your body's messages on how to align and connect your body during your practice? Yoga makes students more positive and relaxed without stimulants. When you take the precious time to do something good for your body, why give your body mixed messages by trying to do something bad for it? To me, yoga and proper meditation requires you to really concentrate and give your full attention to the practice. If you are out of touch with your senses, you cannot truly give your practice your full attention. To me yoga is a way to help know and develop yourself - relying on what you can get from the practice itself, and not through toxic stimulants. Yoga already gives you a natural high from doing something good for your body... I will now take a chance and be more personal here - I originally became a dancer in part because I knew it would break my bad habit of binge drinking and frequent marijuana use. Yoga is the same in that the high you can get from good exercise, and the positive feeling you get from doing something good for your body can help you overcome addiction. Someone who does this kind of class may be an experience seeker rather than a student who really wants to work on their yoga. But, for me, "baked asanas" are without question "half-baked" and contradict healthy exercise practice and living.

Click hear blogger Tosca Braun take on "baked" asanas!

Don't believe me? Click here to check out Liz McDonald's class at Brazilian Yoga Pilates!

The Pose that Does It All!

Yoga teacher Jill Miller, on the Gaiam site, calls this the "All-in-one-pose." If you have very little time to do yoga, this pose gives you a stretch in your legs, arms, and back, and also allows you to work on your abdominals and your breath. It is certainly no replacement for doing a yoga asana, but this is definitely a great exercise to do as part of your full length yoga practice or by itself if you were short on time. Click on this image and learn more about the benefits and proper execution of this this pose. Check it out!




Moving Posture and the Wonder of Life

Rodney Yee said there is no perfect posture and that the only perfect posture is moving posture. He says the body wants to move and is meant to move, and that is what keeps us healthy. Without doubt, this kind of outlook is reassuring. If perfection is moving posture, our journey will always continue. If we are always moving, there is never a final destination. Yoga richly rewards us with mental, spiritual, and physical insights as we move through our practice. It is through movement that we know we are alive and keep living. Yoga affirms life in every nerve of our body and mind. We do not want to feel like a non-living rock in the forest! The perfect posture for a rock is a stationary posture. That is the nature of a rock. But, we are not rocks and that is why sitting at a desk in an office for several hours not moving makes us tired, lethargic, and irritable. It just doesn't feel good - or natural! We need to move our arms and get up and stretch. So, break up your work day with frequent stretches, and even try standing sometimes while you work! Take a quick walk around at lunchtime if you can! Affirm this with a daily yoga practice - a time in which you can celebrate your movement to its fullest - and the wonder of life's energy flowing within you - Namaste!

Click here to see this clip on Youtube!

Reflecting on Steve Jobs, Karma Yogi, and Philanthropy

The loss of Steve Jobs today marks the end of the first (and perhaps second and third generations) of the development of personal computers and portable multi-media devices. But, did you know that this university drop-out turned computer visionary had roots in yoga? In a popular blog called the Path to Yoga, the anonymous blogger writes that there are many Karma Yoga lessons we can learn from Jobs. Karma yoga, the blogger writes, is "...reaching a state of union with the Self through right action." The blogger said this could be interpreted as both selfless service, or doing something that has to be done. Did Jobs act in selfless service, or perform some kind of right action or some kind of duty? According to an article online in the Huffington Post on October 9, 2011, Apple indirectly raised a tremendous amount of money through product sales for AIDS in Africa, but Jobs never donated any of his own money - at least not publicly - to charity. At this point there is not much evidence that he himself was a philanthropist even if Apple itself engaged in philanthropy (albeit paid by the consumers!). When we think of the concept of selflessly serving, you think about doing something that puts others' interests ahead of your own. Without philanthropy, I don't see Steve Jobs as having ever engaged in "personal sacrifice" beyond efforts to create "revolutionarty" multimedia devices for the consumer. So, back to the article in the Path to Yoga blog, the blogger concludes from quotes in the press and his speeches that Jobs did what he did because he loved what he did, wanted people to like his products, and the money was not really important or why he did what he did. In other words, we might go as far as to say that he did what he did without expecting (much) in return. But, I tend to look at small business owners who barely scrape by as acting more out of personal self-sacrifice for their family or at the very least working hard because what they do is a labor of love to keep their businesses from going under. Please remember how rich Mr. Jobs was, and correctly position him in history. He may have engaged in some level of self-sacrifice in committing himself 24/7 to providing jobs for many people and moving and shaking the wired world's techno-culture, but I believe philanthropy is about something far more generous and for the greater public good. Apart from neat cutting edge multi-media products, I will remember Jobs best for his life lesson that if you dedicate yourself fully to a personal dream, you will receive good karma in return. To this end, he connected well with people by helping people connect better with other people technogically, and making a very successful company. Namaste!

"Fall from Grace": More abs required

And, then last night in yoga class as I tried a headstand at the end of class - my teacher caught me - literally - because it was going all wrong - and I was about to have a "fall from grace." More abs she said. More abs? So, yoga is not about relaxing! Abs are the devil of all movement exercise forms like dance and pilates! I even discovered the calm and serenity of my tai chi long form benefits from strong abs gripping away as you go so you can free up your extremities to more in their ethereal way... And now yoga too!?

Click here for the modern day guru Rodney Yee's take on strong abs and yoga!!

Yogic Flying

Next, I will attempt yogic flying LOL!





Perhaps some of you once remember that the Natural Law Party would make Canada's debt disappear magically and they would install yogic fliers into Canada's parliament. Don't worry American fans! American is or at least was rife with state level Natural Law Parties in several places! Congress may also be met happily and peacefully with yogic fliers in the future who will make Bush Jr's debt disappear magically!

Click here NOW for a classic Youtube clip:

Perhaps you remember this startling announcement by magician then representative of the Natural Law Party of Canada, Doug Henning, in the 1992 national election on public television numerous times a day (Where did they get the money from?! Where are they now when we need them sooooooo BADLY!?)

The King of All Poses

Last night I did a headstand for the first time. I took about 10 seconds to carefully bring my legs up. Even though I was only able to hold it for about 3 counts... I finally did it! I read so many naysayers on the Internet who said it was dangerous and you could only do it with a teacher... but the times I did fall I just rolled out like a front roll or the wall caught me if I was up against a wall.

Click here for a Youtube clip of a good headstand (sorry it's not me... YET!!!)

On Leg Flexibility

I don't know... but this seems harder than anything really... It's definitely harder than working on back flexibility for me. I read that there are progressive stretches where you pass through stretches with a range of movement or only holding them a short time - like most vinyassa flow Rodney Yee type videos, and there are static stretches - stretches held for a while. I looked around the Internet and Youtube, and came up with the following (and by no means exhaustive!) bank of stretches to improve flexibility in the legs (the ultimate - HA HA HA HA - goal being doing front and side splits... only in my dreams HA HA HA):

• Cobbler's pose - forward bend
• Lunge (left/right) with knee off ground
• Lunge (left/right) with knee on ground
• Lunges (both variations left/right) bending forward inside of forward leg
• Lunges (left/right) while holding back leg
• Front leg extended and back leg bend at support under you - bending over extended leg (left/right) foot flexed and then pointed
• Forward bend
• Humble warrior (left/right)
• Wide angle seated forward bend (left/right) feet flexed and then pointed
• Wide angle side reach (left/right) feet flexed and then pointed
• Wide angle bend over leg (left/right) feet flexed and then pointed
• Plank pose stretch foward (left/right) feet flexed and then pointed
• One-legged stretch forward bend (left/right) feet flexed and then pointed
• One-legged stretch forward bend with other leg tugged under (left//right) feet flexed and then pointed
• Pigeon upright (left/right)
• Pigeon bend over (left/right)
• Pigeon - grab ahold of back leg (left/right)
• Seated half lotus forward bend (left/right)

A page of "good" leg stretches I was working on...

On Upward Bows

I learned this pose incrementally. It demands both arm and leg strength, and shoulder and back flexibility. A few excellent preparatory poses that help me are camel pose, bow pose, and the bridge pose. Keep at it, and it will gradually get better! A good abdominal connection helps me.

Watched a clip by Lucas Rockwood who shows you where you can take the upward bow. His voice makes you feel like anyone can do it, but his extreme flexibility puts me to shame:

Click here to watch a super flexible upper bow!

On Headstands

Sure physically I still need work! I won't fool myself, but fear also remains a barrier to doing a headstand. I still need a wall even though I read and tried just rolling out of a failed headstand safely. Anyways, I can get as far as supporting my headstand with my legs fully tucked in and maybe on a good day being able to raise them a little. It will take me time to raise them fully... I don't feel familiar with where things should be placed. Still working through the head tail connection... Still feel like I need a wall behind me even though I know I could just roll out if I fell down... Somewhere down the road I'll try the headstand like my teacher - she raises her legs with them fully extended easily over her head...

This video on Youtube by Sardi Nardini shows the easier headstand I'm working on:

Click here to watch a good mini lesson on doing a headstand!

My Journey - Epilogue

After working on my yoga DVDs for a few months, I finally came across the only yoga studio in Kirishima called Yoga Mala. Yoga Mala as it turns out is more of a single teacher, Yorie, who teaches yoga in different places in town than one actual studio. I decided to give her class a try and found that I really enjoyed Yorie's easy-paced Hatha yoga class. Rather than the fast-paced Vinyasa flow classes I was used to in New York or on my DVDs, Yorie's classes focus more on holding poses correctly for long periods of time. However, this difference is in fact a very positive thing for me. Her class is a great opportunity for me to learn to do my yoga poses correctly, and ask her questions about things I am trying to learn on my own at home. It also connects me to a local community of yoga friends who I can talk to about yoga! I now take her class once a week at a community center near my home, and keep up a home practice 4 or 5 days a week - along with my tai chi long form.

Where my journey will take me next, I do not know. There are certainly directions I'd like to take my journey. If learn to do more advanced postures and sequences of yoga, I might even try a yoga teacher training course and try my own hand at teaching at a community center or at my work. While this path in my journey is by no means certain, my yoga teachers have all agreed on one thing:

The path of a yogi is never complete.

All students and all teachers are aspiring yogi.

At first the idea of a never ending journey felt a little daunting, but I have come to a new understanding that I need to approach my journey with patience, dedication, and realistic expectations. I am very excited at how far I have come, and the never ending road ahead - everyone on their own journey - forever aspiring yoga!

My Journey - Part 10

When we arrived in Kirishima, I was surprised at how normal life was. Apart from one single product shortage - certain brands of cigarettes - the supermarket shelves were fully stocked, people were going to work and school, and somehow remarkably the economy of Japan held steady. We checked radiation reports, and found that we were very safe - and had moved to the part of Japan with the lowest risk of tropical storms and the lowest risk of earthquakes. Apart from the usual chore of settling in to a new home, a new job, and in our case - life in a new country, we were doing pretty well.

The one problem I had with the move was that I couldn't find a yoga studio anywhere. There were apparently none. I was disappointed. I was really excited by my yoga classes in New York City, and I really didn't want to give up my yoga dream so soon. I had just started yoga, so what could I do? I remember thinking back to my visits to Barnes & Nobles bookstores in New York and seeing Rodney Yee yoga DVDs over and over again in the exercise section. My sister-in-law had tried a DVD of his, but said it was "just okay." Without a live teacher available, I had no choice but do the next best thing. I ordered some yoga DVDs on Amazon.com featuring a few famous American yoga teachers and took a chance on a few by Rodney Yee because of favorable product reviews. Despite having only "virtual" teachers to work with, I persevered with a home yoga practice. I was amazed that I was able to keep up my inspiration with just DVDs, and even improve my yoga in a short amount of time! Within a couple of months, Rodney Yee, my teacher who I had never met and probably never will, had patiently and successfully taught my to do an upward bow at the age of 40!



My upward bow in August!



My upward bows in October!