Yoga in Practice: Time Management

You learn many things in a Yoga class, such as: Living in the present moment; but how can you put your Yoga into practice in today's hectic world? We learn to meditate so the mind will stop multi-tasking, but once you leave the Yoga studio, or ashram, you have to face the world again.

So, how do you take the soothing effects of your Yoga practice and apply them to the rest of your day? Develop a system where you use your time wisely. This is the wisdom of time management, as applied to "real life."

We're not discussing a "catch phrase," or short-term solution, where a manager goes to a one-day workshop on time management, and then comes back lecturing his, or her, staff, about their time management.

The irony is that, most of the time, this type of manager is aware of time management because he, or she, wastes plenty of time. This usually goes on until the next workshop, and then management will learn a new catch phrase to tell the staff what they are doing wrong.

What we are discussing is a lifestyle, and possibly a big change, just like the first time you visited a Yoga class. In a "nut shell," we have limited time on this earth and we cannot afford to waste it thinking about future worries, past regrets, fighting with loved ones, or leaving goals on hold.

Most of us leave dreams, goals, relationships, and ambitions on the "back burner," while the daily routine of life goes by. No wonder people complain about the monotony of daily tasks. Very often, we hear, "I don't have time to learn new skills, go to night school, practice Yoga, or become a Yoga teacher."

Remember when you were a child and life seemed to go by so slowly? You had time to play, watch television, listen to the radio, and lay around, without a care in the world. Now, welcome to adulthood, life is flying by at a rapid pace, and goals sometimes seem further away than ever before.

Your starting point is today. All you have to do is write your list of tasks for tomorrow. This is commonly called a "to do list." You can post it on a piece of paper, on your desktop, in your PDA, or anywhere you will refer to it in a day.

To be honest, I put the piece of paper in my pocket and refer to it during the day. Sometimes, the lesson plan for my next Yoga class can be found in my pocket, too. This is a reflection of my time line, and my generation, but my son would put it on his PDA. Whatever you choose is fine, as long as you refer to it, and get something done.

Notice, I did not say get everything done. Somehow, life throws us curves and your "well laid" plans may not fit into the daily time frame. You learn this in your Yoga practice too. It is absolutely necessary that all of us accept change. These days, change occurs on a daily basis, so there is no need to become tense about it. This explains why so many corporate fitness centers have Yoga, or meditation programs, for their employees.

Be prepared to make modifications to your plans or "turn on a dime." Deadlines should be taken seriously, but sometimes life gets in the way. There are times when the path you are on will have to be altered. So, be prepared to have a backup plan.

Remember the Serenity Prayer: "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference." It goes without saying, that you will waste a lot of time and energy, if you don't know the difference.

The next point to cover is when to multi-task. What is this? You say, "This doesn't sound very Yogic." Yoga refers to "unity" or "union," and we must exist in harmony with life as it is today. The mind naturally multi-tasks so, let's make the most of our time.

In ancient times people multi-tasked, too. Why else would people around the world practice meditation for thousands of years? Why else would the people of India practice Yoga for over 5,000 years? Stress was one of many things our ancestors, and the ancient Yogis, have in common with us, and we know that stress is a killer. Most likely stress is linked to every ailment that connected to mankind.

True irony is when you consider planning time, and start to make excuses why you don't have time to manage, or plan, your time wisely. If you like to watch television, you could do a little planning at the same time. Ideally, it is best to be totally focused, thinking clearly, and be in a quiet place when planning time.

However, there are other forms of multi-tasking you can do such as listening to an audio book in the car, using an exercise bike while watching television, and reading or listening to books while traveling. There are a number of Yoga, and Yoga philosophy audio books, available.

On the other hand, we know multi-tasking can go too far. I will never forget commuting into Boston, stuck in traffic, and seeing a guy next to me reading a newspaper on his steering wheel! Within the same month, I saw a motorist driving with a hamburger in one hand, and a milk shake in the other, while driving through stop and go traffic on Interstate 95!

We're not considering reckless multi-tasking, but consider combining tasks that don't require 100% focus. For example, you cannot focus entirely on an audio book while driving, and you may have to listen to it quite a few times before you mentally digest all the material.

For this very reason, you should not consider listening to, and concentrating on, meditation audio books, while driving your car or operating machinery. Yoga philosophy is one thing, but trying to listen to or practice with a meditation audio book, while driving, is quite another. Therefore, be very careful about the safety factors involved in multi-tasking.

Another point to cover is logistics. When you consider where you are going, always plan to avoid "back tracking." For example: If you are picking the kids up from school and have to get groceries, make it into a combined trip. If you make it into two trips, this is truly a waste of time. Therefore, plan your trips, whether they are time spent in a car, riding a bike, or walking.

Lastly, make time for family, friends, and loved ones. Unify your time for a balanced life. Life is not, "all work and no play," but life is not sitting around living the life of a "couch potato." Remember one of the best excuses for not attending a Yoga class: "I don't have the time."

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

The Benefits Of Yoga And Pilates

If you only had one choice, what would you do to keep yourself physically and mentally fit: breathe through yoga, or stretch through pilates? While nobody can deny the various benefits that can be derived from either teaching, haven't you ever wondered which of the two is better in helping people achieve physical and mental health?

Talking about Yoga -

The philosophy behind Yoga is purely a product from the East and places emphasis on the movement of energy throughout a person's body. If the energy inside our bodies is able to move more freely, this is taken as an indication that our physical health is improving.

Tension, stress, anxiety, and other similar emotions however represent obstacles to the free movement of energy. This is where yoga comes in. Yoga teaches people how to maintain the flexibility of the body by various movements, body positions, and stretching techniques. Through yoga exercises, people will be able to prevent their bodies from being rigid and consequently, making it easier for energy to flow throughout our body.

The body positions taught in yoga have a secondary purpose, and this is to improve mental health. No, it naturally doesn't make a lunatic suddenly sane. Instead, such body positions will help people achieve better mental clarity and composure.

Talking about Pilates -

Pilates on the other hand is an idea born from Western culture, or more specifically, the mind of Mr. Joseph Pilates. Pilates exercises were created because of his intention to improve the rehabilitation program for casualties of the First World War. He proceeded on to making various machines that will help injured soldiers regain their physical abilities by stretching, strengthening, and stabilizing key muscles.

Pilates exercises take several forms. Stretching exercises, for instance, are preferred by dancers because of its notable effectiveness on helping them be more in tune with their bodies. Through pilates exercises, dancers are better able to understand their bodies and move gracefully. The use of machines in pilates exercises, on the other hand, is very much similar to weight training. And last but not the least is the latest fad in pilates and which involves the use of mats.

When doing either yoga or pilates exercises, it's best that a person find a private room to work out. Wear comfortable clothes to allow yourself a wider range of movement. Use a step-by-step approach for both exercises. Attempting advanced techniques can easily lead to physical injuries.

Be sure that every one of this tow exercises method can help you improve your life, and keeping the most valuable thing that you have - your body.

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Exercises For Stress Management

Below are recommended exercises to help you stay relaxed and for improved stress management.

Biofeedback

There are several benefits to adapting biofeedback as a technique for overcoming stress. Aside from attaining physical and mental relaxation, it will also improve your stress response capacity. In most cases, biofeedback is used to monitor and modify the body's reaction to stress to determine the best ways to cope. The more you can learn about the physiological changes going on inside your body whenever dealing with stress, a person will be able to identify the processes and alter it according to the desired result.

Meditation

There are several techniques that one can use during meditation and is believed to be one of the deepest forms of relaxation. This is one of few stress management exercises that can offer both physical and mental relaxation. Since there are literally thousands of meditation techniques available, you can try out some of them and see which one suits you best.

The goal during meditation is to achieve the meditative state, wherein a person enters a deep centering state of mind and focus internally. In the process, you can quiet down your mind, body, and soul. You can also follow a structured meditation, which is something that you practice on a daily basis or unstructured meditation, which is experienced by being in a situation that offers maximum relaxation.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This method of relaxation is done by a series of muscle tightening and relaxation. The idea for this came about after physical relaxation naturally resulted to mental relaxation, which is why it has been considered by experts as a possible technique to use for stress management. This one will require some muscle activity but anyone can do this easily. You need to spend about 10-20 minutes each day doing progressive muscle relaxation to achieve best results.

Yoga

This technique is somewhat related to meditation and these two almost always come together. Yoga is believed to focus on the physical aspect of the exercise, while meditation delivers the mental component of it. This ancient Indian form of exercise offers several methods such as hot or bikram yoga, sahaja yoga, and power yoga, to name a few. The main goal for yogis in practicing this ancient art form is to restore balance and bring harmony to your mind, body, and soul. There are several health and mental benefits for doing yoga, which is why it is an excellent exercise for stress management.

Autogenic Training

This technique was innovated during the early 20th century and is focused on creating awareness of body sensations through passive concentration. The idea behind this technique is to focus on various sensations on various regions of the body, like heaviness or warmth. This has been utsed by physicians for treating various conditions. One reason for its popularity as a treatment option against stress is that it requires no special skills but is very effective for stress management.

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Exercises For Flexibility

Flexibility training is one of the most overlooked parts of all any workout training. It is not until we get older when we realize how important stretching fitness really is, or should have been. Along with preventing age related stiffness, your stretching sessions can even help prevent or even cure certain joint and muscle injuries. Many sports medicine offices recomend these sessions be performed two or three times each week.

Although a brief session of stretching is usually performed before and after each workout, it is not enough to prepare your body for the normal aging effects. Giving a few FULL stretching sessions per week will improve your stability and mobility. Your shoulders, chest, hamstrings and hips are the areas known at "tight areas" and need the most attention. Mix these areas to stretch along with the areas your own body becomes stiff, usually depending on what your daily routine is.

The first thing you should do is warm up your muscles. A 10 to 15 minute brisk walk is the most popular way.

Slowly stretch your muscles to the end point and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds. Remember, your own body will give you signals and tell you whether you are pushing (or pulling) too hard or not enough. Precautions should be taken for people who have injuries and women who are pregnant.

Emotions can also affect your flexibility. You must relax so your body can be more responsive. You can listen to music during the sessions, or take some special meditation beforehand. You can also research on Yoga and Pilates.

Continue to Stretch. This is not the kind of session to start and then stop after time. Make this a permanent program and set schedule on your calendar.

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Secret Training Techniques to Boost Your Cycling Performance

Everyone is looking for that secret piece of the puzzle that will allow them to get the speed and fitness need to go from middle of the pack to winning races. While nothing replaces hard work and consistency, you can get more from your training if you apply these ideas. The techniques outlined here are either unknown to most cyclists or not used the way they should be. Apply the things you learn to your training and you will see a big improvement in your riding performance.

Some of these techniques can be followed year round while others need to be used sparingly to give your fitness a kick start when you've hit a plateau. I will start with the easiest concepts to integrate into your program and work to the harder one.

Many of these techniques are pretty advanced so you want to have at least a couple of years of steady training under your belt before you attempt them.

Progressive Overload

This concept is so simple yet not applied by nearly enough people. Each week you need to do a little more than you did last week. Most self-coached riders keep riding the same distances and paces, week after week. It doesn't mean that your over all ride time each week has to keep going up (that can help at times though), but you need to get more work done in that time. If you did 5 hill repeats this week, do 6 next week. If you burned 1000 kilojoules on a ride (measured if you have a power meter) then aim for 1100 next week. Limit over all increases to 5-10% per week.

Yoga and Crossfit

I have to mention this, although it isn't really a secret. I see so many cyclists that are fit in the narrow parameters of cycling but their bodies are a mess. Muscles are overly tight and they have aches all over. In time they will end up with overuse injuries that could have been prevented if they looked after their bodies the way the worked on their cycling specific fitness. A big motor in a weak chassis isn't the recipe for a long cycling career. Doing 20 minutes of yoga, 3 times per week does wonders for flexibility and recovery. 3 Crossfit workouts of 10 minutes or less will help with core strength and fitness of both the prime movers and support muscles, making the body perform better over all.

Stack Workouts

Who says you do only an aerobic ride or one type of intervals during a workout? Stack workouts are ones that have more than one type of training in a single workout. For example, as part of a long ride, do 60 minutes of aerobic paced riding, 2 threshold repeats of 20 minutes and then finish the training portion of the ride with 20 X 30 seconds hard with 30 seconds recovery. Stacks can be mixed many ways but don't get carried away and try to cram in too much. While this type of workout would be hard for science to test due to having too many variables to control, real world experience with athletes has shown this type of workout builds a lot of speed, work capacity and endurance. For anyone who is time limited this approach can knock off a bunch of objectives in a single session. As well it is much more fun than 3-4 hours of steady aerobic riding.

Block Training

This is link together multiple days of heavy workload be they large volume or high intensity. I find they work best with the longest day first and then progressively work to shorter high intensity intervals over a 3-4 day block. After the block take an easy day, then a rest day and finally another easy day before doing another heavy block. Vary the recovery as needed to be fresh for the next block.

An example of how to set up a block would be:

Day 1 - 3-5 hour Steady ride with some hills (Aerobic and Tempo pace)

Day 2 - 2-3 X 20 minute Threshold repeats

Day 3 - 30 Velmax intervals - 30 seconds Hard (135 % Threshold Power) / 30 seconds easy

Day 4 - 45 minutes recovery pace

Day 5 - Day Off

Day 6 - 60 min Aerobic pace

Depletion Rides

For many cyclists, they reach a point where it isn't the engine that limits performance but the gas tank. Their body can't supply energy fast enough to keep up with the pace they are fit enough to ride at. At a certain point the legs just stop working. Many people assume this is lack of endurance but it is usually that you have just run out of fuel at a muscular level. To improve this you need the body to store more carbohydrate and burn more fat during exercise, sparing muscle glycogen.

This is where the Depletion Ride comes in. With nothing other than water and electrolytes go on long rides with at least the first 60 minutes aerobic. After that you can pick up the pace. You want these rides to be at least 2 hours but we often go 3-4 hours. Carry some gels in case your legs completely run out so you have the fuel to make it home. Don't use them unless you have to. Long rides without carbs force the body to tap into stored fat as a fuel source and you will increase your glycogen stores in the meals after them ride. Only do 1-2 Depletion Rides per week for 4-6 weeks.

Overview

Integrate these techniques into your training wisely and you will see results. Experiment to find the right workload and keep at it. The best gains come over time. Build on past success to reach new heights of performance and put the hurt on your competitors and riding buddies.

It's in you to become a better cyclist. Helping you get there is my goal. Equipment, riding skills, fitness and nutrition all have to be dialed in to reach your potential. To take your next step on that journey visit cyclecambridge.com cyclecambridge.com.

Hatha Yoga

If you are considering Hatha Yoga you should know a little about it first. Like regular yoga it stretches the muscles and relieves the stress of everyday life. It helps to prepare your mind for deeper concentration. Others use it for spiritual cleansing. Relaxing and clearing the mind will help make the most of your yoga.

This method of yoga was originally introduced by a man named Yogi Swatmarama. He was from 15th century India. He first introduced yoga as a prepared step into purification of the body. They believed in physically training the body with meditation. This was called Shatkarma. Hatha is a compound word of Ha and Tha meaning sun and moon. It is meant to channel energy in your body. Hatha believes the same thing as Raja Yoga which means that you can completely control your mind, body and spirit. Because of the similarity it is often referred to as yoga today.

This type of yoga can relieve the aches and pains of the back and neck. It can help you learn your body and understand how best to relax it. If you can channel the energy that is being suppressed in your body you will be able to release it allowing you to become more happy and healthy. You can become in touch with your feelings and your inner spirit. In order to obtain successful meditation you need to be able to clear your mind. At first this may be difficult to do if you are not use to it but if you continue to meditate it will soon become easier to clear your mind.

Hatha yoga is a great way to learn the proper way to breath in order to channel the energy. If you cannot locate a Hatha yoga class you may need to do some research in order to find out where you can go.

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Are Yoga Alliance Teacher Trainings the Best?

Yoga Alliance, a non-profit organization, offers Yoga Teacher Training programs and Certification to yoga teachers. A yoga teacher, on completion of training, qualifies to be either a Registered Yoga Teacher or an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, in case of having a considerable teaching experience.

A number of organizations are offering yoga teacher training programs and certification. The programs vary in length from two weeks to two years and costs anywhere from hundred to thousand of dollars. In order to choose the most suitable program, you should keep certain things in mind.

Now that you are planning to be a Yoga teacher, you must endeavor to be the best; here the significance of a good training program can be seen. A first-rate program allows more and regular asana practice; it also enhances your awareness of your body's framework, your attitude towards life and creates balance and harmony between your spirit and mind. It entails regular and productive sessions of breathing practice and meditation. It also gives you thorough practice in yoga teaching.

A large number of teachers as well as teacher training programs/schools are registered with Yoga Alliance providing a vast range of courses to choose from. All these individuals and programs registered with Yoga Alliance must fulfill a minimum of educational standard before they can be a part of the setup. Yoga Alliance will direct you to the type of training program you are looking for, keeping in mind your personal experience, understanding and goals.

In order to be a registered teacher, the trainees need to complete a basic course, as required by the yoga studios. Yoga Alliance offers certificate programs at two levels. Depending on the duration of each, the programs are labeled as 200 hour and 500 hour programs. At the basic level, the trainees complete a 200 hour program. This certification is a compulsory minimum training requirement of most yoga studios. Interested candidates can then further enhance their skills by undertaking a 500 hour program. Again with Yoga Alliance, your choice of the most suitable program for you will be facilitated.

To teach Bikram yoga, your choice of a teacher training program will be simple and easy. In order to be skillful in Vinyasa or Hatha yoga, you will have to choose from a large range of programs being offered by various yoga centers. Before you enroll yourself in any program, become familiar with the curriculum. It is extremely important that you only join a Yoga Alliance certified program. Doing so will ensure that you receive the certificate from the Yoga Alliance as this certificate is obtained after completing a rigorous regimen of studying the philosophy, various asana and teaching techniques. There are a number of Yoga Alliance authorized schools that provide training for yoga instructors. A complete list of training schools authorized by them is also available on the Yoga Alliance website. So it is extremely important to receive this training and have the certificate under your belt before teaching Bikram to others.

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