Yoga Talk - The Power of the Spoken Word to Transform Dark Feelings

Shhh... Yoga class has started. You're a little late so you tip toe in, carefully rolling out your mat so you don't disturb anyone. As you find your comfortable seat you glance from side to side to see your neighbors sitting tall with their eyes closed. So you close your eyes, too. Next you hear the teacher's instruction to deepen your breath. You know the teacher will let you know what to do next. There is no need to ask any questions or comment on what you are experiencing. So starts the journey that is a typical Hatha yoga class.

It's no secret that silence is golden in yoga. Yes, there may be music playing and hopefully you can hear the instructor's voice as she/he calls out the flow of postures and inspires you to get the most out of your practice but generally speaking students are not expected to talk during class. One of the main features of a yoga class is getting practice in listening and paying attention to what's going on inside us. That takes being quiet.

As we take deeper breaths, we are naturally able to relax. As we relax, we feel more. As we feel more we are encouraged to observe with compassion. As we observe with compassion we have the opportunity to allow feelings to flow and to go deeper into them. If you have been practicing for awhile you know this is an exploration, a discovery of sorts. In it you are able to glean the many benefits of awareness of self and our connections to the world around us.

So what happens when we tap into an uncomfortable feeling? Our muscles and tissues hold on tight to stress from our past experiences so that lots of sensation comes up as we go deep. As we begin to open up and relax more sensations and feelings may emerge like an unwelcome guest. Dark feelings like fear, anger or sadness come to the surface where we have access to them. Our tendency may be to back off, run away or tune out at that point, but staying with them offers us a chance to learn and grow more conscious. If you can stay with it you may just tap into a gold mine of information about your behavior off the mat. Your yoga practice is a great place to gain insight into what makes you tick and sometimes the information you get calls for another way to process or make sense of the information you are receiving especially if the feelings are overwhelming. You may decide to find someone to talk to about your experiences after class.

One way to continue to transform your feelings is to put words to them. Talking about your feelings can be an important part of getting clear and letting them go. Although we may use general terms ("Wow, that felt amazing!") to describe our experiences, most people are not all that comfortable talking about their specific feelings. This is especially true of our darker feelings. No one wants to feel out of control and stepping into the messy bog of feelings can sometimes be unfamiliar territory and feel beyond our control.

So how does talking about feelings help? First, there's the dynamic of being listened to. Knowing you are not alone and are understood can be a big relief. We have all heard that talking about something distressing can "lighten the load" of the person in distress. Secondly, talking is a way of diffusing our tendency to react. Just saying the words, "I'm afraid" can create a shift in our perspective. Third, talking about our feelings is a way to get clear about what we need to do next with the information our feelings give us to take good care or ourselves leading to perhaps heal old wounds of past experiences.

It's important to find someone who can and will listen without interrupting or judging you. Someone who won't add to any fear you already have.  Someone you feel safe with, who offers a compassionate presence. After all you're opening yourself up to this person, you may feel vulnerable. It could be someone who knows you well although it's better if they are able to be objective so that you are free to explore without someone else's agenda interfering. A counselor or psychotherapist is specially trained to listen and notice nuances in our speech and demeanor. A therapist trained in both cognitive and mindfulness therapies can help clients explore their inner world and assist in them in integrating their experiences, feelings and stories; helping them make sense of their lives, transforming dark feelings into gratitude and joy.

If you feel anxious at even the thought of talking about your feelings you're not alone. Many people feel that bringing attention to our feelings or talking about them will make us feel worse, not better. What I have found in my own experience and working for many years as a psychotherapist is that the light of our awareness combined with finding someone who can witness, listen and give feedback on our experiences is a powerful transformer of feelings. Bringing attention and talking about feelings does not cause harm. The real harm is caused when we push away, run from or ignore these feelings. That's when symptoms of anxiety, depression and addictions start to show up and wreak havoc in our lives.

Jon's (not his real name) remission from cancer ended in the spring of 2006. He was known for his sunny disposition and always looking at the bright side of life even throughout the harsh treatment he had endured. When his cancer came back he decided to take a private yoga class to help him relax. Not used to talking about uncomfortable feelings, when fear came up as he closed his eyes in corpse pose the last thing he wanted to do was talk about how he was feeling. Gradually he was able and wanted to talk about those feelings. As he did they shifted and changed. He was able to honor the grief that was just below his feelings of fear. His grief turned into gratitude, as he was able to live more fully in the present, noticing and appreciating the beauty around him. Jon had tapped into a keener awareness starting with yoga and continuing as he put words to his experiences. As he went through the fear and grief he found joy and gratitude on the other side.

Yoga class gives us a great opportunity to increase our awareness and our ability to learn from the feelings and sensations in our bodies. As you learn more, darker feelings may arise. Talking about those feelings is a wonderful way to process and make sense of our troubling emotions. Find someone who will really listen, not give advice about how not to feel but who can be confident in your own ability to explore, face and transform your angst, going from fear to joy, from grief to gratitude, and from despair to a resilient faith in life.

Awareness Counseling is a private practice that specializes in helping adults and families struggling with anxiety and depression using traditional therapy and mind/body methods that are intentionally designed to bring your life into balance. The result is more joy, freedom and enthusiasm for life. The founder, Elle Garfield, uses an effective combination of methods including cognitive, behavioral, experiential, mindfulness, bibliotherapy, and Life Force yoga to help clients gain freedom from fear.

For more information, go to Awareness-counseling-mi.com Awareness-counseling-mi.com or call Elle Garfield at 248-961-4081 or email her at

Best Workout Without Weights For Fat Loss

When I first started with bodyweight workouts, I stuck to the basics: pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. At first, I got great results. However, I soon began to notice a drop in both my training performance and fat loss. My workouts slowly began to get boring and I felt less motivated to workout.

As I was searching for an answer to make my workouts more interesting and get myself back on track, I came across a dramatic realization: Look at the physiques and strength of yogis (people who practice Yoga). These individuals are strong, powerful, and lean and they don't even engage in the kind of high intensity training that I do.

While we're talking about yogis, lets talk about gymnasts as well. The lean, strong, and incredibly ripped physiques of gymnasts come from hours of practice of their sport. Their focus is on body control and athleticism, and yet they have better physiques than most bodybuilders.

So, what is the connection here? The connection is that even though gymnastics is a high intensity sport, and Yoga a low intensity activity, the concept is the same: perform movements that allow your body to move in a variety of directions.

That is when I realized that the key to true progress with bodyweight exercises is to use the techniques and methods employed by gymnasts, yogis, dancers, and other athletes that train primarily with their own bodyweight. But, I also soon realized that someone else had beaten me to this concept.

The name of the man is Scott Sonnon, and he is the creator of Circular Strength Training (CST). CST bodyweight training combines Prasara Yoga, and gymnastics-inspired bodyweight exercises to create highly effective workouts that help you drop fat, build lean muscle mass, and improve your strength.

CST Coaches Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock have designed a great bodyweight training program which uses gymnastic and yoga movements to create high intensity bodyweight fat loss workouts. You can find out more information about this incredible bodyweight fat loss program on my site, WorkoutWithoutWeights.net [workoutwithoutweights.net/bodyweight-blueprint-for-fat-loss]

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Yoga Exercise Work Outs From Home

If having a yoga aerobics class is far from your own spending budget, then you can perform these in your own home. Actually, it is probably easier to do because you could be a lot more relaxed and you don't have to use gasoline to go anywhere. The particular yoga exercises can be performed within the comfort of your own home. It matters not just how you appear because nobody will see you. Yoga Aerobic is an easy workout to start at home. If you're one of those people who haven't exercised in a long time and your body isn't looking its greatest, doing yoga work outs at home could help you from getting embarrassed in front of others. Once you get into shape, you can go outside to take some classes.

Just because you do yoga aerobic exercise at home doesn't mean that you won't have the same benefits that you would if you were inside a class. You would still have the ability to improve your health and have your heart and lungs strong, slim down and be able to lower anxiety. Even though you are at home, you should do aerobics exercises starting at three times a week, 30 minutes per day and work your own way upwards. You could boost the power of your own sessions when you feel you are ready. You can use a treadmill machine to work out. It is possible to perhaps get one that is on sale. Treadmills do not cost much either.

You can also use aerobic exercise yoga dvd to help you get started out. You may have to watch it a couple of times to get the hang of what's going on. There's step aerobic exercise, dancing, kickboxing and other various types of yoga aerobic exercises. Start out at the level that you feel most comfortable with. For many people, that would be the beginning level. Yoga Dvds can be bought from retailers such as Wal-Mart or Target. Or if you don't want to go out, you can find these online. The videos typically are available in a set, so you'd get the benefit of performing several different yoga aerobic exercises. Working with a companion could help you with that assistance that you need to keep going when you wish to give up. Even if you're not considering quitting, a partner can help you to the next level. Try to do your cardio when there aren't other people around. This way you will not be interrupted.

Step Work Outs

This kind of yoga aerobics uses a platform which is elevated. This aerobic exercise is quite popular with a lot of people. You'll workout with music that has a fast beat together with steps that go along with the music. You will find this kind of aerobics exercise performed at health clubs and fitness centers as a class. Nevertheless, you can buy a step aerobics bundle and do it by yourself at home. The platform elevates no greater than a foot off the floor. The classes are usually no lengthier than an hour. However, there are a number of half-hour sessions also. How it works is you will step off and on from the platform based on the beat of the particular music. There are various means of stepping where you have to use the platform.

You could burn calories making use of step aerobics. Your muscle tissues will additionally get strong plus your metabolic process increases. The oxygen within your body increases. Your heart will beat faster and develop stamina. As soon as your cardiovascular system gets up to speed, more blood will be able to flow to your own body. This is a low impact exercise. Make sure that you're doing it right, otherwise you might hurt your knees and joints. Whether you are following a video or an instructor, be sure to look closely at each step. You must be wearing shoes which are comfortable and made to perform exercises of this kind. They should have rubber on the bottom that is not slippery. If you've never done step aerobics before, make sure you talk to your physician before you start.

Yogafit has a lot of very informative advice in all aspects of yogafit.com/CTGY/yoga-dvds.shtml yoga dvd exercise poses, training, and everything else. She also has a number of yogafit.com yoga meet ups several times a year and is known yoga guru and mogul around the world.

Prasara Yoga - 5 Ways You Can Improve Your Athletic Abilities

Prasara yoga is a new-age yoga, designed specifically with the athlete in mind. Its aim is to lead practitioners to the "Flow-State", which seamlessly links breath, movement, and structure. By releasing bodily restrictions, you'll notice a tremendous improvement while playing sports. Here are 5 benefits that you'll see and feel after a few sessions of prasara yoga.

Increase strength. This is a very well-known benefit of most types of yoga. As you would do during strength training, you will be holding poses that challenge your muscles in almost every part of your body (not just the obvious ones!) As well as working on your legs, core, shoulders, and arms, you'll also be strengthening your fingers, toes, ankles, and neck (just to name a few!).
Boost joint mobility. Playing sports requires you to twist and turn in all these weird directions. Oftentimes, you'd like to be able to turn a little bit more, or reach a little bit farther, but your body won't allow you to! Prasara yoga trains your joints to move with ease, so that you can finally freely move when playing your sport.
Increase mental concentration. In order to hold balancing poses, the mind is trained to quieten. You let it go of all those little thoughts that are floating through your brain, and just concentrate on your breathing. This is a great way to practice concentrating on your game while out on the field, without being distracted by all those voices in your head!
Alleviate pain. Ever feel stiff from tight muscles and stiff joints after a hard game? A quick session of yoga after (or before) your workout will release tension in muscles and joints, helping them to relax. Also, with a regular yoga practice, your muscles will become soft and supple, eliminating all those pains from sore backs, knees, and hips.
Boost your self-confidence. Practicing these challenging poses and finally nailing them will show you what your body is truly capable of. Prasara yoga is no walk in the park; it pushes you to learn increasingly challenging movements.

These are just a few of the benefits you'll get from using yoga in your training. It's not totally widespread yet, so you should take advantage of this training technique to get an upper hand on your competitors!

Did you know that Le Bron James and Maria Sharapova both practice yoga to enhance their athletic abilities? Don't you ever wish you could dramatically improve your performance? Join the revolution, and find out how squidoo.com/prasarayoga prasara yoga can skyrocket your playing to a new level: YogaforAthletes.info YogaforAthletes.info

All the Adventure Chiang Mai Has to Offer

Chiang Mai often plays host to hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the world. This mountainous city of Northern Thailand is an ideal spot for vacationing because of its luscious views, cool weather, and friendly townsmen. It is often referred to as the Rose of the North, and it continues to attract more and more visitors from different places. Because of its inviting weather and the numerous things to do and places to see, vacationers tend to stay longer than they planned. Facilities are very affordable, and the sports activities, tours, and trekking offers are all exciting and fun.

The town isn't overly dense in population, but despite this, the number of activities and things to do in Chiang Mai are almost endless. Whether planning to learn and discover the rich history through its ancient temples or ruins, or to experience the fun activities the Thais are ready to offer, Chiang Mai is the place for all.

Although sightseeing could be the first thing that they would wish to do, the countless activities waiting for then may permit them to experience the entire thrill they are about to embark on. They can start off with soft adventure tours with elephant rides. The many activities that visitors may choose from include horse back riding, balloon flights where they can also enjoy seeing the scenery from up there.

Other activities are biking tours, boat cruising with company, off-road motor bike touring, white water rafting, sea kayaking, rock and wall climbing, bungee jumping, hiking to waterfalls, paint ball fights and abseiling back down, flying down the jungle canopy zip line, mountain trekking, or racing with buddies at many go kart tracks.

Physically challenging sports available for all to experience rope in the world famous Muay Thai, regardless of the level of expertise ' from beginners to experts. Bowling is also a commodity offered at the different bowling alleys in the city. Vacationers can also try playing golf at the numerous golfing clubs found everywhere. Ice skating rinks are also there for everyone to try and enjoy.

If the tourists prefer relaxing activities, they can go for the happinesslifetime.com yoga training and sessions offered, to find their inner peace with the world, or join cooking classes to discover their hidden talent with food. Getting pampered is also an option because of the many services offered, such as spas, massages, and other relaxing treatments.

Night comes, but no one ever said the fun should stop. After all the activities done and places seen during the day, it is but right to enjoy some hangout time with family or friends. With its many restaurants and bars, tourists can enjoy all the local cuisine and specialty food. For more intense entertainment, bars and clubs are situated all over the center of the city.

The fun and excitement will continue with all the partying happening across the area. Looking for a fun spot in the city is never a task to either first time tourists or repeat vacationers. This is because bars and clubs, even karaoke lounges and discos are located almost everywhere. There is no need to look for them, because most of the time, tourists will just stumble into the party hotspots in the city.

Michel Gerard is a freelance travel author based in South East Asia. Visit Reperages Thailand Travel's website for travel.reperages-thailand.com Thailand travel information and get their travel ebook for free =>> travel.reperages-thailand.com/newsletter_ebook.html travel.reperages-thailand.com/newsletter_ebook.html

Improve Running Performance With P90X

Chances are you've seen or heard of P90X. The programs developer, Tony Horton is everywhere from radio and print ads to QVC and infomercial land discussing the benefits of P90X. Mention it to anyone and chances are they know what or who your talking about. You may have wondered if this program is beneficial for runners, or more specifically if it would be beneficial for you.

Opinions are numerous and varied. A search on popular running site forums will give opinions ranging from "It's a total waste of time for runners" to I know someone who (or I) tried the program and it seemed awfully hard", to " It's the greatest thing ever (I don't know why it would benefit you)". Let's attempt to evaluate the program for runners based on its merits.

The workout program includes 12 different workouts that are structured over 90 days. Most workouts are around an hour with the exception of the yoga day that is about 90 minutes. The workouts use free weights or bands and a pull up bar. They are rotated throughout the 12 weeks, which I will elaborate on later. I will segment them according to their relevance to running;

Group A: 1-Chest and Back, 2- Shoulders and Arms, 3- Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps, 4- Back and Biceps.

Group B: 1-Legs and Back, 2- KenpoX, 3- X- Stretch, and 4- Ab Ripper X.

Group C: 1- Plyometrics, 2-YogaX, 3- Core Synergistics, 4-Cardio X.

At first glance, Group A which includes workouts consisting primarily of push ups, pull ups, and various arm, chest and back exercises would seem to have little relevance to running. While these workouts would not typically be considered essential for runners, it's important to remember that they do develop upper body strength which minimizes fatigue and stiffness in the shoulders and arms which allows you to maintain better form and run faster and more efficiently, especially over longer distances. The benefits of general strength/cross training have been well documented in recent years. This is also especially important as a runner ages and they lose muscle mass and their body composition changes. Strength /Cross training will help slow down that process.

Group B exercises have some specific benefits for runners and will be discussed in greater detail. 1/ Legs and back are a series of 8 circuits that generally include an upper leg, lower leg and pull-up or weight exercise. These include lunges, squats, calf raises and several that are plyometric/yoga oriented. 2/ Kenpo is a kick boxing workout that includes kicking and punching. 3/ X- Stretch is an overall stretching workout that will help keep you limber and flexible. 4/ Ab Ripper X- 16-minute abs/core workout that usually accompanies the strength training workout 3 days week.

Group C includes workouts that would be beneficial to most runners and include the following:

1/ Plyometrics contains an assortment of jumps, squats. leaps and other movement exercises to develop leg strength, explosiveness and cardio. 2/ Yoga is a 90-minute workout but the benefits to runners should not be discounted. The initial 45 minutes includes mostly movement exercises that will improve balance, strength, flexibility and overall fitness. The last 45 minutes focus on overall stretching with particular benefits to hamstrings, quads, hips, calves, and feet as well as upper body. Although the time commitment is a consideration, this exercise will improve all areas of fitness and performance. You will notice changes from the first week. 3/ Core synergistics is an overall workout with primary focus on the core area. The benefits of core exercises have also recently been well documented. This workout includes push ups, lunges, squats, rolls and other core related movements. 4/ Cardio X includes a mixture of yoga, kenpo, plyo, and core synergistics exercises meant as a supplement for additional overall cardio development.

There are 3 variations of schedules, classic, lean and doubles. Each variation has a set schedule for 3 weeks, a rest week, and then a modification where some new workouts are used. This affords the "muscle confusion" referred to in the advertisements. In other words, by modifying the workouts you avoid a "plateau" effect.

The question most runners ask is whether they would become better runners by incorporating it into their running program or by doing more running specific exercises. There is not a right answer for everyone, but there are some training principles that should be taken into consideration.

For the purposes of this article lets segment runners into 2 very broad categories, those who run primarily for fitness and those who run competitively. I would refer to fitness runners as those who run primarily because they enjoy it and it helps them keep in shape. They may occasionally enter races, but their primary focus is not on race times or place. Competitors would be more inclined to follow a running schedule incorporating various types of training with performance based goals typically in the form of races throughout the year.

Would P90X benefit either type of runner?

I believe both types of runners would benefit from a strong foundation of fitness, which enables them to train more efficiently. Failure in building your foundation will typically lead to 1 of 2 things, either you'll lack the fitness to train to your potential and plateau, or you'll create an imbalance that will lead to injury. The program will target your muscle growth, strength, power, as well as balance and flexibility. Runners who only run or do run oriented exercises tend to have overdeveloped hamstrings and calves and underdeveloped quads, shins and upper bodies. P90X will even out your fitness.

The fitness runner will benefit by being stronger and more efficient as well as having improved overall fitness. It is a good base exercise in place of running for a period of time or as part of a modified schedule. When they return to running they will need to redevelop some of their aerobic fitness, but this will come back quickly with their improved overall fitness. This schedule can be implemented in cold weather when getting outside can be difficult and indoor running can be tedious. Fitness runners will also benefit from a small break in running and stressing other body parts. They may find a renewed passion for full time running when they return.

Fitness runners who want to lose weight would benefit from the classic schedule as resistance training and aerobic development will assist in losing weight. If you're fairly fit, the lean version will focus more on strength without mass and explosive cardio. Please note that all strength exercises offer options for those interested in more fitness than mass.

For the competitive runner using a modified schedule would provide a strong foundation for increased performance. Most competitive runners would benefit from a reduction in running for a period of time while establishing a stronger base as part of a periodized schedule. Unfortunately most competitive runners without a coach don't use a periodized schedule where their training is laid out in phases. In the absence of a periodized schedule, runners tend to adapt to their training and plateau. A periodized running schedule like the periodized P90X schedule will stress certain segments, allow recovery and then stress other segments to fit into overall fitness.

If you structure it into an off season or pre-base training segment of your training begin with the classic structure with little to no running for the first 3 weeks. This would include the following;

Block 1; WEEKS 1-3 Day 1- Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X (ARX) Day 2- Plyometrics Day 3- Shoulders and Arms, ARX Day 4- Yoga X Day 5- Legs and Back, ARX Day 6- Kenpo Day 7- Rest or X Stretch.

Recovery Week; Day 1- Core Synergistics Day 2- Plyometrics Day 3- Yoga X Day 4- Legs and Back Day 5- Core Synergistics Day 6- Easy Run and X Stretch/Yoga Day 7- Rest or X Stretch.

Block 2; WEEKS 5-7 Day 1- Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, ARX, Easy Run Day 2- Plyometrics Day 3- Back and Biceps, ARX, Easy Run Day 4- Yoga X Day 5- Legs and Back, ARX Day 6- Longer Run and X Stretch Day 7- Rest/X-Stretch

Recovery Week Day 1- Core Synergistsics Day 2- Run and X Stretch Day 3- Yoga X Day 4- Run and X Stretch Day 5- Core Synergistics Day 6- Run and X Stretch or Yoga X Day 7- Rest/X Stretch

Block 3; WEEKS 9 & 11 Day 1- Chest and Back, ARX, Run Day 2- Plyometrics and Easy Run Day 3- Shoulders and Arms, ARX, Run Day 4- Yoga X Day 5- Legs and Back, ARX, easy run Day 6- Run and X Stretch Day 7- Rest/ X Stretch

Block 3; WEEKS 10 & 12 Day 1- Core Synergistics and Run Day 2- Cardio X & Run Day 3- ARX and Run Day 4- Yoga and Run Day 5- Legs and Back, ARX Day 6- Run and X Stretch Day 7- Rest, X/ Stretch.

You will notice that the schedule eases into doubles for the second half of the schedule. By that time you will have a sense of how your body responds to the P90X workouts and can modify your runs as needed. Run workouts within this schedule should be scheduled according to your goals and abilities.

If you are closer to a race and time doesn't allow it, modify the schedule according to your needs. You could also transition from the classic schedule for a block to the lean schedule and then into a hybrid as above. As you get closer to peak racing season you may transition into running only, or incorporate yoga or core synergistics into a weekly schedule for maintenance and injury prevention.

There is a nutrition guide that comes with the program that is primarily designed to assist in losing weight and getting toned. This may be fine for some fitness runners, but more competitive runners will probably need to increase their carbohydrate intake, particularly if they are at or near their goal weight. Again, experimentation is recommended.

Consultation with your running coach or family physician may also be prudent depending on your circumstances.

Tim Scitti is an Independent Team Beachbody Coach and the opinions above are his own. Schedules and some content courtesy of Steve Edwards, Fitness Advisor, Beachbody.