Yoga - Savasana or "Corpse Pose"

On Saturday mornings, I frequently go to an 8:00 a.m. yoga class at the gym. It's a good class and there's not usually many poses that are too difficult for me to figure out. Nothing too "pretzel-y."

I'm starting my actual description of yoga classes at the end. Maybe some time I'll mention some of the other poses that are in the middle. A few weeks ago, the yoga instructor said that she didn't mind if people left the class early, but that if we are already at Savasana or "corpse pose," she would prefer that you just wait until the class is over. Savasana is always the last pose of the class before the end. Yesterday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there were probably 6 people that left during Savasana, and for an already small class, that's pretty distracting. By the end of the class, there was the yoga instructor, the bald guy, and me.

There was an article in the Yoga Journal all about Savasana that I read a few months ago, called "Heavenly Rest" by John Hanc. The article starts out describing how his instructor, Maria, noted his improvement in Savasana, and his response was, "So, I'm getting better at lying on the floor?"

But here is why Savasana is important:

Maria sighed and looked at me reproachfully. "Savasana is a lot more than just lying on the floor."

Now don't get me wrong: I enjoy that delicious rest at the end of class. But until I gave it serious consideration, I thought of Savasana as a yogic chill pill, built into the end of practice to calm yuppies and soccer moms before they climb back into their SUVs and start texting their way to the nearest Starbucks.

Later in the article, there is a concise definition of what Savasana is about:

"How often in life do we give ourselves permission to lie still, relax, and just breathe?" asks Christina Geithner, a yoga teacher and professor of human physiology at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. The benefits of Savasana, says Geithner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American College of Sports Medicine, include reduced muscle tension throughout the body and engagement of the relaxation response in a quiet place without distractions. Plus, you let go of the concerns of the day.

If you are planning to take a yoga class, take the whole yoga class. That includes Savasana.

Day 2 of work this week

Tuesday was my second day of work this week, and when I got there, I was really tired after a tough workout. I'm not as far ahead on the meeting as I probably would have liked to have been, but I don't think it would have made any difference if I had gone to work today.

My workout with my trainer today was as tough as the Tuesday workout, so Thursday and Friday are rest days, and yoga on Saturday, and rest day on Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 1 of work this week

I woke up this morning and went to the gym. Yay! I hardly ever drag myself out of bed on Monday morning to go to the gym because Sunday seems to be my hardest night to get myself to fall asleep. I got up and ran for 25 continuous minutes and that was a first.

I got nothing done at work today because I was answering the phone all day and having to reformat and resend things. Bleh.

My morning workout was completely negated by a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house. The potatoes were awesome...and the chicken...and the salad...and the green beans...and the carrot cake.

Better luck tomorrow.

2 Days

Even though I'm only going to be at work for 2 days this week, I still made lunches for several days. I figure that will help me be prepared for Thanksgiving and after Thanksgiving. I'm making a salad and Butternut Squash, Apple, and Cranberry Bake. I think I'll make a salad that is heart healthy to offset the other thing I'm making.

Good luck with your Thanksgiving meal planning and preparations.

11/17 Weigh in

This weigh in wasn't great. A slight gain, but that's not uncommon after a big loss.

Next week will be good.

HDL

Cholesterol levels are an interesting thing. I don't know my exact numbers right now. (I will know them in a few weeks.) Recently, my total cholesterol has not been bad. My LDL (lousy cholesterol) has been dropping. My HDL (healthy cholesterol) has been steady: a little low, and not rising. So here is what I learned today about cholesterol.

"Our research strongly suggests, in fact, that lower than "normal" HDL levels are not worrisome as long as total cholesterol is well within the safe range - under 150 mg/dL - a finding that has been discussed by other researchers, as well." (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Esselstyn, p. 49)

Learning something new every day.

Shoulders, Part 2

The follow-up massage appointment wasn't bad. Not as painful as last time since there weren't as many knots.

My running program today wasn't fantastic. Better luck later in the week.