My "Yogalosophy" experience

This past weekend I had the privileged of attending a workshop at Semperviva instructed by the famous Mandy Ingber. For those of you who don't know who Mandy Ingber is, please see below:

Jennifer Aniston and Mandy, just hangin' out.
Source: people.com

Mandy is a celebrity fitness trainer known for her yoga and spin classes. She has trained not only Jennifer Aniston, but Kate Beckinsale, Ricki Lake, Brooke Shields, and Helen Hunt, you know, just to name a few. She is currently touring around and offering workshops involving a sampler hybrid yoga-training class from her new book titled, Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover. And this is my Yogalosophy experience:

The session started off frantic, because I didn't check the location of the workshop, and of course I assumed it was at the studio that it was not. Luckily, Semperviva dominates Kitsilano so I made it right on time after sprinting to my car, finding a parking spot, and sprinting to the studio. I gave the girl at the front desk my name, grabbed my gift bag, and hurried in to the studio to find a spot. Of course being dead on time means only one thing: either the nose-bleed section of mats is free or the front-and-center-keener section is free. I decided to be a keener, because, hey,  why not get noticed? Of course it's pretty hard to get noticed among 50+ bendy lululemon-clad women all eager to impress this celeb-guru. 

Nevertheless, Mandy asked if there was anyone else she did not connect with before class, and naturally I raised my hand. She greeted me, asked my name, and asked me if I have any issues with my body that I'd like to share with her (and at this point, with the rest of the class that was listening intently). Realizing that getting into the epic story of my foot burn, followed by my shifted fibula woes would take too long, I politely said that I'm just a little sore from yesterday's power class.

I have to say, I was a little skeptical when I first arrived, thinking that this was just another crazy rich trainer trying to sell some cookie-cutter program geared towards women who are afraid of lifting more than 5 lb (pink) dumbbells. But the fact that Mandy went around to the ENTIRE room of 50+ women and asked each one of their names and their bodily issues really made me realize that even though she's here to sell, she really doesn't drop the yoga-ness. In fact she started the class by emphasizing the importance of personal human connection.

Drenched in sweat, but feeling happy to get a photo!

The workout itself was good. I wouldn't say it was something ground-breaking, but than again one tends to become quite skeptical of trend-setters after spending thousands of dollars and countless sleepless nights completing a degree in kinesiology. The basic explanation of the Yogalosophy program is that it's a hybrid of tradition yoga poses and basic calisthenic exercises that plays with the rhythm of the repetitions. 

Was it tough? Yes. What is fun? Definitely. Is it for everyone? No. 

Okay, I shouldn't say that this program isn't for everyone. Certainly everyone can try it, but it's definitely geared towards those who want a long, lean looking body reminiscent of a ballet dancer, or (obviously) a yogi. Calisthenics are FANTASTIC for building strength, but this program won't really give you that same "pump" you would get from a traditional weight lifting workout. This program focuses more on stretching and toning the muscle rather than building size. Having said that, incorporating a yoga-esque workout to any gym-rat's routine will definitely balance out his/her regime.

Personally I absolutely loved the class. Mandy had an amazing approach to teaching. She did a great job spotting such a massive group of participants, and she kept a smile on her face the entire time. (And it wasn't one of those annoying smiles that makes you want to slap the person. No, no, it was a genuine smile of happiness!) Her music selection was AWESOME. At one point she played Dirty Dancing's Time of My Life. She basically won me over at that moment. My favorite part of the workout was the constant flow of it. It felt more like an interpretive dance than a workout, and like I mentioned, by the end I was laying in a pool of my own sweat. She's definitely on to something here.

Her class opened my eyes to the versatility of yoga. She had us laughing, sweating, and our muscles burning. She pushed us through the Sun Salutation while still allowing us to focus on our own breathing patterns. I give it a 10 out of 10, and I'd recommend the workout to anyone wanting to try something different, something a bit more feminine.

Thanks again to Semperviva for hosting such a fun event and for all the free swag:

Seamless bra, iced tea, free snacks, oh my!

Total leg workout

I like to do this workout when I want to get my heart rate sky-rocketing, and my legs burning.

EQUIPMENT

Squat rack, plyometric box, 1 heavy dumbbell

THE WARM UP

Start with some dynamic joint-mobilizing stretches. My personal favorites are the pike-arch, long lunges, and wide body weight squats.

Never rush into a workout. Take the time to properly prepare  your body for high intensity.

THE WORKOUT

Be sure to execute perfect form with every exercise.

Squats 10 reps, 3 sets.

Start LIGHT, and add weight with each set. 60-90 sec rest between sets.

Goblet Squats with dumbbell 15 reps + Box Jumps 10-15 reps, 3 sets total.
Perform this pair as a super set. Remember: Form over frequency! If 15 is too much for you, cut back and start with 10 reps. 60-90 sec rest between super sets.

Bulgarian Split Squats 10 reps full range of motion, 10 reps half way pulses, 10 count low hold. 3 sets/leg.
Perform all 3 variations on one leg before switching sides.

Don't even think about skipping your stretching session after this one. Unless of course you want your legs to feel like lead in the morning :)

Commitment

As some of you know, I'm currently participating in Semperviva's 40 Day Yoga Challenge. This past week has so far been the most challenging for me.

I call this the "Tipping Tree" pose. Also, notice how happy I look here.
This was NOT taken  after Wednesday's class.

On Monday I eased into my weekly practice with a very slow paced Hatha class, first thing in the morning. I felt all zen, and thought to myself, "Man, this daily yoga thing isn't so bad!" So on Tuesday I ramped it up a bit and found myself frantically panting as beads of sweat trickled down my spine during a muscle-burning Vinyasa Power Flow class. (Panting is not so zen.) Naturally, the trainer in me thought, "Now this is what I'm talking about!" Needless to say, come Wednesday my body was feeling achy. Not sore, just... fatigued. Due to my busy schedule, the only class that worked for me that day was another Vinyasa Power Flow. I reluctantly slipped into my lulu's, pulled my hair up, and headed over to the studio.

As soon as I stepped foot on the mat, and lined up my bones to sit in a poker-straight cross-legged position, I realized my body was begging for a day off. But it wasn't my body that was giving me grief. It was my mind. My muscles had a lot of strength. I managed to get into poses I have never been able to get in to. My thoughts didn't match my physical strength. Instead of focusing on breath, on the movement, I was criticizing the teacher, thinking how if she tells me to be 'present' one more time, I will actually get up and leave the class. (Of course, I didn't!) The thing is, she was actually a great teacher! She gave good cues, she challenged everyone's level of ability, and was very positive. When savasana was over I felt great, but I still bolted out of the studio faster than you could say 'namaste'.

By Thursday I was beat! My sleep the night prior was interrupted thanks the the high pitched shrill of some girl who was overly excited about seeing her friend (at 2:00 AM). I got up at 5:00 am to train my first client. I taught a lunch time class (and took part in it as well), and by 3:45 pm I was slugging my way to the studio for a 4:00 pm Hatha class. Luckily it was one of those very slow paced classes that focuses mainly on breathing and meditation. I got through it by literally focusing on one single breath at a time. That night I slept like a rock.

This morning I woke up fairly rested. Still quite tired, but my body felt rejuvenated. I made it to a 7:00 am class that was the perfect combination of flow-y and breath-focus-y.

So why didn't I take a day off mid week? What drove me to practice even on those days I felt like I was going to cry if I had to make my way into another downward dog? It's because of what one teacher told me on the very first day of this yoga challenge:

"Honor your commitments. Always honor what you say you will do for yourself. If you don't honor the commitments you make to yourself, how can you expect anyone to honor the commitments they make to you?"

It was at that moment that a light went off. Since that day, every morning I wake up thinking "honor your commitment". Every time I'm dreading going to yoga because I'm feeling lazy, tired, distracted, I think "honor your commitment". I realize now that achieving your goals means staying true to your words, especially on those days you regret creating those goals in the first place. I've spent this week honoring my commitment to my practice.

Have you been honoring the commitments you've made to yourself?

Summer power salad

It's not often that I brag about my cooking, but seriously, this is the best salad I've made in a long time! And it's super filling, highly nutritious, and just darn pretty to look at. This recipe yields approximately 4 servings.

Look at all that kale!

Salad ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dry quinoa, cooked in 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup dry wild rice, cooked in 1 1/2 cups of water
• 2-3 leaves of dinosaur kale
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced 
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced 
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 cup cucumber, finely diced
• 1/2 a large red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• the zest of 1 lemon

Dressing ingredients:

• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp organic honey
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• a dash of fresh ground salt & pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa and wild rice accordingly, and set aside to cool.

Tear up the kale leaves into bite-size pieces, and steam for approximately 2 minutes. You just want the colour to darken, without it getting wilted. Set aside and let it cool.

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.

Evenly pour the dressing over the salad and toss once more until thoroughly mixed.

Let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavours blend.

Enjoy!

My new yoga lifestyle

This is essentially how I think I look when I do yoga...
Source: http://yogadogz.com/YD/Yoga_Cats.html#18

So not too long ago I had a bit of an 'episode', as one might say. I suddenly realized that, shit, I'm turning 30 soon! Now I know that half of you are rolling your eyes as you read because 30 is the new 20 and I still have my entire life ahead of me. And I thought so as well... until I watched this TEDTalk:



It really got me thinking: What am I doing that is constructive for my future?

And then I remembered that I have had a similar episode to this one before, and when this impending doom of turning the big 3-0 hit me, I had compiled an entire 30 BEFORE 30 list of goals I need to achieve. What was on it, you ask? Everything from knitting a sweater to  becoming a Registered Holistic Nutritionist! (Yes, I am a Jill-of-all-Trades). My mind is calm and peaceful when I'm working towards something. So making such a list seemed very appropriate.

What I forgot about is that there are a few items on that list that are on-going. They can't be just checked off like #5: Displaying my art work publicly, or # 25: Writing an article that is published in a magazine (double check, by the way!) #12: Practicing yoga (and sticking with it) is one of these goals.

I have been a yoga bandwagon jumper for a few years now. I'll find a deal online and suddenly I'm popping downward dogs 3 times a week for a 2 week stint. I've always felt so envious and intimidated of those yogis and yoginis I see prancing around with their chakras aligned and their third eyes open. I masked my ignorance towards yoga by using the excuse that I'd rather sweat than stretch, but the reality was that I just felt so out of place sitting still on a mat and belting out a vibrating om with strangers around me.

It wasn't until one of my good friends, and fellow sweat-enthusiasts started really practicing and even ended up traveling to India to complete her yoga teacher training, that I really considered committing myself to this ancient practice. She's always encouraged me to explore and try different styles of yoga and so I am.

About a month and a half ago I joined Semperviva and recently have committed myself to their 40 Days of Yoga Challenge. So far it's going great. I'm getting way more benefits from attending the class than just increased flexibility (although that's a huge bonus considering I'm not a super flexible lady).

Physical Benefits:

• My sporadic asymmetrical back pains are gone.
• My hips, hamstrings, and calves are more flexible (I can almost do a full on proper forward fold!)
• My shoulders and triceps are way stronger thanks to all those chaturangas.
• I feel as though my abs/core is stronger than ever.
• I'm sleeping way more soundly.

Non-Physical Benefits:

•  I am slowly but surely letting go of my ego. Yes, that's total yogi-talk for you right there, so let me explain: When I first started going to yoga, my inner wanna-be ('cause I'm not!) competitive athlete came out and the first thing I did when I got to class was size everyone up to find the strongest person. I'd keep my eye on her/him and desperately (but hopelessly) try to out-pose them. It took very little (one sad attempt at a headstand, really,) for me to realize that that is the exact opposite of what yoga is about. Now when I enter a class, I look around, admire all the different levels of abilities, and focus on my own practice, knowing full well that one day, that headstand will happen.
• I'm putting less pressure on myself to be perfect, to live a perfect life, to follow a specific path I think I have all figured out for myself. I don't know if it's the savasana at the end, or the inspirational 'food for though' the yoga instructors feed us at the beginning of class, but for some reason, I'm way less high strung and stressed out about the future. 
• I'm living in the present more often than not. Since I was little my thoughts were always about what I was going to be like when I grew up. Now that I am a grown up, my thoughts circulate around what my career will be like in the future, when will I start popping out babies, what my future house will look like. I can actually drive myself to the point of anxiety over-thinking all of these things. When I leave a yoga class I'm totally refreshed. I notice the sound of the wind between the branches of trees. I notice how beautiful my neighbourhood is on a sunny day. I notice how limber my body feels after my practice. I'm present in the moment, I'm not thinking about what I have to get done in the next hour or the next day. Usually I leave class with a smile on my face and for lack of a less cliche way of putting it... I feel totally zen.

My advice to anyone who is thinking about starting yoga: Don't compare yourself to others, know that you'll have strong days and weak days, and most of all, as with any new habit, stay consistent.

Namaste.