From the outside, an asana yoga flow and a mat-based Pilates workout may look similar. So, what is actually different between them? I’m sure you will get a variety of answers depending on whom you ask.
Yoga is not about the poses, and even less so about complex pretzel twists or crazy circus-like antics. That said, I´m a sucker for an arm balance. You see, every time I pull off one of these, I feel like a freaking goddess. I really do. I feel strong, and powerful, and happy, and joyful, and free! Because, heck, why shouldn’t I? It took me a lifetime to get to this point of self-love and empowerment inside and out, and I´m sure as hell going to enjoy it.
¿Estás estresado pero no crees ser capaz de meditar? ¡Yo pensaba lo mismo! Siempre he sido una persona muy activa. Corredora, bailarina, nadadora. Me encantaba estar EN MOVIMIENTO todo el tiempo. También me encantaba dormir la siesta… ¡y aún lo hago! ¡Shhh!
Pero antes, simplemente NO podía quedarme sentada y meditar.
I admit I get a tiny bit tired of older women telling me all my life that I’m fit because I’m young. At 55, soon 56, I still have to hear that BS.
To prove that challenging oneself has nothing to do with a certain age, I´m sharing a photo I took a few months ago, of a yogini I admire tremendously, and a photo of myself doing the same asana, triangle pose.
Meet the fabulous yogini, Pauline Dimitry, who is 81 years old and has beaten cancer 4 times. At one point she was told by a surgeon she would not be able to practice asana yoga again, and she is certainly proving him wrong.
Stressed out but think you can’t meditate? I thought so too! I used to be a go-go-go person. A runner, a dancer, a swimmer. Loved to be on the MOVE all the time. I also loved naps and still do! Shhh!
But in the past, I could simply NOT sit still and meditate.
Now, I even look forward to it. A moving meditation, walking or running is great, but it’s a very different experience from sitting still and quieting the mind.
When a few years back I wrote a post on HuffPost about why I shared my yoga photos online at 53, I got some snarky comments from older women saying “because she’s ONLY 53.” I’ve been hearing that I’m “only” this or that age as the reason why I’m fit, since I was a fitness instructor in my early 20s. At 54 I understand that I’m younger than a 60 or 70-year-old, but I know plenty of women of both ages and beyond who are fit as a fiddle and of course I aspire to emulate them when I’m their age. Anyway, the point of this post – aside from this little rant – is to share what I’ve learned from comparing a recent photo of me in wheel pose, with one of me doing the same pose in the same place a year and a half ago, at 52. I also would love to inspire women younger than my age to take care of their bodies, minds and souls, so they can enjoy their 50s and beyond.
What I learned applies to yoga or to any other life endeavor. In both photos, I felt I was doing my best – which I was – each of the two times. Comparing both pictures showed me that doing the best I can will look different as I improve a skill. This could be writing books, parenting, running my digital business or … doing wheel pose!
I recently completed my yoga teacher training (YTT-200) and an introduction to Ayurveda was included in the course at Heartwood Retreat Center. I was suffering from IBS, esophagitis and some reflux, and taking allopathic medication was not solving my issues. Because Ayurveda, yoga´s ancient sister science which aims to balance body, mind and spirit, focuses on lifestyle, I thought I´d give it a shot. I was up for detoxing and a more mindful approach to my health.
After the informative in-person lessons, I found what my dosha (body type) is by taking an online quiz, and read a few books on Ayurveda. The two that remain on my bedside table are The Ayurveda Way, by Ananta Ripa Ajmera and Ayurveda for Beginners, by Susan Weis-Bohlen. These two are great for anyone getting started on this journey. They not only explain how to figure out your dosha type, and the science behind Ayurveda, but are rife with actionable steps you can take right away.
Following, I´m sharing just five that I started implementing three months ago and that have resulted in feeling better overall and also, I´m happy to report, nearly free from allopathic meds for my IBS symptoms. My flare-ups are fewer and far between now.
I’m deeply aware of my character flaws. The upside is that by now I’ve learned to turn them into assets and make them work in my favor. I’ve been labeled a prolific writer, an effective and productive editor, a fast and reliable translator, a successful entrepreneur, a multitasker, a supermom and an overachiever. While I like to think of myself as such, I confess: I am none of those things.
Do I accomplish a lot? Yes. But, not because I am disciplined, organized or efficient.
I pull it all off because I am, in fact, an addict. That is my secret. Well, not really a secret because I’ve written blogs, articles and books about my flaws. But of course most of my clients, former employers and colleagues have not read those books. So, to them, I’m just someone who gets things done. In truth, I am compulsive, obsessive and neurotic, but I’ve learned to stop fighting it and make it work for me.
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