Exercise Therapy

I look at running as meditation. It allows me to decompress, download, and get rid of a lot of negative stuff. That's my secret. I go inside myself. 

-Jeff Corwin, American animal and nature conservationist

I started seriously running between my sophomore and junior year in college to stay in shape for lacrosse season. I remember when a 2 mile run was a struggle for me; I never would have thought I’d want to run a half marathon, let alone a marathon!

No matter what, even though on some days I hate having to force myself out for a run, even when I’m burnt out or injured…I always find my way back to running. I’ve come to realize that it’s become a form of therapy for me.

Here are some of the therapeutic values of running:

·         Running gives me time to think. Whether it’s coming up with ideas for dinner, planning a yoga sequence or just filtering events of the day, it gives me time to really get into my head and understand what I’m thinking and feeling. I don’t run alone much anymore, but even the moments when I’m not talking to Brandon, I have the time to go deep into the folds of my brain.

·         Running gives me time to talk. There have been numerous runs on which Brandon and I have been able to talk out our problems, our ideas, our life goals, you name it. I am so thankful to have this time with him, because any ancillary anger or reactions that we might spout under normal circumstances, we often choose not to waste precious energy on because we’re mid-run. Which brings me to my next point…

·         Running is a way for me to channel my energy through a more positive outlet. Exerting myself physically helps me steer clear of expending energy on things which don’t deserve any energy expenditure from me, like negative thinking, petty arguments, etc. Why would I spend my time dwelling on these things when it is only going to leave me feeling more exhausted?

Let me give you a few examples of how exercise is analogous to therapy for me:

Exhibit A: I had a miserable lacrosse season my senior year of college. I was a captain but didn't play a lick. My coach asked so much of me, to motivate my team, to put in extra hours, to house recruits, and the list goes on. It got to the point that I wasn't even playing during practices anymore (most of the people who weren't starters didn't). That's when I turned to running. I would run after practice and games for miles and miles because I wasn't even vaguely exhausted. Running cleared my head when I was so angry at my coach I couldn't see straight. Running helped me take control of my emotions when all I wanted to do after standing on the sideline for two hours was sit in my room and cry.

Exhibit B: After I graduated, I left all of my friends to move to Akron, Ohio for my brand spankin' new engineering job (aside: I work for a medical device manufacturer designing implants for orthopedic surgery). I didn't know a soul in Ohio. Well, okay...didn't know a soul in Akron, Ohio. All by my lonesome, in a new city, with new people, I turned to running. I didn't have much to do outside the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. so I ran before or after work. I decided to train for my first half marathon. It gave me a way to fill my time when I didn't have any friends to surround myself with. 

Exhibit C: I can't tell you how many runs I've gone on with Brandon that we've been able to talk our issues out. I do believe part of that comes from our ability to communicate openly and honestly, but while we're putting everything else out there physically, it's easy to mentally lay it all out for each other as well. At the same time, we're not wasting energy on any petty arguments or cheap shots at each other. 


So there you have it, the more I think about it, the less I can adequately articulate how important running has been in my life, for so many more reasons that just staying in shape. It's helped me mentally stay in shape as well, and that, my friends, might just be the real value of exercise.

A Yoga-lution

I spent a lot of time reading a few books about yoga this weekend. Specifically, Myths of the Asanas and the Sivananda Companion to Yoga. They really got me thinking...

I first found yoga when I was injured and couldn't run for months after my last marathon. At first it was a way for me to exercise when I couldn't run (Vinyasa Power Yoga was my go-to class) but it quickly became something much more than that. As I learned more and more about the stories and the history behind the poses I realized how important is had become to employ yogic philosophies in my own life, to keep myself centered and balanced and always striving to reach my true self. The real change in the way I viewed yoga (a workout vs. a lifestyle) came when a new yoga teacher walked into my yoga studio. Deirdre swept in and took us through the story of Shiva and the origins of the warrior poses (Virabhadrasana I, II and III, the poses for Virabhadra, an incarnation of the Hindu deity, Shiva). She opened the class with chants invoking the spirit of Shiva and ended with 3 long "Oms" that filled the room with energy that I had not previous felt in any yoga practice. In one class I learned more about yoga than in all my previous classes combined. She had my interest piqued.

For the last few months I've been longing to get back to that time in my life when I practiced yoga almost everyday, but I always find myself getting consumed in my running and my need to break a sweat. Sometimes there aren't enough hours in my day for both. Then, there is a part of me that wants my yoga practice to always be an exercise, like running is, but I know it's much more than that and I shouldn't always expect to break a sweat...because I will still reap the benefits. The Sivananda book reinforced just that. One of the biggest point that hit home for me was that it is more beneficial to have a short practice every day than one or two long practices a few times a week.

Well, that's easy enough.

So, I'm really glad Brandon made the suggestion to get up half an hour earlier to have a short practice in the mornings. Not necessarily everyday, but on most days. It's only half an hour, and we don't have to spend 20 minutes getting dressed only to go out in the cold, dark air (like we would for a morning run). I'm happy to report we've practiced for the past three days! Even though it has been a little tough to get through the morning "humbugs", our morning practice has been an incredible blessing for me. It has helped center and ground me before my 45 minute commute and 8+ hour workday (which has been increasingly tough to deal with) and it gives me a special time and space every morning that Brandon and I can share.

It doesn't take long, and it isn't hard. It's just yoga.

and it looks something like this (enjoy the pictures, each one is a link to the original source):

Start in savasana

then, spend a few minutes doing a pranayama breathing exercise (we do anuloma viloma, a.k.a. the "yogi ganster sign")

a few sun salutations (surya namaskar)

an inversion

followed by child's pose (balasana)

then a small flow through shoulderstand, plough and bridge

  

cobra, locust and bow (only bow is shown)

a seated forward fold

a twist on each side

one last standing forward fold

triangle pose (trikonasana) on both sides

then, coming full circle and soaking it all in for the final resting pose, savansana

Do you have a go-to home yoga practice? How often do you practice yoga? What is your favorite pose?

Peace, Love & Bagels,