Experts agree that running a marathon will never be successful if you don’t take a well rounded fitness approach to it.  In addition to putting in the miles, you must condition your core body muscles, stretch your tendons and joints as well as create a positive mental attitude about yourself.  Without the mix of these three factors, you will most likely fail.  As I researched the excersises most commonly provided in these programs, it was obvious yoga would be a perfect fit.  Using basic yoga poses like SUN SALUTATIONS, WARRIOR, PLANK, BOAT, and more I could accomplish the same goals that these programs set out to do.  I was able to create a plan that fit my yoga mind frame to help me achieve the ultimate running goal of finishing a marathon.

Knowing that many of my students and DVD patrons are also runners, I thought you could benefit from this program as well.  I have provided the basic 16 week training plan along with short descriptions of most poses and techniques.  Find it at: http://bluemediademodvds.com/YogaChoice/marathonyogaplan.pdf .   Please keep in mind that this program worked well for me, a first time marathon runner.  I am not a running expert, but I did use expert advice in putting this program together. 

So, as you start your new year and if a marathon is on your horizon I hope this helps.  Happy yoga running!

Entering the bustling mall with my youngest child in tow, I knew before I even began that this would be difficult.  My plan was to head straight to the store, pick up the item, walk up to the register and pay.  Then, I would turn around and walk out the same way I came in.  Twenty minutes, bodda bing, bodda boom.  Unfortunately, I did not anticipate the crowd of people that were also checking off their holiday lists.  Walking as quickly as I could, my two year old and I found the store.  We entered it, looking right past the ten sales clerks working the room and zeroed in on the exact jacket we were there to purchase.  I walked up to the counter with my merchandise, ready to pay- when I was asked, “Would you like that gift wrapped?” 

“Sure.” I responded.  Why not?  It’ll only take a couple of minutes. 

The clerk walked into the back with the jacket, leaving me with instructions to “look around” while she wrapped the gift.  Although this sounds effortless and fun to some, to a mother of a two year old with no stroller to strap him into- this is instant anxiety.  Sparkly, spinning wheels of jewlery displays stood right in front of his eye giving him instant entertainment.  Pulling off necklaces, earrings and bracelets, I struggled to keep up with him to put them away.  Steering away to other areas meant hiding in clothing racks and running under annoyed customer’s feet.  Ten minutes of this struggle went by before the clerk returned.  I hurridly paid and with package in hand, walked out the door, at least until the alarm went off.  Stopped by the sales people and asked to return to the store, I slumped my way back to the desk.  At that point they took the wrapped package away from me, my son screaming in my arms and went in the back to unwrap and rewrap the jacket.  Almost an hour passed before I was able to escape the hectic shopping center.

By the time I got in my car, I felt myself breathing quickly, my frustration bubbling inside and my face tensed up in a furrowed eyebrow scowl.  I had created and allowed myself to take part of a stressful situation. 

The stress followed throughout the day, until finally that night, while sitting by my son’s crib waiting for him to fall asleep- I stretched.  Basic stretches, like wide angle pose and lotus.  Easy stretches like spinal twist and seated forward fold.  In five minutes, I was able to reduce built up tension that clung to me all day.  Whew, a renewed feeling, an actual release of the day’s frustration!

While I will try to keep myself out of stressful situations like this, I know that it is not always possible to avoid.  So here is my promise to myself: I will always give myself five minutes before bed to stretch the stress right out of me.  I know I can fit it in my schedule, (i’m usually sitting by my son’s crib for at least 5 minutes). 

I bet it can fit into most of yours as well. Easy, calm stretches that let you loosen up your muscles will make a huge difference in your busy holiday schedule.  Then hopefully, the next time you’re at the mall and see a frantic mother with a crazy child trying buy her husband a gift, you’ll look at her with relaxed sympathy and maybe even offer to help.

I have practiced yoga throughout both of my son’s pregnancies and have enjoyed quick labor and recovery for each. I will caution you to be careful with your body during this time and follow a few guidelines to help prevent injury to you or the baby. Some of them are:
Your balance is off from the very beginning. Stop looking up during poses and stay focused on things that are eye level. Also, use the wall or a chair to help stable yourself.

Stay away from inverted poses, like shoulder stand or plow. As your tummy grows this puts too much strain on your baby.
Don’t hold poses as long as you use to. As you progress in your pregnancy, you’ll have a greater chance of cramping. The longer you hold the pose, the more likely you will cramp up.
In the second and third trimesters, don’t do upward facing dog or any extreme stomach exercises (save that for post-baby!)
Drink a lot of water! You are more dehydrated when you are pregnant.

These are just a few tips. You can find a directory of poses on the Yoga For Your Pregnancy DVD which focuses on yoga throughout each trimester of your pregnancy. In addition we have Yoga For You and Your Kids to progress with yoga after your pregnancy. Until then, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor if yoga is ok for you during this time, and enjoy it!

As yoga has gotten more popularized in the west, it has also gained more postures. Terrific poses brought from other sports like gymnastics and ballet. With these postures, the physical emphasis of yoga became more pronounced and the inherit human nature to compete with others was brought into the yoga class room. Well, this is exactly what is not intended to happen with yoga. In fact in many studios you will not find mirrors on the walls, so you cannot compare yourself with the peers in the room. When I teach I tell my students to pay attention to how you feel and not what is going on at the mat next door. I have even found myself turning around during a class and doing a pose away from the rest of the group so I can focus better on my own breathing and postures. I must have forgotten the strength of this lesson.

I am going to make a pact with myself to try and remember the importance of each person’s uniqueness, and not let myself get down for not measuring up to other “yoga Jones’”. So I wanted to share this lesson with you all. I think it is a good one that we can take with us not only in our yoga practice, but also in our lives off the mat.

One of the best gifts I’ve gotten was season tickets to one of the nations top collegiate gymnastics teams. As an alumni of the sport, I was excited to watch the young athletes perform skills that I once attempted myself and to see how different the sport has changed in the past decade. The meet was amazing. There were so many new skills, so much higher difficulty and so much more talent than I ever remember having. As I watched I longed for the chance to do what these girls were doing, just once more, but I knew it was a far fetched dream. You see, I have gotten “old” in the eyes of gymnastics. My body does not work the same as it use to (especially after children), and I would pretty much kill or heavily injure myself if I attempted the sport at the same intensity as the gymnasts I watched. 

I know most of us aren’t planning on joining an adult gymnastics class, but pretty much every physical activity we participate in could lead to injury. As we age, our chances of getting hurt increase every year, so in yoga we work to combat that. In all yoga poses you should focus on the core of your body. Always think about keeping your core (the section of your body between your head and your pelvis) strong and pulled up. There are a few great poses for working your core strength that are excellent for helping to prevent injuries. My favorite three are: 1. Boat pose. This is a great way to work stomach, hip flexors, neck and back strength all at once. Try to hold boat for about 10 counts at a time and repeat about 5 times. If you do this daily, you will definitely see an increase in core strength. 2. Bridge. A great counter pose to do between boat that still works your back, buttocks, and legs. It helps to release tension in the upper back and neck and teaches your body control of your core muscles. 3. Down Dog. A basic yoga pose, but very beneficial. This stretches your lower back and hamstrings while strengthening your shoulders and stomach.

Remember to keep your body’s core active through your entire practice and know that the more you strengthen this area, the less chance you have of injury.

Yes, our new friends were vegetarians. After we sat and talked for awhile we learned that he was very involved with ashtanga yoga. He had studied with some of the best in the world and shortly after attending a retreat where they were fed only vegetarian meals, they had decided that this habit of eating suited their family the best. Feeling a bit embarrassed I finished the last bit of ham on my plate while my husband announced, “oh, Carolyn is really good at yoga, she even has a DVD out.” I then explained the type of yoga I am involved in (ashtanga as well, but with a little more of a western kick to it). I did not want him to think I was a nobody who just thought yoga was cool. I wanted him to know I was smart and really knew my stuff when it came to yoga even though I still eat meat (not to mention refined sugars.) But then I reminded myself of one of the great laws of yoga. Yoga is what you want it to be. It morphs with your lifestyle, your religious convictions, your physical abilities, whatever. This is the reason I like it so much. I don’t have to worry about what other people think of me when I practice yoga, in fact in yoga classes it is important to only focus on what is happening on your mat- no one else’s. I resolved at that moment that I didn’t care if he had studied longer or with more gurus, I knew I was at a level I was proud of. Through this experience, I learned once again, that it does not matter what others think of you, as long as you’re happy with what’s inside.

First I do a couple poses that make my muscles work- like warrior 1 and 2. These are “power” poses that I hold for longer than normal, so I feel like the muscle has been worked and needs a break. Then I stretch. I love stretching at night because your ligaments and tendons are already loose from the day and when you stretch it helps to relieve tension. After that I turn on some low yoga music or I have a small fountain in my room that sounds like rain falling. I lay on my bed with my head and back slightly elevated from pillows, and I breathe. I inhale deep through my nose for 3 seconds then I slowly release my breath for 3 seconds. All I try to think about is my breath. I try to control it, I make it feel hot, I think about sending my breath to my toes, then my knees, and continue it up my body. After I send my breath through my whole body, I just breathe normal. By this time, I am usually sound asleep. It may take longer if you are not used to making yourself relax, but practice makes perfect. 

I hope that this helps some of you out there, suffering through sleepless nights (especially my husband). I know you and those around you will love to see the change a good nights rest makes.