Yoga

I now prefer being a pretzel over ping pong.

Haven't attended ping pong in some time. Yoga has taken it's place. The studio is three minutes from my house, and three of my friends are instructors there, so it was an easy transition. I've been going for maybe three months now, and love the benefits. I get meditation, massage, and increased flexibility.

Will Gadd recently posted about his experience with yoga, and several people chimed in to comment. See the article HERE Everyone has different criteria for an exercise program that fits, yoga fits really well for me.

I'll tell you why I like it:

Flexibility and injury prevention: I used to wake up and hobble around until my body warmed up a bit. Now I feel good first thing. My joints, specifically my hips and shoulders feel much more open and supple. If I go tumbling down the hill after falling on my skis, I think the stretching I've been doing will decrease my chance for injury.

Take a second and try this pose. Just interlace fingers on your back, and bend at the waist. Now lift your hands as far off your back as possible. When I first started, my shoulders were so tight, I could barely get my hands off my back. Now my hands get closer to what's pictured.

Digestion: All the bending, twisting, and being upside down has helped my digestive health. (That's euphemistic talk for I shit regularly. No more need for a daily fiber pill.)

Mental focus and meditation:Some people don't get into the meditative portion of yoga, but I fully dig it. The balance poses stretch you out while making you focus intently on your balance. You have to tune into your balance, and focus your gaze. It increases my kinesthetic awareness.

For example, try this pose. The pose itself isn't that hard, looking up at the ceiling is!

For me, balancing in a hand stand is just like flying a competition hang glider. It requires you to pay attention to micro adjustments in your body position and react a second in advance to what's happening with your balance. There's a lag in the adjustment you put in. If my mind is cluttered or my gaze isn't focused, I can't do it well.

There's the focus in balance poses, and there's the meditative portion usually at the beginning and end of class. Will's article mentions tuning into your "inner bunny." Laying lifeless on the floor, or sitting with your eyes closed can have great value. It has been said that mental imagery can be 80% as effective as actually doing the activity.

If I can un-clutter my mind, I focus on personal goals and try to envision the steps toward those goals. I also try and tune into my body. Breath control can be instructive. Feeling your heart beat in your chest and head quicken during an inhale and slow with an exhale. Seeing what flashes across your mind's eye, and trying to retain the sensation while you relax. I find it all beneficial.

Strength Training

A tertiary benefit for me is strength training. The arm balances, lift offs, etc. are hard, and sometimes impossible, but it doesn't really promote significant gains in strength of major muscle groups. It does seem to work secondary stabilizer muscles, which would hopefully aid in increased injury prevention.

If all this sounds cool, and you feel like trying a bit, there are plenty of free videos. Tara Stiles, an uber hot model, has good videos on YouTube. A short beginner tutorial is HERE I could sit on my ass and watch her stretch all day.

HERE'S a video of the pros doing it. Stuff to aspire to. The beginning shows a full sun salutation, a yoga basic.