One-third of American diet is

junk food and soft drinks:

we're malnourished and obese at the same time

You and your family don't have to live an unhealthy lifestyle.

Sure personal trainers seem like a luxuary but what is the cost of being sick!? Besides the monetary cost, what is the personal cost and the cost to your family?

    Once you have changed the way you veiw yourself and your health care, you'll be able to take care of yourself without a personal motivator. However, initially, its best to have someone help you change, help you learn proper body mechanics and alignemnt so that you can achieve that healthy, happy you.

Think about it; what is health care? Is it going to the doctor buying endless drugs that in some instances will make you sick in the long run? Or is your health care pro-active?   What is your 'health' expectations?

You don't have to work out until your drop. You shouldn't work out until you drop.

Start with proper breathing. Your body will not function efficiently without the breath. You can live without arm or legs; you can even live without some of your organs but you can't live without the breath.

Become mindful of your movements. What muscles do you feel working? What joint sensations do you notice? Becoming mindful of your movements will help you move efficently and effectively.

With everything you do, notice your body mechanics. Working out incorretly is ineffective and can lead to cronic injuries over time.

Consult your physician; yes, let your doctor monitor health and be a part of your pro-active plan.  

I am a part of "Exercise is Medicine" team.   As a personal trainer and health consultant, I am commited to helping people live happy, healthy lives.  It all start with you!

http://exerciseismedicine.org/public.htm

What Happened to Yoga While I Was Away?

When I was 14 years old, I bought a book on yoga; being a dancer and a gymnast I was intrigued by yoga asana, as well as, the history and philosophy.   There were few classes offered in yoga back in the 70’s but I did find yoga classes at the University and at a local community center. I studied yoga for several years under Ms. Martinez who was in her late 60’s.   Back then, there were no fancy expensive clothes, no yoga mats, no power yoga – ego was undefined.   You didn’t have to perform a perfect hand stand to prove you were a yogi.

For 30 years, I studied many different arts including dance, martial arts, fitness, and mathematics. Through my work and college career, I practiced and taught various arts including yoga. For the past 5 years, I have been teaching yoga at the YMCA. Yoga the way I was taught; through the breath, moving into stillness. Yoga - a way of loving yourself and appreciating the gifts of the world around you. Yoga – non-judgmental - letting go of the ego - letting go of the self. But then! I decided to venture out into the yoga community.   I found myself surrounded by ego’s, expensive mats, expensive clothes, expensive classes! Yoga had become a world of arm balances and hand stands and if you can’t perform them on command then you’re not a yogi. Yikes! What does it mean to be a yogi? Yoga postures are a great way to stay physically fit but if that’s the purpose of ones ‘yoga’ practice, can it be called yoga? Or is it a branch of the “body weight” culture?  

Yoga begins with ahimsa, do no harm. What are we teaching when we teach yoga for fitness for ‘improving your body image’? What happens to the internal self? the spirit of a person? However, Maslows’ hierarchy of needs states that physiological needs must be met first before attaining self actualization. Perhaps, ‘yoga for fitness’ is meeting this need. Perhaps, it is a start on the yogic path and eventually the student will seek and search for the truth in yoga and eventually go beyond the self.

All life is ever evolving. Yoga is ever evolving. Each individual is ever evolving in their search for meaning and a higher purpose.   So, maybe its ok for yoga guides to teach yoga as a purely physical practice. Maybe it’s the road leading to a higher understanding where the student will seek truth in their own time.

In the meantime, I will continue to teach yoga ‘off the grid’ by moving into stillness with the breath as a guide.

Cynthia McGinnis, M.A., CPT