Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tumo Breathing
Yesterday and today, Jeff taught us Tumo breathing. Today's version was the advanced breathing. Before teaching it to us he gave us a lot of warnings so that we would be careful with it. He also showed a video clip of himself and 25 of his instructors studying with Wim Hof who had studied Tumo breathing. Tumo breathing is also known as "inner fire" and was perfected by Tibetan yogis to generate heat and were able to withstand the cold and snow of the Himalayas. I personally knew a Tibetan lama who had no heat in his room in upstate NY in the middle of December and laughed and said that it was cozy. Anyhoo. I felt my back start to get warm. The warmth oscillated in my lower to middle back. I can't imagine what it's like after you've been practicing for a while. We had a room of 2000 people practicing tumo breathing. Everyone in the room was very focused. I was impressed with how much chi I was able to feel by Day 4. They do an extraordinary job of presenting the practice. Jeff has a very simple and clear way of explaining but they also have wonderful animation and visuals to assist along with very well synchronized music. The staff is comprised of the instructors who all volunteer their time to come and help. They are one dedicated group and I was extremely impressed. Thanks to Jeff Primack and Qi Revolution!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Qi Revolution 4-days
Attending the 4-day Qi Revolution with Jeff Primack. My friend, Mical, invited me but then couldn't make it but I went anyways. Glad I did. The breathing techniques are getting better each day and lo and behold! They make smoothies! Got the book of recipes. Can't wait til my Blend-tec arrives. Amazingly, it is the blender that Jeff uses. So much for synchronicity.
You can't beat the price for the 4-day workshop. $99. The presenter, Jeff Primack, seems very sincere. The presentation is very organized and straight forward. Most importantly, the focus is not on getting but giving. Seems like a good soul. There are a lot of massage therapists here for their CEUs but they are enjoying the program as well. Tomorrow is the last day.
Jeff pointed out that the it's not drugs that make you well, it's the immune system. To keep the immune system strong, you need phytochemicals that are found in the stems, seeds, pith (cell walls) of plants. So he drinks about 20 oz of smoothies each morning.
I went to my friend's house to prepare the anti-inflammatory recipe from Jeff's smoothie recipe book since both she and her boyfriend just had surgeries within the same month. Hers was an emergency. This smoothie recipe called for the stem of a pineapple, a slice of pineapple, cherries, cilantro (chelation), goji berries, ginger, turmeric, 2cups water, papaya, cucumber, that's about it. She had a Hamilton Beach mixer and while the Blendtec will, apparently, grind fruits/veggies down to the micron level, the Hamilton blended well enough for us to drink it. Since she can't afford the $399 Blend-tec we figured, hey, this is better than not doing it. So there.
It was my first attempt at making a smoothie from his recipe book. The nice thing about the smoothies is that you can experiment. Nayda doesn't like cilantro so I told her to maybe add more pineapple than the recipe calls for to drown out the taste of the cilantro. Interesting point about the cilantro. Jeff recommends everyone to have cilantro daily. He says that it gets rid of metals. People that eat fish are exposed to mercury and that cilantro helps to get it out of the body. In addition, autism and alzheimer' are connected to heavy metals so cilantro will help with alleviating those conditions.
This morning, I was running late. I made my smoothie but I ran out the door without it! argh. Well, my husband was home so it didn't go to waste. His is still in the fridge. Anyhoo, I noticed that I was felt a tad more constipated today. Things didn't go as easily as I've become accustomed to with the smoothies. Seems to be true. Jeff talked about getting a big huge bowel movement his second day trying smoothies which really sold him on them. Plus the fact that he had met a 70 year old man who had no wrinkles that drank the smoothies. I believe it's true about the BM's thanks to my personal experience and my friend's. She told me the first week that I started bringing her smoothies and green juices that she had become VERY regular. She was really happy about that and I am too because that's a good thing. ;)
You can't beat the price for the 4-day workshop. $99. The presenter, Jeff Primack, seems very sincere. The presentation is very organized and straight forward. Most importantly, the focus is not on getting but giving. Seems like a good soul. There are a lot of massage therapists here for their CEUs but they are enjoying the program as well. Tomorrow is the last day.
Jeff pointed out that the it's not drugs that make you well, it's the immune system. To keep the immune system strong, you need phytochemicals that are found in the stems, seeds, pith (cell walls) of plants. So he drinks about 20 oz of smoothies each morning.
I went to my friend's house to prepare the anti-inflammatory recipe from Jeff's smoothie recipe book since both she and her boyfriend just had surgeries within the same month. Hers was an emergency. This smoothie recipe called for the stem of a pineapple, a slice of pineapple, cherries, cilantro (chelation), goji berries, ginger, turmeric, 2cups water, papaya, cucumber, that's about it. She had a Hamilton Beach mixer and while the Blendtec will, apparently, grind fruits/veggies down to the micron level, the Hamilton blended well enough for us to drink it. Since she can't afford the $399 Blend-tec we figured, hey, this is better than not doing it. So there.
It was my first attempt at making a smoothie from his recipe book. The nice thing about the smoothies is that you can experiment. Nayda doesn't like cilantro so I told her to maybe add more pineapple than the recipe calls for to drown out the taste of the cilantro. Interesting point about the cilantro. Jeff recommends everyone to have cilantro daily. He says that it gets rid of metals. People that eat fish are exposed to mercury and that cilantro helps to get it out of the body. In addition, autism and alzheimer' are connected to heavy metals so cilantro will help with alleviating those conditions.
This morning, I was running late. I made my smoothie but I ran out the door without it! argh. Well, my husband was home so it didn't go to waste. His is still in the fridge. Anyhoo, I noticed that I was felt a tad more constipated today. Things didn't go as easily as I've become accustomed to with the smoothies. Seems to be true. Jeff talked about getting a big huge bowel movement his second day trying smoothies which really sold him on them. Plus the fact that he had met a 70 year old man who had no wrinkles that drank the smoothies. I believe it's true about the BM's thanks to my personal experience and my friend's. She told me the first week that I started bringing her smoothies and green juices that she had become VERY regular. She was really happy about that and I am too because that's a good thing. ;)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday 4pm
Don't know the name of the instructor today but she was very good. I felt great in class today. No aches & pains. Think I'm finally finding the balance between pushing and pushing too hard. Despite the fact that it felt like I was taking it "easy", I received a compliment on my camel pose. It does feel like I was bending deeper. I think the bow pose is coming along as well. I also think my change in diet is helping the body because the diet is more alkaline producing.
Still cannot do the third posture in the chair series. Argh! Once I get that, I think I'll be able to do the 2nd posture in the tree pose. I can bend forward and go part of the way, but I can't come back up. Where is the weakness? My legs have always been so strong.
Purchased the e-book from Green Smoothie Girl. Lots of recipes and a 12 month program for going "raw". Actually, she isn't 100% raw but around 60-80% raw. She works and has four children and says that it becomes very time intensive to get make that 20% more to 100%. And that's why she makes smoothies. She throws the greens in a blender with fruit and voila! What she is doing has been better than what I'm doing so I'm integrating her suggestions to get to the 80% mark. After all, you can only be successful if the plan is doable. At the same time, I do plan to go 100% in June to detox and lose weight.
My dear friend had gall bladder surgery and I've been making her the smoothies and delivering them to her while she has been convalescing. I had read in someone's blog that they felt that their recovery was faster because they were drinking green juices. She told me that after she drank the green smoothie that she felt better. Also, that she prior to the green smoothies she didn't go to the bathroom (#2) on a daily basis, but that this helped regulate her. It's not good if you don't do #2 every day. [Advice so eloquently stated]. Stuff "backs up", just like the plumbing in your house, and toxins will enter your bloodstream. So drink green smoothies and get regular and keep everything moving in one direction!
Still cannot do the third posture in the chair series. Argh! Once I get that, I think I'll be able to do the 2nd posture in the tree pose. I can bend forward and go part of the way, but I can't come back up. Where is the weakness? My legs have always been so strong.
Purchased the e-book from Green Smoothie Girl. Lots of recipes and a 12 month program for going "raw". Actually, she isn't 100% raw but around 60-80% raw. She works and has four children and says that it becomes very time intensive to get make that 20% more to 100%. And that's why she makes smoothies. She throws the greens in a blender with fruit and voila! What she is doing has been better than what I'm doing so I'm integrating her suggestions to get to the 80% mark. After all, you can only be successful if the plan is doable. At the same time, I do plan to go 100% in June to detox and lose weight.
My dear friend had gall bladder surgery and I've been making her the smoothies and delivering them to her while she has been convalescing. I had read in someone's blog that they felt that their recovery was faster because they were drinking green juices. She told me that after she drank the green smoothie that she felt better. Also, that she prior to the green smoothies she didn't go to the bathroom (#2) on a daily basis, but that this helped regulate her. It's not good if you don't do #2 every day. [Advice so eloquently stated]. Stuff "backs up", just like the plumbing in your house, and toxins will enter your bloodstream. So drink green smoothies and get regular and keep everything moving in one direction!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sat 10am w/Ocidee
Arrived 5 minutes late and heard about it from the instructor. He was a bit harsh. I had driven 45 minutes only to arrive late to class. As I pulled into the parking lot I nearly turned around because I was five minutes late and didn't want to walk into class late. Then I decided it was better to be scorned than miss the class. So when the instructor barked at me, I chose to be grateful that at least he isn't an instructor whose opinion matters much. He yells at people for drinking water between postures and then one day when he was next to me in class, what does he do? Swigs water between postures. Ha, I don't really care. I suppose he feels that the Bikram program is the place where he can release his inner control freak with utter abandonment because no one at his day job will put up with it.
The really useful lesson out of all this is that being a teacher, I get to see my reaction and learn a bit more about what it's like for my students. For example, Ocidee taught me that when you are teaching a class, and you want to give specific direction to an individual, you should not talk to them them at the same level of volume with which you are addressing the entire class. It throws them off balance. Instead, soften your voice and just make it between the two of you. A student is less inclined to be embarrassed or feel like you are calling them out. And therefore, less inclined to become preoccupied with defending themselves. They can just focus on their lesson. Restated another way, they will feel that you are trying to help them and not just challenging them because you are a control freak who only cares that they do what you say. So thanks once again, Ocidee, for teaching me what NOT to do. ☺
The house is further from the studio than work and I just didn't judge the time properly. The last time I came from the house it was the 8am class and I forgot that there would be more traffic at the 10am class. And there was way more traffic than I'm used to.
Anyhoo, during class I was feeling great. No pain in the hip. So, the short break must have been good for me. However, towards the last few postures I was beginning to feel some pain in the hips again.
The fresh watermelon juice I made tasted great after class. It's half rind and half fruit. There is, apparently, a lot of nutrition in the rind. Later tonight, as I was juicing the rest of the watermelon the thought occurred to me, wow, wouldn't this fresh watermelon make a fabulous martini....
I'm looking forward to June where I can have an entire month to do a yoga/detox program and where I will not be working so I will be able to get to class on time. har har har.
The really useful lesson out of all this is that being a teacher, I get to see my reaction and learn a bit more about what it's like for my students. For example, Ocidee taught me that when you are teaching a class, and you want to give specific direction to an individual, you should not talk to them them at the same level of volume with which you are addressing the entire class. It throws them off balance. Instead, soften your voice and just make it between the two of you. A student is less inclined to be embarrassed or feel like you are calling them out. And therefore, less inclined to become preoccupied with defending themselves. They can just focus on their lesson. Restated another way, they will feel that you are trying to help them and not just challenging them because you are a control freak who only cares that they do what you say. So thanks once again, Ocidee, for teaching me what NOT to do. ☺
The house is further from the studio than work and I just didn't judge the time properly. The last time I came from the house it was the 8am class and I forgot that there would be more traffic at the 10am class. And there was way more traffic than I'm used to.
Anyhoo, during class I was feeling great. No pain in the hip. So, the short break must have been good for me. However, towards the last few postures I was beginning to feel some pain in the hips again.
The fresh watermelon juice I made tasted great after class. It's half rind and half fruit. There is, apparently, a lot of nutrition in the rind. Later tonight, as I was juicing the rest of the watermelon the thought occurred to me, wow, wouldn't this fresh watermelon make a fabulous martini....
I'm looking forward to June where I can have an entire month to do a yoga/detox program and where I will not be working so I will be able to get to class on time. har har har.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Raw Model Website
I'm reading an interesting website titled Raw Model. It's by a guy who works as a model in NYC and shares his raw food recipes and discoveries. Unlike some websites that give a small amount of information with the rest of the website designed to convince you that you need to buy their e-book, he simply and sincerely shares his recipes and self-discoveries honestly and openly.
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