Restorative Yoga and Athletes: the Power Within

Posted on by

Why do we feel so good after a workout? It’s been proven that exercise-induced endorphins lift our mood. Deep, full breathing, whether from working out or practicing yoga has a reliable effect on the body, increasing circulation and cardiovascular capacity. Breath combined in a specific way with movement, as in yoga vinyasa, can have a profound effect on a person’s well-being.

Hatha yoga probably originated about 400-500 years ago and is a combination of asanas, pranayama and mudras.

Asanas, or postures, are practices engaging the physical body and breath. When we practice asana, our flow of prana, or life force, is balanced.

Pranayama is the conscious regulation of the unconscious breath.  Extending the exhalation would be an example of this practice. Pranayama practice promotes cleansing of emotional and physical toxins, allowing new prana to enter the body. Prana then flows and extends to every part of our conscious living entity.

Mudras are ways of holding or locking energy in the body, most often affecting how we feel, or our “mood”.

The word hatha is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Ha and Tha. “Ha” is the cool, yin energy of the moon (chandra) and associated with the feminine aspect of our being.  “Tha” is the yang, hot energy of the sun (surya) and corresponds to our masculine aspect. Both of these opposite energies exist in our bodies all the time. Regular practice of hatha yoga balances these energies and keeps us stable and healthy.

For those who think a strong physical yoga practice is required for results, hatha yoga works at a much more energetic level than physiological level. It has to do with the flow of prana and engages our inner strength. When this happens, our balance improves on all levels: body, mind and spirit. We become strong from within. Our physical and mental stamina increases. We gain a new clarity and confidence as we learn to quiet our busy minds and access the power within. Our mood and ability to sleep improves, as well as our ability to concentrate and focus.

As athletes, we are used to “doing” our best and achieving our goals. In a yoga practice, it’s about “being”.  Yoga is not a competitive sport. If I were to point out the biggest “mistake” I see students make in a yoga class, it’s trying too hard. Don’t worry if you can’t touch your toes; yoga is not about that. The poses are not the main event. If you can breathe, you can do yoga. The subtle practices are the deepest.

Yoga has been called the science of human capacity. The practice of hatha yoga is doing everything possible in our life to ensure that the prana in our system flows smoothly. This is how we access our highest human capacity.

 

Mariel Hawley swims the Catalina Channel for 100 smiles… with a smile!

Posted on by

On August 25, Mariel Hawley from Mexico City swam the Catalina Channel in 11 hours and 27 minutes. Mariel is the first Mexican woman to achieve the Triple Crown of marathon swimming: successful swims of the English Channel, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Catalina Channel. Mariel also swam to raise money to provide surgeries for 100 low-income children with cleft palate and hare lip – 100 smiles. Mariel swam from Catalina Island to Terranea Beach in Palos Verdes with a smile the whole way, herself. I was her official observer, officiating for the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, and it was my honor and privilege to have been a part of Mariel’s very special swim.

Mariel’s coach is Mexican channel swimming legend Nora Toledano, with 6 solo English Channel swims to her credit. Mariel’s stalwart crew of kayaker and buddy swimmer Gela Limonchi and physician Ariadna Del Villa supported both this swim and her English Channel swim last summer. Javier Gutierrez provided enthusiastic buddy swimming and cheering the whole way from Catalina Island to the mainland. Don Rasky and Kim Miller guided Mariel in their kayaks and John Pittman and David Caudle piloted the escort boat, Outrider. Between Nora, Javier, Mariel and me we have 13 English Channel solo swims between us! We were ready for anything!

We motored from Long Beach to Catalina Island and arrived around 11:30pm, where Mariel prepared to swim. Nora applied Vaseline around her suitstraps for chafing and sunscreen, as Mariel chatted enthusiastically. We all offered words of encouragement, especially “hang in there until the sun comes up… it’s a whole new ball game then!” The nighttime is the hardest part of the Catalina Channel swim, with the swimmer unable to see a horizon and often feeling disoriented and nauseated. This is also the coldest part of the swim, as the chilly night wind blows on tired shoulders, causing chills and doubts to creep in during the darkest hours just before dawn.

Mariel has her game face on!

Mariel swam on a balmy night in calm seas. This must have seemed quite pleasant after her English Channel swim last summer, when she swam in conditions so rough most swimmers would not have been able to finish. At sunrise, we could see the cliffs of Point Vicente ahead of us, but it would be several hours until we reached them. Mariel remained cheerful the whole way, buoyed up by her crew and knowing that her swim would be providing smiles for 100 children. We marveled at her fortitude and good cheer. Even though she was tired, Mariel never complained, only smiled.

As we neared the finish, hundreds of dolphins swam by, as if to welcome Mariel. Still smiling, she swam on. Mariel swam in to the beach just below the Terranea Resort, greeted by some tourists who happened to be there and probably wondering what was going on! Javier swam in with her as we cheered from the Outrider, just offshore. Mariel came back aboard the Outrider happy and victorious, now the first Mexican woman to complete the Triple Crown of marathon swimming, and smiling her beautiful smile for the 100 new smiles that would now be possible because of her swim.

Muchas Felicidades Mariel !!!

Laura Lopez-Bonilla swims La Jolla Cove… then the Catalina Channel!

Posted on by

“It wasn’t an easy swim, wind against tide, and not sun once daylight broke. I had to overcome surgery, months of physical therapy, thyroid disease, and a last minute lower back concern treated by a great chiropractor in La Jolla. Phew!!!!! All put behind as I stepped into the dark waters of the Catalina Channel. As I took the first strokes, I knew I could. I have met some great people on the journey: Dr Michael Ackerman, Mimi and Richard Sampson, Heidi, and the crew of Outrider. And a huge thanks to my friend Pat Frank his unconditional support along this journey.”

Sometimes we have turning points in our lives and events such as completing a channel swim can be transformational. Laura is at just that point… her life is taking a turn for the better and this turn is marked by her successful Catalina Channel swim. I had some work commitments and wasn’t able to be on the escort boat for Laura’s swim, but we were able to share a few swims in La Jolla Cove before she went up to Los Angeles for her big swim. I met Laura 10 years ago when I was her observer for her first English Channel swim in 2002. Laura become the second Spanish woman to swim the English Channel that day and we’ve been good friends ever since. One of the best gifts of this sport is the lifelong friendships forged on various beaches around the world, as we train for and step in the water to swim from one body of land to another.

Laura’s Catalina Channel swim turned out to be more difficult than most this season, as she battled choppy water and wind the whole way across. Well-supported by crew and determined, Laura persevered. Knowing this was a turn-a-round moment in her life, she would not give up, even when during a particularly dark hour of her swim Laura was told she would have to swim 4 1/2 more hours to the finish. Swallowing that information and processing it took a while, but she re-calibrated her mind and swam on, knowing she would be successful, no matter how long it took. 14 hours and 31 minutes after stepping in the sea at Catalina Island, Laura Lopez-Bonilla crawled out onto Terranea Beach, a successful Catalina Channel swimmer.

Laura had never been greeted at the finish of either of her successful English Channel swims, as she swam in to the beach in France during the middle of the night. This swim had a special surprise in store for Laura…

Our friends from Mexico City, Nora Toledano, Mariel Hawley, Gela Limonchi and Ariadna Del Villar were in town for Mariel’s swim the following day. All swam out to escort Laura in to the beach. What a welcoming committee!!!

Muchas Felicidades, Laura !!!

Finding the Magic

Posted on by

What time is it?

Where am I?

The answer to both questions is always the same. As though it were a riddle, the answer is very simple and seems obvious once we see it.

Since both time and space are creations of our mind, the answers cannot be found on a clock or a map. The answer can be found hidden in plain sight within each and every one of us.

“I shut my eyes in order to see” ~ Paul Gaugin

Close your eyes and breathe. As you focus your attention inward, you will become aware of the stillness there. We are like the ocean, turbulence on the surface and calm in the depths. There is a lot of movement on the outside, our senses are constantly bringing us messages… the phone is ringing, another email, time to do something; the mental microphones are always sending us more chatter. The place we seek is like the deepest part of the ocean, still and peaceful. This is where the Bliss of our own Being is found. When we dive deep inside ourselves – and open our hearts and listen – we find it. We begin to remember who we really are.

Our yoga practice teaches us how to find this place and gives us doorways and roadmaps to help us return there. Soon, we find ourselves returning more and more often. Eventually, it feels like we’ve downloaded a new operating system for ourselves. We become less reactive and are able to function with more clarity. As we continue to practice, we are able to download “updates” for our new operating system. We are “hard-wired” a new way.

From our new place of stillness within, we are able to extend our awareness to new places. Our intuition becomes keener. We are able to pay attention to how we feel and step back from negative emotions, allowing that emotion to run through us without causing negative thoughts or actions. This is a transformational process… letting go of things that no longer serve us, shedding our old way of being and allowing more light to shine through our new yoga body.

Firmly seated in the present moment, we always know that…

The time is now.

I am here.

 

Golden Friends & Mermaid Friends

Posted on by

I am always amazed at the steadfastness of my Golden Friends. Carol Hamilton is one of my very best Golden Friends. We met years ago on the podium of the La Jolla Rough Water Swim 3-mile Gatorman event where she had won our age group and soundly kicked my butt. I wanted to become a better swimmer and convinced her to train with me at La Jolla Cove the following summer. Years later, we still swim together and have become Mermaid Friends, too. Our rich memories of growing up and coming of age in the 60’s and 70’s, being on the cusp of Title IX and times changing to “marriage and career” being as acceptable as “marriage and children”.

Almost twenty years later, our lives have changed in some ways and are the same in others, but we are still first and foremost women of faith who put service to our community high on our priority list. Carol writes an inspirational blog for Palomar Hospital and put together some tips for beachgoers who might want to try open water swimming for the first time… but who might be feeling a bit of trepidation about doing so.  Read on for those tips… “The Water is Open”

To my Golden Mermaid Friend Carol, this photo reminds me of you and the special friendship gifts I have enjoyed with you over the years. Blessings to you!