Born To Run

A few months ago, I read a book entitled "Born to Run" by Christopher Mac Dougall. Chris is a former war correspondent and contributing editor for Men's Health. He set out to discover why 8 out of 10 runners are injured each year--he counts himself as one of those 8. His journey takes him from his doctor's offices in Philadelphia to the biomechanics lab of the University of Delaware. He winds up at Harvard's anthropology department and heads out to the West Coast to learn more at Stanford. His journey ends in the Copper Canyons of Mexico for the grand finale of the book and the greatest race the world will never see. I listened to the book and was literally in tears towards the end. Christopher beautifully weaves scientific research into a fun and entertaining story that is not just for runners. It is a story about the human spirit with a triumphant ending and a powerful message.

I picked up this New York Times Best Seller after three people told me about the book in one week. These people told me that Christopher was bringing some of the same information to his readers that I had taught within my movement principles workshop. This book gave me permission to act on what I knew to be true. A little over nine years ago I kicked off the shoes and started a yoga practice. I always thought about running barefoot yet listened to the popular myth that I need shoes to handle compressional forces. Chris's book taught me that I truly did not need them. I started running barefoot (with Fibrum Five Finger Shoes) four weeks ago and it has truly been a paradigm shifting experience for me. In my next blog I will post a recommendation on where to buy the shoes and how to begin the journey of running with the earth instead of on it.

It's just my little toe

My wife and I were at a party this weekend. As I was talking with another guest at the party, I could not help but notice that she was favoring one foot. I asked her what was wrong. She said, "Oh it's nothing--I just broke my little toe." My wife turned to me right away and said, "Shut up--don't say a word." Sara knows the way I think and she is very educated on movement principles herself. She really knows her stuff and understands the independent nature of the human body and mind. I said nothing and just let it go.

Two of the three arches in the foot connect to the little toe. These arches serve to handle compressional forces and absorb shock while standing, walking, running etc. Basically, if you are on your feet, the arches are meant to be working. When the little toe is not functioning, the arches of the feet are

not functioning, and the joints above the foot- such as the ankles, knees, hips, spinal column, etc-are each working even harder and are subject to more compression within each joint.

Most people I speak with don't seem to understand how the body is interdependent and how everything effects everything. I find that it is the tendency of every one's mind, and not just mine, to possess a narrow focus. We have trouble seeing how everything is connected and related.

I would certainly be unaware of this truth if not for the hundreds and thousands of moments of focused attention on my yoga mat. My practice has truly taught me that the smallest adjustment in my foot can adjust my neck or shoulder--it is truly amazing to experience this connection.

Life is very much the same--our thoughts, actions and inaction's within each and every moment will affect the people near us and the world beyond us. We are all living in this cause and effect relationship and there is nothing that is not felt... that is truly something that is worth contemplating.

Living the Ordinary Extraordinary

After last night's class, a student asked me a question that no one has ever asked me before. The student, who was new to Empowered Yoga but not new to spiritual practice, asked me if I had opened up my third eye.

The third eye is where the Hindus respectfully wear the red dot. The third eye is referred to as the Eye of Intuition and is one of the Seven Chakras within the human body. I responded "No, I have not." He looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face and asked, "Well then why do you practice?" I told him that I practice so that I can be a better husband, a better Dad and a nicer person within this world.

I have no aspirations for anything extraordinary--I aspire to live the ordinary life extraordinarily. He smiled, and said that he understood. During over conversation, he told me that he was off to India to study with a guru. It prompted me to share something with him: "I searched for years only to come full circle and realize that what I was looking for was right here. Maybe you will find what you are looking for in India, but maybe it is right here and you are unable to see it." After long pause, he spoke. "Maybe you are right", he said. I replied, "Maybe I am and maybe I am not-- but either way you will find out."

It reminds me of the last chapter in a modern day book that is bound to become a classic. The book is called "Light on Life", by 91-year-old Yoga Master BKS Iyengar. He tells the reader that he spent the majority of his life as a seeker and it is only now that he sees clearly. He urges the reader not to make the same mistake that he has made. Iyengar is asking us to stop looking outside of ourselves and start looking within. Stop thinking that some moment around the corner will complete us. Stop thinking that if our lives were different, they would somehow be complete. This kind of thinking postpones our happiness until the future. One day, we realize that we are old, and that we missed the whole point of life-- this moment is enough, be appreciative to be alive. Enjoy your life now.

It's Not Yoga

It always cracks me up when I hear people say, "That is not Yoga". It gets into the mental constructs that people build in their minds about what something is. This is the way our mind works.

For instance—when we meet someone, we ask questions. As we hear information about them, our minds begin developing a view or picture of the person. We can then make a judgment as to whether or not we like the person, whether the person is someone we want to be around, and if the person is worth our time. If you have never noticed this about your mind then pay attention the next time you meet someone new and watch the way your mind works and builds a construct.

Yoga is no different. If people come in and they have never done yoga then Empowered Yoga becomes their mental construct of what yoga is and should be. Yoga should be heated, have mirrors, and involve intention setting and chanting Om. This becomes their mental construct of yoga. It builds a student’s body and helps deepen Hatha Yoga (physical) practice, yet, many times it leaves a student rigid in belief and thus closes them to possibilities.

The idea behind repeating a sequence or committing to a style is to begin to develop a deeper understanding of reality and their relationship to it. The very nature of reality is fluid and ever changing. In our observation we can begin to realize that we suffer in life because of our rigid mental constructs and beliefs that do not allow us to see the beauty in something or see something that we have seen many times before in a whole new light.

When someone says to me, “That’s not yoga” I understand that they are stuck in a mental construct. In essence, they are admitting that they are not yoga and really don’t understand yoga. Yoga is everything. Yoga encompasses all. Yoga is Life!