Flexibility
Today the most random thought popped into my head: people who do yoga seem to really like it.
I have to tell you, I have no clue where this thought came from. I was in the middle of cleaning my kitchen when it occurred to me, and as far as I can tell the closest mind trigger to Downward Facing Dog I could have had was the pose I was doing to try and get a vase out from where I had stashed it in the way back of my under-sink-cabinet. But the thought had merit: unlike other exercise programs, everyone I know who does yoga seems to greatly enjoy it. Sure, I can think of many people I know who love their other exercise programs, whether it be running, strength training, Zumba, spin…. but I can also think of many people who do these same programs while declaring their loath, forcing themselves through the routine for it’s benefits. (Even Jillian Michaels says in her book, Master Your Metabolism, that she doesn’t really like exercising. I was shocked!) The thing is, I can’t think of a single person I know who does yoga who doesn’t love it. Like, annoying facebook status updates and “you should come!” invitations and “OMG, yoga has CHANGED MY LIFE” stories LOVE it. (And I say this with my tongue in check, as I truly adore people with a passion.)
I’ve tried yoga a few times in my life: once when I was unable to run during a particularly long stretch of a colitis flare, again when I was too poor in grad school to pay for a gym membership and loaded up on workout DVDs borrowed from friends, and then again when we got our wii fit last Christmas. I like it… but I never quite seem to get that same rush that I get at the end of a run where I’ve really pushed myself or after a hour long iron session in the gym. So, when there’s a block on my schedule for exercise I find myself time and time again lacing up my sneakers before rolling out the mat.
Oh and did I mention? I seem to be quite bad at it. The last time I did wii fit my “trainer” cocked her grainy, electronic head, looked at me quizzically and said “You seem to be a little out of balance.” Nothing like a gentle but pointed put down from an electronic being.
In the last two years, I’ve also devoured many books on the subject of, and now put into practice, the exercise of meditation and have seen how that has benefited my life. It seems to go hand-in-hand that someone who appreciations meditation AND exercising would surely love the practice that combined the two? Yoga keeps popping up in my life, be it from friends who have become new converts, a client who asked me to help her research local studios or, such as today, random thoughts popping into my head while cleaning.
A few hours after my random thought appeared, I was flipping through the latest issue of Prevention magazine. On page 65, there was a woman doing Downward Facing Dog. It caught my eye and so I read the small print. It turns out a research study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that people who practice yoga regularly practiced something else regularly: mindful eating. Okay… I’m listening. I’m a huge proponent of the benefits of mindfulness when it comes to eating… and here was an empirical research study showing a way to increase the practice of mindfulness with our food. The results were independent of any other physical activity or dietary choices – that simply put, being a practitioner of yoga helped these participants be more attuned to their choices when they food was in front of them. The study was published in the August 2009 edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. (You can read more about the study here.)
The principal investigator, Dr. Alan Kristal, on the study was quoted saying this: “Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective.”
Weight loss is not just about counting calories. Long term success means having a healthy relationship with food, which is hugely defined by how mindful and conscious we are with each choice we make. It stands to reason then, that an exercise that is intended to develop our levels of mindfulness, would help strengthen a conscious, healthy food relationship.
I just might be swayed after all, wii trainers be darned.
So readers, I’ll ask you: do any of you out there practice yoga regularly and if so, can you reflect on any changes you’ve experienced with your relationship with food since starting your practice? What other benefits have you seen since incorporating yoga into your routine?
I’ll let ya’ll know if 2010 becomes the year of the warrior pose for me. Or, maybe in keeping with my theory of small steps adding up to big changes, we’ll start with something a little less overwhelming. I think this year I’ll master child’s pose. After all, it is hard to eat when your lying face first on the ground, right?
