Category: Moves

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The Injured Yogi’s 5 Accidental Life Lessons

One month ago to the day I was hit by a car while riding my bike. Unfortunately, this is all too common here in Washington, DC and I’m truly one of the lucky ones. I walked away with a few minor scratches and bruises, and one badly busted wrist. Considering some of the horror stories I’ve heard since my accident I’m grateful to have escaped without more bodily damage.

As it turns out, with this collision I officially entered a club which prior to March 26th I knew nothing about–the Cyclist Struck by Car Club. Catchy ain’t it? Fortunately, once you’re in it’s a lifetime membership. No annual renewal fee please! Once you’ve been hit, others open up to you about their stories too. One guy, my Uber driver one rainy morning on my way to teach bootcamp, told me he only realized he’d been hit when he woke up in the hospital the next day. A hit-and-run drunk driver sent him sailing over his bike and he landed face down on pavement. Lights out. Did I mention I’m one of the lucky ones?

When I got hit I was mad. I instantly knew my wrist was broken badly–a wrist shouldn’t bend that way no matter how flexible you are! The second string of words out my mouth (after a few profanities which I’ll spare you from) was, “I’m a yoga teacher, my body’s my livelihood.” And then it sunk in, I’m a yoga teacher, my body’s my livelihood.

Over the course of the next few days the reality hit me like a slow rising wave…surgery…titanium plate, 9 screws and a pin…physical therapy…2 months until I could run again…3 months until I could ride again…4 months until I could attempt a handstand again…and crash, down I came. That first week post-surgery was rough with a capital R. My glass was more than half empty and I was putting kleenex out of business. As I broke down, there was a little voice inside my head that kept whispering words from one of my favorite Rumi poems:

 

“Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground. Be crumbled, so wildflowers will come up where you are.”

 

Thanks to that persistent, nagging optimism that’s buried deep inside my soul and the INCREDIBLE kindness, love, and support of my family and friends I started to bloom again before I knew it. As the light came back on and my outlook brightened, I started to see so much goodness in this unforeseen life hiccup. Here are five of many lessons, small and large, I’ve learned from the first few weeks of my healing process…

 

 The Injured Yogi’s 5 Accidental Life Lessons:

1. Control is overrated and leaving the house without making the bed is not the end of the world. Anyone who knows me knows I like to make my bed just so each and every day. It involves tightly tucked sheets, a crisp and smooth comforter, 9 (yes, 9) pillows, and a throw blanket delicately draped over the foot of the bed. Bed made = I’m on top of my game, aka I’m in control. Much to my initial chagrin, this ritual is impossible with one hand–certainly not to my typical standards. After about a week (when the clouds didn’t fall from the sky), I realized it’s kind of nice to let a hanging sheet slide, or even leave my bed unmade all day.  I feel a bit like a rebel, liberated even! For me, it’s the ultimate act of letting go and it feels so good.

MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

2. Self-care should not be taken for granted–and nothing’s better than a blow out. Who knew you needed two hands to blow dry your own hair, cut your nails, shave your armpits, or tie your shoes? I certainly never thought about these seemingly ordinary things being such a gift prior to this accident. I now relish the self-care I can provide for myself and accept with enthusiasm and gratitude when friends offer to go above and beyond to pamper me a little. I am forever indebted to my friend Jeanine who gave me daily blow-outs while she took care of me the week after surgery (love you boo!). It can be hard to say yes to all the help people offer, but one of the greatest gifts you can give to those who care about you is to let them take care of you joyfully–and to pay it forward whenever and however you can.

MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

3. It’s kind of fun finding new ways to ground yourself–and it’s okay to cry when you can’t run or ride. Yoga, running, and riding my bike were what I used to use to keep me grounded. As it turns out, these are all off limits while a bad break heals. At first I thought I’d go nuts, but it’s been fun rediscovering my love for long walks like today’s through Rock Creek and around the Lincoln Memorial; exploring a new bus line–DC public transport is pretty phenomenal y’all; and camping out in a coffee shop for hours on end with a book or blog post. Of course I miss moving my body–I’ve cried several times at the mere sight of others out and about exercising on a sunny day–but that’s okay. I’ve given myself whole-hearted permission to be sad and as a result I’ve got more space in my heart to embrace these new ways to ground myself. Life’s too short to wallow in what we can’t do. Take joy in what you can!

MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

4. It’s the cracks that make you interesting when you put yourself back together. I don’t yet know what my life is going to look like once I fully recover from this injury. Who knows? I may never do a handstand or burpee again. What I do know is that I’ve already gained a profound appreciation for the genius and adaptability of the human body and a deep respect for anyone rocking a permanent disability who won’t let it slow them down. We’ve all got cracks, some more visible than others, but it’s how we learn from, integrate, and spin them that make us who we are. Life gets a whole lot easier when you view your cracks as what makes you beautiful, not broken.

MOARfit by Amy Rizzotto

5. Watches are overrated and timelines are stressful. I’m a rightie but I’ve always worn my watch on my left wrist. When my wrist broke, with it went my ability and habit to wear a watch. I basically slept for the first 10 days following the incident as my body and heart healed from the deepest damage. Upon awakening, I had all but forgotten that I owned a watch. As someone who struggles with anticipatory anxiety, I feel kind of silly for just now realizing how much more at ease I am when I’m not constantly looking at my watch, counting down the minutes until I have to be somewhere. I still glance at my phone or a wall clock when I’ve got to be somewhere for a business meeting or need to know how much longer until my students get their savasana, but it’s limited and only when truly necessary. It may seem small but for me it’s huge. It allowed me to be fully present and completely enjoy an 8+ mile walk with my friend on this gorgeous spring afternoon. No rushing. No monkey mind. No worries. Glorious.

 

I’ve come a long way in just four weeks since surgery and I’m learning more and more each day about my own life’s simple pleasures and small wonders. Every day gets better.

 

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Yin Yoga – Why You Should and What to Do

Let’s start by defining just what this whole “Yin Yoga” thing is. Yin yoga targets the body’s connective tissues—i.e. our ligaments, tendons, fascia, bones, and even the joints—which are typically not the direct focus of more active styles of yoga. It is a slow and steady kind of practice during which fewer poses are held for longer periods of time than a more typical flow or form yoga class.

If fascia is a foreign word and anatomy isn’t your strong suit, you can think of Yin tissues as plastic versus our more elastic Yang tissues (muscles). When bent too rapidly or repetitively, a piece of plastic will snap. For this same reason, it’s important to apply gentle, constant, and patient pressure in Yin yoga poses. Otherwise, ouch.

 

So why is Yin yoga important?

 

As we age, our bodies lose mobility and increase in rigidity. It’s the natural curve of things. Yin is intended to help us reverse that bell curve and regain range of motion (ROM) in our connective tissues. Greater ROM in turn creates space for greater flexibility.

In order to get these physical benefits, however, it’s important to isolate the components of the body we want to be working. Yin yoga is most effective when the muscles are cool and therefore can’t take away from the work of our connective tissues. For this reason, it’s best to do Yin early in the morning before you’ve been moving around too much. This is most definitely not the practice to do right after a workout.

Arguably as important as the physical benefits of Yin are its mental and emotional benefits. Yin on its own forces us to be still. This is something take for granted these days. We’re always running around, focused on getting stuff done. When we pause and breath, we begin to notice what’s going on inside of us and discover what it is we truly need. If you can’t find the time to fit your Yin practice in before the school- or work-day starts, you can still reap the psychological benefits of this calming practice with a few poses before bed. It will help steady your mind, decompress your body, and lull you into most restful slumber.

 

Convinced it’s worth a try? Here is what you do:

 

Step one:

Find a small open space where you have room to stretch out. You don’t need more than that and you don’t even need a yoga mat. If you’d like, you can lay down a mat, towel, or blanket for comfort.

 

Step two:

Commit to following the three principles of Yin: (1) come into the pose to your first edge—where you first feel resistance and feedback from your body—without forcing yourself deeper; (2) come to complete stillness in the pose, primarily in the body but ideally in the mind as well; and (3) hold for the intended length of time. If you are just starting out, trying holding for two to three minutes. After a few sessions lengthen your holds to four to five minutes. Over time, in certain poses you can work up to eight, 10, or even 20 minute holds.

 

Step three:

Select five or six Yin poses to try based on the parts of your body that feel the most stiff, achy, or tight. A full list of Yin poses are available on this website. I also highly recommend Bernie Clark’s book, “The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga.”

 

Step four:

Close your practice with at least five minutes of savasana (dead man’s pose) or seated meditation. Basically, be still, with little to no physical effort, and breath.

 

 

Whether Yin works for you or not, take the time to take care of yourself. It is truly one of the most important and compassionate things you can do for yourself and everyone around you. Stress and tension are contagious. Don’t let yourself be a carrier!

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Stress Hygiene 101: Reclining Butterfly Pose

Now that summer’s over, stress has its way of creeping up on us. Let’s face it, whether you’re in the academic world as a teacher or student or work year-round, the summer is almost always a more laid-back time in D.C. Once fall hits, not only are our bodies shocked by dropping temperatures and shorter days, but our mental and emotional selves are taxed by travel, grading, mounting deadlines and juggling all the things we do outside of work.

Amidst all this we manage to brush our teeth and wash our hands—you know, basic hygienic practice—so why don’t we prioritize stress hygiene in the same kind of routine way?

Today, I challenge you to take 5 minutes to come into one restorative yoga pose as a way to unwind, reset and recharge the body and mind. You can do this anywhere—office, gym, home, wherever! Hopefully, you’ll feel so good after doing so that you’ll make it a habit—just 5 minutes of quiet, eyes-closed stillness each day can make a world of difference when all that mental and emotional clutter starts to creep in.

Amy Rizzotto MOARfit Reclining Butterfly

Stress Hygiene 101: Reclining Butterfly Pose

  1. Come to a reclining position with your back flat against the floor, a mat or perhaps a blanket.
  2. Draw the soles of feet to touch, knees fan open.
  3. Close the eyes and bring one hand to your heart, one hand to your belly.
  4. Scan the body for any tension, drawing your awareness from the toes to the fingertips to the crown of your head and everywhere in between. Let the body feel wholly and completely relaxed.
  5. Stay here and breathe for 5 minutes, focusing on breath and any sensations that arise in the physical, mental and emotional body.
  6. When you’re ready to get up, gently draw the knees together and hug into a tight little ball. Slowly rise up to a seat and enjoy the rest of your day or evening, with a little less stress in tow.

Note: if you have any discomfort in the knees, groin or lower back, place a pillow or rolled up blanket under each knee for additional support.

I love doing this pose at the beginning of my Yoga for Athletes classes on Wednesday mornings at 6am at Yoga Heights. It’s a great way to settle in and zone out before moving the body more rigorously. It can be a great way to transition from the go-go pace of our everyday lives into a more mindful practice like yoga.

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Take Me to Church – Yoga Church

Taking class at Urban Flow in San Francisco yesterday was like going to church. A really really sweaty church. Communal voices. Offerings of goodwill. Intentions of universal interconnectedness. Close to 100 bodies filled the massive Mission Street studio for the talented Stephanie Snyder‘s creative, challenging and playful 90 minute flow class.

Urban Flow

As a teacher, I was trying to pay attention to her sequencing, listen to how she delivered her cues, and learn from her gifts, while simultaneously allowing myself to get lost in the breath and the movement. The first 75 minutes or so flew by and by the time I found myself resting gratefully in half pigeon as Hozier’s powerful Take Me to Church filled the room with spirit and soul, I was melting into my mat–in the absolute best of ways.

Urban Flow Student

I’m so lucky that taking an hour and a half for myself to go to a yoga class, immerse myself in the experience, and try and draw lessons from different teachers can be considered professional development. It had been way too long since I last did this and it reminded me of a few very important things.

I may be a teacher with things to share but more so I’m a student with SO much to learn.

True I know some things, valuable things, but in many ways I know nothing at all.

That’s the best part about this path. It never ends. There’s always growth. It will never be boring, and if I ever think it so, I’ve stopped seeking lessons and closed off to change. Every day is different and all I, or anyone, can ask of themselves is to show up, be open, and welcome whatever comes our way–the good, the not so good, and the divinely sweaty.

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It’s Half Time – We Run D.C.!

Well, after nearly four months of training (with one month off for injury), the time has finally come! I’ll be running my very first race this Sunday, more specifically, the 2nd Annual Nike Women’s Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you want to track me as I hit the pavement on this awesome course, my bib number is #3553.

Nike Racing Bib

I’ve really enjoyed training for this half and am so grateful because it helped me discover a love for running. I am feeling ready and super excited to be part of this awesome SHE-power event. My mantra while running will be “I am strong. I am healthy. I am brave” – and of course, say it with me: #WeRunDC!

We Run DC

Looking for some Pre-Race Reading? Here are some of my favorite fitness and nutrition resources for Pre-Race Prep:

If you like these resources and are ready to devour some MOAR, follow me on Pinterest.

READY TO RUN!

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Yoga for Athletes: 3 Hamstring Openers for Lower Back Relief

While getting into the preliminary training for my upcoming half marathon earlier this winter, I put together a three-part series of yoga poses intended to open tight hamstrings and their supporting muscle groups for Active Life DC. Tight hamstrings are the common culprit of lower back pain and frequently contribute to back injuries in yogis, runners and office warriors alike. Hamstrings are a finicky group of three muscles located on the backs of our thighs. Two of the muscles (semitendinosus and semimembranosus) stem from the sitz bones and connect along the inner side of the knee. The other one (biceps femoris) also originates at the sitz bones but connects along the outer side of the knee. When these muscles lose their elasticity they tend to lock the pelvis, removing the normal curve of the lumbar spine and flattening the lower back. This rigidity makes your back work extra hard to accomplish simple tasks like bending down to pick something up, let alone what I and most fitness fiends ask of our bodies on a daily basis. Without proper attention to caring for tight hamstrings you are bound to end up achy, or worse, injured.

Fret not! With daily stretching (like the yoga poses I provide in my monthly Yoga for Athletes series for Active Life DC) you can start to proactively compensate for rigidity, mend your hamstrings and ease lower back pain. Check out my favorite yoga poses for providing some much-needed TLC to your hamstrings below. All three poses are designed for all people of all abilities and all body types.Yoga for All!

No. 1: Modified Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose

Modified Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose

  1. Stand with one leg extended onto a chair, straight but not locked out. Your heel should rest on the chair’s seat.
  2. Take a strap (or belt) and sling it around your lifted foot, holding onto either end with your hands.
  3. Square your hips to the front edge of the chair and bend forward until you feel a gentle stretch, adjusting your strap to the appropriate length. Hold and breathe into that initial feeling of tightness for 90 seconds to three minutes. With each inhale try to lengthen through both sides of the body. With each exhale slowly hinge forward millimeter by millimeter, tightening up on your strap as necessary. Ground down through your standing leg for stability.
  4. Once you’ve completed your long hold, relax and switch legs.

An important reminder—the key to safe hamstring stretching is to ease in, listen to your body for signs you might be pushing too far, and hold each pose for at least 90 seconds (and ideally a full three minutes.) Holding a pose for this amount of time allows your body’s connective tissues to open up and release.

No. 2: Supine Hand to Foot Pose

Reclining Extended Hand to Foot Pose

  1. Lying on your back, loop a strap (or belt) around your right foot and extend the sole of your foot toward the ceiling. If you know you have tight hamstrings you can bend your left knee, planting the left foot firmly on the ground and enabling the right leg to straighten out.
  2. Gradually pull the strap toward you until you feel a gentle stretch, adjusting it to the appropriate length by wrapping the loose ends around your hands.
  3. Hold and breathe into that initial feeling of tightness for 90 seconds to three minutes. Let comfort be your guide—this should feel good and if it doesn’t you’re likely pulling too hard or too fast. With each inhale try to ground down through your rest leg and length through the heel of your extended leg. With each exhale slowly pull your leg closer to your torso, little by little, cinching up on your strap as necessary. Make sure you stabilize both hips on the mat—perhaps even draping a heavy blanket across your belt line—to keep the stretch in your hamstrings.
  4. Once you’ve completed your long hold, relax and switch legs.

No. 3: Supine Bound Angle Pose

This third pose (also known as Reclining Butterfly) focuses on the supporting cast of tight hamstrings and an achy lower back: the adductor group. Adductors, or inner thigh muscles, and groin muscles are closely linked to stiff hamstrings. When big muscles like the hamstrings or quadriceps get overworked as they often do, adductors and abductors are left underdeveloped. This common imbalance can lead to injury. The muscles of your inner and outer thighs play a crucial role in stabilization and movement of the legs and pelvis. One of the key functions of adductors for athletes is that they pull your legs in toward the midline so that as you run your weight stays balanced on your planted foot and your gait doesn’t bow outward, which can lead to rolled ankles and stress on outer knee ligaments. Since they help keep you upright as you stride from left to right, they’re also key to getting maximal power out of each and every step. What athlete doesn’t want a little extra oomph wherever they can get it?

Amy Rizzotto_Reclining Butterfly

  1. Lie down on your back. Bend your knees bringing the soles of your feet together and allowing the knees to fall open to either side.
  2. Add a pillow under each knee or wrap a strap around your ankles as depicted to enable yourself to remain comfortable and feel supported in this pose as you hold for 90 seconds to three minutes. Your arms can rest by your side, or atop you hip bones if you’re using a strap. Be sure your elbows relax to the mat and you release any tension in your shoulders, neck and jaw.
  3. When you’re ready to let go of the pose draw your knees into your chest, give them a strong hug and take Happy Baby pose to neutralize the spine and feel some nice compression on your hip-flexors.

Head over to Active Life DC to view the full articles on therapeutic hamstring opener poses 1 (Modified Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose), 2 (Supine Hand to Foot Pose) and 3 (Supine Bound Angle Pose), or revisit my Daily Dozen Yoga Poses for Post-Athletic Recovery.

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T-8 Weeks to Race Day

I am strong. I am healthy. I am fit. But I am NOT a runner. At least that’s what I’ve always told myself.

I’ve never really loved running in the way that I love yoga, Pilates, HIIT workouts, and hiking, etc. I have several fun flings with the sport, but they’ve never lasted more than a few months. So when a dear friend asked me this fall if I’d sign up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon with her pavement pounding group, what else could I say but YES!

Life is all about challenges. As a wise man once said, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. And to quote another really wise man, be the change you want to see in the world.

I often motivate myself using mantras about embracing challenge and change in my yoga practice, but with running I’ve always thrown up my white flag as soon as I start huffing and puffing. No more! I grabbed this bull by the horns back in October and I’m about to ride it all the way to the finish line in April. Thus far training has been a huge physical, mental and scheduling challenge, but I’m making progress. I’m very excited to see my stride, stamina and strength improve week over week.

This weekend’s long run (which I plan to knock out after teaching a couple of classes this morning) is sure to be a challenge with a hill or two thrown in, but I know I can do it. And hell, life’s too damn short not to try!

Half Marathon Training

Since I’m a beginner, I’ve been doing my homework and thought I’d share some of the best resources for running nutrition and race training I’ve come across. You can find moar of these resources on Pinterest.com/MOARfit.

Nutrition:

Training:

Though I’m not following it to a T (or any letter of the alphabet for that matter), I wanted to share what I think is a great 16-week (3 1/2-4 month) training schedule for beginning runners courtesy of FitSugar.com. Before you use this baby, here are a few things the author wanted you to know (and I concur are all important and helpful notes!):

  • SS (Strength train and stretch): Do your own routine or take a yoga class
  • CT (Cross train): Do cardio other than running such as biking, swimming, or a cardio class
  • Rest: You don’t have to skip out on exercise entirely. Take a walk, do some stretches or use a foam roller your hardworking legs.
WEEK MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN
Week 1 2 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 30-min CT 2 miles or
30-min CT		 Rest 2 miles Rest
Week 2 2 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 30-min CT 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 3 miles Rest
Week 3 3 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 3.5 miles Rest
Week 4 3 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 4 miles Rest
Week 5 3 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 4.5 miles Rest
Week 6 3.5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 4.5 miles Rest
Week 7 3.5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2.5 miles or
25-min CT		 Rest 5K race
(or 5 miles)		 Rest
Week 8 4 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 2.5 miles or
25-min CT		 Rest 5 miles Rest
Week 9 4 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3 miles or
30-min CT		 Rest 6 miles Rest
Week 10 4 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3 miles or
30-min CT		 Rest 10K race
(or 7 miles)		 Rest
Week 11 5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3.5 miles or
35-min CT		 Rest 8 miles Rest
Week 12 5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3.5 miles or
35-min CT		 Rest 10 miles Rest
Week 13 5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 4 miles or
40-min CT		 Rest 11 miles Rest
Week 14 5 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest 12 miles Rest
Week 15 4 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 60-min CT 3 miles or
30-min CT		 Rest 8 miles Rest
Week 16 3 miles and
20-min SS		 30-min SS 2 miles or
20-min CT		 Rest Rest Race Day!
13.1 miles		 Rest

According to this schedule, my Week 9 starts today so the 5.5 mile run I have planned is right on track–hopefully I can bust out 6-7 miles next weekend!

Are you training for a half marathon? If so, I’d love to hear about your training regimen and any tips or tricks you might have in the reply field below!

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Fall Into What Scares You

Amy Flipped Dog in Florida

While laying on Florida’s Bicentennial Beach on the first Saturday in months where I’ve had literally nothing I had to do, I got an insatiable urge to move. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was writing out yoga sequences–something I love to do but rarely set aside the time for–or perhaps it was simply the setting. The beach definitely brings out my playful side. Somewhere between the memories it evokes from growing up a half mile from the ocean and the sound of kids giggling as they danced in and out of the waves not far from my towel, I got caught up in the fancy-free energy and had to play.

What better way for a yogi to play than by practicing yoga drop backs?

I hadn’t done a yoga drop back since the summer, before I injured my hamstrings and before my life became beautifully more complicated with the new adventure I’m on. At the time, what had always held me back from attempting this deep back bend was all fear–the fear of falling and getting hurt.

What good did that do me? How could I ever grow if I was too afraid to push my boundaries?

I’ve always been good at challenging myself mentally (e.g. in school and at work), stretching myself emotionally (like living abroad in different cultures and falling in love a time or two), but physically, well physical challenges have always stopped me in my tracks. For some reason, the the possibility of physical defeat has always been most daunting to my otherwise risk-embracing psyche.

Yoga has been a huge part of my openness to attempting new physical challenges–like training for my first half marathon–and to not only accepting but embracing this so-called “defeat.” Through falling (as I’ve now done countless times in crane, handstand, forearm stand and almost every balancing pose) I’ve learned my edges. It also shows me where my work is. That’s the fun of falling because you get to keep working to push that impermanent line of limitation farther and farther back. It takes dedicated effort and a lot of self-forgiveness to keep at it, but it is well worth it when you reach a new level and feel that ineffable sense of accomplishment.

On that sunny, carefree Saturday, as I sprang from my towel and without hesitation leaned back falling blindly to my hands, they were met with the receptive give of warm, soft sand. In that moment, I realized that I’m neither now nor ever that far from where I was the first time I faced this frightening transition from firmly grounded upright on two solid feet to topsy-turvy, upside-down. I still have the same healthy amount of fear critical to the resulting rush of achievement. I’ll always be scared of the fall. More important than having that fear though is not being paralyzed by it. By pushing through and just doing it–falling, failing, whatever it is that scares you–you realize just how capable you are and ultimately you’ll want to do it again and again, and again.

The ability to fall, be defeated or however else you personally define facing an uncertain outcome becomes a positive and transformational experience through repetition, perseverance and the joyful embrace of all that is possible.

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Happy Humpday Headstands!

When coffee and tea just won’t do the trick, why not try a little headstand to re-energize you on humpday? Like all inversions, headstands improve circulation, help cleanse your lymphatic system for improved immunity and–my favorite–give you a boost thanks to all that revitalizing  reverse blood flow to the noggin. And if you really want to reap the core strength benefits of inverting give this variation [crow->tripod headstand->crow] a try….

[wpvideo RjXRNQE1]
#borderlineinappropriate #humpday #officeyoga

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Get the MOARfit for iPhone App

In just 3 easy steps, download MOARfit to your home screen for one-click access to my advice on optimal nutrition, yoga, functional fitness, and overall mind/body wellness. Grab your iPhone and follow along with the directions below.

STEP 1: Go to www.moar-fit.com in your browser (typically Safari for iPhones) and click on the arrow icon at the bottom center of your screen.

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STEP 2: Click on the “Add to Home Screen” icon with my Roaring Down Dog Lion logo.

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STEP 3: Voilà! You now have MOARfit on your home screen for easy, one-click access to moves + meals + motivation.

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As always, thanks for getting your moves + meals + motivation with MOARfit!