So you can run for miles but does that mean you are living in wellness? Discover the difference between physical fitness versus whole person wellness, by integrating wellness practices into your life, apart from physical fitness.

There are so many layers that we live in, some of them at the forefront of our waking life experience, some are unearthed levels deep in the subconscious, and some that lie in between. It’s those in between spaces and deeper pools of subtlety that really interest me, as I’ve been able to find some sort of energetic alignment there with both myself and the individuals whom I work with in yoga and massage therapy.

It’s funny how we strive to be “the best” in our own and in society’s conception of “success”, which seems to contrast so strongly with those real inner places. Material wealth, touchscreens, appearances, isolation, and material goods are worshipped instead of connection with what is pure and simple. I think those material desires enable a disconnection by filling in the spaces we have for real yoking with our Self (the capital “Self”, the true you), allowing us to forget that we are so much more that just a body living in the world. Do you remember You?

I get it, time is the biggest commodity, as well as a commitment to what seems at first like a vague idea of wellness, when it’s easier to just get by with our crazy lives until we crash. So I do have many more massage clients then yoga clients right now! Trying to share what a difference yoga can make in their physical and mental lives is challenging, as we are often set in our ways and pain becomes a way of life, our minds become as inflexible as the body may, pushing away what may cure us, for the quick easy fix that is a short term band-aid.
Sometimes I feel like a drug dealer must, trying to sell yoga to people like it’s this amazing new thing that will make you feel so good! Ironically it is – and my motivations come from a different place obviously!

Good thing that once someone starts yoga with a therapeutic approach they are usually hooked, and it becomes a scheduling challenge at the least.

I can see and feel the difference a sound practice has on the body and mental state with my clients in their “before and after” massages.

I think I’m also challenged by walking next to the concept of “fitness vs. yoga”. Fitness is this idea in the west that we must attain – often translated as being a gym slave or beating up our bodies with whatever activity we have decided we must obsess over as to be a vision of health and beauty, over-pushing and taxing our bodies in ways that are not sound nor respectful to anatomical or mental function. Believe me this is a real condition, as most of the people I work with that have adopted this lifestyle long term are not comfortable in their bodies due to chronic overuse patterns and injury. Some of you are saying “but it’s better than sitting at a desk and not doing anything!”, which is a whole other topic to be addressed in the next blog! We really do the opposite of yokin in yoga then we do at the gym, watching reality TV while we disconnect from our own reality! Yes there is validity in tuning out from the world in this way, but not as our only means of wellness.

To put it into a more concrete example, borrow my belief that your vital organs may need some space to do their jobs properly instead of being squashed and restricted while forming pain causing adhesions into the tissue of the torso. Maybe it’s an over-active yoga gym class instead of gym machines you are attached to. These unhealthy patterns are also reinforced sitting at a desk behind a computer, or driving all day so we can really double up on the closing down the front body pattern in several common ways.

When we get into actual functioning of the body and organs with that patterning. The chest and abdominal region becomes closed down, breath becomes less accessible and infrequent, muscle and neck pain develops, we become hunched over and long term we develop sinus, lung, cardiac, reproductive, digestive and eliminative problems. Along with a slew of mental and emotional issues. Do you see how these ideas of wellness and gym devotion may not be not meshing?

There is also the general idea of yoga as a gym class, where it’s turned into moving quickly through poses to make you sweat and work, often foregoing the mindfulness and alignment of the practice where we really connect with the body.

At a certain point during physical exertion the body seems to shut down and we slip into autopilot, just trying to get through. This defeats the purpose of connecting as we are tuning out rather than tuning in, maybe distracting ourselves with the body rather than connecting with it. That’s not to say if you love a heated vinyasa class that it’s not valid, but do realize it’s not the optimal environment to heal and connect with your Self. Consider incorporating separate restorative and meditation time into your week to receive the benefits of connecting and releasing.

I’m suggesting a more balanced practice where you incorporate your active time with time spent in restorative poses or yin yoga styles to give your body and mind the gift of what it truly needs for wellness on all levels. This plan also ensures a much easier and enjoyable time with the aging process long term. I often hear from my elder yogis sentiments of “aging with yoga is where it’s at!”

Delving into the traditional texts and history of yoga from it’s beginnings in Indo-China 2000-3000 years ago, we find that yoga practice really meant what it’s root word meant – “yoking” with the infinite/divine/spirit and the first pose was maybe just how to sit for meditation in order to do so. We can choose to respect and incorporate the wisdom of the ancient humans, or lose it.

My idea of wellness has really changed, and still is as I integrate new information in with the foundations I’ve established. I consider one of my strongest times of yoking and connectedness to be when I’m in my garden or out in nature, hiking or SCUBA diving. We all yoke in different ways and they are so important, however we can add more layers to our wellness cake with a regular practice.

My personal yoga practice and the way I teach yoga is to help my Self and my clients un-do what the world puts on the body and mind – really connecting. Yes, we look at the physical body for sure, opening up areas of restriction like the chest and abdomen, but there are many subtle layers I try to guide people towards. For example, try right now to relax the jaw hinge, tongue and soften the throat muscles-then release the tension over the abdomen. Observe. This decreases neck pain, jaw pain, headaches and mental tension and may fuel a deep breath. If you went to a gym or for a run instead of this simple mind/body exercise, maybe not so much. Often times things are thought of as having to be complex and complicated, but look what happens if you simply soften your jaw (a common que in restorative yoga classes). Research shows how much benefit restorative and yin yoga can have on the body while meeting the ideals of wellness (including heart health and weight loss).

I keep thinking about the idea that this world is really just an illusion to teach us how to evolve as people, and what are we all doing that nourishes our development as a planet of individuals?
The truth is that this is the reality that we have and we know, so it matters what we do with the time we have. If even just for the moment.
The truth is that the earth in all her forms of nature and we are deeply connected.
The truth is that doing good things for your Self (including the simple act of tuning in and observing) helps the world as a whole. It ripples out. Making time for your Self care isn’t selfish, it’s necessary and helps everyone else in the long run.

Yogis talk about this mind-body connection and I want to be clear that traditionally the practice of yoga asana (poses) to still the mind to become closer to the source, to your true Self, and this is where profound healing and wellness reside.If we are not our bodies, emotions or thoughts then the question becomes what a caterpillar from Wonderland once asked us, “Who… are… you?”.

I’d love to start a discussion on any this, so please do feel free to post your comments below!
For more information on classes and bodywork with me in Rochester, NY check out my schedule here.