Life in OM

My Love-Hate Relationship with Bikram Yoga

I dislike Bikram Yoga. Perhaps that's a bit harsh. My relationship with Bikram yoga is severely challenged. 

Let me back up for those who are not yoga inclined. Bikram Yoga is done in 105˚ F/ 40.5˚C and 40% humidity. It's 26 set poses and 2 breathing exercises. There are no vinyasas, no downward dogs and no flow- in all honesty you really can't move around that much in this heat without passing out. So you just do one pose, stay still and repeat.

If you have ever been in 105 degree weather you will understand when I say that this is not just hot, its oppressive. The kind of hot when you inhale you feel like your lungs are disintegrating from the inside out.  

Have I mentioned the sweat?  I have been running and cycling for over 10 years, played sports and enjoy tropical beaches - I have never seen sweat like this.  I knew I was in trouble when, after the first forward bend, I noticed my shins were actually sweating.  I also must mention that every time my head went below my waist a deluge of sweat would shoot up my nose. Remember when you were a kid and you tried to do a back flip in the pool only to make it half way and come right back up?  Yeah, that kind feeling.

Then there is the smell. I have been lucky enough in this life to never smell a rotting corpse but I am going to guess that the odor in this yoga class comes pretty close. Luckily, you're so intent on trying to suck in oxygen through the heat and the sweat that the smell takes a back seat.  

Why then do I go?  As annoying and frustrating as it is for me to admit this, I actually feel amazing afterwards. Well, not directly afterwards because my body usually spends the rest of the day reacclimating itself to air conditioning but by the next morning the wear and tear of everyday life is just gone.

It has been almost magical for my marathon training. Time permitting I sometimes get to go once a week on Saturday. I try to schedule it before my long weekend run. Oddly enough, I run faster and without the usual back, knee and hamstring discomfort I usually contend with.

Now I need to put in a disclaimer here: I am a vinyasa teacher and I absolutely love the style and more importantly the philosophy of the yoga I teach. It is so much more than just poses for me so I'm not comparing the two. 

However, as much as I hate to admit it, heating up my muscles once a week with Bikram really does seem to be beneficial for me, even if it does feel like medieval torture when I'm practicing.

The bottom line here is don't be afraid to try anything; you never know when something you dislike might actually be good for you.

Muesli: Breakfast Nirvana

Breakfast can get boring. Especially when you don't want to subject yourself to the many sugar laden options in the cereal aisle.

I think I ate oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter in it for years, until I ordered a bowl of Muesli at Bread and Chocolate (now closed) in Capitol Hill. I never looked at boring oatmeal the same way again.

The main ingredient in muesli is oatmeal but instead of cooking it, you soak it overnight in water, soy milk, rice milk or whatever you like really- some people even use orange juice.  Usually 1/2 cup of oats to a 1/2 cup of liquid does the trick.

Then, what you put in it is completely up to you. Bread and Chocolate served it with walnuts, strawberries, bananas, and apples. The Wynn in Las Vegas serves it with almonds, green apples and blackberries. Teasim in D.C. serves it with honey, fresh strawberries, walnuts, and dried apricots and raisins that have been soaked with the oats so they are plump and juicy. They top it off with fresh yogurt. The options are really endless.

So soak your oats. Add your fresh or dried fruit, sprinkle with nuts or seeds and top with yogurt, honey, or anything else that you desire. If honey isn't your thing and you need to sweeten it up a bit, mashing half a banana into the oat mixture works, as well as agave nectar or a tablespoon of turbinado sugar .

photo courtesy of BBC Good Food 

Questions? Please leave a comment. Enjoy!

Take Your Eye Off the Prize

I was reading a blog entry over at Yoga for Cynics and they referred to this great little Zen parable that I thought I would share.

A Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Zen Master:
"If I work very hard and diligent how long will it take for me to find enlightenment."
The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years."
The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then ?"
Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years."
"But, if I really, really work at it. How long then ?" asked the student.
"Thirty years," replied the Master.
"Every time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer! "said the disappointed student. Why do you say that ?"
The Master Replied:" When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."

I am reminded that it is natural and healthy to have goals, to want to achieve something in your life but sometimes we get so wrapped up in the conclusion that we forget to enjoy all of the moments leading up to it. We convince ourselves that we won't be happy unless there is a quick successful outcome. We give the goal too much power in our lives. I know it's hard to believe but there is such a thing as trying too hard.

Whether your goal is to finish school, plan a wedding or raise a child take some time out to enjoy your journey. Once a moment is gone it can't be repeated, so savor each of them!

Brief Yet Rejuvenating Travel

Sometimes you don't need to schedule a whole week off from work in order to soak in the benefits of a good trip. Short weekend getaways are an opportunity to break away from the doldrums of the everyday and inject some well needed revitalization into your life.

Nothing says relax quite like the beach. Depending on where you live you can even make it there and back on the same day. The drawback here is that thousands of people usually have the same idea. However, even if your breezy seaside town is packed with tourists you can still find your own little space to enjoy.

The key here is be prepared and keep it simple. Leave early to beat the traffic and get yourself a parking spot. This combats the urge to start running people over or off the road - remember you came here to unwind!  Bring lots of quarters for those parking meters, pack your beach chair, a book, sunblock, a cooler full of healthy goodies and your set. Don't over complicate things by packing too much, it will just stress you out when it comes time to walk from your car to the sand.

This WearEver Chair is a personal favorite of mine. It really helps to make the beach load more manageable and is super comfortable to catch the ocean breeze.

   

WearEver Deluxe Aluminum Hi-Back Backpack Chair

Find your little bit of beach sit back and relax. Even if there are tons of people there, you are not obligated to notice. Sip a cool drink, listen to your ipod, read your book, slow down and take some time for yourself. Just make sure the sunblock is liberally applied! 

  

Bethany Beach, Delaware: July 2009

What Can You Expect?

You may ask yourself, why is life so frustrating?  There may be a host of reasons why you may be down in the dumps but if you take a moment to really sift through your problems you might find that it's your expectations of things that are making you unhappy and not the actual situation.

You expect your new found partner to sweep you off your feet, you expect that your job recognizes your good work and acts accordingly; you expect that your loved ones won't get sick.

I expect that maybe one of these expectations will hold true and I expect that the rest of them will throw you a curveball and bring some unhappiness into your life. 

The expectations don't stop there either. Think about the tiny little everyday things you expect to happen. Your commute to work for instance- you expect it will be free of any delays, like most days. But you just left Rosslyn and the Orange line has different ideas. There’s a train out of commission at Foggy Bottom and your stuck in a subway tunnel 200 feet below the Potomac, let the fun and games begin!

It's taken me a while to learn this lesson but we have to let go. Nothing is absolutely in our control and you cannot stop change from occurring. Don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of creating in your mind what life should be. Life just is.

Now, I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't have goals for yourself but the more malleable you can make those plans, the less chance you will be miserable when you hit a brick wall. Things may not work out exactly according to your timetable but they do work out.

I was reminded today that even when you think an answer will be black or white, you get offered a mucky shade of gray. Life has always defied expectations and it always will. We can either fight it, force our expectations on the unpredictable and be miserable or we can live each moment as it comes. Take what life has to offer and make the absolute best of it that you can. Leave behind your expectations, enjoy the journey and learn to love the color gray

Marathon Training: It's all about the buildup

If you would have asked me nine years ago if I would have ever considered running a marathon I probably would have stated the obvious that in order to run a marathon I would actually have to start running at some point.

I can still remember the first time I ever ran a mile (on a treadmill no less)...I was fairly convinced that I was going die. My heart was thundering in my ears, my chest was so tight with lack of breath I could literally feel my face plumping up and turning red.  Let's not even discuss when I decided to move my running from the treadmill to actual pavement. Note to all: unless you can find self propelling pavement make sure you take your time with this transition.

Never fear,  it does get better and years later I have completed a marathon and run hundreds of miles just for the pure enjoyment of it.  Now I'm doing something I really never thought I would do, a second marathon. For those runners out there,  that may seem like no big feat but this runner never planned on enduring the 26.2 miles again. I did it, I had conquered it and I was content with that.

Something always niggled at me. Each year as October loomed,  I ran my morning route and would see people training, running with a purpose, remembering what it felt like to cross that finish line.  After I had completed the first marathon, I wanted nothing more than to throw my heart rate monitor/ watch across the room and just run for however long I wanted at whatever pace I wanted. Time heals all wounds and I have found myself wanting to overcome the challenge again. This time however, I was taking someone with me.

I lucked out finding a partner who is fit, athletic and loves to run. (well maybe love is too strong a word) but he enjoys it and is good at it. He's super fast compared to me but never really went further than 10 miles before. What I lack in speed, I make up for in endurance. We had a lot to teach each other.

So we have embarked upon this journey together and it has been an entirely different experience this time around. It hasn't been easy either. Exercise had fallen by the wayside during the winter months because I wasn't feeling well. After some surgery to fix the problem, we started on the road back, very slowly. Since I could barely finish three miles, we started training very early. Little by little we've built up to our current long run of 12 miles. 

It hasn't been all pretty either. Marathon training can be grueling when you are trying to do it on your own. There are days you feel like you could keep going for hours and there are days you look at your Asics with utter disgust and loathing. The difference with having a buddy is that they are there to call you on your excuses. They stand there and watch you put your shoes on and push you out the door if needs be. It doesn't make the run any easier but it is nice to know that you're not going it alone.

If you have ever thought about doing a Marathon but hesitated - don't. If your healthy, you can do it. You don't have to be super thin or built like a pro athlete (I'm surely not!) to feel the amazing sense of accomplishment that comes with completing 26.2 miles. 

The single most important thing to remember is what the title of this post says "It's all about the buildup".  Take your time and increase your mileage weekly by extending your weekly long run. If you're a beginner, two maintenance runs a week and one long run on the weekend are more than enough to see you to the finish line.

Jeff Galloway and Hal Higdon have excellent training programs for beginners and their websites hold a wealth of information. If you're worried about how you will ever find a running route long enough, you can calculate the mileage and plan your route on MapMyRun.

If you don't know much about nutrition or how to fuel yourself properly when you hit the higher miles Nancy Clark has an informative book Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners to assist. It's tempting to restrict calories and train at the same time to lose weight but don't deprive your body. Don't pig out either, just because your running doesn't mean you can scarf down a bag of cheetos. Eat healthfully and your body will find a natural weight you can maintain.

Cross training on your non-running days is also very important. I may be biased because of my passion for yoga but I do believe it is absolutely the best mental and physical workout you can give yourself when your not running. If you haven't tried yoga yet...stay tuned...they'll be an entire post dedicated to how you can take that first yogic step.

The last thing I'll recommend is keep a journal or a blog or whatever is easiest for you but keep track of your journey. I do regret not writing down my first experience at marathoning, a mistake I hope to remedy this time around.

Puerto Rico - An Introduction

Traveling is addictive, it’s an opportunity to really immerse yourself and enjoy life without the burdens of daily life. My partner and I love to see and experience new places so we are always planning our next trip. Since this blog is all about enjoying life to the fullest, I knew there would be no better opening post then my amazing trip to Puerto Rico (PR). I’ve broken down the post so it’s not quite so large but we’ll look at the hotel, the restaurants and the sights.
 

Now I am from New Jersey with a family full of Italians from Brooklyn, so I would say I have a decidedly “New York Italian” attitude about things and for some reason that included having a rather bad perception of Puerto Rico as a small, dirty island riddled with crime. How wrong was I? I will be honest when I say it wasn’t my first choice as a Caribbean getaway but my view quickly changed as you can’t help but fall in love with it’s old world charm and I will go back – no doubt about it.

 

If I had to describe Puerto Rico in one word it would have to be lush. Densely green hills with smatterings of bright red orange flamboyant trees line the sides of the main highway as you travel away from San Juan. Obviously, there are areas that are poor and run down, just like any major US city but the genuine beauty of the land completely overshadows any doubts I had about this utterly lovely place.

 

My partner is from England and although he has traveled extensively and has tons of knowledge about many places on earth, Puerto Rico was not one of them. So we went in blind trying to find a hotel. We wanted something nice, on the beach and not $500 a night.  After much research on the web, I couldn’t pass up a Travelocity deal and we ended up staying at the Wyndham Rio Mar.

picture courtesy of http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/

 

The hotel was in Rio Grande, which is about 40-50 minutes from the airport. As far as highways and directions go this drive was straightforward. However, the local drivers made any commute an adventure. Since Jersey drivers are generally labeled the worst in the US, I feel that I am allowed to point out that I saw things in PR that I have never seen before. So I let the guy who’s used to driving on the left side of the road take over and amazingly we emerged unscathed from all of our road trips.

 

The hotel is located at the bottom of large gated community on the side of a hill covered in bright white condos and houses. It also has its own golf course and clubhouse for those interested. The grounds are kept incredibly well manicured, which was very pleasing to the eye but not so pleasing to my ears when the lawnmowers were roaring at 7am.  I suppose it has to be done but you would think they would have had a better game plan than that.
 

The parking at this hotel was one of its worst features. You had to park in their garage at $15 per day and every time you entered you needed to get a ticket and every time you left you needed to get that ticket validated at the valet. Needless to say that got old very quick and they should really think about just charging you a flat fee.
 

The front desk staff was friendly but not totally accommodating. I had booked a king and ended up with two queens because they were overbooked for the weekend. They informed us we could move rooms on Monday but by that time I really just couldn’t be bothered.

 

We had a room overlooking the inner garden and part of the beach but for this city girl who just left 3 feet of snow on the ground, it was in heaven.

 

The room was impeccably clean and done up in yellow, orange and tan which gave it a bright and sunny feeling.

picture courtesy of http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/

 

Nothing was lovelier than throwing back the curtains, opening the sliding glass doors and parking my bum on the balcony chair, breathing in the sea air, feeling the sun on my face.

 

Definitely sign up for Wyndham Rewards to earn points and if your stay is for more than three days you receive free internet access, choice of bedding and your favorite treats in the room (we had fresh fruit and water every day) It’s a fabulous perk and totally free.

 

Food and drink at the hotel are expensive (think Vegas) but if you go in knowing that you won’t be so surprised when you pay $12 for a virgin pina colada. More to come on that in my restaurant post.

 

The concierge was extremely helpful and for those without car transportation there are tours to all of the major attractions on the island. Downstairs the hotel has a full service Mandara Spa, which unfortunately I could not partake in this trip but the facilities looked beautiful. 

 

This is also a very family/convention oriented hotel. It was crowded the entire time we were there which was ten days. I am not exactly a kid person so I was somewhat giddy about the fact that they had a very large swimming pool complete with water slide for families and an adult pool that was much smaller but included cabanas and a hot tub. Oddly enough, I never stepped foot in either pool as the beaches were way too gorgeous to waste anytime near chlorinated water.

picture courtesy of http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/

 

All right, let’s talk about the beach. We are serious beach junkies and can throw a towel on the sand and hang out there for hours on end. The beach at the hotel was nice, free loungers on the sand and towels you can pick up and drop off on your way.  For those that feel a cocktail is a necessity to prolong your joy- the bar is just a few feet away. 

 

Although I am a beach lover, I am not however, in love with the ocean.  I am from the JAWS generation of children so to get me in past my knees is a bit of a feat. The surf here was pretty rough (ok, any kind of surf that stirs up the sand so I can’t see my feet is rough) and it was very windy so I opted to stay on my chair most of the time soaking in the sun and getting a massive burn on my leg due to some displaced aerosol tanning lotion. I did fare better than the Brit who suffered full body burn while actually using tanning oil with SPF. Do beware of the sun. Neither of us burns easily and we were toast without using some major SPF. 

 

There had to be better beaches than this in PR so that evening I googled “best beaches in PR” and found our beloved Luquillo Beach or as we dubbed it “Yummy Beach”. It was fab. It’s the beach all the locals love so you know it has to be good.

 

Calm, warm, crystal blue water, only $3 to get in and you’re supporting PR National Parks. Tons of parking, a little gift shop for souvenirs, a fast food stand for drinks and a quick snack and ice cream vendors readily available for your frozen pina colada needs.

 

When you walk in one direction along the shore it leads to a tranquil, undisturbed cove where you can amble out at least 100 feet and the water is still up to your ankles. (my kind of beach!) If you head in the opposite direction it leads to a row of food vendors called the kioskos.

 

The kioskos may look intimidating- especially if you don’t speak Spanish. In my opinion the locals in PR are some of the friendliest I’ve encountered. They want your business and if they aren’t bilingual (most are) they are more then willing to engage in a round of pantomime so you can eat.  

 

The kioskos are a long row of about 60 food vendors. Some are pretty beaten up, some are closed but the ones that are open are worth checking out.  Try a pina colada or a batida. (There is a girl that has a stand in the parking lot of the kioskos on the weekends and the batidas are just amazing) If you’re hungry there is plenty of seafood, barbecue and empanadas in every flavor imaginable. It can be somewhat scarce on the weekdays but on the weekends there is much more activity.

 

Evenings at the hotel were fairly quiet…at least on the inside. A few nights a week they had live music at the upstairs bar. We preferred the downstairs piano lounge. It was low lit and intimate with comfy couches and small tables. Great for an amaretto or a touch of dessert before retiring.

picture courtesy of http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/

 

The hotel grounds are also lit well so you can go for a stroll under the stars if an after dinner treat is not your thing. The beach was completely unlit and just a tad creepy in the darkness so we didn’t venture off the garden paths.

 

picture courtesy of http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/

 

Sleeping can be a bit of a challenge in PR if you’re used to quiet at night. Since my nights are usually filled with the blaring sirens of DC’s finest, it was actually a nice change but I’ll have to admit I was really taken back at how loud those little guys were.

 

picture courtesy of  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Coqu%C3%AD

 

For those of you that are amphibianphobic, never fear! Not only are these guys really small (about thumb size), but I never actually saw one and we covered a lot of ground.  You will hear them though - you can’t miss the whistling symphony of co-qui that is their namesake.

Welcome to Life in OM

Welcome to Life in OM, my take on the universe.

From my perspective, the universe should be filled with all kinds of weird and wonderful experiences that enrich our lives.

Since the things that bring delight into my life are many, this blog will cover all sorts of topics.  Whether it’s reading a book, teaching a yoga class, eating a good meal, having a fabulous trip, or just having a good run (to name just a few) – I try to find the little joys that life can bring.

This blog is about sharing those experiences in a lighthearted way and hopefully inspiring others to find some bliss of their own.