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Am. Samoa Tour – Day 2, Part 1
Day 2 was a full 24 hour day. Waking up in the (Western) Samoa airport, we groggily rise and check into our flight to American Samoa. The check in is rather smooth, though Coach Tos and a few others lose their roll-on deoderant to the airport security. The gate lounges are straight out of the 1980’s, but are air-conditioned, which is a pleasant change from the mugginess of the baggage/check in area. Yeah, the whole Apia airport is open air, save for the gate areas, which made for an interesting night with feral cats and dogs roaming around. A cat fight entertained some of the Victorian players for a few minutes at about 3am.
Team unity is slowly building. Some are critical of players from other states not mixing well at first, but the coaches are dividing up players, so they’ll have to make friends whether they like it or not.
Because of weight issues, and the fact that the plane/shuttle between Samoa and American Samoa only seats 15 people – baggage or not, we’re divided up into three groups. I’m in the second group, which somehow leaves first. Our plane is a tiny twin engine propeller, with seats that fold forward, and carry on baggage is stowed in your lap, or the person’s lap next to you. Suffice it to say, there wasn’t much of a seafty breifing before takeoff!
The views from the sky were truy amazing. The sun was shining and the skies clear, and the take-off felt so much different from the ones on major jetliners. Looking down you could see the coastline and the Pacific ocean, clear blue, and the mountains. Spectacular. For most players, this was their first time in a prop plane, so they were a bit more nervous about flying than the coaches, but they managed to relax, and eventually sleep most of the way of the hour-long flight to Pago Pago.
BTW, I can’t upload pics as of yet, but when I get the chance (probably on return), I will at appropriate sections in this blog.
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Benefits of Chair Yoga – Part 4
Benefits of Chair Yoga – Part 4
Author: sean sandvik
Chair Yoga can easily work in harmony with most physical rehabilitation prescriptions. Many physical therapists have knowledge of Yoga or are teachers of Yoga. Many doctors, physical therapists, and medical professionals recommend Yoga to patients who are making a “come back.”
Yoga gives these patients the strength to move ahead, when many would be discouraged. The comebacks that I have personally witnessed are inspiring to me as a Yoga teacher. Over time, I have seen come backs from strokes, heart attacks, and car accidents.
Learn More About——>yoga exercise
It touches me that they thanked me for teaching them Yoga or Chair Yoga.
The courage to go on came from within their minds, but Yoga became a significant part of their lives. As a Yoga teacher the inspiration was mutual and made me feel helpful. After all, being of help, and being appreciated, are prime motivations for teachers of any subject.Muscle tone is a result of stretching and flexing any muscle group. Active muscles display themselves on anybody that chooses to use them. This is also a good way to relieve oneself of anxiety, stress, tension, and prevent depression. Like the other benefits, previously mentioned, this results in whole body health. A healthy body does, indeed, compliment a healthy mind.
For those clients who are confined to a chair, it is wise to include some form of a weight bearing, or weight resistance, exercise program. For those who can stand, Chair Yoga is another weight bearing exercise that will stimulate bone building.
With progressive weight resistance, you use free weights or machines, but with Yoga you bear your own body weight. The end result of these exercise programs would be increased bone density and prevention of Osteoporosis.
Seniors spend more time alone, than any other age group. Sometimes, we all need a little solitude, but too much solitude can lead to depression, in some of us. Living life like a monk is not for everyone.Chair Yoga classes offer a social activity that helps to stimulate the mind and body in a positive way. This becomes an uplifting activity that participants look forward to. Regular attendance, and socializing in Chair Yoga classes, is a healthy activity that leads to building strong relationships.
It also exposes seniors to the many activities that are going on within the community center. Participants of chair Yoga classes are exposed to whole health and gain a nutritional education as a member of a senior, community, or wellness center.
Lastly, all participants in Chair Yoga classes learn to relax and quiet the mind, through breath awareness, meditation, stage-by-stage relaxation, a combination, or another method. The end result being that these Yoga students can control their minds, focus on the good things in life, and prevent depression.
About the Author:
This is Ivan Fienney from Greenleaf, ID. This is my story on how I went from being a elementary school teacher working over 60 hours a week to now making $7,700 to $8,500 a month online. This is very solid and real. And this is without ever needing to pick up the phone and try to sell someone anything. I was able to double my previous job”’s income, working less than 10 hours a week on my computer at home. And I am on track to hit $100,000 a year.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Benefits of Chair Yoga – Part 4
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Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa – Hatha Yoga – Harness Kekuatan Matahari dan Bulan
Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa
Yoga Hatha Yoga ini dikembangkan oleh Swatmarama di abad ke- India. Ketika kebanyakan orang berpikir yoga Hatha Yoga itu bahwa mereka pikirkan. Membentuk dasar untuk beberapa jenis lainnya termasuk yoga Bikram Yoga Iyengar Yoga Yoga dan Ashthanga sepupunya baratan Power Yoga.
Hatha Yoga adalah bentuk yoga yang lembut yang membuatnya dapat diakses siswa pemula dan lanjutan dari segala usia serta orang yang keluar dari bentuk dan mencari untuk mendapatkan cocok. Tapi jangan Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa salah lembut untuk mudah Hatha Yoga akan menantang tubuh Anda dan kehendak Anda. Jati Diri Bangsa
Asana
Yoga paling dikenal di Barat karena manfaat fisik rangkaian hampir postur asana meregangkan dan memperkuat otot dan tulang melalui serangkaian tujuan menahan beban gerakan yang mendukung fungsi meningkatkan sirkulasi pencernaan syaraf dan sistem endokrin . Sebenarnya latihan yoga ini dirancang untuk mempersiapkan tubuh untuk duduk dalam meditasi untuk waktu yang lama gagasan bahwa lebih asana orang bisa terus nyaman untuk waktu yang lama semakin kuat seseorang menjadi landasan untuk meditasi.
Asana sendiri banyak dan bervariasi tapi semua berfungsi untuk mengembalikan keselarasan yang tepat kepada sistem muskuloskeletal. Pada Hatha Yoga postur sangat menarik pada belokan ke depan membungkuk ke belakang dan memutar gerakan untuk menciptakan panjang sepanjang tulang belakang membawa pasokan Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa oksigen segar darah ke sistem saraf dan melepaskan racun-racun dalam tubuh melalui keringat dan penghapusan untuk memurnikan tubuh. Dalam tradisi yoga proses detoksifikasi atau pemurnian diyakini untuk meningkatkan aliran energi kekuatan kehidupan prana hasil lebih dalam keadaan damai dan keadaan kesadaran yang lebih tinggi.
Pranayama
Kata pranayama terurai menjadi amp quot prana amp quot yang diterjemahkan ke Mengembalikan Jati Diri energi kekuatan hidup khususnya di napas dan amp quot ayama amp quot yang berarti menahan diri atau kontrol. Pranayama bisa dilakukan Mengembalikan Jati Diri sendiri atau dalam kombinasi dengan asana. Yogi kuno percaya bahwa belajar untuk menguasai napas membantu satu untuk menguasai atau tenang pikiran dan meningkatkan aliran energi kekuatan kehidupan di seluruh tubuh.
Tapi ada keuntungan fisik juga ketika Anda mengendalikan napas secara sadar Anda bernapas lebih dalam dan mengisi dan mengosongkan paru-paru Anda sepenuhnya. Lebih banyak oksigen secara alamiah memasuki aliran darah dan Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa sebagai akibatnya sistem saraf Anda tenang dan Anda mungkin merasa kurang stres dan juga lebih bersemangat. Pranayama juga memudahkan untuk memegang postur menantang.
Meditasi
Meskipun para yogi kuno digunakan meditasi sebagai sarana untuk berkomunikasi dengan Ilahi hal itu mungkin juga dianggap sebagai praktek menenangkan pikiran. Menggabungkan asana dengan pranayama dapat menjadi meditasi dalam dan dari dirinya sendiri hampir mustahil untuk memikirkan apa yang Anda butuhkan di toko bila Anda memegang sebuah pose menantang tanpa membiarkan napas Anda pergi dari.
Ini tidak biasa bagi kelas Yoga Hatha untuk memulai atau mengakhiri dengan meditasi singkat. Dalam saat-saat hening Anda mungkin akan diarahkan untuk memusatkan perhatian pada napas menenangkan pikiran dan menetapkan niat untuk kelas Anda tentang membawa Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa atau untuk hanya mengamati perubahan apapun Mengembalikan Jati Diri yang Anda rasakan di tubuh setelah berlatih.
Kelas Yoga Hatha
Ketika Anda mengambil kelas Yoga Hatha berhati-hati untuk berpakaian dengan pakaian yang memungkinkan Anda untuk bergerak bebas. Cobalah untuk tidak makan makanan selama dua hingga tiga Mengembalikan Jati Diri jam sebelum batas kelas dan makanan ringan untuk dalam waktu satu jam sebelum kelas.
Beberapa instruktur yoga dapat memilih untuk bermain musik yang menenangkan atau menyejukkan di latar belakang saat mereka melalui kelas siswa dan sebagian besar kelas dimulai dengan latihan sederhana untuk menenangkan dan menenangkan pikiran sehingga Anda dapat melepaskan hari Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa Anda dan menghormati kali Anda mengambil berlatih.
Anda akan menemukan nada Hatha Yoga untuk bersikap lembut damai dan cairan setiap gerakan yang dibuat dengan sengaja dengan penekanan Jati Diri Bangsa pada individu Anda menemukan tepi dan menantang diri Anda sendiri tanpa mendorong begitu jauh sehingga Anda meregang berlebihan. Persaingan tidak disarankan apakah itu dengan siswa lain atau diri Anda sendiri amp quot Tapi minggu lalu aku melakukan itu berpose lebih baik amp quot .
Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa
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Day By Day
Right now, I can hear the sound of multiple copies of my thesis being printed off for my examiners. I am submitting the thesis today.
The journey over the past few weeks since my last post has not been pleasant.
One would think that completing a thesis after 10 years would be joyous – there would be relief, celebration, happiness. There has been, but on the whole, these emotions have been fleeting.
Instead, I have sunk into depression, treading a well worn path into the black hole.
This time, it snuck up on me. There was no major life change. No broken relationship. No soul-destroying job to escape from. I didn’t know I was in the black hole until I found myself looking back up at the usual crowd of suspects standing around the rim of the hole, shouting down at me.
The first sign this time was my withdrawal from the gym. I simply didn’t want to go to classes anymore. I found ways to exercise alone – which I enjoy- but this absolute withdrawal from classes should have set the alarm bells ringing.
By the end of October, I was not exercising at all. I stopped doing yoga. Every spare second of my time was devoted to the thesis. If it was not, I felt guilty. By November, I was consciously aware of my depression – and sliding fast into the black hole. I was exhausted, I was stressed, not interested in anything. There were days when hiding in my room, laying on my bed asleep were the only things I wanted to do. When I finished the thesis, I was at rock bottom. I lost it. Completely.
I don’t expect many to people to understand why someone who has finished something this big and supposedly so personally infused with meaning is now burned out and deeply depressed. Barely able to muster any enthusiasm at all about the blasted thing.
To be honest, writing the thesis did not give me a sense of satisfaction. It did not spark my creative muse in the same way that writing my Honours thesis did, twelve years ago. It was a chore, a weight on my shoulders. A heavy load chained to my neck.
I hope that one day, satisfaction will come. As yet, I just feel flat and empty. I need time for me, time to recover, time to find my muse, my energy, my spark.
I have sought help. Gary has been incredible. As much as he bears the brunt of my depression, he is also my strength. In the past two weeks, I have starting doing yoga again. Last week, I had enough energy to start running and Turbulence Training again. I found the energy to enjoy Christmas, and thankfully, we weren’t travelling anywhere and needing to put on bright faces for relatives. It was just us and our (largely grown up) children.
At the moment, it’s day by day, and sometimes, hour by hour. That is all I have the energy for. I can see the healing already. I have done at least an hour of yoga every day (save two) for the past two weeks.
Blogging Plans
I will be making a few changes to the blog. I’ve decided to keep it for a while longer. I’m going to add some new pages and perhaps change the header. The changes will reflect my lifelong passions: books, language learning and exercise. I feel the need to expand and explore a little more. Perhaps now that I have LOTS of time, I’ll no longer be afraid (or feel guilty) about expressing myself online.
For now, I’m off to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) for the New Year (look at the blog header – the picture is Watarrka). Heading bush is always healing, even when it’s 40 degrees.
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My new years letter
Below is the new years letter I sent out to my students, yoga friends and teachers.
All,
I wanted to take a moment to reach out to my yoga community and to thank each of you for your energy over the course of this past year. I always look forward to this week. Whatever it is that we’re celebrating this season, from the birth of a savior to the rededication of the Temple to “lo, Saturnalia” to lengthening days and shortening nights to finally getting a few days off work to go ski, it feels like a big annual exhale to me.
In addition to our annual pledge to eat better, exercise more and quit smoking/coffee/whatever, this is a natural time to reflect on our lives past and future. We make plans, reminisce and organize. Our minds stretch forward and back, integrating all the chaos of the year into a personal history that we’ll bore our grandkids with. I just wanted to remind you that sandwiched in between all this past and future there’s a fragile little thing called Present. The whole universe lives there. We tend not to like it because it’s not as pliable as past or future. Past, we can filter, alter details in our mind, forget pieces entirely. Future is even more malleable. We can change it wholesale. Watch this: image you won the lottery. Boom. Totally changed, and you can change it dozens of other ways with just a thought. Now Present, we can’t really change in this way. It’s here, and it’s what it is. All we can do is control how wide we open the shutters to let it in. In the middle of holiday shopping in Union Square with thousands of people swarming around us, we might close the shutters down to a crack, just looking at the next block and keeping the gift list in the forefront of our minds. In yoga class, we try to open them as wide as they’ll go, feeling and experiencing as much as possible in each moment. It’s like giving shivering little Present a big, warm hug.
So, as the family and friends come and go, as we hurtle headlong into New Year’s Celebrations and then prepare to return to our daily routines, take a minute to appreciate Present, the present you have given yourself through the efforts of your thoughts and deeds. Try it right now…straighten your spine, take a nice deep breath and take off all the filters for a couple of seconds. Let all the sensations in. Smile down at Present, the quieter, underappreciated child. Just like that, you’ve done a yoga practice, without a single downward dog.
Namaste.
Kevin
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Odious , Simply , Bloody, Marvelous …..
I don’t know whether or not to laugh or cry at this juncture. But suffice to say that the NFL lived up to its appeal of ‘anything can happen on any given Sunday’. Oh my God, that’s an Oliver Stone ‘movie’. No conspiracy theorists here however. Alas, the New England Patriots are finally showing signs of life but I sincerely doubt that it’ll be enough to sustain them throughout the playoffs. As a divisional winner they’re guaranteed a wild card berth. And as good as this team was perceived to be, they are nowhere near as good as the teams of old.
Foxboro , Ma,. December 27th 2009. Tom Brady (#12) of the New England Patriots celebrates with Kevin Faulk (#33) after Brady threw a second touchdown pass to Randy Moss against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Simply put ,Bill Belichick is trying to plug holes into ill fitting pieces of a jig saw puzzle that in effect is still missing several much needed pieces. That has definitely got to be the case concerning the defense and how inexplicably inconsistent they’ve been this season. The Patriots had the pleasure of having their way with the Jacksonville Jaguars. And here’s a team that one now has to wonder how long their owner, Wayne Weaver , can continue to put up with Jack Del Rio as the team’s coach ? It’s safe to say that the cries …..’we want Timmy , we want Tim Tebow‘ won’t be enough to save Del Rio from the impending fall of the axe across his neck. Let the bloodletting begin. At this juncture it’ll be left to Weaver and the rest of the Jaguars’ hierarchy as to the final decision that will be made.
Foxboro, Ma- December 27th: Sammy Morris (#34) of the New England Patriots gains yards against the defense Anthony Smith (#20) and Reggie Nelson (#25) of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
The Patriots for their part are beginning to show ever growing cracks in that once invincible armor and it certainly hasn’t helped that Tom Brady hasn’t been playing up to his own lofty standards. But then again when watching Brady at his best , you realize how good he really is and why it is that the organization has been so successful. And much of that had a great deal to do with the insight of former GM, Scott Pioli , who now ply his trade as the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. And one would hope that the relationship between Pioli and Chiefs’ coach, Todd Haley won’t be as testy and icy ,as it was rumored to be between Belichick and Pioli towards the end of the general manager’s tenure with the New England Patriots.
David Garrard (#9 ) of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks for an open man against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 35-7.
Courtesy of the Patriots Journal
Patriots Journal: To rest or not? That was the question to Belichick
By Shalise Manza Young , Journal Sports Writer
Foxboro-Mass,. — Bill Belichick has a philosophy on whether to rest some of his key players for this Sunday’s regular-season finale, and it’s a rather familiar one:
“I do what’s best for our football team. That’s my philosophy,” he said Monday.
That was pretty much all Belichick would say in his late-morning news conference about how he’ll approach personnel decisions for the game against the Texans.
He added that he had not yet made any decisions, as he and his coaching staff had just wrapped up their review of New England’s win over Jacksonville.
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Click on link to read this article in its entirety
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Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots watches the final minutes of action against the Jacksonville Jaguars after a Patriots’ 35-7 win at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Sunday’s game between these two AFC representatives show why the teams are heading in opposite directions. New England sits atop of the AFC East with a 10-5 record and are assured of winning their seventh AFC East crown in the last nine years. The Kansas City Chiefs for their part are in the San Diego Chargers’ dominated AFC West. Where if you get two competitive games between the contestants within the division you’re bound to be crying ‘foul’ . So god-damn awful is that division , that I continually ask myself why are there games scheduled between the occupants to begin with ? Because I know for damn sure that no one from the NFL’s hierarchy will be willing to give me or the fans a legitimate straight forward answer as to how bad the division really is.
Randy Moss (#81) of the New England Patriots reacts on the sideline after he caught his third touchdown pass of the day against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
And it’s now pretty much safe to say that the Chiefs (3-12) will be fighting it out amongst themselves with the lowly Detroit Lions (2-13) and St Louis Rams (1-14) for the privilege of obtaining the number one draft pick in the NFL Draft of 2010. Oh to be a fly on the wall in the war rooms of those particular organizations. Suffice to say, things cannot get any worse than they are now. Absolutely not, well at least I’d like to think so !
Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots shakes hands with Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars after a Patriots’ 35-7 win at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
New England had their way the Jaguars, rolling them over on their way to an emphatic 35-7 win at Gillette Stadium , Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Sunday afternoon. For the Patriots’ this was a welcome win on a cold and blustery day.
At best the Patriots can end up with an 11-5 record at the end of the season ,garnering them the number four seed in the AFC. As an avid Patriots’ fan I’m hoping that it’ll be enough whereby they can use their playoff experience to acquit themselves well this postseason. If they can hit a rich vein of form over the ensuing weeks however, there’s no reason to believe that they can’t upset the apple cart and throw a ‘monkey wrench’ into the ambitions of the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals who are ahead of them in the NFL’s AFC seedings.
Randy Moss (#81) of the New England Patriots catches his third touchdown pass of the day against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium on December 27, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
I know the limitations of the Patriots but I’m also fully aware as to what they’re capable of doing when they actually set their minds to it. The problem being is that will the team collectively be in unison when they’re needed to be at their very best ? If not then this postseason could end as swiftly for them as a sudden cold Nor’easter has been known to suddenly envelope the New England area. And that as we know is never a pleasant thing to begin with. In other words it can be odious but yet it can also be simply bloody marvelous. It just matters whether or not you’re on the receiving end of it all ?
NB: All pictures herein, appears courtesy of either AP/Photos or Getty Images
NFL Week 16 Results click here…..
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Mosley – Berto Vol.1: “Back to the Future”
A the top of 2009, amidst the conclusion of Andre Berto’s business with Luis Collazo, Mosely was pressed to comment on his thoughts regarding a possible fight with the interim WBC Champion. With Manny Pacquiao’s acceptance to a full-time position atop the Welterweight division (and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return then looming), Shane was very careful not to prematurely align himself with Berto, which would eliminate him from discussions for a Spring 2010 mega pay-day. This of course didn’t prevent HBO from asking: “What are your thoughts on Andre Berto?” With seemingly a hint of hesitation, he says something that got a lot of fight fans curious: “He reminds me a lot of myself… it would be like ‘me’ fighting ‘me’!!” “Prepare yourself Marty McFly…. we’re going back to the future!”
The obvious cannot be denied; Andre Berto’s power, speed, technique, and willingness to ’BANG’ are reminiscent to the Shane Mosley who began his pro career 38-0… and if this fight represents Berto’s shot at the spotlight (as did De la Hoya represent Shane’s trophy win in 2000), then fight fans can expect a fight that’s worth their HBO monthly subscription. Yes; Shane is 38 years old, and conventional wisdom suggests that eventually the ghost of Winky Wright’s “peek-a-boo” style will take its toll on his ability to slip punches… but then again, Antonio Margarito just sent out a tweet, and ’he’s wondering if Javier Capetillo wrapped Shane’s hands with bricks too!!’
Not to be overlooked, this is undoubtedly the biggest fight of Berto’s career! A win here puts him in line for $7-8M minimums with Miguel Cotto who, is still in the conversation (and his loss to PacMan will be looked at with less scrutiny if the papers are signed and Mayweather takes his 1st ’L’ in March), Tim Bradley (if/when he moves up in weight), Juan Manuel Marquez, maybe Paul Williams, Pacquiao, or “Money.” On the other hand, a win for Shane guarantees him a shot at the winner of the Pacquiao-Mayweather sweepstakes in the fall of 2010, and his first legitimate mega fight since his BALCO laced win over De la Hoya in the ‘03 rematch.The match-up possibilities are endless, but first Sugar must crank the Delorean and travel ‘back’ to face someone with an eery resemblance to Vernon Forest… someone who’s hungry, ferocious, fast, powerful, and unphased by Shane’s legacy. Berto’s eyes are fixated on the future, but if Mosley’s dream of Pacquiao or Mayweather are to come true, he’s got to channel Michael J. Fox and prepare to be introduced to his past, and perhaps future self.
T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com
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April 2009 Posture Video: Powerful Pose
April’s posture of the month is Powerful Pose, also known as Utkatasana or Chair Pose
(OOT-kah-TAHS-anna)*Benefits of this posture include:
- Strengthens the ankles, thighs, calves, and spine
- Stretches shoulders and chest
- Stimulates the abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart
- Reduces flat feet
*Benefits courtesy of Chair Pose on Yoga Journal
I think I still have yet to discover the benefits of powerful pose. I’m quite wobbly when I try to go up on my toes, and only recently have managed to actually bend my knees when in this pose.
I have to remind myself though that you have to learn to walk before you can run, and Powerful Pose is one of those poses for me that helps me remember that. I can’t always rush things (especially not my body when it’s not ready to go there!) and it’s often valuable to take your time and build a foundation for future success (in life and on the mat).
Taking things slowly, building foundations for the future and letting your body be where it’s at are some of the most important lessons I have gained from yoga.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from yoga? What poses do you take slowly?
Video courtesy of Moksha Yoga
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CliffsNotes for sports.
In addition to being used to collect droppings at the bottom of a bird cage, as a key ingredient for paper mache projects or to start a fire in your fireplace, the sports section of the newspaper serves another purpose. Believe it or not, it can be read. Not for enjoyment, mind you, but for intelligence gathering.
Every morning, usually when I’m on the train heading into work, I spend about 10 minutes scanning the sports section. It gives me just enough information to fake my sportsgasms for the day. It tells me who won, who lost and what the scores were. I also learn about key plays, major injuries or any controversial calls. Basically, the sports section distills a three-hour game into about a three-minute read. You’ve got to love that. It’s like CliffsNotes for sports.
WARNING FLAG: For each article, read only the headline and first two paragraphs; scan the rest of the story. Do more than that and you’ll find yourself nodding off. After all, about the only thing more boring than watching sports is reading about them.
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Bears hoping Vikings get lost in traffic prior to MNF matchup tonight
Tonight the Chicago Bears play the Minnesota Vikings at home for the chance to have a better record than … the Oakland Raiders!
True fact. The Raiders have won 5 games, including away games at Denver and Pittsburgh, and home wins over Cincinnati and Philly . The Bears did beat Pittsburgh, but got drilled by the Bengals and dominated by the Eagles.
This year has been, I think, the biggest train-wreck we’ve seen here on a football field since Northwestern infamously lost all those games in a row in the early 80s.
There were expectations going into this year. Hopelessly incorrect ones, but expectations none-the-less. We’d been deluded into believing that the basic structure of a winning team was in place, and all we needed was an upgrade at QB and it would all fall into place: division titles, playoff success, maybe even a ring.
HA! What were we smoking?
Because this team is just not good by any measure. Most of the players are old, slow, inexperienced, and/or clueless. Not all, but most. These bad players are coached by an almost uniformly bad staff. The player personnel front office people hired all of them, so, what can you say about them except “they are bad too”? And the ownership entrusted the ship to this laughingstock, so they must not know what they’re doing, either.
There is talk of firing head coach Lovie Smith. While he so richly deserves it, that won’t fix problems with evaluating, drafting, and signing talent. So go ahead and fire GM Jerry Angelo, too, just for the idiotic sin of failing to address the offensive line in any meaningful way for seven consecutive drafts. Fine with me. But that doesn’t fix problems with ownership and front-office clowns that decided hiring him was a good idea.
Organizations that win usually do so in part because they not only have good players, but good coaches, GMs, and owners, too. It isn’t just a coincidence that all that comes together. And even though the Bears have a long history of being cheap, Papa Bear George Halas managed to have some good teams anyway, didn’t he? Then the old man died in 1983, and his Yale-MBA-football-illiterate grandson Michael McCaskey became the primary decision-maker. This has worked out, pretty much, just as one might expect. The one Super Bowl they did win in 1985 was due to the excellent player evaluation talents of GM Jim Finks, and the coaching genius of the Mike ditka/Buddy Ryan two-headed monster.
Just for comparison, let’s review Don Pierson’s position-by-position list of What went wrong for Chicago Bears in 2009? On offense alone, seven positions underperformed: QB, HB, TE, WR, LT, LG, RT. On defense, six more underperformed. So overall, 13 of the 22 were woefully inadequate.
So, here we are. This teams stinks, and can’t rebuild an offensive and defensive line in one off-season, not to mention the required upgrades at receiver, linebacker, fullback, and safety. And even if it was possible to do that in one off-season, they still couldn’t do it, because they suck at evaluating players, remember? Because the McCaskey family only hires people who suck at evaluating players.
But the Bears will probably just do the easy thing and lay all blame at the feet of Lovie Smith, hire some new guy, and tell us it will all be different now. Sure it will.
I’m just glad the Blackhawks are back, so I don’t have to pretend to care about this awful football team right now. Because they suck grapefruits through a garden hose.