Yoga teaches us to have the courage to live life with our heart open, the strength to plant our feet firmly on the ground and the commitment to express our passions. On this Valentine’s Day, share fully, love completely (especially yourself) and connect to your passion!

Ever wonder what your yoga students are thinking when they take your classes? I do. You look into their eyes and sometimes wonder if they’re enjoying themselves or not. I had someone in a recent class, a beginner, and he was working hard. Heavy breathing, a self-admitted newbie, eyes closed in what seemed like half-dazed confusion. When I went over to assist him, he turned to me with a big grin and said, “Thanks!” I must say, I was surprised.

Bottom line: You’ll never know what they’re thinking, unless, of course, they tell you.

Our goal as yoga teachers is to provide healthy, safe and enjoyable classes for our students. Depending on your background and training, what this looks like will vary. But the overall goal should be to provide a healthy experience in which students can grow and learn. Students will come to your classes with their whole life of experiences in their body and mind: their attitudes; habits; their ability to focus; their behaviors when challenged. They’ll bring their social skills, their struggles, their joys as well as their pains. When they come to the mat, you’ll most likely not be aware of much of this and yet it will color their entire experience.

As a teacher, you can either get caught up in these things, or you can keep moving forward, presenting poses and cues for breathing and mindfulness that will help them stay present. You can offer modifications, props and make eye contact when giving cues that you feel will assist them. You can use humor, speak from the heart and speak to what you see all as a method to keep them out of their heads and into their bodies and to inspire. All of this you can do, without ever getting into the no-win situation of trying to figure out if they’re enjoying themselves. And, of course, if they come up after class and say something like, “That was great!” you’ll know they enjoyed it. But keep in mind: sometimes classes that students don’t necessarily “enjoy” can, on some level, be the class that really helps them grow in new ways.

I had another experience recently with a private session. A woman brought a friend with her; an older man, with a kind face and a self-reported lifestyle that had him doing a lot of hard labor with his hands, he never had tried any yoga. He was there out of support and friendship for her, more than anything else, which of course, spoke volumes for their friendship. I led them through the basics, and I’ll admit, I wondered more than a few times, “What is this man thinking?”

We got to the end of the practice and as they came up from resting, he said in a deep voice, “I’ve got one thing to say.”

My heart kind of sank. I waited. He took a breath.

“ I’m glad I came to yoga.”

Sweet.

I taught a private yoga session to a woman recently that was just starting a yoga practice. She was interested in getting into shape and felt that yoga would be a helpful tool. She came to the mat with a bit of self-taught yoga experience but wanted to learn the alignment for each pose.

I often get students who have learned through experience and exposure to different teachers and classes but never had a one-on-one session to ensure they really understand the poses. While this is not necessary, it can be really useful to one’s understanding of yoga and can greatly increase one’s enjoyment as well as allow one to practice in a safe way for both the short and long term.

However, many times, when people have preconceived ideas of how the poses are to look and have self-taught themselves alignment, it takes a bit of “un-learning” to undo some habits that have development along the way. When I work with people, this process can often be met with frustration. It’s hard to undo patterns of movement. Think about every time you go to a yoga class and the teacher encourages you to “relax your shoulders.” Think about how many times you realize they’re up by your ears and you didn’t even know it.

But the other night, as I worked with this wonderful woman and we identified a few things to modify in her practice, she immediately burst out laughing. She thought it was hysterical that she could not change her alignment in a particular transition. She kept doing it over and over again, I kept gently correcting her and finally, after a while, she exclaimed, “I got it!”

This is a wonderful feeling. It reminds me of the feeling you may have experienced when you were learning how to ride a bike without training wheels. You fell a few times, trying to find your center of gravity, but then after a few tries, you stayed vertical and it felt great! This is often the feeling on the mat. You’re trying to combine both your conscious mind as well as your sensory mind. You know the direction you’re headed but it takes a few tries to get there.

Laughter is great thing to add to your yoga practice. Laughing releases “feel good” hormones into your system. Laughter helps you keep things light. Laughter is a wonderful way to demonstrate compassion for yourself. Laughter shows others that you don’t take yourself so seriously. Laughter shows other people that you’re willing to show yourself and therefore, encourages them to show their true self also.

After my session with her, I practiced the next day. My balance was off for some reason and I found myself struggling with many poses that usually come easily to me. In each pose, as my ankles wavered and I re-established my base, I found myself smiling as I thought of my new student and her great attitude. They say “our students are our best teachers” and this was truly an example of that!

Around this time of year, everyone starts wondering what they’re going to buy loved ones and friends for the holidays. Whatever holiday you celebrate, it’s a time to recognize the special people in your life. It can be stressful though, especially when you have limited funds. I remember when I was little, my mom would say, “It’s not the money you spend; it’s the thought that counts.” This seems to fade away as we get older but why should it? In some ways, it’s even more touching to get a homemade gift these days because it takes effort and thought. So, here are some ideas, spanning a range of price points, to hopefully get you started:

For the cook: A batch of homemade cookies, fun cookie cutters and a cookbook, dinner candles, placemats and napkins for a table setting

For the animal lover: A surprise trip to a local farm or animal sanctuary and a calendar from an animal charity, snacks for the person’s pet

For the beach lover: A frame with shells you gather from your favorite beach glued to the rim; a picture of the two of you enjoying a summer day, a beach bag filled with a fun towel and a book (especially fun to get in the winter to help one look forward to the summer)

For the movie lover: a basket of healthy snacks, a gift certificate for two movie tickets and a subscription to Netflix

For the reader: An actual book (yes, hard cover!), a soft blanket, a cute mug and some healthy teas

For the yogi: This is a tough one because there are so many ways you can go with gift ideas. A mat, a mat bag, a gift card for classes at a local studio, a gift certificate to a favorite yoga clothing store, or a DVD of a favorite teacher all make nice ideas. Other ideas include mala beads, scented wax free candles, healthy teas, eye pillow, essential oils or a cotton hoodie to don during shavasana

For the runner:  I received a wonderful necklace with “26.2” on it in roman numerals to commemorate my finish of my 2^nd marathon in October, 2011.  It came from www.endurejewerly.com and they have a number of other running-inspired themes on jewelry. Other ideas include compression socks, a fun hat and gloves for cold weather running or a basket with Advil, ice packs and natural athletic muscle rubs like Tiger Balm and a gift certificate for a massage. Better to be prepared for injury than surprised!

For your sweetie: An i tunes song list of favorites you share, a framed photo of the 2 of you (remember those?), a surprise trip to a favorite restaurant, a romantic visit to a café for espresso and pastry with an evening stroll afterwards, an old-fashioned locket with a picture inside. Other ideas might include doing something with your honey that’s usually reserved for them to do single- visit their favorite yoga class together, go dancing (even if you hate it), take in that chick flick or action movie or go for a hike with your rugged, nature-loving honey

For the fashionista: A pile of the latest (hard-copy) fashion magazines, a pashmina and dangling earrings

For your neighbor: Bottle of wine, gift card to a local coffee shop or a basket of homemade cookies.

The holidays are the perfect time to show the people in your life how much your care. Rather than making it about the amount of money you spend, why not make it about acknowledging something you love about the person. Sometimes, being appreciated is the best gift you can give and that has nothing to do with how much money you spend.
Happy Holidays. Enjoy the season!

The other day, I was listening to the news and they were talking about Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta was offering his comments on a video of her. In it, she was singing, “Girls just wanna have Fun,” full on, all out, her head swinging back and forth, a huge smile on her face, clapping to the music. The use of music is a big part of her therapy. Dr. Gupta was talking about her current challenges finding the right words and said that while finding the right words for conversation is hard, when it comes to singing, it’s actually a different mental process to recall words to songs. He went onto say those memories live in a different part of the brain and she almost flows from word to word more from a deep sense of knowing, routine and habit than intellect.

As I listened to this description, it reminded me of how yoga becomes engrained in your body. After just a few months of practice, you can feel new patterns of movement begin to take hold. But in many ways, it’s not so much that they’re new patterns of movement; they’re the old patterns that have been replaced by unhealthy patterns or habits. Just as with Gabrielle’s wonderful singing, it comes from a deep place. It comes from a place beyond thinking but more from deep memory.

When I work with people in class or even more so, in private sessions, I have a chance to hear about them. I have the one aspect of working with them, which is the physical realm. That’s comprised of their alignment, how their body moves, their approach to yoga. But there’s so much more beneath the surface and some of that comes up as we talk about different things going on in their life or a little bit about their background. Some students have athletics in their background but years of working hard and raising families have taken priority. Some people have dance in their background. Others have a passion for health but over the years, their health has taken a hit due to illness or injury.

But more times than not, with consistent practice, their former self starts to come through. I can see it even in the first session, although it’s not always clear to me because I don’t have the back-story. But as that gets filled in and the practices continue, I see more stability, more strength, more purpose in the poses. I also see deeper relaxation at the end of our practices.

This doesn’t come from complex poses or from daily two-hour practices. It comes more from consistently showing up on the mat, with an open mind and a willingness to do your best.

So today, if you’re feeling unstable, unsteady, heavy, and achy or a shadow of your former self, have faith. Start with a few deep breaths. Then, try yoga, maybe for the first time. Find a teacher to work with or visit a local studio. It may not happen right away, but in time, you will start to feel more grounded. And with consistent practice, you’ll tap into those deep muscle and soulful memories of being strong, open and comfortable in your own skin. It will happen!

I work with a lot of rowers and in my time with them, I’m always thrilled when we do different yoga poses and they comment on how the pose would be helpful for rowing. Yoga has a wonderful way of being applicable to many different activities; rowing, running, cycling, functional movement we do all day, awareness around sitting at your desk, even driving your car. But when we refer to “alignment” in yoga, what does that really mean?

When we refer to “alignment,” we’re literally talking about “being in line.” But what “line” are we talking about? I’d suggest it’s the centerline of the body, or the spine, that’s most often the reference point when talking about alignment. Being in alignment in a yoga pose is having a sense of being centered around your spine and that holds true for when you’re on the floor or standing; twisting, balancing, wrapping or extending your limbs out to the sides.

The other interesting thing about the word “alignment” is that it can also be used to refer to one’s ability to be “in line” with an idea, values or a mission. When a team is in alignment, they’re referring to being in agreement about philosophy, training and conduct on and off the playing arena. When employees are in alignment with a company’s mission statement, it can refer to everyone working well as a team, cooperating and expressing clearly the vision and mission of the brand.

When we look at using good alignment in yoga poses or even in any other physical activity (or even when driving or sitting at our desks), why would we want to do this? What value is there? Here are some thoughts:

Efficiency: When your body is in alignment, from a biomechanical perspective, you don’t have to work as hard. Your joints are stacked for maximum power and your chest is open so you can easily breathe. Good alignment helps us work enough but not overwork.

Decreased risk of injury: Improper alignment can lead to injuries. In yoga, things like locking joints, bringing the shoulders below the elbows in the high-to-low-push-up transition and scrunching the shoulders to the ears in inversions are common mishaps. When we move in alignment, we build strength and nourish our joints and muscles without creating stress or tension.

Helps conserve energy: Being in alignment helps us conserve our energy because we’re not overworking to compensate for being out of line. Similar to the efficiency benefit, it helps us put our energy where it’s most needed on a physical level. This also applies to the other application of being “in alignment;” when we live our life in alignment with our own values and mission statement and resist being swayed by others, we have more energy for all that we do and also less drama in our lives.

Builds strength: Working the body with alignment helps us build strength. Our joints are stacked so our muscles and bones can work efficiently.

Relieves pain from unhealthy movement patterns: For many people that start practicing yoga and paying attention to alignment, they begin to undo years of holding their body in unhealthy ways. They remark how their neck pain starts to subside or their lower back pain decreases. For some, it’s a matter of identifying what they are doing that’s not working for them and it is only through being in alignment, that they can identify these patterns.

So how does one learn alignment? In a typical yoga class, most students learn by watching others, watching the teacher, figuring things out for themselves, or a combination of all three. If the studio where you practice offers workshops dedicated to alignment, that’s a great way to learn. Learning by watching others is always a bit tough because everyone’s body is different. Plus, who knows if that person knows what they’re doing?

Ultimately, being “in alignment” is both an internal and external expression of being in congruence with a set of principles. If we’re talking about the body, they’re principles about biomechanics. If we’re talking about it from a spiritual perspective, we’re talking about being in agreement with the values and ideas around how we wish to live our lives. Alignment is an expression of being at peace in both our body and mind.

I’ve been practicing yoga for a long time but not long enough that I don’t remember what my life was like before I practiced yoga. Now, lest you think this post is going to be a lofty one, holding out yoga as the “be all and end all” for all things, let me say that is not the case. I only want to suggest that a regular yoga practice can help you build discipline in other parts of your life.

Now, as you may know (see earlier post), I just finished running my 2^nd marathon (the first was in 2008; it’s been a while!). I would say that training for a marathon is a great way to build discipline in your life and it’s a critical component of training. The regular and intense running, nutritional and sleep requirements of marathon training pretty much require that you have your act together in our parts of your life, or you won’t make it to the finish line (or you will, but your non-running life will be in tatters around you). Discipline, while even the word sounds strict, can be the foundation for actually living with more freedom, because you have systems in place for those things that are necessary in life to be in place.

So what are these things? Things like showing up fully in your life; be it in your job and your relationships. Things that are more mundane but necessary, like paying bills, keeping your house in good shape, doing the necessary errands, eating healthy foods. Things like speaking from the heart, saying what’s on your mind (even when it’s hard), not saying everything that pops into your head, not speaking just to show off and being authentic. All these things can be part of the building a solid foundation in your life.

So, what does a yoga practice have to do with these behaviors? Yoga helps us build discipline through:

Deep breathing

Feeling connected to the body

Paying attention

Showing up fully, even when we don’t feel like it

Trying our best

Paying less attention to ego and listening more to our heart

These behaviors are some of the foundations of committing yourself to anything but most certainly, they’re part of a yoga practice. Once we connect to our breath and start to go through the motions, we realize that it’s not so hard to make a commitment to something. We start to appreciate the affects of feeling good in our body. This can often translate to changing the way we eat. We start to realize the affects of showing up regularly and doing our best. This can translate into how we are in our jobs. We start to see how it feels to express ourselves fully in our body. This can translate into how we are in our relationships. We start to really feel good about being in our bodies. This can translate into having a better relationship with ourselves.

Yoga is not a cure all but it can be a wonderful way to build a solid foundation in your life. If you’re not sure, try it. What do you have to lose?

Before too much time passes, I want to get down some of my memories from my running yesterday of the Baystate Marathon in Lowell, MA.  I’m not counting myself out by any means, but after running it in 2008 and then yesterday, I think that might be it for me in terms of marathon running! It was so special, such a wonderful culmination of commitment, passion, athleticism and a little bit of the absurd. Because really, once you’re running over 10 miles, things do get a little crazy. Long distance runners will tell you differently, perhaps, but it’s a strain on the body. Training will help for sure, but overall, I’m not sure the body was meant to do it. But I did it for the challenge and I’m glad I did.

The weather yesterday, 10/16/11, was perfect. Sunny with a light wind (which would actually pick up once we started. Nice.) I didn’t need as much additional clothing at the start, which was great because it was just going to get discarded once I got warmed up. I met my friends that were running and Ali, Olivia and I did a series of yoga poses in the main check-in area to warm up. It was overwhelming to see all the runners and was quite distracting. Doing yoga helped calm my nerves. I just kept focusing on myself and tried not to look around too much. My whole goal for the pre-race hour was to conserve my energy.

My friend Tracy met me at the start. She offered to meet me at mile 21, which no one has ever done for me before. When she offered, I thought it would be great, but I’d later find out how critically important it was that she was by my side. (more on that later). She literally gave up her whole day to support me, leaving at 6 am to arrive before we even started. I was so grateful to her I can’t even describe it. She passed words of encouragement to Ali and I, having run marathons before, and we started to assemble at the starting line. I lost Ali somehow, so all of a sudden, I was surrounded by runners and just let myself be swallowed up by the excitement of the start. People turned to their neighbors and offered well wishes for a great race and the race director announced the number of minutes until the start. Pretty soon we were within 2 minutes. As is customary at any sporting event, they played a tape of the National Anthem. As soon as I heard it, my eyes began to fill up. I was so proud of myself for getting to that starting line; all the doubts, the fear, the training, the commitment, the sacrifice. And there I was. I then thought about the country, as I do more and more these days whenever I hear that song. I cried for the problems we have, the people who struggle, the ways we refuse to work together as a nation despite the lessons we should have learned from the past. My heart was heavy with emotion over those thoughts but it was part of the experience. I let the tears fall down my cheeks, sang the last verse and then opened my eyes to see everyone erupt into a final cheer before we heard the starting gun.

The first few miles were really about getting used to running. The pack is big at the beginning, as BayState has both a half and a full marathon. At a certain point, the groups split but for the first half or so, you’re in a crowd. Plus at the beginning, people generally are giddy that they are finally running. There’s a lot of nervous laughter, fun comments between friends and high five’s. Once you settle into a pace, you end up surrounded by people that might run with you at least until the first water stop. On my way out, I had a lot of friends running with each other around me. It always makes me laugh how some people run races and have complete conversations with their friends while running. So, while I was trying to keep track of pace and get into a groove, my mind was getting pulled into a conversation about high school soccer and another about the nursing shifts that the girls that were behind me work at their local hospital. It’s all part of the experience and at times can be really nice to have something to keep your mind off running. I actually prefer running by myself and just hearing the sounds of nature and the environment, so I start to get a little anxious if there’s too much distracting around me. But that’s part of racing; you deal with the hand your dealt, whether it’s the weather, equipment failures, injuries; you just keep going.

Baystate’s not anything like the Boston Marathon, in terms of a Massachusetts-based race. The course is pretty flat (although don’t believe their terms that it’s mostly flat; there are indeed hills!) and it’s a smaller race with many less runners. However, it is a Boston qualifier, so you’ll get some fast runners in the front of the pack. Also, there aren’t as many spectators as Boston; there are many times you’ll find yourself running with only runners around you. But I will say that I was so grateful for the spectators that were there. Especially the people that just came outside their homes and stood, all by themselves and as we passed, said words of encouragement. My heart was so full of love for them, that they’d take the time to do that, when there isn’t even the added distraction and excitement of the rest of the spectators around them. I wished I could have thanked every one of them, but honestly, I was trying so hard to focus that it was all I could do but wave a little to let them know I was appreciative of their support.

By the turn off where the half marathoners break off, things got a lot quieter. I settled into a nice pace and just tried to find my rhythm. My iphone was tracking my miles and pace and I was finding I was staying right on my pace. Nothing too aggressive; 10 minute miles, but it was what I wanted to do and I felt on track to run a 4:45 marathon, which would be my goal. I found that I was regularly surrounded by the same people and you pretty quickly realize who you’ll possibly finish with, because you see them regularly around you. There was a couple in front of me, both wearing shirts that said,” Run for your Life,” and I assumed there was some charity connection there. There was the older woman, clearly in at least her late 60’s, that was keeping pace with me without any trouble at all. That, I will say, was both humbling and an inspiration. There was the guy that I swear was running with a full pocket of change and the jingling was driving me crazy. I actually let him pass me and as soon as I did, the peace that was restored was like a jolt of fresh energy.

Before I left home, one of my marathon plans was to think of a few topics to keep me busy along the way. I thought about plans for my business and thought about topics for future articles. I thought about different things I want to do with my life and all of that kept me busy.

We came around the first turn (it’s a double loop and then a long final stretch on the back side of the last turn) and you run past a stable. That was the absolute best part. This is somewhere around 9 miles, so I was still pretty fresh. The horses were out and people were petting them. Even though it was across the road, I couldn’t resist. I ran across the street and clucked to one of the horses. He lifted his muzzle and I placed a smooch right on his nose. It was so wonderful. I felt so much love as horses are one of my favorite animals. It’s hard to really enjoy your surroundings when you run a marathon because you’re concentrating so hard. But part of the mental game is to take in some of what’s around you so you can enjoy and appreciate it as part of the experience. That to me, was what it was about when I ran over to the horse.As I came up around 11 miles, I heard a large crowd of people yelling to me. It was my friend Ali’s husband, Adam, and a group of other friends from the neighborhood! It was so wonderful to hear their cheers and I felt energized again.

I started to get back into the zone and heard another person yell, “Go Karen!” Because our race numbers had our names on them, I just assumed it was a spectator yelling their words of support. But then I realized it was Tracy! She was already out there, waiting for me, even though she’d have to wait for me to run from mile 11 all the way around again to mile 21 and then she’d jump in. What a true friend! She had gone out there to catch me on the first loop.

As soon as I passed Tracy, my iphone battery died. True tragedy! I was using it to track miles and because I have a Nike GPS application, it also connects to Facebook. The neat feature is when people see your run on your Facebook profile, if they “like” it, you’ll hear cheers coming out of your phone. It’s a little psychological boost. Plus, the phone tracks every tenth of a mile, which mentally is another help. When you’re between mile markers out there, it’s great to see exactly how long until your next mile will be finished. Plus, tracking your pace is critical in order to stay on track for the marathon time you’d like to have at the finish. So, when the battery died, all I had left was my old-school watch. Not even a running watch, it just had a regular face on it. Not even digital! So, I had to decide at that point what my plan was going to be. My phone also had reminders set to trigger me to eat and drink so I had to make up another plan for that. I decided that it made no sense to get upset; I’d just eat every fifteen minutes and try to ensure I was sticking to 10-minute miles.

I ran around the first significant turn and then settled into the second loop. It’s always harder the second time around because you see the mile markers from the first time you ran; they say “6” for instance, but then a little ways up, you see one for “16,” which is really the mileage you’re at now. Plus, the loop has hills; you also start to see people walking. This point in the mileage is indeed where you start to see people fall apart and that’s always a challenge. You try to stay in your own zone but it’s hard. The water stations every 2 miles become like a little oasis of support as you not only get hydrated but you get to hear music and get a little boost of encouragement. The water stops at Baystate are staffed by high school track teams and they always have something supportive and fun to say.

I was feeling pretty good around mile 17 and on my second loop past the horse, I saw two colts. That was truly magical. I didn’t dare run across the street this time; it was all I could do to stay focused. But just seeing the horses was a great boost of energy. Also, at that point, I heard the guy with the change jingling in his pocket come up behind me. Damn! I let him pass me again and all was well.

I had started at 8 am. I knew Tracy would be at mile 21. I was estimating, with my old school watch, that I’d see her around 11:20. But sadly, 11:20 came and went and I wasn’t at mile 21. I also wasn’t sure how much longer it was until the next mile marker because I had no mile tracker. I had to just keep going, having faith that I’d eventually get there. And, soon enough, there she was. She was standing in the middle of the road, cheering me on. I ran towards her and she had water for me. I took a few gulps and then we started on. I asked her to get in front of me so I could just have her lead me to the finish. I literally watched the back of her shoes for the last five miles.

At Baystate, the last 5 miles of the course are the worst, in my view. It’s fairly flat, but it’s wide open. You can look as far as you can see in front of you and you don’t see a finish line. All you see is wide-open road. For me, both in 2008 and today, it’s the hardest part. Your body is tired and all you need is a little carrot to show you that you’re almost there. But instead, they give you wide open road! So, for me, to have Tracy there was great. I watched the back of her shoes and never looked up until mile 26 came.

At mile 26, I heard a voice say, “Hi, Karen, it’s Ali!” My running friend and training partner! Unfortunately, I wasn’t in any shape to greet her with the enthusiasm I felt so all I could muster was, “Hi Ali. I really can’t talk right now.” She laughed and said, “That’s ok! I just wanted you to know I was here!” She ran past me and her husband, who had joined her for the last 5 miles was there. That was the first time since mile 21 I was actually looking forward, which isn’t a good thing. When you look down and run, it can interfere with your breathing but honestly, looking down was all that was keeping me going. So, to look up at mile 26 and see them in front of me, Adam looking so fresh and Ali, my friend, and Tracy in front of me, I knew I had the marathon just about done.

I had wanted to run a 4:30 marathon, which would have meant at 12:30, I’d need to be done. I realized at mile 25, that goal was gone. I actually just focused on getting myself to 12:30 pm, not getting to a certain mile marker and that helped. But once I hit 12:30 and I was somewhere between 24 and 25, I knew my goal was going to be adjusted.

The final .5 miles were tough. I could hear the people at the finish but didn’t have any sight of it. There were a few turns; the course volunteers were saying,” You’re almost there!” but I was so tired! I just kept moving and pretty soon, there it was! The finish line! I found a little extra energy and heard the announcer say,” Karen Fabian, Charlestown MA, here she comes!” I looked up and saw the clock: 4:54:27. I made it in under 5 hours! That was my final goal. If I couldn’t do 4:30 or 4:45, I just wanted to make it in under 5 hours. Just under the wire!

The rest was a blur. A woman handed me a medal and said “Congratulations!” A race official came up and gave me a warming blanket. I was so happy to see him, I grabbed his arm. He asked me if I was ok. I said yes but honestly, I wasn’t sure. I heard Tracy come up. A girl gave me oranges. I started walking to the bag check to get my bag. All the while, I was feeling ok but just really wanted to get out of my wet clothes. I started drinking Gatorade and then decided to go into a Porta Potty to change. This was a bad idea! I had trouble with leg cramps and barely got into my sweatpants and shirt.

Once out into the sun, I decided to lie down. This was also a very bad idea! The blood immediately rushed to my legs. Tracy came over as I was screaming about leg cramps. I fell into her lap and said, ”Doctor.” The next thing I knew, the EMT personnel were there and lifting me onto a stretcher. Tracy stuck by me, handed me Gatorade and as I continued drinking, I immediately started to feel better. Once in the tent, there were other runners there on IV fluids and getting other kinds of treatment. I settled into a cot. A nurse came over to take my blood pressure. I looked at her name tag. “Grace,” it said. The hospital she was from was Mercy Hospital. So her name tag said, “Grace” and “Mercy.” I found that so touching because I needed both of those things right at that point in time.

Grace was awesome. Even though she was there as a nurse, she moved my legs around a bit and tried to rub some of the cramps out. God bless her! Tracy stuck by me and gave me food from my cooler. Within about 20 minutes, I felt better. I got up and walked a bit and pretty soon, felt like I could leave.

We walked back to the car and all the while I felt better and better. Potato chips, more Gatorade and time were all that I needed. Once home, I showered and kept eating. I had a lot of healthy post-race food in the house and pretty much just starting eating anything I wanted. I walked over to my favorite local coffeehouse in my marathon shirt and asked my friend to take a picture of me with my medal. That was the last thing I wanted to do for the day. Once that was done, I went home and settled in for the night.
Facebook was a great way to share thoughts about my day; it was so wonderful to see the notes of support from friends. I thought back on the events of the day; I had one last call with Ali and my friend Olivia, who ran the half marathon. By 10 pm, I was in bed and fast asleep.

Marathon training may be hard but it’s no harder than putting your mind to anything else that requires training, consistency, hard work and dedication. That can be applied to raising a family, losing weight, eating healthy, making good decisions about your life, starting a business. It’s just one expression of how hard work meets commitment and the outcome is always magical. For me, it was less about the actual finishing time and more about expressing my passion for running and the hard work I’d put in to get myself to the finish line.

I’m inspired by the runners around me, inspired by my friends and feel loved and supported by my friends and family.

Peace.

Marathons are a beast all their own but they share many characteristics with other goals. The idea of running a marathon when you first start out running just a few miles seems insane. You think you’ll never be able to run more than 5 miles but then after a few weeks, you add on one or two miles to a once-per-week long run and slowly but surely, over time, it doesn’t seem so crazy. I never thought I’d be running a marathon once, let alone twice, but I can say that the thing that’s had the biggest impact is consistency. When you think about it, this really is the biggest thing when you’re trying anything new. Your body and mind aren’t used to the new thing and over time, you keep coming back to it and slowly but surely, it starts to feel more ingrained. You don’t have to think as much when you do it. You feel more competent when you do it. You’re smarter about it; you’ve learned more about the academic side of whatever it is you’re doing.

Certainly yoga is like this too. In all my work with students, when they first start yoga, they often comment on how different it feels to have their shoulders relaxing, to take deep breaths, move their body into alignment. New things feel different and it’s more a matter of taking the time to let yourself feel that.

Training for a marathon is an investment of time and physical energy. But then again, so is looking for a new job, starting a new relationship, raising a child, starting a new academic or training program. Anything that really means something requires an investment of time and energy. It’s just part of the deal. But that’s what makes it all the more sweet; when you’re done you can look back and remember the path you’ve traveled and all the blood, sweat and tears you’ve poured into the goal.

The other interesting thing, for me at least, around running a marathon, is the idea that I don’t want to be too attached to having any particular outcome. It’s great to have a goal for your finish time but for me, it’s more about finishing healthy. In anything we try, it’s hard not to set goals. Goals are great; but when they get in the way of being present, when they get in the way of you making shifts that are more in line with how you’re really feeling, they can become boulders in your path. We’ve all heard of people running through extreme pain, or doing any sport through pain. Once we disconnect from our body, we’re surely headed for injury.

We often look outside ourselves for inspiration. But we can be an inspiration to ourselves if we just commit to something meaningful. This could be any idea; eating healthy, yoga, running a road race of any length, learning a new skill. I’m certainly inspired by my commitment but I’m also completely inspired by the idea of being surrounded tomorrow morning by hundreds of other runners who made the same commitment I did. You too can find this. You’ll find it in any yoga class, in any meeting where people meet around a common goal. Look for inspiration in your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, your friends and family. But most of all, look deep inside yourself. Sit still and listen to your heart. What do you want to achieve? What do you think is out of reach that with a little hard work and commitment, you will be able to conquer?

Yoga is a great way to relieve stress. Any exercise, really, is great for getting rid of stress. But, outside of throwing a mat down on the floor and cranking out a few sun salutations when my buttons are pushed in day-to-day interactions, we need to use other more instantaneous techniques when we’re feeling stressed or anxious in our daily lives.

Here are some common scenarios you might encounter during your day that create stress:

The person in front of you at the grocery store is taking a long time and you’re in a rush

Someone cuts you off in traffic

Your friend is late for your meeting/date/dinner

That email you sent out isn’t returned and its been days

The coffee shop’s internet service just went down

You finally made it to yoga class and the class is sold out/door to studio is closed/ you’re too late to get in

Your neighbors are loud and you’re trying to get to sleep early

It’s late and you can’t find a parking space

You check your bank balance, look at your pile of bills and realize you’re going to have to make some critical decisions about finances

You go into work thinking you’ll be able to coordinate your own day and you arrive to an email from your boss that he’s got a huge project due by Friday

So, what to do? You’re always good to start with your breath. Take a few deep breaths to start out. Deep breathing is a great way to relieve stress. In all my children’s yoga work, I always teach deep breathing and we talk about the lungs, oxygen, fueling the body and how we feel when we take deep breaths. Even in young children, they can articulate how relaxing deep breathing feels.

Here are some other tips, some of which are inspired by others:

For time related stressors, things that involve being late, take a moment to really evaluate how important your appointment is. Many times it’s not so much that our appointment is important, it’s more that our importance is affected by something outside of our control. Once we realize that things will okay if we’re late, we take the pressure off so we can manage the situation in front of us. Feelings of self-importance create stress. Try to let go of some of that.

For work related stress, recognize that your time is not your own. We like to think that we’re in charge of our day, but many times, that’s not the case. The challenge is how can we move through the day without being stressed by changing priorities? This requires less attachment to results and more of a “do your best” attitude in whatever it is you’re doing.

For scenarios that involve late friends, missed emails and neglected phone calls, in the words of Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of “The Four Agreements,” try not to “take things personally.” We create stress when we make up stories in our heads about what we believe others are thinking. How can we know what others are thinking? We can’t. So stop trying.

For stress related to finance, think more about what you have over what you don’t. This sounds trite but when we look at our world from a place of scarcity, everything we do is influenced by that mindset. When we look at things from a position of abundance, we can open the door, even slightly, to see things that we might not have seen otherwise. Now, in these tough economic times, this mindset is harder than ever. And I do not presume to know the depth of some of the challenges people face. But I can say that mindset can have a positive affect on your outlook on life. And it costs nothing.

Ah, technology-related stress! Who knew we’d have to manage this? The internet in your favorite coffee shop goes down. The service in the airport doesn’t work. Your cable is out. Your phone doesn’t work. We enjoy the pleasures and performance of these gadgets but they’re sources of stress as well. Who ever thought we’d need to legislate something like not typing into a hand-held device while driving? For anything technology-related, just get up and do something else. Continuing to obsess over the non-functioning device will only create more stress. Remove yourself from the situation and try again later.

Stress is a factor of life but we don’t have to let it ruin our days. Start with your breath and see what else you can do to make your health a priority!