Bikram Yoga

I have been in search of a good yoga community in San Antonio and judging by the websites, the Bikram studio seems like my best choice. The only drawback of this is that I hate Bikram yoga. This week I signed up to do ten days of unlimited Bikram yoga. As I layed on my mat before the first class I closed my eyes and continually told myself to just be present with no expectations and keep an open mind. As much as I wanted to stay open minded during the class, all I could think about is how much I hated it and that I was never coming back. There are so many people that like it though that my curiosity kept brining me back. Four classes later my body has adapted to the 105 degree room but I still despise the teaching method, the environment and I think the poses suck.
Let me start with the teaching method and environment. Standing under flourescent lights in 105 degrees with sweat dripping off everyone and absorbing into the carpet releases a stench specific to Bikram yoga. Now give the teacher a microphone that they can yell their commands into while they tell you to push harder, go past your limits and that the poses SHOULD hurt. During my third class I felt a weakness in my lower back. Instead of going on to the next pose I decided to lay down and do happy baby pose to help release my lower back. The teacher decided to call me out in front of the entire class and tell me that I should either lay down in savasana or get up an do the pose. I was pretty infuriated as I know my body and the instructor does not, but according to these classes you are only allowed to do the 26 poses and no others.
As far as the poses go, I can tell they are chosen for their therapeutic benefits but some of them do not make sense to me. Part of the reason I don't like it is because I am very flexible and doing the same poses every class doesn't provide me with the challenge that I enjoy. The other reason is that there are a lot of poses that compress the spine. Now, in our daily lives we are constantly compressing the spine, rounding our shoulders and hunched over with our hips flexed. The majority of the poses seem to reinforce that instead of reversing it. Most people need to extend and decompress so I have difficulties seeing the benefits for the actual muscular development.
I think if you are going to take ninety minutes to invest in your body and mind that you should enjoy the process. If Bikram yoga was the first one you ever tried, please know that it is not the definition of yoga. Take the time to try different varieties of yoga and different teachers to find the best fit. It may seem frustrating when you have tried a lot of varieties and a lot of instructors, but when you find one you like it is amazing, transformational and well worth the wait!

Hiring a Trainer

Over the past week I have been closely observing personal trainers at a top-tier fitness club in San Antonio. I have not learned any new exercises or training methods but I have learned that you get what you pay for. The gym has five different levels of trainers ranging from about $50-$115 per session. Over the week I have seen trainers with poor exercise selections that are going to make their clients muscles imbalanced, I have seen cookie cutter trainers that are so new in the business that they give every client the same workout regardless of their goals and fitness level, and I have seen every single trainer do sets of three. These trainers have had an overall lack of creativity and knowledge. If you are going to spend your hard earned money on a personal trainer, make sure you ask them about their qualifications. Top questions to ask:
Do they have a national certification? When did they get it?
Do they have any specialty certifications?
What have they done for continuing education?
You want to train with someone that has been in the industry for a few years and has several certifications. As far as I have observed, a four year degree in the field makes no difference in the quality of the trainer. I have seen some pretty crappy trainers with a degree and some phenomanal trainers without one. I know money is always a deciding factor in buying personal training but you want a trainer that is knowledgable, going to put time into your plan and not injure you. It seems in life that you always get what you pay for but with personal training this is definitely the case.

Eight Weeks to Wellness

Earlier this year I published my second book "Planning for Wellness". It is a eight week daily planner that tracks your nutrition, exercise, measurements, mental and physical health and symptoms. It is a great tool if you can be anal enough to track everything consistently but many times people seem to fall off the wagon. Generally, people get really motivated about losing weight or eating healthier and then something happens and they get caught up and revert back to their old habits. Because of this trend and the fact that many people just cannot afford to have a personal trainer, I have created an eight week online training program to align with my book.

The book and online personal training is only $88 for eight weeks. It is extremely helpful in keeping people accountable and achieving their goals. While working with my clients over the past few years I have also found that people are generally confused and uneducated about fitness and nutrition. The other purpose of the program is to educate you so healthy choices and habits make sense and easily become part of your lifestyle.

I have broken up the program so it has a specific focus each week:
Week One: ABC's - Assess, Breathe, Cleanse
Week Two: Posture & Walking
Week Three: Fat Burning & Metabolism
Week Four: Exercise, Sleep & Energy
Week Five: Creating a Menu
Week Six: Super Foods & Healing
Week Seven: Fine Tuning
Week Eight: Your New Lifestyle

If this peaks your interest, feel free to visit the website for more information.

My Story

My life changed forever when I was merely six years old. My father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given six months to live. Although he was only given half a year to live my father was determined to see me graduate from high school. To live another twelve years when you are only expected to live six months takes a true fighter. Several expiremental surgeries, a lifetime amount of radiation and his strong will and determination helped him survive another fifteen years! My father was truly exceptional. He has given me the hope and determination to fight against all odds and although he is no longer alive he influences my thoughts and actions daily.

I was always daddy's little girl. Even though he was sick for the majority of my life my memories of him are mostly of all the time we spent together when I was little. Once he got sick my time spent with him was in hospitals and nursing homes. It was very difficult to see him in places that he didn't belong. Once we could no longer take care of him at home he went into the psychiatric ward at the Veteran's Hospital and after that a series of nursing homes. There was no facility where he truly fit in as a man in his forties but we managed to make each facility a comfortable home for him. He continually stayed active by going on walks, swimming, playing miniature golf and gardening.

My father's passion when he was healthy was sports. He loved them all! Outside of his full time job he was a college basketball referee, a high school basketball coach, and a minor league baseball umpire. He also played golf several times a week. As a child he taught me how to swim, play basketball, and would take me to ballet and gymnastics several times a week. His passion became mine as I became a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and cancer exercise specialist. Working with cancer patients and survivors to help them get back into shape and improve their quality of life has been the most meaningful part of my career. Mark Twain said to make your vocation your vacation and I feel that I have truly done that. I love working with my clients, doing massage, teaching classes and helping people in every way I can.