A challenge to ‘do nothing': The benefits of yin yoga

Less well-known than the more energetic forms of yoga such as vinyasa and ashtanga, yin yoga is gentle and slow but very effective at reducing stress and driving up energy levels. Spring is the perfect season to discover yin yoga, which is similar in some ways to meditation, and never fails to make an impact.

Yin yoga, which was invented about 20 years ago, is not concerned about the aesthetics of a pose, muscular strength or perfect alignment. It enables us to slow down and accept the feelings which appear in the present moment, without setting any objectives. At the crossroads between Chinese medicine, the slow approach of Taoism and the poses of Indian yoga, it is a meditative activity with a focus on deep breathing.

Unlike the other more energetic forms of yoga, the poses, which must be held on the floor between 3 and 5 minutes, require concentration and relaxation. The stretches are intense, reaching deep below the surface of the skin in connecting tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints, where there may be long-standing tension. Once this tension has been released, energy can circulate freely in the body.

Yin yoga counterbalances our fast-paced lifestyles, targeting our inner being. It can surprise fans of skiing, running, and the very physical forms of yoga, as it can be challenging for them to “do nothing.”

Typical yin yoga poses include the butterfly, the dragonfly, the child, the half-shoelace, the shoelace, the plow, the bell, the sphinx, the seal, the dragon and the camel. Yin yoga classes, which are accessible to all, use various props (cushions, bricks, bolsters, blankets, etc.) which help the body to relax and achieve a pose more easily (by putting your head on a block, rather than on the floor, for example). The poses can therefore be held comfortably for several minutes.

While yoga in general is known to be good for health, yin yoga is particularly good for managing stress, improving sleep, and stretching the back and the whole body. On the energy front, the opening and stretching poses revitalize the organs by following traditional Chinese medicine’s meridians. Immunity is therefore strengthened. And in the spring, working on the liver and gall bladder meridians can help with a detox. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Flexibility and peace of mind are not for grown-ups only

Yoga often conjures images of tranquil students with eyes closed in deep meditation, or strong, lithe bodies in topsy-turvy poses—quite the opposite of what you would imagine when it comes to kids at work or at play.

Constantly subjected to sensory overload, pressure from school work, and a slew of extra-curriculars, kids can have a tough time easing into a quiet space that helps keep them balanced and steady. Kids Yoga, with its fun mix of play, interaction, arts and crafts, storytelling and circle time, can help.

What kids reap from a yoga class is similar to what adults find in their practice, too—a sense of stillness tempered by some fun play, and always, that incomparable feel-good sensation that comes at the end of every class.

The rewards of bringing even just a smidgen of inner peace to kids are infinite, and many yogis, both experienced and new, delve into teaching yoga not just for what it brings to the kids, but for what the experience brings to their own lives, as well.

Whether you teach professionally and want to incorporate yoga into your grade school class plans, or are a mom looking to find new ways to give your own kids something fun and different to do at home or with their friends, teaching kids yoga can give you a sense of accomplishment not often found in other careers.

If you’re good with kids and want to tap that talent and move onto a new path, or are a yoga student who wants to share your own love for the practice with others by teaching kids, it’ll help to take cues from different professionals who’ve taken their love for both kids and yoga, and used it to forge a new career for themselves.

Rina Nakayama, Travel executive

“I started practicing yoga (Vinyasa Flow) in 2011,” says Rina Nakayama. “My practice started to shift focus after taking my first workshop with teacher trainer David Kim. I learned to recognize the subtleties and depths of yoga. After a few months of regular practice, my teachers began to encourage me to deepen my practice by taking a 200-hour teacher training program.”

Delving even deeper into her practice allowed Nakayama to be exposed to the different programs offered by her home studio, Urban Ashram Manila. “I’d already set my mind on taking the 200-hour in October last year, so taking the Rainbow Kids Yoga (RKY) teacher training beforehand seemed like a nice prelude.”

RKY offers a three-day teacher training internationally. The group, which has flagships in Spain and Japan, espouses building a safe environment for kids, where they can enjoy, release tension, explore, let unprocessed emotions go and learn to interact and communicate with others.

“I went into it with no expectations, just an open mind,” she adds.

Nakayama’s biggest takeaway after three days of intensive training was the realization of yoga’s versatility. “Yoga can be incorporated into kids’ activities in a playful and loving way,” she says.

“It can be challenging for adults to reawaken that passionate, creative and imaginative part of yourself because it’s something you tend to leave behind as you grow up,” she explains. RKY allowed Nakayama to tap into that side of her, giving her the opportunity to relate to kids without any barriers. “RKY helped resuscitate a part of me that’s always been open, fun, passionate, creative and peace-loving.

“It also helped me expand my practice, allowing me to appreciate meditation and pranayama (breath work), aside from asana (physical postures),” says Nakayama. “As I started to adapt the quieting yoga exercises for the kids, I also realized that meditation and breath work can be made fun and accessible for myself, too.”

After taking RKY training, Nakayama went full-on with her kids yoga teaching job, working as a core faculty for Kids Yoga Philippines. “The biggest challenge in teaching kids yoga is demystifying it for parents—making them see that there’s more to it than just stretching and poses,” she adds. “It is most rewarding to see kids enjoy yoga. You see it in their eyes, their smiles, their eagerness for more. To know that yoga not only brightens their day, but also helps combat their anxiety and stress is what keeps me going.”



As a yoga teacher who also maintains her job, Nakayama believes yoga has helped expand her horizons by allowing her to balance office work and yoga work. “I’m envisioning a long-term life plan with yoga,” she says. “It’s really to practice more, teach more and study more.”

Nakayama says that those considering taking kids yoga teacher training just need to keep the students and their overall development the focus of their classes. “Kids Yoga is about ‘working for a cause, not applause,’ so always remember the people you want to teach and offer them gratitude.”

Raissa Paje, Pediatrician

Raissa Paje first got into yoga as a student, but the pressures and tight schedule of med school got the better of her. “It was just around September last year when I started practicing, and I really fell in love with it,” she recounts. “Yoga became my time for myself. It was my way of being kind to my body, empowering me to do something to make myself healthier each day.”

Like Nakayama, Paje came across RKY teacher training as a student at Urban Ashram Manila. “I love yoga and I love kids, so the thought of kids yoga teacher training struck me as interesting,” she says. “I was torn between pursuing my fellowship training for pedia-GIT or pedia-hema-onco, or kids yoga. I realized I wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives by guiding them into health through yoga. It’s really what I want to do.”

Pursuing wellness in children has since become a personal advocacy for Paje, who finds yoga the perfect complement to her practice as a pediatrician. “I went home every day of training with a smile on my face despite the tired muscles. We learned by moving our bodies and doing kids yoga ourselves, which was a lot of fun,” she says. “I learned how to share yoga with kids, how to develop skills needed to handle them, and how to give them tools to help bring yoga into their lifestyle.”

The biggest challenge when going into kids yoga teacher training, she says, is your own doubts.

“Some of my colleagues’ reactions were quite discouraging, especially since I was stepping out of the doctor’s academic path. Fortunately, my friends and family were all very supportive.”

The payoff for Paje was huge, as she developed more passion for her practice and inspired her to make yoga a part of her daily life.

“The hugs and kisses from my students are the biggest perks,” she says. “RKY empowered me to teach children, whose boundless energy and perennial curiosity influence me in a big way. It’s great to play with them, and it’s a beautiful thing to mindfully share yoga with them, too. There are amazing life lessons waiting to be learned from kids, and teaching them just gives you a chance to let your inner child come out and play.”

Interested in teaching kids yoga? Join the Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training at Urban Ashram Manila from Aug. 24-26. Call 661YOGA or 869YOGA for reservations or visit urbanashrammanila.com/events.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Meditation, organic food keep Rafael Rosell fit and focused

Three years ago, model-actor Rafael Rosell found himself in a light-bulb moment after catching a wave in a hidden surf spot in Zambales. As the sun cast a golden-orange haze, he was suddenly immersed in some intangible energy. The awareness of his environment, including his body, melted away.

It lasted for a few seconds but felt like an eternity. As this mystical experience seethed through his consciousness, Rosell became aware of an unexplainable presence which was strangely familiar yet sublime. In this encounter, he perceived a soundless voice telling him that he should redirect his life. He could never forget the euphoria that flowed into his spirit.

Rosell pointed out that since that unforgettable moment in the sea, spiritual growth has been a priority in his life. What transformed him was this awakening of the spirit.

Ironically, if you Google Rafael Rosell, you’ll be inundated by his beefcake photos and raunchy write-ups. He was heavier and, in some photographs taken three years ago, his face looked puffy. But after changing the course of his life through diet, meditation and keeping the company of like-minded souls, Rosell lost 38 lbs to reveal his sculpted cheekbones and lean, muscular frame.

When he demonstrated flips and cartwheels for Inquirer Lifestyle, he moved with the grace of a cat and landed on the floor with featherweight lightness.






Although the new lifestyle and body change gave him more enthusiasm for living, it also helped that he got into a new work environment when he signed up with GMA 7 after being a talent in another station for nearly a decade. With his long list of TV and movie credentials, he has added “Maghihintay Pa Rin,” an afternoon drama series about OFWs on GMA 7.

Rosell maintained that he separates his professional career from his personal life. He admitted that in the past, he would get caught up in his dramas, sometimes believing the illusions in the entertainment industry.

“With meditation, I could discern what is reality,” he said.

In the showbiz world of artifice and ego, it is not common to find someone like Rosell who has made the exploration of the spirit the forefront of his life. Still, he prefers to keep quiet about it. “I don’t impose (principles) on people. I prefer to live by example,” he said.

Growing up in Norway

Born and raised in Stavanger, Norway, Rosell grew up speaking Norwegian, his first language. His Bicolana mother and Cebuano father spoke to their children in English.







He grew up enjoying sports such as soccer, basketball, handball, karate and ninjutsu, a martial art form derived from samurai skills.

“The kids are different now. They’re into iPads, iPhones, PlayStations and TV. They are so engulfed in the prison of their home. They don’t play anymore,” said Rosell. “When I was young, I would play cops and robbers, hide-and-seek and Ninja Turtles. I would look for a playground to do sit-ups, cartwheels and Ninja stuff.”

He was barely 10 years old when he was exposed to meditation through karate and ninjutsu. “I thought keeping the mind still was a Japanese art of praying,” he recalled. Martial arts taught him the importance of spiritual refinement and the mental discipline required in the art and avoidance of combat.

Likewise, at 9 years old, he was already reading up on the Silva Mind Control, a self-development program which improves the brain’s functions and develops the human potential.

One day, a talent scout met the teenaged Rosell in Norway which led to his showbiz career. In a family vacation to the Philippines, he went to an audition, took a six-month workshop, starred in a Close-Up commercial and a slew of television programs and films.

After doing the movie “Bikini Open,” Rosell met the late manager Douglas Quijano who introduced him to the Bench team. This led him to be one of the Bench Body models.

Back then Rosell was pumping iron, tackling Muay Thai and kickboxing, and guzzling protein shakes, creatine and supplements for bulk. “I don’t know if they are good for you. Today, I try to take everything organic, as much as possible. I don’t even touch paracetamol,” he declared.



Capoeira

He found fulfillment in capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. “The music, the dance, the spiritual side, the singing and the magic were all there,” said Rosell. “Physically, capoeira is a whole body workout. The ginga (basic rocking movements) works on your butt and thighs. The cartwheels and handstands give you an upper body workout. Even the neck gets exercised when you do the headstand,” he said.

Rosell enjoyed the camaraderie in the roda or circle where capoeiristas start to sing, play instruments and dance. Then pairs enter the circle, play against each other by showing their skills.









“It looks like a dance but it’s a game of trickery. You have to trick your opponent to make him fall,” he explained. Rosell enjoyed his focus on the movements, the music and the partner.

“It makes you forget about everything, including your baggage. For me, to experience it was a total freedom; I could just be and not think about anything else.”

In the different capoeira schools, he was given a nickname which was also his attribute. His first moniker was Mansinho which means the “Gentle One” in Portuguese. Then another teacher named him Zorba, after the Greek god. Rosell added that, when his mentor saw him modeling underwear on a billboard, he associated Rosell with Zorba, an underwear brand in Brazil.

No longer affiliated with any capoeira academy, Rosell has no ranking. However, he continues his training through the Internet.

In 2009, Rosell underwent depression after a publicized breakup with his girlfriend from showbiz. It led him to binge-eating and drinking to buffer the pain of losing a loved one.

“I got so big that I became sluggish. I was into the whole club scene, partying, drinking every weekend, having steaks. It wasn’t until that surfing experience in Zambales that I realized it wasn’t the right thing to do. I needed to change. It was a calling,” he said.

Organic food

Rosell shunned meat, pork and chicken, and favored organic produce. In six months, the 5’9” actor dropped from 188 to 150 lbs without feeling deprived.

“There was no effort nor frustration, just a change in lifestyle,” said the actor.

He could eat a Filipino breakfast of egg, fish and rice or an American breakfast of cereal with hemp or hazelnut milk. He has gotten into raw foods such as eating pasta made from zucchini.

“When you eat organic food, you don’t only feel full, you feel fulfilled. That feeling is so euphoric. Instead of being sluggish, you are so energized that you want to go on with the day and conquer the world,” he said.

His favorite restaurant is Corner Tree Café for its tasty vegan meals. In New York, he enjoyed the freshness of the French salads, baguettes and sandwiches in Pret a Manger (meaning “ready to eat”).

“I am not addicted to rice that I will miss it in my travels. In Norway, I grew up with sandwiches. I love sandwiches, just a simple combination of yeast, fish or vegetables and cheese. I also love romaine lettuce,” he said.

Rosell wondered if Filipino farmers and food manufacturers would put GMO (genetically modified organisms) labels on their products so that consumers would be given choices. When he was in Singapore, he saw chips with a GMO label and thought of posting it on Instagram.

His diet, which is largely plant-based, enables him to meditate. Previously, the meat and chicken made him feel heavy and difficult to focus.



Self-awareness

Since that turning point, Rosell has been experiencing blessings—either moving experiences of the seascape (check out his Instagram photos of his surfing trips) or random encounters with inspiring people. He meets energy movers, people who are into alternative lifestyles or on the path to enlightenment.

“They say when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Each time I have a question, there’s always someone who comes up and I learn something new,” he said.

Upon arriving from New York, Rosell chanced on a friend, who was an energy mover-turned yoga and meditation teacher, at the airport baggage claim. He was eager to learn that she was teaching theta brainwaves meditation which is associated with creativity, self-programming and spiritual experiences.

With his work schedule, Rosell meditates thrice a day to recharge himself. He also applies the Silva Method to keep him alert especially on long taping hours.

Instead of hanging out in clubs, he prefers to study new things on the Internet, be it guitar-playing, meditation or reading up predictions on the future.

“If there is anything I would love to do, it’s learning and spreading positivity. But it has to start from within. I’m not going to tell people to behave like me. I hope that, someday, they would see the change and say, ‘Alright, let’s try that.’”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net