Dear Covid...where have your yoga manners gone

 Dear Covid,

Where have your yoga manners gone?

It seems, amidst the recovery from the global pandemic, a time of great change for most, manners may have been lost in the wayside. Who knows if the handshake will ever recover, replaced as it is with a fist or elbow bump.

Let's talk about Yoga Manners. 

From the perspective of a long-time dedicated yogini whose practice stems from strict etiquette, I simply must protest to the following:

1) Cell phones and electronic watches in the yoga room

They are distractions- to yourself and others. Yoga is first and foremost a mind-body connection. How can you unite your mind and body when your watch keeps interrupting to advise you of your progress? When your phone rings or watch alerts, the person next to you and around you hears it. It disrupts our practice. Trust me- I understand the value of health data that is produced from one yoga class in a hot room, but perhaps try, at least once, to disengage yourself from your electronic leash and fully envelop the moment. You might be amazed at the experience, or hate me for insisting. Either way, yoga challenges the mind. No electronic devices could be all the yoga you need for one day. Try it. 

2) Mindful-less 

It seems the basic premise of etiquette would be showing up to class on-time and staying for the complete duration of the class, barring personal life circumstances that render this impossible. If you show up late, before you plop your mat down, glance around you and answer this vital question: are you blocking someone's view of themselves in the front mirror? If the class is chock-full, blocking is inevitable. If the class is NOT full, the answer to the question should be no. If you are blocking someone, move over a few inches to enable the person behind you to see themselves in the mirror. 

3) Shoes in a yoga room

Unless the studio permits this, and this is rare, shoes are NOT permitted in a yoga room. So please, take them off.

4) No eye contact?

We are all real humans here interacting in the real (not virtual) world. Eye contact can be quite intimidating and hard to do. Don't be afraid. Look up. Meet someone's eyes. Say "hello." Maybe that hello will accompany a smile one day. 

5) A competitive demeanor

This isn't a competition. This is a life experience. Embrace it fully. 

Phew. Now that I've gotten that off my sleeve, I have a few pet peeves to address:

1) This pertains primarily to teachers, and I do not know why teachers do this, but please: DO NOT DRINK WATER LYING DOWN ON YOUR BACK. Drinking water while lying on your back is not indicative of skill at defying the need for your epiglottis to intervene- it's simply lazy. It also becomes a very bad habit that has the very real possibility of turning into a medical situation, if the water somehow detours into your lungs and you don't successfully expel it with a cough. 

2) The peacocks... the practitioners who practice in the first couple rows and do dramatic advanced postures, albeit poorly, in an attempt to garner attention from those around them. The yoga room consists of all practitioners- every person is valuable and special. Perhaps, you could share your powerful energy in a way that is conducive to the community... and not do handstands that could injure the person next to you if you were to fall on them.

3) Sweat happens in a hot room. As a hot yoga person, embrace the sweat. Don't wipe away the sweat during class because this will only use up your valuable energy and you will need more energy to produce more sweat. A vicious cycle. At the END of class, however, please bring an extra beach towel if you are a person that leaves behind an ocean where your mat was. No one wants to walk in that. Clean up the spot around you. 

4) Savasana is done at the end of class. Stay for savasana. And when you do leave, please do so quietly and mindfully of those around you, particularly if there are people still in savasana. 

16 Lessons Learned Over 16 Years of Yoga

“You’re never too old, never too bad, never too late and never too sick to start from the scratch once again.”― Bikram Choudhury

Year 1: 2002 Starting from scratch
Buy one get one free?  I tweak my neck in a posture and decide I will never return. But it is a buy one get one free. I return and am guided through class by a wonderful teacher named Jessica who prevents me from injuring myself.
Lesson Year 1: Sometimes you need to give yoga a second chance.

Year 2: 2003
"Most people either have flexibility or strength. It is easier to gain flexibility if you have strength. It is harder to gain strength if you are flexible." I have neither.
Lesson Year 2: Yoga is challenging.

Year 3: 2004 Starting from scratch again
My Jeep wrangler rolls four times off a freeway. I miraculously survive. After being released from the hospital, I somehow (no memory- had a concussion) arrive at yoga. I am unable to do any posture. I stand in the room, attempting incremental movements. The pain is severe. I cry. I do not leave the room. The next day, I hurt, but am able to move my head 1/4 of an inch more than I could the day before.
Lesson Year 3: Yoga is painful but kind

Year 4: 2005
I am on an adventure in Australia. I am in the middle of the Outback in Western Australia after having been on a bus for 24 hours. My whole body aches. I trek into the bush and do yoga. I feel miraculously improved. I continue this throughout my explorations.
Lesson Year 4: Yoga is adaptable.

Year 5: 2006: US/ NZ
I want to prove my practice is good. A teacher corrects my posture and advises me on changes that have occurred in the dialogue since I was out of the country. This teacher also recognizes I have several areas I need to improve upon. At first, I want to argue with the teacher. How embarrassing that I have been doing so many things incorrectly! But then, I take another look in the mirror.
Lesson Year 5: Yoga is humbling. 

Year 6: 2007 Adventure around the United States.
I print out the list of all Bikram Yoga studios in the USA and head off on a year-long road trip.
Lesson Year 6: Yoga is my compass

Year 7: 2008 Melbourne, Australia
I don't want to go to yoga. I am homesick and very sad. I miss my family and feel unfulfilled in my life. Sometimes the hardest part of going to yoga is getting into the room.

Lesson year 7: Yoga is facing and accepting yourself in the mirror







Year 8: 2009 Melbourne, Australia
I am so happy to be practicing yoga that I need to share my joy. I recruit friends and students I work with to try the yoga.

Kari flies from the US to AUS and does yoga

Lesson Year 8: Yoga is contagious

Year 9: 2010 Melbourne, Australia
If I'm awake enough to debate going to yoga, I am awake enough to GO to yoga.
I will wake up at 0440 am to ride my bike 2.5 miles uphill to get to the nearest Bikram Yoga Studio.

Lesson Year 9: Yoga is dedication to a higher self.











Year 10: 2011 AUS/USA
In a year where trauma and heartbreak are experienced, my salvation is yoga.
Lesson Year 10: Yoga frees the heart and the soul.

Year 11: 2012
For eleven years, I have practiced in baggy shorts and t-shirts. For years, I have adamantly re
fused to conform. One day a teacher tells me, "how can you improve your practice if you can't see your body?" This is such a good point that I immediately buy yoga clothes. And wouldn't you know it? I wasn't actually sucking my stomach in?

Lesson Year 11: Yoga is a MIND/BODY connection and what better way to grasp this union then half clothed?





Year 12: 2013
Significant life issues happen. Through it all, I have yoga.




Lesson year 12: Yoga is perseverance and strength. 

Year 13: 2014 The year of teacher training
The studio I practice at rally together and help me pursue teacher training. Without the love and support of Bikram Yoga Pasadena, I would not have been able to attend teacher training. 

Lesson year 13: Yoga is community [I am so grateful for this].


Year 14: 2015 Baltimore, MD
Nursing school, snow storms, and riots will not stop me from practicing and teaching yoga.
Lesson year 14: Yoga is integrity and commitment 









Year 15: 2016  The year I meet my fiance at a coffee shop.

He recognizes our mutual interest in yoga from my matching BYSJ key chains. I persuade him to take my class. He does. Later on, we meet and practice together.
Later this year, he flies out to Virginia and allows me to subject him to a private class of 123 degrees and 48% humidity.
Lesson year 15: Love is yoga, and yoga is love.

Year 16: 2017 Start from scratch again
"What's wrong with you?" my sister Romy asks me five days post-op from arthroscopic knee surgery, as I sit on the couch sobbing uncontrollably. "I left you for five minutes!" she explains. I tell her that the studio that kindly allowed me to practice Bikram yoga doesn't want me to come to the studio unless I'm fully weight bearing. "Well, where is the nearest Bikram studio?" "1.5 hours away!" I exclaim sadly. "Okay, let's go!" she says. "What?!" I ask, as my emotions shift dramatically. "I'll drive you!" she says with a smile. I almost cry again with joy! We get to the studio and I hop out of the car with my crutches, sling my yoga mat and bag around my shoulders, and run as fast as crutches will carry me to the studio.

December 2016

I need yoga in my life.

One year post-op, 12/2017

Mary Ann Nassa

Later on this year, I gain guidance and mentorship from Mary Ann Nassa, who shows me how to heal myself.









Lesson Year 16: Bikram Yoga is accepting. As quoted above, you are never too old, too sick or too bad to start from scratch again, again, again, again, again.

Hot Yoga: The Quest for the Perfect Yoga Mat

Yoga gear is a funny topic. The simple question of "What is in a yoga mat?" is very complicated.


Many factors contribute to the selection of a yoga mat.
How serious a yoga practitioner are you?
i.e. Is this your first time trying out yoga? If so, most studios rent mats and
you can save yourself the expense of owning a mat by renting mats until you decide whether or not you'd like to pursue this more regularly.

Is yoga becoming a once-a-week hobby? Renting a mat is still a good option, but start to calculate the price of a rental mat versus the price of owning a mat. My first mat was a standard no-name brand that, while cheap in quality and smelly, lasted about 7 years. "Lasted" means it was completely thin, lacked any grip, and was close to falling apart.

If you practice regularly and don't want the hassle of owning a mat due to concerns over cleaning, find a studio that has mat/towel service or a studio that includes mats/towels free-of-charge to customers. If you already do this, you may stop reading this blog entry now.

TJ Maxx sells a few standard mats ranging in price from $7-$20. If you rent a mat once a week for $2-3 a piece, you could own a basic TJ Maxx mat.

Are you an experienced practitioner? If you practice yoga regularly, you should consider investing in a good quality mat. Every sport, including yoga, has associated gear. What you are paying for is not a particular "look", you are paying for quality, longevity, and safety for your joints.  A good mat is an investment and will last at least a year.

Before you choose a mat, answer these questions:

What floor does your studio have?

Zebratm Flooring

Wooden floors

Bikram studios traditionally had relatively thick carpeted floors, which (although smelly) helped protect your knees and hips. Over time, the thick carpets have evolved to incorporate a wide range of flooring- to reduce bacteria, smell, and sweat.  From Flotex thinly carpeted floor, Zebratm thick rubber flooring, looks-like-spaghetti PEM surface floor, gym-rubber-non-slip flooring, to wooden floors. For more supportive flooring (Zebratm and PEM), mat thickness is not as important because the floor protects your joints. For the Flotek and wood, it is worth investing in a thicker mat.

PEM carpet

Flotex

How is the overall health of your joints?

Do you have knee or hip issues?
If you do, and the floor is not supportive, then it's worthwhile investing in a nicely cushioned mat.
Translation: A mat that is over 5 mm in thickness.

How tall are you? You want a mat that will fit you from head to toe...Tall folks will want extra length at the bottom so feet are not hanging off the mat.

Let me dispel a Yoga Mat Myth:

MYTH: Yoga Mats Live Forever
I was reading mat reviews on a website in which the writer, who regularly practices Bikram yoga, states her yoga mat "only lasted a year."
FACT: Mats, like all gear subjected to 105 degree temperature at 40% humidity, do NOT last forever. I practice Bikram yoga regularly- 3-5 times a week for about 16 years. Some of my mats have been lucky to survive in good working condition for longer than a year.

Let's Talk MATS!

Absolute Recommendations:
For hard floors, get a mat that is AT LEAST 5mm thick. Save yourself future ankle/knee/hip issues: painful, expensive, unnecessary. 

Jade mats (the 5 mm thickness mats): I bought my Jade mats from REI (I've purchased four over the years- three for me, one for Nick). Pros: made in America, all rubber, minimal smell; Con: Hard to clean. They recommend not airing it in the sun, which I do, so the rubber breaks down quickly for me. I took a Jade mat to Bikram Yoga Teacher training and it survived 11 classes a week for 9 weeks. Then it too met its demise. Average length of time for survival by me (an abuser of yoga mats): 1 year. Cost: ~$77.
Is it worth the cost? I practice 3-5 times a week all year long. That averages out to about 27 cents per class. Yes, it is worth the cost. Maybe you'll be nicer to the mats than I am.

Manduka Pro (the ultimate mat for the serious practitioner): priced at ~$138, this mat is 6.5 mm thick (which is great for Flotek and wooden floors) and helps cushion the joints. My Manduka is surviving, and I do abuse it. I've had it now for about 2 years, and aside from a smell (which admittedly is my own fault as I don't air it out or clean it as I should) is well worth the price.While I specify good for harder surfaces, this mat is good for all surfaces. It provides great support. It also isn't showing any signs of breaking down yet.

Yoloha Aura Cork Mat: At $79, handmade in America by a family owned company, Yoloha is wonderful. Longing for a new yoga mat, I contacted the company with my assortment of mat requirements pertaining to my knee health and the flooring of the studios I practice at. They were honest in their response and steered me toward their Aura Cork Mat, which is cheaper then their 2 mm all-cork Standard mat (which is about $30 more). The Aura mat is 6 mm thick with a thin cork top and thicker rubber bottom. It is higher maintenance than what I usually opt for, but I am kinder to the mat as a result of this. For example, the mat must be rolled cork up (like the photo below). Also, no Yogitoes towels on the cork (these are towels with little rubber circles on the back that help with traction) as it will break the cork down. I air out my mat after use and am absolutely amazed that the post-yoga sweat-soaked-cork miraculously dries! And there is not smell...yet, but it's only been a few months. They, like all the other mat companies, do sell a product to clean it if you wish. I love this mat. I feel like I go to Hawaii whenever I use it. The cork is very stabilizing and I do not slip at all. Bikram yoga requires the presence of a towel on the mat. The company does have other mat options for styles that do not require a towel.
UPDATE: I bought this mat in October and by April 2018, the edges started fraying and there is a spot of missing cork on the mat. I have tried very hard to take care of this mat, so the breakdown I fear is inherent. For a mat that has only lasted 6 months before breaking down, this is pretty pricey. Is it comfortable? Yes.  Is it good quality? Yes. But the cork material is not a material that lasts. Consider that ultra runners replace their running shoes every three months and perhaps the price you pay is not for longevity.



Mats I (personally) do not recommend (won't specify brands, and am only speaking for myself here):

Towel mats: These are mats made out of fabric instead of rubber or other synthetic material. Pros: you can wash and dry it so it won't smell, some are thicker, and some people find them comfortable. Cons:
although there are some relatively well-made towel mats (with rubber grips on the bottom), they are not great for men who sweat profusely, and definitely not good for wooden floors. Nick used one and I watched him slip and fall while using it. I have only injured myself twice in 16 years doing yoga. One time was using my twin sister's cheap yoga-towel-mat. My head slipped on the mat during Rabbit posture and I hurt my neck.
The moral of the story= invest in a good quality rubber or synthetic mat.

WESTERN STATES HERE HE COMES

After three years of training over thousands of miles and running qualifying races (from 100km to 100 miles), Nick has made it into Western States!!!!!! Western States is (arguably) the most competitive and oldest Ultra Run in the US, selecting 261 entrants, 50 on waitlist, out of the nearly 5000 that enter the Western States lottery. To enter the lottery, you need to successfully complete a qualifying race to get a lottery ticket. I'm so excited for my love!!!!

After running for a total of ~27 hours (16 hours in the rain) with trench foot, Nick completed his 100 mile RIO del Lago November 2017

After completing MIWOK's 100 km race March 2017 through the redwood forest

 Nick is a proud member of Quicksilver Running Club. :)

How to train a runner: Inaugural Run

Certificate Of Completion Dara Moss HAS COMPLETED THE 10K With an official time of: 1:08:12 Overall Place: 3638 of 5551 Gender Place: 1393 Division Place: 212 Overall Pace: 10:59 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot November 23, 2017 

The BEFORE photo

On a cool 56 degree F day in San Jose, I set off on my first official run since the 10K Cystic Fibrosis Walkathon of 1998. My wonderful cousin organized family representation in the Turkey Trot. While my cousins were completing the three mile walk, I opted for the six mile run since they both cost the same amount of money.

 Given my total inability to run since 2004 because of knee injury, this was certainly a challenge. I did 3-4 mile training runs once a week leading up to the Turkey Trot and a 6 mile hike with my cousin a few days before the run. My knee complied for the first couple training runs and then started asserting its painful opinion closer to the race.

My goal: To survive the run. If I had to walk? I would walk.

 I was also running with my Ultra man, who recently completed a 100 mile trail run. He "ran" [light jog] next to me the entire time, jumping over orange cones, high-fiving nearby runners- including police cadets, while I huffed and puffed my way to the finish line.

For Nick, 9 miles is a warm-up. A six mile flat loop throughout San Jose was a walk in the park. As you can see in the photographs, he looks refreshed before and after the race. I, however, am a hot mess. Literally.

The AFTER photo

DNF= Did Not Finish. I was concerned about completing the run on time. If I passed the cut-off time, I might have received a DNF. Which means that Nick would have received his FIRST DNF! He ran a 100 miler and DNF'd two weeks later in a light 6 mile jog. :) How could he explain that to his Quicksilver Running Club?
After I finished running, my knee, which had a painful twinge from mile 2 onwards, submitted a declaration to me.
" Dear Dara,
I have kept you stable for 12 years and this is what you do to me? Respectfully, I submit my demand: I refuse to move another inch. You had to sprint to the finish line? Really? I will taking at least two days off to recover. Please ice me, take ibuprofen, and leave me alone.
Thank you.
Love, your knee"

So here I lie. On my bed. My knee continues to yell at me.

Perhaps I was too ambitious and running is not for me?

The Love Affair of Books

         "Mom!" my 12-year-old self pleads upon approaching the car where mom is sitting to pick me up from school.
         "What is it?" she asks with concern, staring into eyes she describes as "honey-nutmeg-colored."
          "It's an emergency!" I urge. "I need a book!"
          My mother ardently states, "Then we simply MUST go to the bookstore! It IS an emergency, after all! I can't have my girl deprived of a book!"
          My mother understands me.
          So when I call her today, 20+ years later, to tell her that I stopped at Barnes&Noble for an emergency book, she shares her approval wholeheartedly.
          If this love affair for books is genetic, I received it from my mother.
          I have always loved books. As a child, I would sneak into the bathroom at night to read by the half-light of a nightlight. I cleverly concealed my disappearance using my Pleasant Company doll, Samantha, whose hair color was remarkably similar to mine, and pillows to fill in the body. My father caught me once. I could hear him say, "Goodnight sweetheart!" and then "Wait a minute. This isn't you.." My giggles in the bathroom revealed my location.
         Since sneaking into the bathroom proved unsatisfactory, I used a flashlight under the covers. If encroaching foot steps sounded, I could quickly turn off the flashlight. Clever, huh?
         My mom has always known what I was up to.
         While pretending to study in my room, I would read one of my chosen books instead. "What are you doing?" She would ask. "Nothing," I assured her. "You wouldn't, by chance, be reading a book would you?" Caught. We would both laugh together.
          How could I hide my addiction from a fellow book lover? Impossible. She has always provided me with books and an ample supply of booklights.
         In middle school, I fit the exact description for "nerd" that so many movies attempt to capture. I had the glasses, braces, and was overweight. I was shorter then everyone in my class, but had big feet. The sock trend at the time transitioned from the socks you fold up to the socks that are hidden by the shoe. I didn't realize kids were wearing socks...which is a shame, thinking back to the smell of my sock-less wearing shoes. I looked like a clown and smelled like a locker.

I was gawky and very much a loner. What better way to escape then books? School provided me the perfect setting to engage in my love of books! I would spend nearly every brunch and lunch breaks consuming books as avidly as those delightful blue raspberry Airheads.
        High School rolled around and I found the perfect job- one that would match my love of books! I got the "job" of working in the library for four years. [A big shout out to Ms. M, who encourages and supports my love of books and actually reads my blogs. You rock, Ms. M!]
       The challenge I faced in my high school English classes was that I would rather read my books than do anything else. After completing assignments, I would pull out my "home book" and read. My English Language teacher summed it up in her yearbook quote to me. Something along the lines of: "Dear Dara, you were the only student who ever had the gall to read books in front of me...in the front row. I'll miss you." In my defense, I completed the assignments first. I love books so much that I dedicated multiple writing assignments to this very topic!
         In this day and age when people are opting for electronic books, I still prefer my real books. I understand the benefits of electronic books, particularly for school. Instead of hefting a 15 lb Pathophysiology textbook three miles uphill in Baltimore, a textbook which was never used  (except as a weight and drink holder) because the professor rightfully decided it was inadequate, I could have had the ease of an online book- accessible and lightweight. Yet, still expensive.
         When it comes to personal reading choices, I choose books. I am an outdoorsy and somewhat clumsy individual. I drop books. I get water on them accidentally, single-handedly destroying 2 math textbooks in middle schools because of open water bottles. I really really READ them... My mom can always tell if I've read her book by its state. Are the pages bent or folded? Does it look like the book has seen an adventure of its own? If the answers are yes, then she knows I have read her book. If ever she offers a book we will both read to me first, I typically decline because it will not come back pristine. I love the texture, smell, and energy of a real book. And despite the urging of technologically savvy individuals to modernize my archaic book sensibilities, I decline. My books don't lose battery power.
          I like to read wherever I am. I can read walk far more efficiently then people attempt to text and walk. I have never read-walked myself into a pole, pool, or person. Nor have I tripped over curbs while read-walking. I enjoy reading on public transportation- from Australian trams to Fijian buses. And how could I have successfully navigated alone through Thailand without my language book?
           If Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham about books, my version would be: 
            I could read them here, I can read them there. 
            I love my books everywhere.
            I have read them in clubs, I have read them in a tubs,
            I have read them on planes, I have read them on trains,
            Oh I do love my books you see
            I have even read in a tree
            I have read so many books
            Even those written by cooks
           I really do love books. When I walk into a bookstore, I feel like I'm at home.

A photograph with Bob, the resident of Recycle Bookstore in Campbell California

            I have made my home in bookstores across the United States, in Australia, and England. I love the smell, feel, and ambiance of bookstores. The local bookstores particularly warm my heart, and tend to be locations that yield the greatest treasures. For example, I found a Practical Manual of Mental Medicine from 1894 at Book Bazaar Inc in Sarasota Florida which presents a somewhat frightening portrait of medical practices at the time. Fascinating!
             I love all types of books. Each book provides insight into the writer's or writers' heart(s). Writers have the power to take a person out of this world into an alternate universe, like A Brave New World. They can transcend social barriers, as Mary Shelley, or highlight disparities, as Harriet Beecher Stowe in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
              Books make a difference in people's lives. The Barnes & Noble in Santa Clarita was selling books today to be donated to children at the local Children's Hospital, for example.
             I am grateful to all the writers out there, bringing emotional catharsis to readers, especially me. I am a most ardent lover of books. Alexandre Dumas: you are amazing. You are the Count of Monte Cristo! Alexandra Potter: you inspire me to laughter and tears. Susan Wiggs: you wield stories that touch my heart. Stephen King and RL Stine, you ignite my fear. I love it all.
               Whenever I am lost, I always find myself in a bookstore.

Life of an Ultra Runner...you had toe nails once...

The physical ramifications for being an ultra runner are numerous...
[*Warning: this may be too graphic for sensitive readers]
How can you identify an ultra runner away from trails? If they are wearing flip flops/sandals, look at their toes...particularly after a race.
Ultra runners wear their battle scars on their feet, particularly their toes. Some issues may be unavoidable the longer you run, but this much I have seen: your toes turn black/blue and the nails...well...they develop blisters underneath them that gradually pop. Goodbye toe nails.
Some tricks of the trade include lubing up the feet, or if the conditions are too wet- drying powder. There are special toe socks, Injinji, that keep the toes separated, delaying (to some degree) development of blisters in between the toes. They take a long time to don, which makes it challenging if you are trying to change the socks at mile 50.
There are socks with extra padding, offering winter warmth and additional support.
Regardless of your socks, Ultra Runners lose their toe nails. It happens. If you are an Ultra Runner's  partner, accept and love their feet. Their feet are trophies, attesting to conditions from running 100 miles+ in training or a race.

Friends have stated, "it is very unhealthy running that distance."
In my opinion, it is only unhealthy if you do not train properly, if you don't listen to your body while running, if you don't provide your body with proper nourishment before, during and after your runs, and if you have preconditioned medical conditions and have been issued a doctor's advisement against participation in running.
This will be a later blog topic.