NicolePresents: Wellness

Written by Nicole Doherty
for American Athlete Magazine

Becoming a great athlete certainly takes a lot of work. It takes time, dedication, practice and commitment. One of the first orders of business for a professional athlete is conditioning—cleaning up the body and priming it for optimal performance. The same is true about the practice of Yoga.

Our physical form, which is our body, is very much like a machine. Much like a car, we need to clean the outside, vacuum the inside and perform regular maintenance, like changing the oil, on schedule. We need to do the same with our bodies; we need to maintain our personal vehicle.

Most athletes are great at what they do because they have detoxified their system and have become attuned to their bodies and its needs. To continue using the car analogy: Detoxified your system and becoming attuned to your body makes it function at peak performance. This helps it operate well at high speeds, keeps it from breaking down over long distances, and helps keep the wheels on. Simply put, successful athletes learn how to maintain their bodies.

Most people come to Yoga with bodies like beat up Chevys. And that’s OK because at least they are beginning the healing process. Think of Yoga teachers as mechanics who are prepared to make repairs using the right tools. In Yoga, we start to work the outer layers to move toward the inner layers using techniques to create body awareness. We peel away past injuries and the negative compensations that have developed over time as a result these injuries. We also peel away tension and stress. More importantly, we use the practice to prevent new injuries, open the body, and detoxify the system.

In Yoga, the outer layers of the practice address the functional anatomy—aligning the body, working isometrically, isolating muscles, strengthening, stabilizing and elongating them.

Part of the practice of releasing impurities is achieved utilizing postures like “seated forward folds” and “twists”, which help to stimulate and wring out the intestines, where most of our garbage resides. But even more important than these particular poses is the use of the breath. When we consciously breathe we generate heat in our system that burns off the pollutants found in our gut. There are many different breathing techniques that are part of the cleansing process, a common one found in classes today is called “Breath of Fire”.

Once we begin the purification process, we notice that it begins to take hold in other aspects of our being. Ever notice the way you feel after you’ve cleaned your car? I have a Mini Cooper and when that little cutie is clean and sparkly, well, I just want to put the top down, blast the radio and drive all over LA!

My point is this: When we freshen up, we start to feel better. Our energy is cleaner. We present ourselves differently. Our mind is serene when there is less clutter on the floor and the seats.  Detoxifying the body soothes the internal chatter of the mind.  The whole goal of Yoga is to still the fluctuations of the “mind stuff” or “citta” as the term is known in Sanskrit.

I began practicing yoga over ten years ago, and I really didn’t understand these concepts very well. Maybe I just chose to ignore what I needed to change about myself. I loved the way Yoga made me feel every time I walked into a class, but my lifestyle outside class was not supporting the practice. I worked really hard and partied even harder. I was stressed out. I never watched what I ate. I slept a little—mainly watched the clock. I drank caffeine to stay awake during the day and would take sleeping pills at night. Even worse, I actually thought this was pretty normal because it was behavior I learned was shared by friends and coworkers. I simply didn’t think change was needed.

Now that I have learned about the mind-body connection and how energy works, it seems so crazy that I couldn’t figure out why I still didn’t feel great. But I should have known. Gold Medalists don’t win those medals training every now and again while binging on cupcakes, donuts, caffeine and sleep aids. They talk the talk and they walk the walk.

When I started practicing yoga regularly, 3 – 5 times per week, I really started to become aware of shifts in how I was feeling. Once I began to purify my body, my mind followed. 

Every time I showed up on my mat, I was confronted with the thoughts that were feeding my addictions and patterns of behavior off the mat. I learned that going inward into the highly individual practice of Yoga became a journey of realization, discovery, acceptance and awareness. Every time I released the tension and toxins of my body, a little more of my mind’s negativity went with them. I began to experience peace, joy and happiness. These came in bits and pieces at first but then became regular occurrences.

In Yoga, as with all athletic practices, dedication and consistency is encourages. This is defined as “abyasa” in Sanskrit. Following this course, we can unravel the complications of the body and mini traumas (or big ones) that have occurred on our life path. We can use a practice of breath and movement to release resistance and move toward more spaciousness in our minds. With more space, we can develop a keener awareness and sharper focus. When we are ready, we can dive even deeper to discover more through yogic practices like meditation.

That’s certainly what I did. My life has changed as a result of my own Yoga practice and Yoga has spilled into every crevice of my existence. I no longer succumb to any of the aforementioned behaviors. Interestingly enough, I’m now a sober, vegan Yoga teacher who also leads seasonal food cleanses. This certainly was not my intention 10 years ago when I walked into the Yoga studio. But my life has become amazing.

If you are resisting detoxification through a Yoga practice (or any training), it’s probably your Ego telling you to not change. But like any good coach, my suggestion is to just keep showing up to practice. Put in the time. With consistency and dedication, you can make a real shift in your life. As Patabhi Jois, one of the founders of Western Yoga has famously said: “All is coming. Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory”.  Yes, it’s really all about experiencing it first hand.

Carve out some time, dedicate yourself to a practice and commit to real change.

YOGI SEASONAL FOOD CLEANSE

Spring – 14 Days

NEW DATE – Monday, April 16th – Sunday, April 29th

It’s time to cleanse after all the holiday cheer! Join our professional team of yogis for a 14 Day Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse designed to align your physical and energetic bodies as the weather and season changes.  You will learn how to detoxify and heal the body through the use of local, organic, sustainable food and use our yoga practice to further eliminate toxins and boost your immune system in preparation for the holiday and flu season.  This is the ultimate “foodie” cleanse!  No starving here, just wholesome clean foods that will make you feel better than ever!  We hope that after participating in the 14 Day Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse, you will attain the knowledge that will guide you toward long term healthier practices and an enhanced life!

14 Day Cleanse Includes:

• PDF workbook including a detailed description of the cleanse, expert advice on how to succeed and get the most out of the cleanse, journal templates, 2 week sample menu, shopping lists, list of local farmers markets and organic markets, vegan restaurant guide, delicious seasonal vegan recipes and more.One in-person group q & a meeting (optional attendance)
• Daily outdoor yoga classes at “Bronson Canyon Yoga” geared specifically toward the cleansing process. ** If you are out of town or pay for yoga elsewhere you can still join the cleanse (choose “no yoga” option below)
• Email forum/Facebook
• Yoga class the day before cleanse start date, plus optional Q & A

Testimonials from our past cleanse groups!

Save the Date:
Sunday, April 15th
9:00am optional Q & A;
9:30am yoga class at Bronson Canyon Yoga

Price for 14 Day Cleanse:
$80 – $120
nic@nicolepresents.com

Cleanse Options

New Cleanse Member – No Yoga $80.00 USD New Cleanse Member – With Yoga $120.00 USD Trade for Services (Email Us) $0.00 USD

Nicole Doherty, American Athlete’s yoga columnist.

The fact that American Athlete has decided to include a regular yoga column says a great deal about how popular the practice has become in the United States and in athletics in general. As a long-time practitioner, teacher, and entrepreneur, it is my mission—including now for AA!—to demystify the practice of yoga and break down the barriers that people place between themselves and what is unfamiliar to them. In the context of my role as a columnist here, that means illustrating how beneficial and healthful yoga is for athletes of all sports and levels.

What’s true of all sports is also true of yoga: Getting better at it requires practice. It’s during practice that gymnasts, for example, master a particular move or basketball players improve their free throws. That’s because repetition conditions the mind to experience success while also building muscle memory so movements or skill sets can be duplicated with regularity—without having to think so hard about it. The same is true of yoga, which, as a fundamental fitness building block, enhances the mental and physical aspects of all sports. But an added benefit of yoga is that as one practices more, and for increasingly extended periods, it evolves beyond a physical form of exercise. Yoga offers what the editors of AA are finding to be universal for all athletes when they get to higher levels of experience: a uniting of mind, body, and spirit.

Most professional athletes will attest that it takes a lot more than just physical prowess to succeed at high levels. And although they may not be aware of what’s going on inside them, or even be able to articulate what is occurring when they describe being “in the zone,” athletes are typically transcending the body and working with other aspects of their being, including the mind and ultimately the spirit. Examining the practice of yoga within the context of American Athlete’s slogan of “Mind, Body, and Spirit” is a perfect way for athletes to learn more about the practice and get started.

Body

Many athletes turn to yoga as a form of active physical exercise to enhance their training. Proven benefits include building strength, gaining flexibility, releasing tension, accessing better balance, improving endurance, preventing injury, and recovery. Yoga is also highly adaptable and customizable to any athlete’s needs: a restorative and resting practice, a fast-pasted energy and endurance method, or something in between.

Mind

The regular practice of yoga can help calm the mind, induce relaxation, and reduce tension through the release of muscle tightness and the adoption of proper breathing technique. Yoga also helps athletes develop the connection between the body and the mind through increased awareness and concentration, improving the ability to focus and stay safe while training. The mind is a fabulous tool that, when calm, can interpret and assimilate information about the body to keep it healthy and heal it. Most athletes find that yoga helps to access a healthy balance of will power, resolve, and drive.

Spirit

The spirit is that indescribable and unshakeable aspect of being that sparks passion, energy, intuition, and inspiration. In making the distinction between good and great athletes, coaches and commentators often refer to an athlete’s “intangibles”; and this is nothing more than a different way of referring to an athlete’s spirit—her ability to be in the moment and aware of the entire game around her all at once. Athletes who regularly practice yoga find that it augments such energies, including creative ones, through the detoxification and balance of their body and mind.

When the three aspects of mind, body, and spirit are in tandem, there is an elevation in one’s game, so to speak, and this “brilliance” often flows to an athlete’s life off the field. Balance leads to happiness, which can extend to the communities and people around practitioners of yoga. So the practice becomes not just about the individual; it becomes about the collective consciousness. Individual life transforms; this is witnessed by the whole, and the transformation becomes a model that is admired, appreciated, and ultimately the source of inspiration.

I am honored to be able to bring you some valuable information about the practice, science, and art of yoga as a part of a holistic methodology for athletes. I will end my first column by saying “Namaste.” Namaste (pronounced NUM-ah-stay ) is a spoken greeting or salutation originating from India and Nepal. This Hindu salutation means, “The divine (light/spirit/love) in me honors the divine in you.” The expression is used on meeting or parting and is accompanied by a slight bow made with the palms of the hands pressed together, fingers pointing upward, in front of the heart. While that sounds religious, yoga is not, in fact, a religion. It is a science that is accessible to everyone—and not something just for “hippies” or “spiritual types.” Hold that thought, because it’s the subject of my next column.

Namaste.