It’s all about joy!

The other night after finishing work, I drove home and mapped out a five-mile run. I wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather we’ve been having in Upstate NY over the last week or so. I planned a route that ended on top of a hill overlooking the city. The view would be breathtaking, and the breeze up there would feel fantastic when I finished.

A strange thing happened, though, as I was putzing around getting ready to go. I started having an Emily Dickinson moment where I could feel myself tensing up, resisting the idea of actually leaving the house. Was it the distance? Would five miles prove to be too far for my first solo run of Spring? Or was I just tired, mentally and physically? Whatever it was, I was happy when I overcame it and headed out the door anyway.

The first two and a half miles of the run were tough - tougher than most. I couldn’t relax. I kept going over and over the route in my mind, thinking, “Get through this segment, and the next one will feel easier.” Then I’d finish another segment and think, “Now get through this segment, and the next one will feel easier.” Finally, as I hit the final segment and embarked on a long, steady climb up the last hill, I stopped thinking and started noticing. See, normally on a hill like that, I’d look ahead toward the top so I could gauge how much further I had to go. Doing so would give me context for how I should be feeling, rather than how I actually was feeling.

For example, if it’s a long, steep hill and I’m only halfway up, my mind tells me I’m tired and I really have to power through to make it all the way. I dread every step, thinking, “God I’m tired, and I’m only halfway through!” As I near the top, I think, “OK, just a few more steps to go; I can do this. It’s not so hard anymore.”

Like I said, I didn’t do this during my last run. Instead, I fixed my gaze on my feet. With every step, I thought, “This is the only step that matters. This is the only step that matters.” I just kept repeating that phrase over and over and never looked up until I was inches away from finishing.

The result? I felt fabulous! I was able to relax more with each step and recognized that my body felt really good as it kept climbing that hill. Better yet, my body had no idea - without the visual prompt of looking ahead - that it was even on a hill!

By becoming aware of exactly what I was doing as I was doing it (mindfulness), I banished the mental suffering I’d previously experienced.

Drawing comparisons to life, I know that with monkey minds being the way they are, when I’m more focused on arriving at my goal than I am on enjoying the journey, I tense up. I anguish over how much further I have to go, or how little I’ve accomplished. The more I learn about joy, though, the more I realize it’s the journey that counts. Therefore, anything I do to keep me focused on the details of the journey (aka: being more mindful) serves to increase my happiness in (running) leaps and bounds.

“When practiced regularly, yoga reliably increases our sense of physical health, emotional well-being, mental clarity, and spiritual connection.” Garrett Sarley as written in Kripalu Healing Arts (from an article given to me by a friend)

I can attest to the benefits of yoga, after only having done it for a few years, and sporadically at best. When I was practicing regularly (twice a week), everything seemed to change. First and foremost, my body changed. Weight started falling off me to the point that I had to buy new pants. I had a smaller appetite, too. My muscles became longer and leaner, and overall, I felt taller. People I saw only every few months commented on how different I looked. They’d say, “You look great! Wow, what are you doing?” When I told them it was yoga, they were floored.

Yoga also speaks to me on an emotional level. Certain poses, in particular, cause me to cry no matter how many times I do them (and it’s not because they hurt!). I can feel things being stirred up inside of me, although I don’t always know what they are.

Mentally, yoga challenges me and causes me to explore parts of myself I’m not always comfortable with. For instance, in my all-or-nothing mentality, I often tell myself I *should* be able to do certain poses, or go further in them than what my body actually allows me. When I give in to my mind (ego) and resist my body, it hurts. When I relax and do what my body tells me and ignore my mind (ego), I flow and things feel right. (NOTE: this is an ongoing lesson for me that I’m working on in every area of my life.)

Some of yoga’s other benefits, as beautifully enumerated in the article given to me by my friend, include:

• Greater overall flexibility
• Improved muscle tone and strength
• Better posture
• Improved metabolism, organ functioning, breathing, and circulation
• Enhanced digestive functioning & elimination
• Better overall health through improved immunity (linked to the workings of the lymphatic system)
• Reduced stress
• Increased libido
• More stable moods
• Greater ability to concentrate, think clearer, make better decisions, etc.
• Increased self-confidence

In particular, I’m fascinated by how certain moves in yoga improve particular parts of our internal functioning. For example, any move that twists the spine is said to be good for digestion. I remember a yoga instructor once telling us, as we sat in a seated twist, that we were massaging our digestive organs. That sounded really nice to me!

Whatever the reason for doing yoga, developing a regular practice (even once a week) is a great way to bring about more joy in life.

Since November, my lower back has been acting up pretty badly. I’d never had back pain before, so I was pretty torqued when it started, and more so when it didn’t go away on its own! It just feels like I’m all crunched up down there, and I want someone to grab my spine and stretch it out. I get regular massages, which help, and I’m physically active (another bonus). My goal, though, is to fully heal my lower back by Spring.

Here are the two big things I’m counting on to get my back into fighting shape by April:

• Bought a new mattress: I think the main culprit in my back “going bad” in the first place was my mattress. After six years, the poor thing outlived its usefulness. When I bought it, it was cheap, but comfortable. However, after years of flipping and turning it every which way, I had no undented spots left to sleep on. So, last weekend I finally bid my old mattress adieu and got a new one. It’s only been five days, but already my back feels better.

• Stretching every day: I was told by a friend to do the stretch pictured here every day until my back felt better. I thought he was crazy. The stretch, known as “plow” to yogis, has always scared me because of the pressure it puts on the back of the neck. Plus, I’m not always able to get my feet to touch the floor behind me. Well, it turns out that’s because my neck, back and hamstrings are too tight! I started doing this move every day in early December and OH MY GOD does it feel good. So good that I actually can’t wait to do it when I get home from work! (Sick, I know.) I feel every muscle and ligament from my neck to my knees stretch out, and what’s more, my lower back - no matter how sore it’s been all day - feels better instantly. (NOTE: Before I was able to get my feet to touch the floor behind me, I used a chair cushion and rested my feet on that, which still gave me a great stretch without straining too much.)

Do you have any all-natural lower back pain-relieving tips you can share? Please let me know!