Strength

I have been taking time to contemplate the meaning behind words and the letters that compose words. Here is my initial contemplation on the word Strength.

STRENGTH
To be strong is vital to lives journey. Strength of mind, strength of body, strength of spirit all are integral aspects to health and wellness. This strength is built through action and daily practice of acts that demonstrate strength whether through movement such as yoga, running, lifting weights, etc.; through meditation, breath; through acts of kindness, gratitude; through the release of the ego. The examples of actions of strength are numerous and the importance is to cultivate strength through everything you do. This strength will be demonstrated and in turn exposed to others and you will be an example of the effects strength has. People will feel your strength and will want to learn for themselves how to acquire strength and/or share their strength with you, further strengthening the community, your community. Be Strong, Live Strong, Act Strong.

Strength is love in action. Strength is a foundation whether still or in movement, in action. We must have strength in the literal sense and figurative sense. Strength truly begins from within and extends out to all reaches of our spirit and bodies and encompasses the essence of our being. The human being is not meant to be weak and meager but strong and active.

“nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

Ralph W.Sockman

Strength is
*the ability to stand tall, stand still in the face of a storm.
*the ability to climb that mountain of life and face the obstacles and challenges presented along the path.
*the ability to care for others
*the ability to have the courage to evaluate and evolve yourself beyond your current level
*the ability to laugh at yourself
*the ability to endure and overcome
*and does carry you through and beyond trails and tribulations
*more than physical, strength is mental, emotional, courageous
*spirtual
*You and your relationships to both animate and inanimate objects/things.

Affirmations:
*I am strong
*I have the strength to accomplish anything
*My strength is my courage
*I stand strong in my heart, my mind, my body
*I have the strength to stand tall
*In my strength, I am humble

Bells

Body is feeling good, nice to have a bit of soreness. :-) Had a late night due to the AMAZING concert with Michael Franti and Spearhead...do yourself a favor a purchase some of his music (Yell Fire is a great CD). So, got home and only had 4 hours of sleep and a long day. That being said I....

Kettlebells

Clean and Press
32/5/5x5

Pull-ups
5x5

Simple and effective. Perfect for where I am at today.

KB Snatch & Yoga Self practice

Well this may sound redundant but here is my workout...KBs and Yoga. Still suffering from a bit of a head cold/sinus stuff coming back to this air is quite different the clean jungle air mixed with ocean air of Costa Rica. So, the pollen is kicking my butt a bit and humbling me

Snatch
32/5/5x5

Good to get this back up slowly, no rush the journey is long and I want to be strong and healthy and of course progressive.

Squat
32/5/5x3

Basic! Legs are a bit sore from yesterdays yoga.


YOGA:
Self guided practice doing ASHTANGA short form series, 30 minute variety.

Headed out to see Michael Franti and Spearhead tonight.

Yoga

Home based hour long practice today. A bunch of standing postures with arm binds (which is nice because my shoulders are opening). These postures due a great deal for my hip and shoulder opening as well as creating a more mobile and fluid spine. My body feels much more free and open.

KBs and Yoga

The routine is ramping up and today was another good day of self practice.

Kettlebells
Press (using a 16 and a 12kg)
28kg/5/5x5

Fun and requires great concentration to make sure the bells do not slip off one another and conk me on the head. :-)

Swing 1 arm
16/20/20x5

Hamstrings are a bit tight and sore from the workouts this week, especially the Snatch on Thursday and the 2 yoga workouts.
EMPHASIS: connecting my breathe with my movement creating a more syncronized movement between my body, my mind and the bell. Truly practicing the art of the move and the unity of all parts.


Yoga: Ashtanga short form 30 minutes or so self guided practice.
Including 3 Sun A's and B's
warrior 1 and 2
triangle
forward bends standing and seated
shoulder stand
fish
and vinyasas
a few other mixed poses as well.

The practice followed a set sequence of Ashtanga moves written in my Ashtanga Yoga Book. I had no voice instruction just pictures to make sure I learned the proper sequence.

Iyengar

90 minute class with Catherine at Darshana of Palo Alto. She is a fantastic teacher, practicing her whole life (since age 4) and really knows how to teach. A lot of standing postures including balances, twists, and warriors. A great class and all that I learned over the last few weeks truly benefited me today as I could really move well into the postures and had much more strength and flexibility due to greater AWARENESS of my body in the space and posture. The blocks came in handy today as did the strap which is a key to progression and not pushing further than necessary. Plus, this truly helps me to keep better posture to steady the pose.

That is all for today, will be doing a good KB session tomorrow. Next week the plan is to have some KB work on this day as well, but slow and steady wins the race as I adapt back to Bay Area life.

Practice

Today I am back on to a bit of a routine. I was able to do my yoga and KB workout which felt good. Come back slowly and with a keen consciousness in my practice of both these movement arts.

KB's
Snatch
24/10/10x5

This felt good across the board. I like the comfort of the 10 reps after a long layoff (3 weeks) and the fact that I could come back after yesterday and feel strong and loose. Just spent time tuning into my technique and consistent application of each rep attempting to maintain a good arc and moment.

Yoga
Self guided practice. This is key for my next level of understanding. I truly have to put myself through a series of poses and practice each one with skill and precision to gain a deeper insight into each pose as a whole and within the series. Feels good to apply all this knowledge and turn it into a form of wisdom. I keep my book handy to serve as a reminder of important elements such as teaching tips, modifications and purpose of the pose. For me, this is a much deeper look at yoga than join a class where I will work more to feel myself within the pose rather than myself guided approach. I feel this type of approach will truly give me the wisdom I seek or at least be a doorway/catalyst.

This is the fun part, putting it all together. A continual process and part of the journey. I have had to reevaluate my goals and workout ideas after this experience. After all, my purpose was 2 fold, to teach and practice Yoga on a consistent basis. Part of the practice for me is the spiritual side of my being, nuturing my spirit and creating a place of peace, contentment, and love. This is accomplished in my practice of the yoga postures themselves and through meditation (in silence).

As I continue to grow and mature I realize that my goals are much bigger than how many reps, or how much weight, or how far I can run, how fast I am, etc. My goals reach beyond just that of doing my personal training in the Bay Area and beyond personal training. This is all part of my evolution, my plan to do bigger things, not for financial means but for the community of the world.

Thus, my practices have to be consistent and have to bring peace and a balance to my purpose and intention. I realize I have gifts and talents that extend beyond telling people how many reps, what exercises to do and so on.

All things being equal I am planning on having a 6 day a week KB practice where I focus on 1 exercise
M: Snatch
T: Press & Pull-up
W: Swing
TH: Snatch
Fri: Press & Chin-up
Sat: Swing & Pistol

This is the preliminary plan and I will vary the volume, reps, weight, etc. so i can continue to practice these basic moves and continue to progress.

As for the Yoga, that will be a daily practice. I have to find out which classes fit my schedule and then I will build my own self practice around that. Plus, I am going to start to teach ASAP. The meditation is crucial factor as is the styles of yoga I plan to practice, Iyengar and Ashtanga.

I will continue to listen and care for my spirit, my body and do as it allows. This is a plan and it will flow accordingly and I will not resist but move with.


TODAY
Presses
24/5/5
32/5/5x5

Pull-ups
8x2
7x1

Simple day to get back into this mental state!

Costa Rican Yoga Reflection #2

done! and just beginning or at least continuing the journey. Experiences such as this in Costa Rica are the kind that live forever in your spirit. having had the good fortune to have other such experiences really makes me appreciate times like these, moments like these. they are more than about what you plan in the beginning and in the end they are a soul searching journey that really allows you to look deep inside and contemplate you and your life, your place in this world and direction.

I have been building and shaping my plans for many a years now and they are and continue to come to fruition and more so now than ever before, for a variety of reasons. That being said, I am excited to come back home and take it to the next level. My life is more than about how much I can lift, how long I can hold a pose, how many cars I own, etc. Coming to a world like Costa Rica which has so much poverty and seeing the smiles, kindness and generosity of the people is truly an eye opener and lends to the contemplative process. Fitness, health, wellness, coaching, training are all part of the way I deliver my message, live my life, share and inspire others, help people and society to be their best, put their best foot forward.

So, I will refine and share my vision as it progresses but you probably have some idea. I know it extends beyond my home area to the depths of the world. Travel and teaching are in the plan and are already being put into discussion. I will be taking my skills, abilities, talents, and gifts and spreading the peace, love and kindness throughout the world. I will be back in Costa Rica, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and India from the preliminary discussions. Why may you ask I am sharing this without the details finalized, because I am putting it out there and manifesting these opportunities. Who knows, some of you may be joining me and I would love that idea, to share with others the great fortune and experiences.

More to come on the trip, yoga, etc. just need some time to contemplate and meditate

WOW! Where do I start? Lets just say I have learned more than I could have ever imagined and I still have 6 days left. This has been an eye opening, life changing experience and that does not come as a surprise but just to the extent is what has amazed me.

The group is a fascinating and eclectic collection of wonderful people. We all have our unique aspects which really brings so much to the group and the experience.

I know I like Ashtanga and that is what I want to teach as well as classes for Seniors and even general classes.
I know I am going to do much more continuing education with plans to go to India and study Ashtanga and Iyengar at the places they were created and with the masters themselves.
I know I am going to enjoy this experience of teaching and sharing the yoga way with people.
I know the yoga way is a great compliment to how I already carry myself and approach life.
I know I know alot and at the same time nothing which is so beautiful.
I know I am enjoying my path and am content with my choice to be here and be here now.

Yoga is more than I feel most western people truly know and understand which is one of the things I have learned. This will be a wonderful addition to my current business and I look forward to sharing the Yoga way with others.

PS: The Costa Rican Rainforest is amazing and it is truly a special place and great place to have this experience and opportunity.

Pura Vida (which stands for the Good Life) and Shanti (which stands for Peace)

Costa Rica...time to go

Well it is that time and that day. I have planned for this for quite a long time, planting the seeds years ago and now it is upon me. I empty my cup, and open my Beginners Mind as I approach this amazing and unique experience. I have gratitude for the opportunity and at the same time realize I have been manifesting this for many years and here it is. How awesome it is to dream and know that you can do something you wish and then to see it happen before your own eyes. It is a process of patience, perseverance, and believe that I could and would make it come true. To study yoga in a beautiful locale, immersed in the culture of both a foreign land, new faces and yoga philosophy and movement is a blessing.

I could not leave without one more workout so here is how it went

Pull-ups
5x6 (on the playground)

Snatches
24/5/5
24/10/10x3
24/15/15x1

100 nice and easy work.

90 Minutes of Yoga with Connie at Yoga is Youthfulness in Mountain View.
Connie set the tone today and helped to prepare me for this experience, little does she know.


I hope to post while I am gone, I know for certain I will be writing and reflecting on the experience. I will return on the 21st of April! Until then, I wish you all good times, peaceful minds, and kick arse workouts! :-)

With Gratitude and Kindness
joe

Wisdom

As I prepare to leave for my Yoga certification I think to myself what a wealth of information and knowledge I will gather through this experience. How fortunate am I to have the ability to go into such a special environment, immerse myself in the 'stuff' and open my Beginners Mind and learn/grow.

The thing that comes to mind is that throughout this experience and beyond I need to gather all this knowledge and APPLY it. See, I am an avid student and I love learning through reading, experience, conversation, etc. However, what I realize is that at some point I must stop and put it all together, meditate and reflect followed by application to truly turn this knowledge into something useful, called Wisdom.

Yes, I am doing a few different new things right now with my Yoga, Transfromational Coaching Program, and Budokon but the key for me that I have realized is how they are all intertwined and how I can apply the knowledge from one and apply it to the others. Furthermore, I have become aware of just how well they fit into my current scheme of things I do therefore all complimenting and adding to one another.

Because of all this stuff, I have slowed on my reading and purchasing of books and focused on one book that works to put it all together for me. It is a book based off the Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Written 2500 years ago this wisdom put forth by Tzu is more than ever applicable and especially to my life. This particular version is an interpretation from Dr. Wayne Dyer whom I truly respect and find operates on a 'similar' level, so there again complimenting me.

It is beautiful how life is coming together and flowing, moving at is pace for me on this wonderful journey. I have found sustainable daily practices and they bring me peace and enjoyment. I am content and grateful and at the same time enthusiatic about bringing this wisdom to the forefront by sharing with others.

Thank you and Blessings
Joe

Presses and Swings

Another short one today, just been filled with Clients, and other things in prep for leaving for 17 days.

Warm-up
Clean and Press
24/5/5x2
32/3/3x2

Presses
40/5/5x4

Swings
40/25x2

Thats it and plan to get a short yoga session in tonight

Yoga and a bit of fun

Morning Yoga
Sun Salutation A and B, 20+ minutes.

Play Sessions
Sandbag Turkish Get-up: 3 sets of 3/side
Tire Flips: 8 flips x 3 sets
Clubbells Mills, Swipes, ! arm cast: 30 of each/side

All done in a circuit with Dymmel. A play session throwing some ideas around.

Nice to move the body since I did not get as much accomplished as I had hoped yesterday