Assist

When is the last time you tried a handstand? Handstands look scary -- you're upside down and supporting yourself with your arms -- those same arms with the waving wings (if you have these you know what I'm talking about!) and no discernible biceps! Plus to get there you have to swing your uncoordinated legs from the ground to up over your head. What's that I hear? No thanks, you say? What about a little help from a friend?

Handstands are a regular feature in many yoga classes, and a good (experienced, compassionate) teacher can get most students to fly into the pose for at least a second or two by offering something we all want: control.

After the preliminaries, when a student is ready for the main event, the teacher stands against the wall to brace herself. As the student mindfully flings her legs into the air, the one thing the teacher does not do is grab those flying legs. As the student's torso moves toward the wall, the teacher will take hold of the hips and guide the student into an upright upside down pose. Yay! Being supported by the hips gives the hand-stander a feeling of security in two ways: Being held, guided and supported; and having legs free to come back to earth at any time without restraint.

And therein lies the secret: Having the freedom to fly up when you are ready, and the freedom to return to earth in your own time. Imagine being in a handstand with someone holding your legs while your arms feel about to give way. That would be a panicky moment fueled by a lack of control.

So next time you are ready to try something a little scary, ask for a little assist. Find someone you know won't try to control your efforts by grabbing your metaphorical legs, but who will guide you toward where you want to go when you are ready, and allow you to decide how far, how long, and when to step back. The choice is not whether to go it alone or to ask for help; the choice is in asking for the appropriate kind of help. An assist, a leg up, a helping hand.

And it's okay if you don't always get all the way up, it's still fun to try!

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Weight Watchers ruined water for us. Didn’t lose any weight last week? Well, how much water did you drink? Tummy growling? Drink a full glass of water before you have a snack; maybe you’re just thirsty!  True; but there’s more, much more, to plentiful water consumption than just weight loss. Besides, if water was the magic weight loss cure, I’d be thin as a reed . . . Yes, drink plenty of water, but for a hundred different reasons, not just weight loss.

I can hear you already: But when I drink the recommended amount of water I spend half my day in the bathroom. Come on, it doesn’t take that long to pee unless you’re still wearing pencil skirts and panty hose. (That was a workout!) Wearing jeans, I bet you take less than a minute in there, and that includes washing your hands. You can cut that time down by simply staying in yoga pants all day (my personal tip). It’s recommended to get up and move every hour anyway, so with frequent potty breaks, you’re killing two birds with one stone!

Consuming the recommended amount of water (50-80% of your body weight in ounces) can seem daunting, but when you want your body to be clean and smelling fresh, is your first choice to take a little bowlful of water and swish yourself with that? No, you take a nice long shower or soak in a tub full of water (ever mindful of water conservation, of course!) It’s the same with drinking water. You need copious amounts to clean and refresh all the nooks and crannies of your inner workings. Water washes away the lactic acid loosened by your morning workout. It keeps your saliva flowing and keeps your digestion moving. Water carries oxygen to your muscles and to your brain, keeping you strong and smart! Water lubricates your joints so you remain flexible and pain-free. Water is used by every bodily system, so drink up.

And there’s more! Harken back to high school science class, or to that episode of Desperate Housewives when Edie is killed off, and you’ll remember: Water conducts electricity. Our bodies’ energy systems need water to function properly. A glass of water and a few deep breaths can quickly raise your energy, as the water carries the oxygen (and the million other beneficial things we breathe in that we don’t even have names for yet) through the body to enliven us from tip to toe. Water conducts your body-electricity to enhance your own EFT or Reiki or meditation practice. If you can’t get out of a slump, or your brain is woozy, breathe and drink (uh, water, of course) and sit up straight and notice the difference.

Water is the magic elixir. ‘Nuff said.

Just being near water makes us feel great!

P.S.  Well, maybe one more thing: Go ahead and put lemon or mint in your water, drink herbal tea and a moderate amount of coffee, just don’t add sugar or, shudder, artificial sweeteners. And remember, this is the Om Minute and not the Om Doctor (which you probably realized from my Desperate reference) so feel free to do your own research, both online and through personal trial-and-error. Salut!