Book review: In Defense of Food
I highly recommend Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food. It is one of the best books I have read on food and nutrition. He is an excellent writer: witty, clever and thorough as a journalist. He keeps it moving and you don’t bog down in the meat (pun intended). His thesis is that food, the original unprocessed stuff that doesn’t come in a box with an ingredient list printed on it, needs defending from the food industry and nutrition science who have taken over deciding what is good for us to eat. On the one hand the food industry likes to think up imitation foods to sell us for profit. And on the other hand we have our cultural fascination with nutrition science that Pollan terms nutritionism. Nutritionism leads us to think of food as either good for us or bad for us depending on the particular chemical constituents of the food. For example food as being healthy if it contains antioxidants or a food as unhealthy if it contains cholesterol. The author traces the history of the government development of the food pyramid with “evil fats at the top…and good carbs spread over the bottom.” And then he astutely adds, “ Oddly, Americans got really fat on their low fat diet –indeed, many date the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes to the late 1970’s, when Americans began bingeing on carbohydrates, ostensibly as a way to avoid the evils of fat.” The title of the chapter is called, “Eat right, get fatter”.
In part 2 of his book he discusses the history and culture of diet and defines what the Western diet is and how it is associated with heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and, well, most of the chronic inflammatory diseases. To quote, “ Of all the changes to our food system that go under the heading “the Western Diet”, the shift from a food chain with green plants at its base to one based on seeds (primarily corn, soy and wheat, a.k.a. “carbs”) may be the most far reaching of all. Nutrition scientists focus on different nutrients – whether the problem with modern diets is too many refined carbohydrates, not enough good fats, too many bad fats, or a deficiency of any number of micronutrients or too many total calories. But at the root of all these biochemical changes is a single ecological change. For the shift from leaves to seeds affects much more than the levels of omega-3 and omega –6 in the body. It also helps account for the flood of refined carbohydrates in the modern diet and the drought of so many micronutrients and the surfeit of total calories. From leaves to seeds: It’s almost, if not quite, a Theory of Everything.”
In the final section of the book called “Getting over Nutritionism”, Pollan elucidates the advice found subtitled on the front cover and he has a chapter for each:
1) Eat food: the whole stuff that you grow in your garden or can get at the farmer’s market. Know where your food comes from -who grew it where. What kind of people are they. Do they take care of the soil, organically grown etc…have a relationship with your food grower whenever possible. Shop the periphery of the supermarket away from the boxes and packages with ingredient lists.
2) Mostly plants: especially leaves. They contain antioxidants, fiber, omega 3’s, plus probably some undiscovered phytonutrients. They have fewer calories. Countless studies show that green leafies, vegetables and fruits prevent the pantheon of western diseases.
3) Not too much: basically just slow down and enjoy your food –savor it - with good company. If you buy high quality food it will taste better. Yes, you will pay more but you will automatically eat less of it and it will be better for you. In fact it takes less of healthy, nutritious food to fill us and satisfy us. Pollan further discusses the culture of food and shows that if we return to the family meal, that the intangibles of preparation, eating together and cleaning up as a family has a beneficial effect on the mind and body that is vastly superior to endlessly filling ourselves with empty calories.
Amarillo College Tai Chi class
The class started June 3 with an enrollment of 35! The class format follows the basic flow of: warm up, breathing and qi gong, yoga and relaxation, a “chalk talk”, then focus on tai chi and finish with a cool down. I’ve added an emphasis on yoga to help make the health aspect more holistic to include stretching over the whole body. A new feature to the class is the chalk talk which is a very brief lecture about an aspect of tai chi, yoga and/or eastern philosophy. We have covered basic vocabulary, tips for practice, energy anatomy, and function of the chakras and meridians.
Tai Chi Notes: Tips for Practice
When starting a new form of exercise as unique as tai chi and qi gong, it can be kind of intimidating or even frustrating like learning to play a new sport or even a musical instrument. Try to remember your intent for why you wanted to take the class in the first place: to relax, to exercise in a different way, to learn to meditate, to breathe more, to learn a new skill etc… when you keep your goal in focus, your motivation rises to the surface. Another concept at the beginning is we need to find ways to counter our mind’s desire to overly do things the right or correct way. As if we practice wrong then we won’t receive the benefit. With your purpose in mind it is easier to override the inevitable sense of not doing it right.
The second concept is to practice with an attitude of bu shong. Bu shong means: “don’t worry about it”. At first, in handling the details of a movement we might think, oh my right hand has to be like so and my left hand there and I’m facing west and my legs at an angle etc…you can get so worried about placement that: where is the fun? Or the meditation? So we say at the beginning don’t worry about it –there is no right and no wrong. Just move your arms and move your legs, breathe and enjoy. Lighten up. This is the Tibetan and Taoist attitude of joyfulness and being carefree that is more important than placement and posture. Later on, after repetitions, the form will come of itself without effort or strain.
Remember that you signed up in order to feel better and have more energy. It all starts with attitude and intent. Technique will follow by coming to class. But to want to come to class over a period of time to receive the long term benefit we must have a motivation and a sense of enjoyment. So when the teacher makes a joke, be sure to laugh! Ha! No worries!
The current issue of Yoga Journal (p.50, Aug.09) has an article entitled, 7 Ideas to reignite your Passion for practice:
1) Dedicate your practice. In the spirit of setting an intent, aim your practice to receive something greater than just the workout itself. It may be to feel grateful for what your body does for you not just at practice but in life in general. Or you can even expand outside the lines to send energy to creating peace in all your relationships or as a prayer for your heartfelt concerns.
2) Get anatomical. Take a community college class in anatomy, or read a yoga book on kinesiology to help understand what your body is doing in the poses. “This lets you come to poses from the inside out rather from the outside in”. And it helps develop curiosity about how the benefits of yoga arise…knowledge is power! Phrases like internal and external rotation, flexion and extension can have more meaning. “Once you understand how your body works the alignment cues fall into place. More understanding of how you move can give you tremendous insight into how your yoga practice works.”
3) Buddy up. Bring a friend to class, go have tea or lunch afterward. Or create your own private class, taking turns choosing poses. Go to retreats together or schedule a private class together. “practicing together…provides inspiration, feedback, adjustments, spotting and reinforcement…all you need is a friend who shares your enthusiasm.” (Maybe schedule a private session with your instructor together).
4) Worth the watch. Put on a yoga dvd and follow a master teacher through the class. Popular national teachers with videos are Rodney Yee (Vinyasa/Flow), John Friend (Anusara), Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa (Kundalini) and Shiva Rea (yoga trance dance).
5) Style makeover. Try a class that practices in another style. While we don’t have as many choices in Amarillo, plan to attend a different style class when traveling. Be open to different styles that your teacher introduces as a point of reference and experimentation to break the routine of the usual class.
6) Private class. Schedule a private class with your instructor to go over details of poses and to talk about specific poses that would benefit you. “It gives you a chance to ask questions you never get to in class setting”. A private session can be very enlightening to the why’s of every aspect of class from form to meditation to jargon to adapting the class to your personal style.
7) Follow your leader. Consider the deeper aspects of yoga beyond the physical. This would be another way to have a private consultation with your teacher to get to know them better and to study about yoga philosophy as it pertains to the body, mind and spirit. Read books such as Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda or The Heart of Yoga by Desikachar or Light on Life by Iyengar or Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White.
Healing Touch
In April I attended a “Healing Touch” seminar for continuing education. Healing Touch is a relaxing and balancing body/energy therapy. Using gentle touch and energy-awareness-touch (off of the body in the energy field) nurtures your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. Healing Touch recirculates your energy via meridians, chakras and the entire bio-field to support your natural ability to heal yourself. It is appropriate for all ages, all conditions and is considered part of complementary medicine. It is endorsed by the American Holistic Medical Association and there are hundreds of scientific studies supporting its use (www.healingtouchinternational.org).
Level 1 combines the work of Barbara Brennan’s Hands of Light, Doloris Krueger’s Therapeutic Touch and Brugh Joy M.D.’s Joy’s Way. The text Healing Touch, A Guidebook for Practitioners was written by Dorothea Hover-Kramer Ed.D. R.N.who is considered the founder of Healing Touch.
Known benefits of Healing Touch: reduces stress; calms anxiety and depression; decreases pain; strengthens the immune system; enhances recovery from surgery; complementing care for neck and back problems; deepens spiritual connection; supporting cancer care; creating a sense of well being; and easing acute or chronic conditions.
This therapy has combined seamlessly with my other compendium of bodywork and energy therapies (Tibetan qi gong, reiki, polarity etc.). I have added Healing Touch techniques to my current sessions with clients and it has been received with deeper relaxation and longer lasting results from clients. It has also added a new dimension of energy assessment for myself as well. Whether you sign up for a session of thai-yoga massage or CranioSacral therapy ask for a sample of Healing Touch and experience it’s unique and profound effects.
Staying Healthy with the Season
Now is the time to be munching on the fruit and veggies in season! Cherries, plums, watermelons, etc.! Maybe straight from the garden. Maybe from the Farmer’s market. How about Natural Grocer! If you shop at Market street or United try to go organic. Toss some feta cheese cubes and roasted red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes onto a bed of spinach leaves. Dress with a fresh squeezed lemon, olive oil and salt to taste. YUM!
Energetically, summer is the season of the fire element and the heart and small intestine meridian. Lie in the sun and absorb the healing rays. Not too long, thirty minutes is good, using the rotisserie method of slowly turning your body so all sides get warmed. This will activate your Vitamin D which is a major player in your calcium metabolism to keep your bones strong, your hormones balanced, your muscles toned and your mind happy. Just do it!
Especially for the heart energy we need to: Laugh ALOT! Now that we know a little alcohol is good for you (one drink for women and two drinks for men per day) (something not fair about that for women). How about a lime martini by the pool! Or get riled up and go see The Hangover. Let go! Play with chaos! Love yourself!
Other heart healthy actions are singing and chanting and listening to or playing baroque classical music and native American drumming. Herbs to use for the heart and small intestine would include hawthorne berries, garlic and cayenne, mistletoe and dandelion. In fact this combination is a dynamic blood pressure regulator. Gardening is one of summer’s essential activities that combines exercise, fresh air, and interactions with plants and the earth. Plant a tree! Walking and trail hiking, too, maybe with your dog or horse, is also highly beneficial to your longevity and well-being.
This concludes the Summer 09 edition of the TR Newsletter. Have a great August and rest of the summer.
For my environmental friends: “May the forest be with you”.
Namaste, TR
www.terryrudd.com 806-359-1003
In This Issue
Tai Chi and Qi Gong workshop March 28th with Grandmaster Ron Lew of San Jose, California. Scroll to the end of the newsletter for workshop flyer/ details…
The new Tai Ch’i video is complete! It is actually the first dvd I have produced. We had a vhs video that was shot over 10 years ago outside, complete with bird singing, planes, trains and automobiles passing by. Alas the tape quality dwindled over the years and the technology was passed by as well. The new video flows like a class would flow from warm up to cool down. But now you can use the menu to practice any qi gong exercise, short form or the long form, front or back view. There are 10 Tibetan qi gong exercises, 8 Strands of Silk form, the Meridians form and the Wu Jen White Lotus long form (part I). Also included is instruction on qi gong breathing and standing meditation. We kept the price low, too, only $15 for all of that! A very special thanks goes to James Haynes for helping to initiate the project and do the editing and production. Also a very special friend and professional musician, Jenny Bird, gave me permission to use one of her tunes on the video. The song is called “Quiet” and it plays while the credits run…I hope you like the video! Send me an email to order or call 359-1003.
I have been asked several times about the difference between tai ch’i and yoga. I am going to jump to the “punch line” (pun intended as you will see) and say this: tai chi is a “subset” of yoga. Yoga is the original big momma from which all forms of exercise arise. That’s not to say yoga is better or more refined than tai chi, quite the contrary, since tai chi means “supreme ultimate” one could say it is a fine liqueur distilled from the yoga source.
Yoga is a cultural inheritance of ancient India. The word yoga means “to harness” or “bring together” the union of body and mind. Historically speaking, the realm of yoga covered everything from sitting in meditation (the original meaning of the word “asana”) to breathwork, aerobics, gymnastics, dance, martial arts, the “kama sutra” (sexuality), healing arts, service, worship and philosophy. All of these activities and others were utilized for integrating self and Spirit. Today, in modern vernacular, reference to yoga is synonymous with “asana practice”: the isometric exercise system of breathing, stretching, toning, balance and core movement for health and well being.
The connection of yoga to tai chi has its roots in the martial arts. Looking into ancient yogic systems offers clues to this relationship. Exercises in kundalini yoga, which claims to be over 5000 years old, has elements of punching and kickboxing. Even our system of ashtanga and hatha yoga has a series of “warrior” poses. (See the previous newsletter, Fall 2008, for a detailed discussion of Warrior I). “Ujjayi”, the energy breathing technique used in yoga practice, is a Sanskrit word that means “victory breathing”. Victories are found in sports and the battlefield. These systems spread throughout Asia into Tibet and China where eventually they took on the influence of those cultures.
Chinese yoga is called qi gong. “Qi” is also known as “chi” which is the equivalent of the yogic word “prana” which means energy/ breath/ spirit. “Gong” means skill, technique or practice. Qi gong, like yoga, involves meditation, movement, forms and breathing. However, if yoga has an emphasis on a multitude of isometric postures (asanas) then qi gong has a multitude of flowing movements (forms). Both systems put a premium on breathing and various breathwork techniques. The energy breathing of yoga (ujjayi) is the exact equivalent of the energy breathing of qi gong. Both systems cultivate and circulate energy along invisible channels and vessels in the body. Yoga refers to them as nadis while qi gong refers to them as meridians. These energy lines are used in the oriental healing modalities of polarity (yoga) and acupressure (qi gong).
hich should rightfully be referred to as tai ji quan or “supreme ultimate boxing,” has an obscure history. One line of thought is that tai chi was a byproduct of blending the hard style martial arts with the flowing movements of qi gong. Many of the qi gong exercises were interpretations of animal movement. In fact, as the legend goes, tai chi was developed after an observation of a crane and snake in battle. Thus a “new” concept was introduced of practicing martial moves extremely slowly, relaxed and in meditation almost to the point of stillness. Tai chi has often been referred to as “meditation in motion”. In some cases practitioners would totally freeze frame the warrior’s movement and hold it for meditation, concentration and strength training. If yoga works from stillness to movement along a continuum then tai chi works from movement back to stillness completing the circle.
Hatha yoga literally means “vigorous” yoga. The word hatha can be broken down in Sanskrit to ha and tha which means “sun and moon”. Sun and moon refect qualities of polarity: day and night, masculine and feminine, active and relaxed, yang and yin. Yin and yang are Taoist concepts and are, therefore, Chinese words that belong to a description of the qualities in qi gong and tai chi. So once again we can see that though there are tangible cultural differences between yoga and tai chi, in essence, they are both based on the universal law of opposites. It is said there is a drop of yin in yang and a drop of yang in yin. There must be movement in stillness and stillness in movement. Yoga and tai chi, then, make the “supreme ultimate” yin and yang. (Copyright Terry Rudd)
TERRY RUDD STUDIO NEWSLETTER
FALL/2008
Welcome to the "new' newsletter that I hope to send out on a regular basis. By "regular" I am hoping for something more than once every few years. I think this could be an excellent forum to communicate current trends in yoga and tai chi, delve into their more esoteric and philosophical aspects, and also explore into related areas of holistic and natural health. Here we go!
In this issue:
STAYING HEALTHY WITH AUTUMN
The days are shortening, the shadows lengthening and the weather is cooling. The falling of the leaves off of the trees is a symbol for letting go of the old habits, patterns and stuff that clutters our lives. Listening to your body is an ongoing learning experience and one of the main focal points of yoga and tai chi practice.
Depending on your basal metabolic temperature (your temperature in the morning after sleeping and before getting out of bed), your genetics and body type, you may need to consume more warming drinks and foods like hot teas and soups, bean and grain stews, and squash casseroles during this season. In addition, deep breathing and exercise warms the blood, enhances your circulation, and distributes the energy and nutrients from food to your cells. Also, cooking with warming spices such as ginger, curry and cayenne pepper aid digestion as well as adding flavor. Try the hot and sour soup at Bangkok Tokyo or the house or miso soup at Sakura if you are eating out to warm your bones.
Has anyone tried the crisp, organic granny smith apples from Market Street? They are mouth watering. Also check out the fresh, organic produce at West Texas Rx. Charles and Sara Black do an amazing job with their all natural approach to health and pharmacy.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
No Saturday yoga class on November 29, the weekend after Thanksgiving. We WILL be having classes the Tues. before Thanksgiving on the 25th. And no senior tai chi class ON Thanksgiving.
ASANA: WARRIOR 1
In the latest issue (Nov.) of Yoga Journal an article entitled "Way of the Warrior" p.74 describes 5 different styles of performing the pose Warrior I or Virabhadrasana I. The name comes from a mythological warrior spirit. The pose itself was probably only developed 70 years ago. Here are some excerpts on the various styles of performing "Warrior 1". (As a reminder: this pose faces forward out of a lunge stance with the arms projected overhead).
Iyenegar style: acute attention to physical detail and alignment of all body parts. "Balancing inspiration with execution...warrior energy without aggression. "The pose is the gateway to backbends".
Ashtanga style: the focal point of "B" Salutation, the pose is about "doing it in the flow", getting out of the details and “getting into it” as in "experience the experience". They also discussed the pose unblocking energetic knots in the sacrum, heart and third eye point.
Viniyoga style: this style is often practiced one on one, privately, teacher to student. "There is no correct or incorrect way of doing Virabhadrasana I -in fact, there are as many variations on the pose as there are people practicing it." (Amen)
Kripalu style: we can credit this style for making the change of raising the heel in the back leg. This variation allows the hips to rotate fully forward and deepen the stride as in the splits. "The posture makes you simultaneously strong and open hearted, even vulnerable..."
Anusara style: transforming the raw physical power into spiritual energy. "The pose should be a full expression of one's intention, which might be to honor the universal creative power..." "Remembering this, the inner body grows lustrous and the outer body can simply drape down onto this inner light."
Sometimes seeing how the various styles practice can give insight into your own pose and how you can approach the pose differently, from a new perspective. Ultimately, this translates into understanding the pose better, understanding yoga better and understanding your own body and self better. Our philosophy is that there is no one "right way" or "better way" to do yoga. I often show several variations on how to do a pose and give students the freedom to experience variations. Everyone's body and mind are different. So in honoring that we adapt the pose to the individual as well as adapting the individual to the pose. More than anything, to do the pose correctly is to do it with a willingness to try your best while having an attitude of enjoyment. FYI the I teach style most closely resembles ashtanga, that is, ashtanga is the foundation, with splashes of everything else.
BODYWORK
One of the best ways to support your health and yoga / tai chi practice is by scheduling regular bodywork and massage sessions. The health benefits of bodywork go way beyond stress reduction. One hour of massage is equivalent to an hour of exercise and up to two hours of sleep. The quality of sleep at night greatly improves. Immune function is enhanced. In fact every body system will benefit: nerves, bones, joints, muscles, organs and circulation. CranioSacral therapy and Thai yoga massage are my specialties. In general, if you need to zonk out and relax and get your energy balanced try CranioSacral. If you are wanting to stretch deeper and open up your key tight areas, then sign up for Thai yoga massage which also includes acupressure as well as assisted stretches. Visit my website for more information about those types of bodywork. O
r call 359-1003 to book an appointment.
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Gift certificates for classes or bodywork are available if you are looking for a unique gift to give for the holidays.
ENERGY BREATHING
Yoga student question:" What is going on when I have trouble getting into ujjaya breathing at the beginning of class? " (For tai chi students ujjaya is the same as qi gong breathing).
Sometimes our ego mind is too attached to the external world and doesn't want to surrender or let go of its control in the process of slowing down and turning inward. It's like the mind is on the "news station" and it doesn't want to change to a different channel.
One of the main stress reduction concepts is the brain wave shift that occurs when you slow down your breathing. The wave shifts from beta or "busy mind" to alpha, which are the brain waves produced in meditation and the quiet mind. One way to work with this is to begin by simply listening to your breathing. This gives the ego mind something to do. By tuning in to the breath the mind can get in synch or harmony with the rhythm of the breath. This simple step is actually a skill to be practiced and mastered. The only change is that now your mind is listening to your breath and not all the other stuff of the “busy mind”.
The next step is to begin to alter the breath by deepening it and slowing it down. Because of the body-mind, brain wave connection, your thoughts literally start slowing down. This, too, is a skill and often overlooked in most classes. When you change your breathing rhythm you are changing your thoughts. This is why deep breathing is the central feature of stress reduction; you are no longer paying attention to the thoughts that are stressing you out. Once the rhythm of the breath is established the next step is to "resist the flow of air" or begin "ujjaya" (energy) breathing.
Ujjaya breathing can be performed through the nose or the mouth. Begin by making a whispery “ha” sound as if you were going to fog your glasses to clean them. Keep the same constriction in the throat or nose on the inhale and the exhale. For nose breathing ujjaya, constrict higher at the upper back of the mouth where it connects to the nasal passages. The nose breathing ujjaya will have the same whispery sound as through the mouth although mouth breathing sounds more like “Darth Vader”. The purpose of ujjaya is to cultivate prana or vital energy for health and healing of the internal organs. Practically speaking it increases your circulation and builds internal heat to help you enhance strength, stretch deeper and avoid injuries. And ultimately it intensifies your concentration and will power as it activates your solar plexus, the manipura chakra.
NEXT ISSUE!
I will be discussing the differences between yoga and tai chi. Plus feel free to email me or call and submit any questions that you have. And hopefully I will be announcing the completion of the beginning tai chi video on dvd.
NAMASTE
drterryrudd@yahoo.com
359-1003
July 22, 2010
Chapter 1
“Standing on the Shoulders of the Past”. Ganga is very keen on keeping yoga and asana practice a creative process. He questions dogmatic authoritarianism: yogi’s have always done it this way, for thousands of years, and because of that, it is the only way and the best way. Besides, knowledge is not absolute; there should always be room for growth. Nevertheless, traditional approaches are a great foundation and they especially give us the eastern taste of culture and history. However, history, no matter how closely followed is still an interpretation. For our yoga practice to be alive we must go beyond the words and descriptions into our individual experience and then apply that experience forward at the next practice. In this way, your practice, (not some former master’s practice) changes and evolves and takes on a beauty and grace of its own.
Next week: Ways to make your yoga practice more creative.
July 13, 2010
My background and training has been varied but what I thought I would do at first is retrace for you some of the concepts of my certification training with Ganga White and Tracey Rich of the White Lotus Foundation (www.whitelotus.org) in Santa Barbara, California. For more in depth study I refer you to Ganga’s book,Yoga Beyond Belief, Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice. Ganga started yoga studios in southern California in the ‘60’s. He originally trained in India in traditional yoga schools where he was given the name Ganga after the large, sacred Ganges river. Over time he became disillusioned with approaches that relied too heavily upon dogma and authority and eventually broke ties with the established yogic hierarchies and began to elucidate a “free, open and contemporary approach to yoga”. One of Ganga’s unique characteristics is that instead of telling you how to do yoga his way, “Ganga shows you how to do yoga your own way. It is based on working principles of careful inquiry, experimentation, and observation.” He and is wife Tracey continue to train yoga students and teachers at their mountain retreat in Santa Barbara.
Next week: Chapter 1 "Standing on the Shoulders of the Past"