Breathe Magazine

Inspiring active women to explore their passions

s y a w a et g l gir

readbreathe.com

premier issue

Inspiring active women to explore their passions SIX GREAT PLACES TO GO WITH THE GALS!

COUCH POTATO TO HOT POTATO

YOGA VS PILATES WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? alleviating anxiety

||

green living in the city

16 STEPS IN 16 WEEKS

||

10 superfoods for women

terroc™ 308

roclite™ 282

race pro™ 12

The inov-8 philosophy has always been to design outdoor gear around the natural function and biomechanics of the human body, allowing it the freedom to function as nature intended. We pride ourselves in leading the pack with original lightweight, flexible, high traction and low profile shoes and innovative, supportive ultralight packs. Our gear offers an intimate fit that takes you back to nature.

inov-8.com or 1-877-88-inov-8

CONTENTS

march 08

features

CO-EDITORS

16 Women-Only Weekends

These girl getaways provide the perfect mix of outdoor activity and inner solitude. Push yourself, then pamper yourself.

23 Yoga vs. Pilates

One is a 4,000-year-old mystic tradition; the other is a modern core-strengthening phenomenon developed by a war veteran. Which is best for you?

26 Couch Potato to Hot Potato

Follow in the footsteps of Kimbery Gregory as she transforms herself into a first-time marathon runner.

departments 6

EDITOR’S NOTE

The answer to one of life’s persistent questions.

6

ADVICE Eight easy ways to create calm amid life’s chaos.

8

HEALTH

Alleviating anxiety without pharmeceuticals.

11

GREEN LIVING

Sustainibility in the city—one woman’s quest for balance.

13 14

ART DIRECTOR

Megan Murphy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Heather Cabot Annie Daly Leah Ferguson Kimberly Gregory Jessi Herr Monica Johnson Stephanie Keach Cristina Opdahl Christie Posner Susan Seliger Amanda Straus PUBLISHER

Martha Evans IT DIRECTOR

Craig Snodgrass ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tom Daly Charles Leonard

NUTRITION

Top 10 superfoods for women.

FAMILY

Birth—The ultimate endurance sport.

30

Emily Diznoff, M.D. Will Harlan

PROFILE

Take a walk on the wild side with Melody Blaney.

breathe magazine 107 West Market Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 (434) 817-2755 phone (434) 817-2760 fax 56 College Street, Suite 303 Asheville, North Carolina 28801 (434) 817-2755 phone (434) 817-2760 fax readbreathe.com

COVER

© Jerry Marks/Getty Images

Old friends reunite for a girls’ getaway in the mountains. Our five favorite womenonly weekends begin on page 16.

Breathe Magazine is the property of Summit Publishing, LLC. Blake DeMaso, President Copyright ©2008 Summit Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

4 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

EDITOR’S NOTE What is the best way to help the world?

I have been seeking an answer to this question for much of my adult life. I’ve queried politicians, religious leaders, parents, relief workers, and environmental activists. Each has offered a different answer, and all of the answers are correct. But none of the answers felt completely right—at least, they didn’t feel completely right for me.

Then, quite randomly, I met a Buddhist monk for lunch. She wasn’t your typical Buddhist monk (if there is such a thing); she wore high heels and was a professional psychologist. When I casually asked her the best way to help the world, she paused, smiled, and said simply: “breathe.”

Never before had one word so profoundly changed me. But the simple act of slowing down and being conscious of breath truly can save lives—including your own. Each breath is a minimiracle. Without any conscious effort, breath sustains us, cleanses us, and physically connects us to the world.

Breathe Magazine hopes to change your life, one breath at a time. It aims to help you fully explore your passions and make every breath count.

In this inaugural spring issue, we compare yoga and pilates, follow in the footsteps of a first-time marathoner, explore five favorite girls-only getaways, and offer fresh, savvy advice on everything from fitness to green living. Each story is aimed at helping you achieve a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. Hopefully the extraordinary people highlighted in this issue—like “hot-potato” Kimberly Gregory and wild woman Melody Blaney—will inspire you as well. After all, the word “inspire” literally means “ to breathe life into.” We hope this magazine breathes new life into your body, mind, and heart.

—Emily Diznoff, co-editor

Instant Calm

Eight easy ways to create calm amid your daily chaos

By Annie Daly

The other day, my friend Vicki told me that she desperately needs to go to Hawaii. “Why?” I jokingly asked, as if I didn’t already know the answer. “Are the pineapples not fresh enough here?”

Please.

Vicki wants to de-stress. To relax. To breathe. Like so many of us, she wants to find calm in our hectic world—and feels she can only find it elsewhere.

Well, no more. Calm is not a once-or-twice-a-year bonus, a prize so rare that we have to fly halfway across the world to achieve it. It’s a feeling we can create for ourselves on a daily basis—we just need to follow Janis Joplin’s mantra and “try, just a little bit harder.”

So in the spirit of Janis (long live the Pearl!) try the following tips and tricks.

You’ll be on a flight to true serenity in no time—and you don’t even have to set foot on a plane.

4. LOOSEN UP WITH LAVENDER If you need a relaxation quick-fix, look no further than lavender. It’s a wonderful calming herb—and its soothing effects aren’t just fairytale folklore. A British study found that when participants were given lavender essential oils to sniff, they reported better overall moods than those who went scent-free. What’s more, the herb’s easy to come by: You can light a lavender candle, rub essential oil on your temple, or even place a sprig of it under your pillow for an extra-mellow sleep.

5. STRETCH AWAY STRESS If you feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, maybe you are. “A large percentage of people manifest stress at the base of their neck or in their shoulders,” says Dr. Therman Evans, a stress-management expert from suburban Philadelphia. “Standing up, rotating your head, and moving your shoulders will be both physically and mentally relieving.” The best part: stretching is 100 percent portable, no gym required.

6. FROLIC WITH FRIENDS 1. SOAK OFF STRESS Take a hot bath—it’ll help you chill out. A Chinese study found that soaking in warm water helps you relax, and can actually lull almost anyone to sleep. The reason: When you hang in high-heat water, your heart pumps faster—so your blood gets hotter. Warm blood relaxes your muscles and loosens your joints, causing that incredibly soothing “ahh” feeling that makes baths so blissful. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, get in the tub. (And don’t forget the bubbles!)

People who play with their pals are the happiest, say researchers at the University of Illinois. Why? A strong social network is critical for helping you through tough times, whether you’ve had a lousy day at the office or a lousy year of your life. But remember: Friendship is a two-way street, so be proactive.

Call your friend and invite her to coffee. Write your pal a note when she’s had a bad breakup. If you take the time to cultivate friendships, you’ll have a stronger network to lean on when stress comes knocking at your door.

2. MELLOW OUT WITH MUSIC

7. GO FOR BLUE HUES

Tunes can help you stay in tune with your emotions. Listening to low-key music decreases anxiety and increases relaxation. So turn it up (or down) and tune in. We recommend Bob Marley’s “Mellow Mood,” Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay,” Cat Power’s “The Greatest,” or anything jazzy like Medeski Martin & Wood for some serious easy listening.

Ever wonder why a clear sky is oh-so-soothing? It’s all about the blue. Color therapy experts (and yes, there are many color therapy experts out there) explain that blue is a relaxing color—the epitome of calm, tranquility, and serenity. So be true and go blue. Paint your bedroom a low-key blue to create an oasis of calm, wear a blue blouse on a particularly fast-paced day, or buy a blue coffee mug to make every morning stress-free.

3. LAUGH IT OFF It’s no joke—laughing causes huge drops in your level of stress hormones. Put on your favorite episode of Seinfeld, get together with your too-funny friend, or simply read the Sunday comics, and you’ll feel calmer in seconds. If you’re in a stressful situation where laughing out loud is just inappropriate (important office meetings come to mind), then revert to your mental cartoon bank and keep your giggles inside.

6 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

8. AND OUR FAVORITE: BREATHE Try meditating (sitting and focusing on your breathing). Many yoga classes include meditation sessions, but if you’re not into the whole class-on-a-mat thing, then you can still meditate solo. Simply close your eyes and listen to your own breath. Concentrate on your breathing—not your thoughts. When you open your eyes again, everything will seem calmer and a lot more manageable.

y l n O n e m o W 8K il RMayace4, 2008 TraSunday,

Pocahontas State Park Chesterfield, VA

Run 5 miles of the tiful u a e b st o m ’s a e r a d n o m h Ric s d n ie fr r u o y h it w s il a tr montrail.com/runlikeagirl

Brought to you by

20 minutes from Richmond

To Benefit

HEALTH

ALLEVIATING Alternatives to Medications

BY EMILY DIZNOFF, M.D.

Y

ou’re trying to get dinner on the table, the phone is ringing, you have a deadline at work, and the news is blaring in the background with another report of something else that may cause cancer. You can’t remember the last time you had five minutes to yourself. How do you feel?

Anxious.

Excessive worry, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, fatigue, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating—these are all common symptoms of anxiety. But when these symptoms are occurring frequently, are present for longer than six months, and are interfering with daily functioning, then you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

GAD is remarkably common, affecting over six million U.S. adults, and women are twice as likely to suffer from GAD as are men. The mainstay of treatment for GAD is prescription medication. But it is also important to consider using four proven non-pharmacological ways to manage anxiety:

1

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective and important way to manage anxiety. The principal of CBT is that what you are thinking directly affects how you are feeling. The goal is to re-train your brain to gain more power over how you feel.

For example, you may be consumed by anxiety because you think you have breast cancer. You are doing multiple breast exams a day, thinking about it all the time, and going to your doctor weekly to have her do breast exams. CBT would challenge your belief that your risk assessment is accurate.

Are you overestimating the risk? It may feel likely that you may get breast cancer, but how likely is it really? Nagging worries—specially unfounded ones—can do harm to our overall health. On the other hand, positive thinking can actually help prevent health problems. Persistent practice and coaching with a CBT-trained therapist can help change the pattern of your current thinking and reduce anxiety symptoms.

8 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

2

Exercise is another proven and highly effective non-pharmacological method to help reduce anxiety levels. “It’s not a magic bullet, but increasing physical activity is a positive and active strategy to help manage depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Kristin Vickers-Douglas, a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. By increasing endorphins—mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain—exercise can improve mood, release muscle tension, and improve sleep quality. It also reduces levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the body.

Many researchers believe that exercise can cause a calming effect simply by increasing body temperature. Exercise can also have psychological and emotional benefits, such as increasing confidence, providing a distraction to intrusive thoughts, increasing socialization, and creating a healthy coping strategy. At the end of the day, the last thing you may feel like doing is dragging yourself to the gym, but it may be a surprisingly effective and energizing way to help maintain balance in your life.

3

Meditation: Although meditation may seem like something reserved for Buddhist monks, it has proven to be very effective in reducing anxiety.

There are many kinds of meditation, but in general, meditation implies a turning of the self inward to a place of concentrated attention, awareness, or contemplation. Meditation can be as simple as five minutes of quiet breathing and relaxation on the living room floor, or it can be part of a more organized practice through meditation classes or yoga. It does not necessarily imply any religious or spiritual affiliation. Relaxation techniques and meditation result in decreased anxiety, improved mood, and decreased symptoms of emotional distress. A recent study showed that college undergraduates who were trained in a mind-body meditation technique showed less physiological response to stress and lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue. Next time you feel overwhelmed with anxiety, it may help to just close your eyes, practice slow breathing, and visualize a place of calm and nurturing.

4

Biofeedback is a technique that helps a person become aware of her own body activities and then regulate physiologic responses. By using monitoring devices through a trained provider, a person can learn to control certain body responses, like muscle tension and heart-rate, that usually are thought of as automatic. Because there is such a physiological response to mental anxiety, biodfeedback techniques are very well suited to help with this condition. It is helpful to find a trained provider to teach these techniques.

HEALTH NOTES Forgiving for longer living: A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found that holding a grudge has an adverse effect on the body, causing elevated blood pressure, heart rate, increased muscle tension, and feelings of loss of control. On the contrary, when participants thought about forgiveness, all of these changes reversed, and the participants felt positive and relaxed.

Don’t worry, be happy—and healthy: We’ve known for a long time that happier people tend to be in better health and live longer, but scientists are now trying to figure out why. A recent study found that people who are more upbeat and happy tend to have lower levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is increased in times of stress, and when chronically elevated leads to hypertension, obesity, lowered immune function, and other adverse health effects. Not only did happy people have lower levels of cortisol, but they also had lower levels of two proteins that are markers for inflammation in the body.

Medical myths debunked: British Medical Journal recently published an exhaustive review of the medical literature that de-bunks common medical myths. Here are seven key findings:

Even if you do not suffer from GAD, most of us feel at least some level of anxiety on a daily basis. Incorporating some stress reduction measures into your life can have a tremendous impact on your physical and emotional health. So turn off the television, take some time to yourself to stretch, relax, or take a walk. Evaluate the way you are thinking about a stressful situation, and try to re-think it in a more positive and realistic way. There are many small things you can do on a daily basis that can have a big impact on the way you feel.

Dr. Emily Diznoff is co-editor of Breathe Magazine and a family practice physician in Asheville, N.C.

1. There is no scientific evidence for drinking eight glasses of water a day.

2. Reading in low light will not ruin your eyesight.

3. Shaving your legs will not make the hair grow back coarser or faster.

4. Eating turkey will not make you sleepy.

5. We actually use all of our brain, not just 10 percent.

6. Mobile phones are not dangerous in hospitals.

7. Hair and fingernails do not grow after death.

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 9

1.2 billion people do not have safe drinking water.

We run for them ... around the clock.

blue planet run TR AIL RUNNING REL AY SERIE S

Make your miles meaningful at

www .blueplanetrun.org 828-669-2787

Black Mountain, NC May 3-4 24hr, 12hr, 6hr & 5-mile runs Relay teams complete five-mile loops over a continuous 24-hour period in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. In between laps, runners enjoy food, beverages, music and a festival atmosphere at beautiful Camp Rockmont. Events available for all ages and endurance levels including a one-lap fun run and 6, 12 and 24-hour categories. Best of all, 100% of the event’s profits and participants’ fundraising will directly fund safe drinking water projects worldwide. Register a team of up to 10 runners or go solo!

The Run for Africa Trail Relay has expanded to become part of the Blue Planet Run 24, a national series of 24-hour team trail relays.

GREEN LIVING

SUSTAINABILITY I

n my 20s it was easy to limit my carbon footprint. I didn’t own anything. I could ride the bus, bike, and walk to work on the university campus. I ate mostly at vegan organic places and food co-ops, and I shopped almost exclusively at Goodwill.

Nevertheless, if you had asked me if I lived green, I wouldn’t have known what you meant. I knew about the Green Party and I lived with a kooky housemate, Jody Green, but “green-living” wasn’t on my radar. So as I look back on my roaring 20s when I lived a fairly planet-friendly life, is it possible to live green with family and career responsibilities?

An internet search will present an unsurprising enormity of web pages and blogs about green living. Some, like the Modern Green Lifestyle Network, boast to be the “darker, cooler side of green,” while others like Green Living Tips are portals to numerous blogs, businesses, and sources for “living in harmony.” In the Wikisphere, green living is defined as “conducting one’s life in such a way that one has an all-encompassing awareness of earth and its processes.” Each choice requires consideration of the way decisions will affect the environment and all living things within it.

Unfortunately, life’s everday choices aren’t always so clearly green or non-green; more often, they are a complex series of interrelated options.

For example, I live in town, which means I can walk or ride my bike to most places, but shopping at the closest grocery store is a challenge. The nearest standard grocery store contains only a few local produce selections and a limited number of planet-friendly products, so I choose to drive to a more health-conscious grocery store that’s farther away but loaded with local and eco-goods.

Then there are some green living factors that seem out of my control.

I own a house and car. I parent a toddler and four-year-old dog. And I have a profession that requires a suit. I don’t have the budget to remodel our 1920s house to green standards. And the ecological destruction of a new contsruction (even if it is green) doesn’t make sense either. I’ve also developed a taste for fashion and fashionable things. I’ve sent my resale shop duds back to the Goodwill and have replaced them with stuff that make me look good.

Admittedly, I like my life. It would be easy just to to ignore the reality of my impact on the environment, to slip into a kind of ecological hopelessness: I’m

AND THE

BY LEAH FERGUSON

CITY

just one person. What can I do?

But my heart demands more of me. I am committed to at least understanding the full impact of my lifestyle on the planet and its people.

Recently an acquaintance of mine said that she and her husband were moving out onto land in the country to live in a yurt. I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately. The 23-year-old me that owned a copy of the Fifty Dollar Underground House Book says, “Sign me up.” But the me that’s ten years older, with a toddler and accustomed to a hot shower every day, doesn’t even remember how to make that work.

What I’m looking for now is a balance between my unencumbered youth and the groundedness of my adulthood. To find that balance, I’ve been sifting through the mountains of green advice out there to provide readers with the simplest, easiest ways to go green. After all, I hear it’s the new pink.

And in the spirit of being fashion forward, why not start now?

Green Tip #1: Go to your nearest library to borrow The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen. It’s a life changing read—chock-full of helpful information and good direction for everyday green living. Or visit idealbite.com for quick, easy tips to green your daily life.

Green Tip #2: Stop the clutter. Go to catalogchoice.org to end unwanted catalogs and mail. It’s a free service provided by the Ecology Center that allows you to opt-out of unsolicited catalogs. The 19 million catalogs that are sent to Americans yearly produce as much greenhouse gas as two million cars and destroy 53 million trees. Let your favorite companies know that you’d rather go online to check out their new styles.

Green Tip #3: Paper or plastic? Neither! Invest in cloth bags, totes, or fairly traded, sturdy African baskets for your shopping. I’ve been using tote bags and baskets for over a year now and it’s great. You’ll no longer have drawers or cabinets filled with pesky plastic bags. Instead it will have a collection of ultra useful, multipurpose carriers.

These small changes can make a big impact, but the most important thing is to start now.

Leah Ferguson is a partner with Chrysalis Consulting working with nonprofits in Western North Carolina, and she is active in efforts to preserve the beauty of the mountains.

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 11

Take It Outside

Gear & Clothing for Active Women

Valle Crucis • Boone • Asheville • Waynesville Hendersonville • Greenville, SC • Knoxville, TN www.MastStoreOnline.com • 1-866-For-Mast

Womens Weekend ie s d a L e h t r Ju s t fo

at US National Whitewater Center

We will offer women specific clinics in whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running, etc.

Event Schedule

May 10th & 11th July 19th & 20th

for clinic schedules and registration info please call or go to our website @

704-391-3900 - www.usnwc.org 12 breathe WW_AD

||

readbreathe.com

NUTRITION

Superfoods Everyone Needs

By Susan SeligeR

Dozens of easy-to-find ‘superfoods’ can help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more.

Imagine a superfood—not a drug—powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. Did we mention that there are no side effects? You’d surely stock up on a lifetime supply. Guess what? These lifealtering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket.

“The effect that diet can have on how you feel today and in the future is astounding,” says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, Food & Mood, and The Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.

“Even people who are healthy can make a few tweaks and the impact will be amazing,” Somer says. “I’d say that 50% to 70% of suffering could be eliminated by what people eat and how they move: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension can all be impacted.”

You don’t need specific foods for specific ailments. A healthy diet incorporating a variety of the following superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease, and live longer. One thing they all have in common: “Every superfood is going to be a ‘real’ (unprocessed) food,” Somer points out. “You don’t find fortified potato chips in the superfood category.”

Top Superfoods Offering Health Protection

Beans • Blueberries • Broccoli • Oats • Oranges • Pumpkin • Salmon • Soy • Spinach • Tea (green or black) • Tomatoes • Turkey • Walnuts • Yogurt

Blueberries: ANTIOXIDANT SUPERFOOD

Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.

“Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits,” says Dr. Ann Kulze of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann’s 10Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality. When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have. “I tell everyone to have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day,” Dr. Kulze says. “Frozen berries are just as good as fresh.” Be sure to include lots of other fruits and vegetables in your diet as well. Remember too that, in general, the more color they have, the more antioxidants.

Omega 3-Rich Fish: SUPERFOODS FOR THE HEART, JOINTS, AND MEMORY

“We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s,” Somer says. “There is some evidence to show that it reduces depression as well.”

Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax

seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Soy: SUPERFOOD TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL

A study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine.

“Look for tofu, soy milk, or edamame—not soy powder,” says Somer. In other words, soy sauce won’t do the trick. One caveat: If you have a family history of breast cancer, it is not recommended that you eat extra soy.

Fiber: SUPERFOOD AIDS WEIGHT LOSS AND CHECKS CHOLESTEROL

A diet high in fiber will help you maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a bonus, because fiber helps you feel full longer, it’s a great tool in weight management. Whole grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables are all good sources. Try throwing some beans in your salad, recommends Kulze. “Fresh, frozen, or dried are the best. You can use canned, but they tend to be higher in sodium,” Kulze warns.

Tea: SUPERFOOD FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL AND INHIBITING CANCER

“The overall antioxidant power of black tea is the same as green tea,” says Kulze, “but green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant that we really do think is quite special.” A recent Japanese study on green tea found that men who drank green tea regularly had lower cholesterol than those who didn’t. Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. For a double health whammy, replace sugary sodas with tea.

Calcium

Okay, okay, you know the drill: Calcium helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Look for it in dairy products or supplements. Added bonus: Some studies show that calcium helps with weight loss. Here are the calcium levels recommended for adults by the USDA: Age 9 to 18: 1,300 mg • Age 19 to 50: 1,000 mg • Age 51 and over: 1,200 mg

And Finally, the Yummiest Superfood Yet... DARK CHOCOLATE

New research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. Kulze recommends that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better. In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that’s my kind of health food.

Susan Seliger writes for WebMD, where this article was originally published.

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 13

FAMILY

Birth

By Heather Cabot

The Ultimate Endurance Sport The year I gave birth to twins, Rocky Balboa made a comeback. The universe was smiling down on my pregnant belly when the stars aligned to bring the “Italian Stallion” back to the ring one last time.

Though from the moment I selected a corny photo of the “Heavyweight Champion of the World” as my Lamaze focal point and Rocky’s theme song, “Gonna Fly Now,” as my labor soundtrack, I truly had no idea that I would really need both the physical and mental stamina of a boxer to withstand the year ahead of me. Little did I know, the song I should have chosen from the movie was “Going The Distance.” (If you’re a Rocky fan, that’s the one with the bells tolling as he powers through the final rounds with Apollo Creed.)

It was a bruising first few months. From the 30hour labor and emergency C-section to the blur of the bris and a Hindu baby-naming ceremony in the same weekend to the sleepless nights to the painful and humiliating road back to the gym, I hit the wall over and over.

But we pushed through it. Even on those days when I didn’t take a shower until it was time to fall into bed and the nights that I prayed the babies would let us rest, Rock and I (and my amazing husband) made it through to my twins’ first birthdays and beyond.

What’s funny is that when it came to athletic endeavors, I spent my childhood on the bench. I was the kid who happily sat in the dug-out during softball season, who chatted more than sprinted in gym class, and who had more fifth place purple ribbons than anyone I knew on the community swim team.

I never expected that becoming a mom would reveal what my body could really do.

But from carrying two healthy babies to term to pushing them into the world and now managing the sheer physical challenges of caregiving, I’ve come to believe that motherhood is the ultimate endurance sport. And that like Rocky, I actually do have the strength and speed and the mental toughness I need to get the job done. I just needed to put myself to the test.

Fast-forward 18 months.

I’m now in the best shape of my life physically and mentally. And suddenly, I am more ready than ever to take on new challenges, to pick up a golf club or hop on a bike or swim a mile or more. I even completed a mini-triathalon earlier this summer much to my surprise. I guess all those months of sweating my face off during indoor cycling classes and running in the park gave me the guts to sign up. Truth be told, I felt like a rock star sporting my official race number in big black marker on my bicep as I strode to the finish line. It is amazing to discover the renewed confidence and rebounded energy since my children were born.

Thankfully, the shock and awe of being a new parent does eventually subside a bit. But then, there you are, Caregiver-in-Chief. And it is sometimes tough to give yourself permission to take a breather—whether it is sitting down to fix yourself a healthy meal, or getting to the gym, or to double- check your shirt isn’t smeared with baby food before you leave the house. But those breathers have made me a better parent—and a better person.

Thanks to the marathon of motherhood, I’ve realized that lurking inside all along was an athlete waiting to be born, ready to push myself beyond who I thought I was before kids.

I’m going the distance and not looking back.

Heather Cabot is the founder and publisher of The Well Mom (www.thewellmom.com), a weekly ezine empowering moms to better care for themselves in mind, body and spirit.

14 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

Embracing Your Inner Rocky 1. Respect Your Body Prize the physical power of you and all you’ve achieved over those 40 weeks. You are stronger than you might feel right now.

You are capable in ways you never knew before. You are a wonder.

2. Train For Life This isn’t a sprint back to your pre-baby clothes. You are training to endure the motherhood marathon. When I need motivation to go for a run or get to the gym, I tell myself a healthy, strong body is the foundation for who I want to be for my children - able to carry them, run with them and keep up with all of their activities. Yes - to go the distance and beyond...

3. Don’t Give Up Work hard to build back your physical strength and stamina but don’t beat yourself up when you don’t see results right away.

Like anything else worth doing, it takes time.

My mother always told me, “Slow and steady wins the race.” That seems to ring true when you are a sleep-deprived, overwhelmed new mom.

Photo credit: Michael Riddell - Bear Productions

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Lexington & the Rockbridge Area M o r e t h a n y o u ’ d e x p e c t.

The 9th Annual

Presented by Mission Hospitals

Call today for your free travel guide.

Toll Free: 877-453-9822 www.lexingtonvirginia.com A trip to our part of the world is not your typical wait-in-line, jump-a-coaster, kind of excursion. It’s a unique intersection of indoors and out. People and places. Artisans and equestrians. In Rockbridge County, our caverns are not the only deep experience you’ll have.

Lexington • Buena Vista RockBRidge county

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 15

e m i t l r i g

WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO

A

week ago I suddenly realized I’d had enough of winter, enough scraping ice from my car windows, enough grey days, enough time indoors attempting to potty train my daughter. I wasn’t even excited about the beautiful snowflakes that had started to fall outside, until I got a call from a woman I sort of know.

“Going snowboarding tomorrow. Want to come?”

I couldn’t afford the time. I had too many things to do. But of course I went.

She and I had a few things in common: for one day we were leaving behind husbands, toddlers, and dirty houses. And we loved to snowboard, even if it meant driving three hours to a ski resort to carve some turns in fresh powder.

We weren’t on the road an hour before an odd thing happened. We started to giggle. We needed to pee. We wanted chocolate. We had different boarding styles—she bombed down the mountain carving wide turns in new corduroy, while I searched for powder that the groomers left behind, but the entire day we were in sync. Of course we were— we were two women who loved to board.

It doesn’t take a scientific study to tell us that

16 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

By Cristina Opdahl

there’s nothing quite as rejuvenating as girl time, although studies have been done actually proving that women who spend time with women have reduced stress levels.

Later, over cheese fries and fried mushrooms my friend and I resolved to do it again in a month.

We were inspired. We thought you could use some inspiration, too, so herewith: five of the best places to put in some serious girl time.

Goddesses on the Rocks

Joshua Tree National Park, California Allow me to be sexist for a moment. Women are better suited for rock climbing than men, particularly as beginners. Our bodies have a lower center of gravity, so perching on tiny ledges and cracks in the rock comes, well, if not easy, then easier. And then there’s our lack of upper body strength—being “the weaker sex” is an actual boon to beginning climbers, for without the muscle to try and claw our way up a route, we immediately call on a certain gracefulness and finesse to go up. All of this makes the idea of a girl’s climbing weekend perfect. Rock climbing--essentially a trust exercise

masquerading as a sport, in which beginners will find themselves asked to leave their good sense on the ground, and trust a rope and a person you never met with your life—is best done with women, in the company of women. On a women’s crag weekend, “You go girl!” is as ubiquitous as buttspanking is in the NFL. So agree the women who have been attending Goddesses on the Rocks clinics, an allwomen, all-levels weekend put on by the makers of Sterling Ropes to benefit HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation for several years now. Come April, the first Goddesses clinic of the year is in the warm desert of Joshua Tree National Park. There, more than 4,000 routes lead up cool rock formations that have a rough kitty-litter surface. The texture helps you grunt up routes like Toe Jam on a chunky, domed rock called Old Woman, which has enough climbs to fill an entire day. Joshua Tree is where Lynn Hill, the first woman to climb 5.14, first learned to climb. When you touch back to the ground after your first ascent, you can see why she fell in love with the sport. The smell of sage is in the air. Come evening, the horizon turns a bright orange and pink, and the coyotes begin to howl.

MENU Catered, thankfully, given that it’s eaten out in the open air at the group campground.

And served with a sprinkle of inspiration: one recent dinner speaker was a twentysomething-year old cancer survivor turned climber.

HIGH POINT Watching a 60-year-old grandmother manage a mantle up a mean, slabby climb.

LOW POINT Feeling your own gravity keep you down on the same route.

MUST DO Howl at the moon, along with the coyotes.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING Three hugs. “Everyone is so supportive, so encouraging,” says a three-year veteran.

“It’s amazing energy.”

SWEAT FACTOR High. Beginners as well as experienced climbers are welcome, but scaling a vertical wall by your fingertips and toes will get your heart pumping.

WHEN TO GO: April 19-20 PRICE: $185 for two days CONTACT Sterling Rope Company 207-282-2550, www.sterlingrope.com

Mountain Bike Weekends Slatyfork, West Virginia

The rush of confidence, the flush of mountain bike badass, that you’ll feel after attending an all women’s mountain bike weekend in Slatyfork, West Virginia, will most likely come not at the clinic but in the weeks after. It’s then that you’ll reap the rewards of this particular sisterhood, and find yourself weaving around rocks and shredding switchbacks with nary a shiver of doubt. That’s because that crux move that’s been making you dismount on your home trail will pale next to the slick, angled roots and tight boulder fields that make the singletrack around Slatyfork most…engaging.

There’s only one way to get good at hopping over logs, and the women’s weekend guides—many of them professional riders like 2004 Female Mountain Bike Racer of the Year Sue Haywood—know it.

They’ll start you out in the Elk River Touring Center yard with small logs, then progressively bigger logs, then logs that move. They’ll coach you as you navigate a skinny homemade trench, then they’ll take you out into a lush singletrack paradise.

Slatyfork, population 448, sits at the southern end of the 900,000 acre Monongahela National Forest. Local riders boast that they can reach over 200 miles of rideable terrain from their front door, much of it on singletrack like Gauley Mountain Trail, Bear Pen Trail, Tea Creek Mountain Trail, which wind their way over creeks and up plenty of hills. On Day One, you’ll set out on a fifteen mile ride; on Day Two, an eighteen to twenty five mile ride; and on Day Three, a “short” morning 10 mile warm down.

Sound like a lot? Not to worry. The girl guides stop along the way to demonstrate how to navigate a gnarly creek crossing or nail that technical uphill.

Then they’ll step aside to let you try it again and again and again….

MENU Apple pear walnut salad, oven roasted duck with tobasco jelly demi-glaze.

HIGH POINT The view from the Red Spruce Overlook.

LOW POINT Teetering on top of a skinny bridge over a chilly creek.

MUST DO Bomb downhill on Gauley Mountain Trail as fast as you can, with your butt expertly tucked behind your seat for stability.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING Three hugs. Very muddy hugs.

SWEAT FACTOR Big. And did we mention the dirt? Should your ideal afternoon of exercise be a jaunt on the elliptical with Norah Jones on the iPod, you’re better off somewhere else.

WHEN TO GO: June or September PRICE: $399-$529 includes three nights lodging, meals, guides, and instruction CONTACT: Elk River Touring Center 866-572-3771, www.ertc.com

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 17

Weekend Hikes at The Swag Waynesville, North Carolina

You’ve probably seen the Great Smoky Mountains before—especially in photos or film: this is where location scouters go when they need an incredible green mountain vista, the kind with layer upon layer of mountain ridge and that ethereal blue tint in movies like Last of the Mohicans.

A swag is a small, cradle-like dip between mountains, and long ago, when settlers first came to a certain spot on the immense North Carolina ridge called the Cataloochee Divide between Hemphill Bald and Gooseberry Knob, right on the southwest border of where Great Smoky Mountains National Park now sits, they named the area The Swag. Now, The Swag is a country inn and 250 idyllic acres that has retained some of that long-ago flavor: its cabins are built by hand hewn logs that date back to the 1700s, the menu is built off of the bounty from a large onsite garden, game, and wild berries picked from nearby thickets. There is a pond that’s great for swimming, plus uncluttered views of four mountain ranges that make it seem like you just landed here from some faraway place with pick axe in tow. The important difference is that there’s no work for you, unless you count as work sipping tea on a porch with your girlfriends, or taking a stroll up to Gooseberry Knob, or setting out on the Cataloochee Divide Trail into the much less traveled North Carolina side of the national park.

New Age Health Spa Neversink, New York

Spas feed our desire to come back from a getaway feeling lighter, happier, and at peace with the world. But most spa destinations leave you only lighter in the wallet. Enter a breed of spa like New Age Health Spa, located on 280 pastoral acres in the Catskill Mountains, that takes wellness seriously. Time your visit to one of the monthly Native American Sweat Lodge ceremonies, or to a fasting weekend, when counselors will guide you through a day of juice drinking, meditation, and yoga without solid food, ending in an optional hydro colon cleansing (which I’ll leave up to your imagination). In the evening, the lecture series can range from “Sound Massage” to “Illness As Opportunity.”

If a day without food sounds way too hard core, you are welcome to opt out, as many other spa guests do, and take on the usual droolinspiring treatments, including an hour-and-40minute healing stone therapy, which balances your chakras and employs aromatherapy and warm basalt stones, chosen for their energetic properties. When you tire of padding around in your slippers and robe from meditation to yoga class to massage, venture outside to scale the five-story alpine tower or grab your girlfriends for a “Trust Journey” in the onsite forest. Recuperate back at the spa with a rousing session of “Music as Healing” workshop.

18 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

MENU Should you be dining on more than juice, meals are carefully calibrated to have the fat-to-carbto-protein ratios just right, and many ingredients are grown on the premises. The three meals served daily instruct in perfect portions: plan on taking in only 1,500 calories a day.

HIGH POINT You choose: Sighting a bald eagle at a nearby nesting area, or the Maple Sugar Body Polish?

LOW POINT Reckoning with the caffeine headache produced by a definitive lack of Jo. The spa’s own recipe of floral Rasa tea, a mix that includes some caffeine, helps alleviate the pain.

MUST DO Sample Chi Kung, a discipline that focuses on breathing exercises and is embraced by the Chinese government as part of its national health plan.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING Two hugs. While men certainly visit the spa, women outnumber them by far.

SWEAT FACTOR All classes are suitable for beginners, although the earnest vibe will likely push you to dig deep.

WHEN TO GO: open year round PRICE: $264 per day and up, spa treatments extra CONTACT: New Age Health Spa 800-682-4348, www.newagehealthspa.com

MENU Mushroom thyme stuffed baked brie, antelope carpaccio salad, almond roasted beef tenderloin, and blackberry thyme sorbet for dessert.

HIGH POINT Sip wine from Gooseberry Knob while gazing out at 50-mile views.

LOW POINT Your bill. Staying on your own private piece of the Cataloochee Divide has a price. This is “upscale rustic,” and the bill will indicate just how very upscale this rustic is.

MUST DO Wake up early enough to watch the fog gather and drift about the lower slopes of the mountains.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING Two hugs. A perfect place for girl time getaway, but here you won’t be inundated with others.

SWEAT FACTOR Whether you spend all day in a hammock with Barbara Kingsolver or take on a 15-mile hike is entirely up to you.

WHEN TO GO: April through October PRICE: $430-750 a night, meals included CONTACT: The Swag Country Inn 800-789-7672, www.theswag.com

Let your hair down.

If you’re ready to hit the trail, then head to the Roanoke Valley. You’ll find hundreds of miles of trails and greenways for hiking, running, biking or just plain meandering. The best part is that at the end of the day

1.800.635.5535 www.visitroanokeva.com

it’s in our nature.

you can rest your weary legs or kick up your heels in one of the Blue Ridge Mountains most charming places.

You’ll have no trouble refueling your body and spirit in the Roanoke Valley where we have more restaurants per capita than any other place in Virginia.

Your adventure begins with a single step. Call or log on today for a free Visitors Guide and RED Card good for discounts on lodging, dining, shopping and attractions.

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 19

Sea Kayaking Dudley and Bear Islands Barrier Islands, North Carolina

The endangered loggerhead turtle migrates up to 7,500 miles annually, adult female loggerheads lay 35 pounds of eggs a year, and they are some of the world’s most ancient species. It’s a suitable animal to pay tribute to during an all-women’s sea kayaking expedition along two of North Carolina’s most pristine barrier islands, which are nesting grounds for the mighty reptile.

Not that you’ll be required to work quite so hard, although the women of Wildside Adventures do aim to teach their participants to function respectably in the outdoors. Under Wildside’s tutelage you’ll become a proficient sea kayaker, able to paddle four meandering miles of tidal creek to the uninhabited Dudley Island, set up camp on a pristine sandy beach, and feed yourself all the while. Once settled, you can take paddle in hand again, or spend the remainder of your weekend watching the tide come in with your toes in the sand.

There is reason enough to get back in your kayak, though. Along the protected tidal marshes there are great blue herons, ibis, and snow egrets, and once endangered osprey hawks. On Day Two you can embark on a short paddle to Bear Island, where Blackbeard is reputed to have buried booty. There, you’ll meet with a naturalist who will help you keep an eye out for nesting loggerheads. You’ll get a history lesson about the early residents of the area, the Woodland Indians, who waged war against the European colonists. Come evening, you can temporarily ditch the outdoorswoman theme and eat a beachside meal that’s been cooked for you, and then end your day by the fire listening to the waves gently lap the shore.

MENU Except for two evening meals of seafood such as shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, which will be cooked for you and served beachside, the menu is entirely up to you. To keep costs down, Wildside makes their trips BYO food, and provides a list of ideas for meals to help you choose. Instant cheesecake, anyone?

HIGH POINT Paddling next to curious bottlenose dolphins as they nearly surface and dive just 10 feet off your bow.

LOW POINT Paddling the mile between you and your warm, dry tent with wind and rain pelting your face. Although the waters you’ll be sea kayaking in are protected areas where weather won’t be a life-and-death issue, sea kayaking in high winds can be challenging.

MUST DO Take a sunset paddle under a brilliant orange sky.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING Three hugs. An eight-participant maximum on this trip based on an uninhabited island means that bonding opportunities will abound.

SWEAT FACTOR Moderate. Aside from an initial four-mile paddle out to Dudley Island (and back at the trip’s end), day trips will be short. Naps are encouraged.

WHEN TO GO: May 15-18 PRICE: $380 for three days, three nights CONTACT: Wildside Adventures, 540-3847023, www.wildsideadventures.com

Soaking in Santa Fe, New Mexico Women fall in love with Santa Fe. It could be the eight yoga studios in residence, or the bazillion art galleries, or the big sky that stretches between the Sangre de Cristo mountains on one side of the city and the Jemez on the other.

Artists like to say, “It’s the light!” And it’s true. The light—something one never really considers when thinking of potential destinations—is exceptionally clear in Santa Fe, like a Robert Redford western. At certain times of the evening the sky turns a crisp cerulean blue, the dark edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains begins to glow red, and whatever adobe wall you happen to be near (you are always near an adobe wall in Santa Fe) turns bright gold. It’s a kind of religious experience, and it’s an everyday event here.

An ideal weekend in Santa Fe strikes that perfect balance between brain and body stimulation. Try a hike along the conifer- and aspen-lined Windsor Trail, which takes you all the way to the 250,000 acre Pecos Wilderness area.

Follow with a cooking class in how to make lamb adovada with chipotle sauce or smoked pork tenderloin with red chile cider glaze at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, then eat the lesson. Come nighttime, head up to Ten Thousand Waves, a luxurious Japanese-style spa, for a soak in the women’sonly communal tub or a private tub with a view of the Big Dipper.

On Day Two, tap into your inner yogi with a hot Hatha session in a 105 degree studio, or recuperate your internal organs in a Pranayama class. Walk downtown around the plaza of the oldest capital city in the U.S before heading to the outdoor Santa Fe Opera for the Marriage of Figaro or Billy Budd.

20 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

MENU The eating establishments around the Plaza are as expensive as they are good, often with long waits. Try venturing away from downtown for fare as good as the pricey stuff at Harry’s Roadhouse (505-989-4629).

HIGH POINT Spying Robert Redford, a frequent visitor, or Val Kilmer, resident, seated in a corner table at Maria’s Restaurant nursing a margarita.

LOW POINT Gasping for air. At 7,000 feet, low dwellers will notice a significant reduction in oxygen.

MUST DO Sample home-grown green chile. Anything smothered in it is Santa Fe’s hallmark cuisine. Try it and you’ll see why.

YA-YA SISTERHOOD RATING One hug. While women flock to the City Different, they tend to stick with their own traveling partners.

SWEAT FACTOR How much you glisten is entirely up to you.

WHEN TO GO: April through October PRICE: $200/day and up for guided activities and lodging.

CONTACT: Santa Fe Mountain Adventures 800-965-4010 www.santafemountainadventures.com

A World of Adventure in One Place™

Bordering the parklands of the New River Gorge National River, ACE’s 1,400-acre resort provides endless choices for adventure... and it’s all in one place.

While some may want to venture down river, others look to explore by mountain bike or horseback, and others just want to enjoy a good book lakeside. At the end of the day, you can relax with family and friends knowing ACE has the details covered.

At ACE, “adventure” is our middle name, and fun is our specialty!

800-787-3982

www.AceRaft.com/breathe.html New River Gorge, WV

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 21

Breathe Magazine wants to you win our

Girls Weekend Giveaway!

One lucky winner and three friends will enjoy a West Virginia Spa Weekend, clothing from Isis, shoes from Inov-8 and a women’s travel pack from Lafuma!

West Virginia State Park Spa Retreat • Two nights of lodging for four at Cacapon Resort State Park lodge.

• Eight spa treatments (two per person) including a 30 minute Swedish massage and mineral bath at Berkeley Springs State Park.

WVSTATEPARKS.COM

Misty Mountain Jacket

Marcy Capri

If you want a raincoat that reflects the gray Inspired by European hikers who insist on apparel that weather, the Misty Mountain isn’t for you. But if you is comfortable, functional and outdoor cafe-capable, the want to fight back, you’ll love its flattering feminine lightweight, stretchy Marcy Capri fits the bill. It falls mid-calf fit and fun colors. The lightweight, waterproof for ample coverage and maximum venting, and has a drawcord nylon jacket features a roll-away hood with hem and articulated knees for versatility and action-oriented brim, and underarm vents to let off steam. comfort. With a microsuede adjustable waistband and zippered Zippered mesh hand pockets do double cargo and back pockets for secure storage. $69 duty as vents, and adjustable Velcro(R) cuffs and hip-length drawcord hem keep the gray out and the dry in. $99

Vee Tank

We know you spend as much time outdoors as we do. The Isis woman needs a line of tops that protects her skin and appearance. The Vee Tank has built-in sun protection (UPF 30+) and built-in wrinkle-protection too. The whisper-light fabric may keep sun damage out, but it always invites the cool breezes in. $28

ISISFORWOMEN.COM

Naia 50

Volume: 3050 cu in • Weight: 5 lbs 4 oz • Material: 420D Velocity polyamide / 420D Oxford semi-dull stretch polyamide • AB back system - designed specifically for women with gel inserts on shoulders and belt • Compression straps • Sternum strap • Rain cover included • Removable lid by zip, transforms into small bag • Zip mesh pocket under lid • Large front pocket with access to main compartment with watertight zip • Side gusseted pockets • Removable zip pocket on belt • Hydration pocket and port • Main compartment with dual access • Dual compartment with zip out divider and access via pack bottom • MSRP: $189.95

LAFUMA.COM

INOV-8.COM

Terroc 308

Women’s trail running and walking shoe with high levels of comfort and performance. Medial and lateral posting to help aid mild pronation and supination. Ideal for harder packed trails. Good cross over shoe. MSRP $90

VISIT READBREATHE.COM TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

yoga vs. pilates

Which is Better for You?

By Stephanie Keach and Jessi Herr

yoga I have been practicing yoga for 20 years. In the first decade of my yoga exerience, I was in my 20s and I felt very strong throughout my body. I tried all different styles of yoga, from the most vigorous (ashtanga), to the hot and sweaty type (bikram), to the more gentle therapeutic type (viniyoga), to the more alignment oriented (iyengar, and later anusara), to the more flowing type (vinyasa), to the more meditative type (yin).

I loved all of these styles, and never became attached to just one, as each one has many benefits to offer. Some styles like iyengar, viniyoga, anusara, and yin yoga are expecially beneficial for beginners. I learned the details of these poses whenever I was recovering from injury or illness.

(Yes, despite urban myths, yogis get injured and ill.

The difference I’ve seen from mainstream people who don’t practice yoga is that the yogi is more aware of his/her body during the healing process, and this attentiveness can drastically decrease the healing time and lessen pain).

The more intense practices of ashtanga, bikram, and vinyasa are perfect for the days when I want a deeper workout physically and emotionally, as a strong physical practice wrings out my brain of tension and fatigue, leaving me with that “yogabuzz.”

In my 20s, I literally made yoga my life. My income came from teaching yoga. Some days I would spend seven hours playing with poses, breathing, and meditation. Then I met my husband, fell in love, and began to have babies (four in total). It wasn’t until I had these full-time babies that I realized my exercise/yoga time was scarce to nil. This meant my post-partum body wouldn’t return to my pre-pregnancy body. As someone who makes a living with her body (I have been a yoga teacher for 20 years now), this was a bit of a rude awakening for my ego, as I assumed, being so agile and fit, I would bounce back, easily, perhaps even effortlessly, time after time, especially since my births were relatively easy.

After my first birth, I bounced back relatively quickly, as I was still in my twenties, and I had great support from my husband to return to exercising quickly. After the second birth, it took about a year to feel “normal” again, although the scale was always five pounds heavier than my prepregnancy weight.

Being a woman in this culture, vanity never rests her egotistical head, and thus I began a pilates program to help get rid of those last lingering five pounds, especially around my tummy of course.

I took classes and invested in some DVDs, and I even began teaching a yoga-pilates class at my yoga studio.

Then came pregnancy number three. This little guy decided to bless me with a tilted sacrum at birth, thus making me a life-long member of the sacro-iliac club. The sacrum is the bottom five vertebrae at the end of the spine, and this tilting was painful. Pilates was key to helping me lengthen and strengthen the iliopsoas muscle, which had somehow gotten “off” during this third round. I immersed myself into pilates, even putting my regular daily yoga practice on hold for a

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 23

while, and discovered all kinds of ways to access my shape-shifting “core.”

This pilates fascination continued for about a year, until I felt my “core” had returned to normal. Plus, I was missing the meditative aspects that come with yoga, and being a mother of a bunch of boys, I desperately needed the meditation time.

So, as baby number four came to be, my yoga practice once again dominated, and pilates was something I did occasionally when I wanted a strong hit of “core strengthening.” I know pilates is great for more than the belly, but that was my only real concern, so it was where I focused.

So now let me back up (some say 4000 years) to explain that the history of yoga is mysterious and extensive. There are many ancient texts and artifacts that show the practice of yoga poses to go back that far. What happens in India with yoga is different than what we do here in America. Yoga really hit the American scene in the 1970s and it was strictly physical, whereas in India, then and today, yoga is a lifestyle that emphasizes non-violence, ritual, an ever-present God energy or deity, meditation, prayer, deep breathing, and very few postures.

Personally, I am fine with the fact that we Americans focus just on the physical aspect of yoga (and not those other spiritual aspects). Because what I have found is that those other spiritual aspects emerge anyway on their own. It’s as if doing the physical postures begins this cleansing and healing process that soon enough opens up other possibilities in life. All of a sudden, we become more aware of how we treat other people, what kind of food we are eating, how we are treating our own bodies, and how spirituality plays a part in everything we do, say, and see. You don’t hear about that kind of stuff very much, if ever, in a yoga class. And yet, over and over again, I see the effects. After 20 years of teaching a lot of different people, it continues to delight and surprise me when someone begins to discover these deeper aspects of yoga.

I suppose that is the main difference between pilates and yoga. Both are physical practices, but in some yoga classes (the really good ones, I think), there are hints of these subtler dimensions of yoga as a lifestyle, whereas in a pilates class, just like in a yoga class, a familiarity and education of the body is gained, and of course strength, flexibility, and sometimes healing, but little else. In my experience, those who teach and reach for these deeper aspects of yoga in their classes are long-term practitioners who also live its most fundamental aspects.

—Stephanie Keach

pilates Recently, in a continuing education class I attended for pilates professionals, the instructor made an irreverent reference to the “no pain no gain” era of aerobics classes. In those days the music was loud and the emphasis was on big movements, repeated quickly, without much regard for technique.

In recent years, however, we have seen an explosion of public interest in exercise methods that employ a body-mind connection. Pilates (puh-lateez), like yoga, is one such mind-body method that has earned tremendous respect and enormous popularity in the last decade.

While pilates may seem like a new trend or a current fad, it has in fact, been practiced for nearly a century. Introduced in New York City in the 1920’s, the method has been used for decades by professional dancers, and more recently, physical therapists.

Joseph Pilates was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880. A frail, sickly child, he suffered from asthma, rheumatic fever, and rickets. But he was fortunate to have a gymnast for a father and a naturopath for a mother. As a result, he was inspired to learn about anatomy and yoga. He once said,“I learned…every part of the body; I would move each part as I memorized it [from anatomy textbooks]. As a child, I would lie in the woods for hours, hiding and watching the animals move.”

He went on to become an accomplished gymnast himself, and a boxer.

During World War I he was interned in England, and he became a caretaker to patients who were weak with wartime disease and injury. He noticed that patients recovered more quickly when they were given exercises to do, and it was then that he began to devise exercises that made use of the bedsprings for resistance. He called his regimen of matwork and resistance training “Contrology” and defined it as “complete coordination of the body, mind and spirit.” Many famous dancers in the 1920s and 1930s adopted his

24 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

techniques, and in 1945, he published Return to Life Through Contrology, which described his philosophical approach to exercise. But it wasn’t really until the 1990s that pilates went mainstream.

Practiced regularly, pilates is enormously beneficial. While often associated with “flat abs,” Pilates strengthens the core—the abdominals, low back and glutes—in order to obtain and maintain optimal posture, and to support the flexibility of a healthy spine. Beyond the aesthetic benefits (i.e. the “flat abs”) however, a strong core is essential to mitigate the effects of gravity and lifestyle.

Take a moment right now and notice your posture. Now, imagine you are being supported from a strong elastic cord connected at the crown of your head and suspended from the ceiling. Feel how tall you’ve just grown, how your shoulders blades can slide down your back, and your chest can open. Take a deep breath and notice all the space between each vertebra, like your spine is a bendy straw that you’ve just taken out of its package and stretched open. Now pull your abdominal muscles in like you’re trying to button pants that are a bit tight. You are supporting your spine in its natural curvature, thus relieving the pressure placed on vertebral discs of a slumpy spine. Doesn’t that feel better?

Through pilates, strength and flexibility of the entire body are increased; posture, coordination and balance are improved. And with a focus on conscious breathing, greater lung capacity is achieved, promoting healthy circulation. With greater body awareness, injuries are reduced, and more often than not, self-esteem is boosted. Imagine feeling taller, stronger, and more confident and coordinated.

In his book, Return to Life Through Contrology, Joseph Pilates states: “Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work. You will develop muscular power with corresponding endurance, ability to perform arduous duties, to play strenuous games, to walk, run, or travel for long distances without undue body fatigue or mental strain. And this by no means is the end.”

While not explicitly laid out by Joseph Pilates, there are guiding principles

Yoga and Pilates

similarities • Both work the whole body, emphasizing safety and control in movements.

• The core of the body serves as the center of all movement for grounding, allowing more freedom throughout the rest of the body.

• Both use the breath to help stay centered in the posture or movement.

• Both increase flexibility and strength throughout the entire body (bones, muscles, nerves, glands).

• Both require instructors to be certified and highly trained.

• Pilates is most similar to the alignment focused styles of yoga, Iyengar and Anusara: both use slow attentive movements, ideal for healing and recovery.

differences • Some styles of yoga move quickly, without much attention to alignment or form, causing a potential higher risk of injury, whereas pilates seems to always emphasize correct form.

• Some styles of yoga emphasize slow deep breathing all the time, whereas pilates uses a more rapid breathing.

• Some styles of yoga encorporate the more meditative aspects of being still and quiet in the mind, whereas pilates doesn’t typically address this.

—Stephanie Keach

Stephanie Keach has been teaching Flow Yoga since 1988. Originally from Santa Barbara, California, she has studied with many fine Yogis including Erich Schiffman,

that are widely accepted as the foundation of the work: alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement. There is not always agreement in the pilates community about the number or order of principles, or specific words used to describe them. However, any well-trained instructor will build upon a foundation of such principles.

There are basically two options, with variation within, for practicing pilates: mat classes or apparatus sessions. In either setting, the emphasis will be placed on quality of movement, rather than on quantity of repetitions.

Exercises are usually performed 5-8 times; almost never do we do more than 10 reps of an exercise. Because muscles are challenged in different ways throughout a session, strength is improved and mental focus is kept sharp.

Mat classes will vary in size, depending on space limitations and instructor preference. Joseph Pilates developed 34 mat exercises that involve articulation of the spine through flexion and extension and which require enormous concentration and strength to complete. While his classical mat work did not employ any props, many classes now incorporate resistance and balance accessories to further facilitate strength and coordination.

Classes vary in price, but generally range between $10-$20.

Pilates apparatus training utilizes springs of varying tension. Springs provide both resistance and assistance. Resistance-based training creates lengthened, flexible muscles that are toned and strong but not bulky. The instructor can adjust the spring tension to assist the client obtain proper alignment and correctly execute an exercise. Private session fees generally range between $45-$75 per hour session, with fees generally being higher ($120 or more!) in big cities.

Pilates is appropriate for everyone—people of all ages and fitness levels benefit from it—with modifications made for injury and pregnancy. With its emphasis on stretching, strengthening, and alignment, pilates is ideal during and after pregnancy. Classic pilates exercises are modified to address the changes and challenges that are inherent in and unique to pregnancy and postpartum.

Rodney Yee, Rod Stryker, and Bryan Kest. Her Zen-Buddhist background brings a meditative and compassionate style to her classes. She currently lives in Asheville, N.C. and running the Asheville Yoga Center: www.youryoga.com.

Jessi Herr is a certified Pilates instructor and owns The Pilates Studio of Asheville, NC. She is available for private, semi-private and group instruction when she’s not riding bikes with her 7 year old Jasper, or reading books with her 2.5 year old Josie. For more information, visit: www.thepilates-studio.com.

—Jessi Herr

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 25

How to go from Couch Potato to Hot Potato in

WEEKS Your opportunity for a health and fitness transformation

By Monica Johnson & Amanda Straus

4. CHANGE the future: Get up off the couch The seasons are changing, the year has changed... are you ready for change? Do you want to change?

Personal transformation, of any kind, starts with your mind. As you consider the idea of going from Couch Potato to Hot Potato, what’s your reaction?

Is it excitement, dread, or guilt? Do you roll your eyes when health and fitness are mentioned, or do you embrace the challenge of change?

Whichever category you are closer to, it’s good to begin a transformation with an awareness of your own thoughts and awareness.

That said, let’s get to the heart of how you begin your journey to HOT Potato. Ask yourself this fundamental question: “If I know I want to do this, why haven’t I done it?”

If you truly want to go from Couch Potato to Hot Potato, follow these 16 tips for the next 16 weeks:

1. ASSESS the situation: What is a Hot Potato anyway? Well, that’s up to you. The definition of a Hot Potato tends to vary greatly by age, gender, culture and personality. You have to decide what it means to you. What do you want to become?

2. FORGIVE the past: Do you accept the past for what it was and learn from it? If so, you’re on the right track to becoming a Hot Potato. You can’t stay stuck in the past if you want to move forward, so forgive yourself for sitting on the couch for so long, and let it go. Move... away... from... the... couch!!!

3. ACCEPT

the present: Now it’s time to accept where you stand on the road to Hot Potato. If you’re on the couch, that’s not wrong or bad – but it is your current reality. Recognize that if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll get the same (Couch Potato) results.

26 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

right now and make a change in your life. You can’t just say you want change and expect it to happen. Read the last line of #3 again. If you really want to go from Couch Potato to Hot Potato, you must actually change your daily routine. So get movin’ and tackle one of these other tips!

5. VISUALIZE your Hot Potato: Did you figure out what your Hot Potato is yet? Imagine how your muscles will shimmer in the sunlight as you ride your mountain bike, or how the medal will feel around your neck when you finish that 5K... or how sexy you’ll feel in your new bikini – 2 sizes smaller. Whatever is going to motivate and excite you, picture it, keep it in your mind, and think of it whenever the going gets tough.

6. GET A TUMMY TUCK and a FACE

LIFT: (Not that kind; put down the checkbook!)

Lift and brighten your face by adding a smile.

Even if you don’t feel like it, do it any way. Smiling will elevate your mood and make you more attractive. As for the tummy tuck, simply imagine that your belly button is tied to a string and pull on the string until your belly button touches your spine.

The effect will be a tighter stomach, better posture, and you’ll burn extra calories just standing there!

7. CUT IT OFF:

Cut your TV time in half or – even better – cut it off. Instead, do something that will educate, inspire, or motivate you! Read a fitness magazine. Take a walk with a friend. Shop for your new swimsuit. Do #5, or anything else that will get you excited about your new challenge.

8. REWARD: Take time to reward yourself for every accomplishment you make, especially challenges that you overcome and habits that you break. Rather than going for the hot fudge sundae, give yourself something that will help your

mission. Get a hair cut, makeover, facial, mani/ pedi, new article of clothing, or massage. Give yourself a “freebie” hour to read something fun or take a relaxing bath. Do something that will lift your mood rather than negate or sabotage all the hard work you’re doing!

9. PUMP IT UP: Guess what? If you want to be a Hot Potato, you don’t have to become a marathoner, but you do have to get active. If you hate to run, don’t run. Take a walk or a hike or play tennis. Play basketball, ultimate Frisbee, go dancing, play tag with your kids, or water ski. Be creative—the bottom line is find something that you like to do and gets your heart pumping.

10. SLEEP: But not on the couch, Potato! To be a Hot Potato, you need a full night’s rest, and will look better without those bags under your eyes.

You’ll also have more energy for daily activities (including exercise) and be more productive.

Very Hot Potato-ish!

11. HYDRATE: Try to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water every day. If you’re a soda-holic then start by alternating one soda / one water, then one soda / 2 waters, etc. After a while you’ll lose the taste for the soda and start to crave the water. Shake things up a little by adding fresh fruit, cucumbers, or mint.

12. CLEAN HOUSE: Go into your kitchen and toss out everything you shouldn’t be eating.

Don’t worry about how much “money” you’re throwing away. Think about how many calories you’re eliminating and how many pounds you’re keeping off that Hot Potato body!

13. EAT: Yes, Hot Potatoes eat, too. But there is a difference between eating and eating right. To be a Hot Potato, you have to be selective about what, when, and how much you eat. To get it right,

visit a nutritionist or website such as sparkpeople.com for guidance on your caloric needs.

14. DECORATE (AKA - Keep your eye on the prize!): Go through a fitness magazine and find a picture of what Hot Potato means to you. Hang it on your bathroom mirror. Or buy that new two-sizes-smaller bikini and hang it on the fridge. Make your own 5K medal to wear around your neck as you practice running across the finish line. It’s easy to get discouraged if you’re not seeing big results immediately. Use visual stimulation to keep you motivated and on the path to Hotness.

15. GET SURROUND SOUND: Do not listen to friends, family, or colleagues who undermine your efforts. If you’ve decided to hit the gym instead of happy hour and they sway you in the wrong direction, don’t listen. Join a cooking club or take rowing lessons, or join a running group. Surround yourself with people who share your goals and fill your ears and mind with support and encouragement.

16. DO IT ANYWAY: Even the Hottest Potatoes struggle with motivation sometimes. The difference between types of potatoes is that Hot Potatoes do it anyway. Too tired to work out? Your favorite show is on? Stay disciplined. Hot potatoes may prefer carrot cake over carrots, but they make the healthy decision anyway. If you want to be a Hot Potato, you must live and act like a Hot Potato.

Make the right choices, even when you don’t want to.

Implement these 16 tips for the next 16 weeks, filter out the negative talk in your mind, and get energized about changing your routine.

It’s your decision…who do you want to be, Couch Potato or Hot Potato? If the answer is, Hot, then leave that Couch behind.

Monica Johnson is the founder & owner of No Excuses Fitness, a personal training firm in Charlotte, N.C. Learn more at www.noexcusesfitnesstraining.com.

Amanda Straus is founder & owner of The Next Step, a life coaching program that keeps people on track toward their goals. Learn more at www.next-step-coach.com

From Couch Potato to Hot Potato:

By Kimberly Gregory

How I Did It

It’s 6 a.m. It’s 30 degrees. And I’m about to run 17 miles.

How did I get myself into this?

At age 34, I decided I was going to run a marathon.

This is no small feat for a seasoned athlete, and quite daunting for little ol’ me…I did not exercise, didn’t watch what I ate, and really had not paid much attention to my overall health. I remember saying to my boyfriend,

“I think I want to run a marathon.” As the words left my mouth, I knew I could always get out of it. I didn’t REALLY have to run a marathon. So I decided I better move quickly or I wouldn’t ever do it.

I attended a Team in Training meeting within a week. The team presented several marathons, but the one that caught my attention was the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Hey, who doesn’t want to go to San Francisco? And I can just run a little marathon while I’m there. Done!

Then I started researching the marathon and knew this was something I had to do. The Nike Women’s marathon benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. My jaw dropped when I read that $18 million had been raised by over 23,000 participants the previous year. This was not something I could slink away from. This was something that people believe in and people benefit from, and now I was going to be part of it.

So, the training began. It was May and I showed up for my first Team in Training run. The coaches let us know we had an easy run today. “Only two miles!”

I had never run two miles in my life. I started running. I stopped. I ran some more. I stopped. I tried to keep up with my teammates and I think I made it a quarter of a mile. Stopped again. I walked the whole second mile. My lungs ached, my calves ached. I thought “There’s no way I can run 26.2 miles.”

I showed up again the next Saturday, and the next, and the next until it became my routine. I started training during the week—two days besides my Saturday run—with “easy” 3-5 mile runs. Believe it or not, the runs did get easier. Don’t get me wrong, it was always work, but my body started getting stronger and my endurance improved and I could do it.

In July, I sent out my letters of contribution to friends, family and coworkers.

People started sending me money to sponsor me in this marathon. I knew that these people had faith in me, they believed I could do it, and I knew there was no backing out. Everybody knew!

In two months, I had lost 10 pounds. People noticed. Daily, people made comments, “You look good!”, “Have you lost weight?” “What are you doing?” So, I told them I was training for a marathon. This was usually met

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 27

“Those boots were made for hiking.�

From leisurely strolls through wooded hillsides past rushing streams and quiet backcountry lakes, to challenging hikes that wind to the summits of ancient mountains, the trails of The Alleghenies will take you to places of striking beauty and abundant wildlife. So lace up the boots, tighten your hipbelt and make some tracks.

the alleghenies.com

|

with, “Really?” And yes, really. This gave me incentive to keep training. It seems the more people I told, the more accountable I was becoming. Not just for this marathon, but for my health, my life and my goals.

The training became more intense. I lost five more pounds. (Bonus!) My mileage increased, and soon I was running 12, 14, 17 and eventually a 20 mile run. The Team in Training coaches mapped out the courses each week and I always had the support of this team, which was invaluable.

In October, I started sweating it. I had a little anxiety the few weeks before the Nike Marathon. I called friends and lamented, “I can’t do it.” They said, “You have to. I gave you money.” And this was true. But the real truth was everyone believed in me.

October 21st rolled around and I found myself standing on the San Francisco starting line with 23,000 other women. Did I mention it was 4:30 a.m.?

I heard the gun to signal our start and started moving. We all did. It was truly overwhelming to look around me and see the faces of other women, REAL women, who were as anxious and excited as me. We didn’t all look like runners, but that day we were runners. And we were all doing this together.

It made the marathon larger than life.

At mile 19, I hit the wall. At mile 23, my run became a trot. The last mile was very emotional.

I cried as I crossed the finish line. I had done it.

I was a marathon finisher. I bought a t-shirt and everything.

In a matter of months, I had truly changed my lifestyle. I went from someone who never exercised or considered my health to someone who said things like, “Dig deep on this hill, girl!” And I was digging deep myself. I had accomplished a huge life goal.

Marathon: check!

Nowadays, I am still running with friends locally and plan to complete a half marathon in the spring. My boyfriend, who has been so inspired by my running, just completed a 5K in November. And I ran it with him just for fun. JUST FOR FUN! I am about to embark on my first coaching trial with Girls on the Run. This program encourages self esteem, healthy lifestyle choices and pride in just being a girl. Our team will consist of girls in grades 3-5 at a local elementary school. After 14 weeks of training and lessons, our girls will complete the Wondergirl 5K in May 2008. The December Wondergirl 5K had over 700 participants and was truly an inspirational event. Go girls!

Completing the Nike Women’s marathon was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. It changed my life and the way I live. I love the fact that I, Kimberly Gregory, am a marathon FINISHER. And the t-shirt is really cute, too.

“Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?”

For those who love the outdoors, there’s a place just waiting to be explored. Where fishermen cast in world-class waterways, kayakers and rafters run raging rapids, and bikers find challenges at every turn. Its lakes are home to boaters who come for sport and relaxation, its fields and woods the favored grounds of birdwatchers. Come, discover a land of rich history, striking beauty and endless adventure. t h e a l l e g h e n i e s . c o m |

readbreathe.com

||

breathe 29

PROFILE:

WILDSIDE ADVENTURES FOR WOMEN FOUNDER

MELODY BLANEY

By Leonard Adkins The Appalachian Trail may have a well-defined route, but you never know where a thru-hike on it may eventually lead. When Melody Blaney stepped forth from Springer Mountain in the spring of 1996, she thought she was merely beginning a journey that would take her from Georgia to Maine. That thruhike eventually led her to create one of the country’s premier adventure companies specializing in introducing women to the wonders of the outdoors.

Each year, Blaney leads more than 40 different adventures into some of America’s best backcountry areas.

Growing up in Ohio, Melody enjoyed playing in the woods around her home, but it was a serious illness that brought her to the Appalachian Trail. Her brother knew that hiking could help her maintain strength and stamina, so he introduced her to day hikes in Virginia. These short outings soon turned into weekend trips, where she met thru-hikers on the trail and ultimately decided to follow in their footsteps.

“From my thru-hike, I learned that I don’t need all of the material things that the modern world says we must posses in order to be fulfilled.

The simple life on the trail made me realize that being in the outdoors was where I was meant to be and where I was at my happiest.”

After her thru-hike, her newly acquired savviness about how to enjoy and survive comfortably in the wilderness resulted in a job as trip leader for an outdoor education center close to the trail.

“Many of my clients were women from New York City who had little experience being in the woods or were not comfortable going on a solo outing. During the trips, I watched how much they came to appreciate the wonders of nature, the confidence they gained in their own abilities, and the pleasure they derived by sharing what they went through with other women.”

Realizing there was a void to be filled, Blaney, along with Patty Landovisk, an author and avid bicyclist, established Wildside Adventures for Women.

Based in Catawba, Virginia, the business now employs ten other women as co-leaders for reasonably priced outings.

Blaney gets to spend almost every weekend backpacking places from South Carolina to South Dakota, mountain biking in North Carolina, climbing in Kentucky, rafting in West Virginia, road biking in Pennsylvania, or sea kayaking off the coast of Georgia.

Blaney’s accomplishments bring to mind the famous quotation from Thoreau: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Of course, Henry was just a bit wrong. The pronoun “she” is missing from the statement.

You can learn more about Melody Blaney, her book A Journey of FriendshipA Thru-Hike on the Appalachian Trail, and Wildside Adventures for Women at www.wildsideadventures.com.

30 breathe

||

readbreathe.com

It’s like stilettos you can run in.

Meet the Subaru Impreza. A powerful 170-horsepower Subaru Boxer engine, available audio and video inputs, and a crisp sound system to get you moving. And All-Wheel Drive standard for real sure-footedness in something so racy. Ready to move. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

The Impreza® at subaru.com

Starting at $17,495†

2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-door with manual transmission. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price.

2008 Impreza 2.5i 5-door with manual transmission and Premium Package model shown has MSRP of $18,995.