Tag Archives: health

To Stay Healthy, What Counts?

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“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.” — Albert Einstein Lost in a technological daze, we easily forget our basic human needs. We sit and stare at Twitter jams and traffic feeds. We forget to eat or mindlessly munch. We don’t get enough sleep. We don’t notice our aches and pains until they scream at us. When our health falters, we’re told to start counting. Carbs, calories, reps, steps. We tally Continue reading →

The Image of Fitness: Can You Exercise to Achieve the Perfect Body?

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My social media feed regularly spouts pornographic images of, chiseled bodies called “Fitspo”. Short for “fit inspiration,” the photos sometimes include messages about discipline, pushing your limits, and empowerment. So why do these images irritate me? Apparently, fitness boils down to looking good in a bikini. The epitome of the female body shifts with each historical era and the muscled physique appears to be a current ideal. The commercialized homogeneity imposes a rigid definition of beauty and contorts our self Continue reading →

Is the Fitness Industry Tearing You Apart?

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As we begin personal training sessions many clients request, “I want to tone my arms, abs, or lower body.” Female clients often refer to their “muffin top,” “flabby belly,” or “thunder thighs.” Where did we learn to fragment and insult ourselves like this? Fitness magazines characterize the body with “trouble zones” and sell workouts to “sculpt” your booty or belly.  Spot reduction, or fat loss to individual areas of the body, has been repeatedly debunked. Yet ThighMaster and Ab-lounger infomercials constantly Continue reading →

Spiritual vs. Physical Yoga

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I have been asked, “Why don’t you teach the more ‘spiritual’ kind of yoga?” It’s true that I don’t talk about God and one of my students recently commented that I wasn’t an “Om’er”. That question puzzles me because it assumes a fundamental separation between body and spirit. It implies that we could attend to our physical health or transcend to a higher pursuit. With clear and erudite teaching, I enjoy classes with more mystical language, Sanskrit chanting, and spiritual Continue reading →

Old-Fashioned Health and Hotness

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Do you dislike your nose, height, hair color, or waistline? You can buy myriad “fixes” for your flawed body: plastic surgery, lifting shoes, hair dye, or decades of diets. Here is another idea: take the issue up with your ancestors. Instead of consuming an external solution, turn inward. Your genes reveal your lineage. Your very existence proves that your forebearers did more than survived. They were hot enough to get it on. Listen closely to your DNA, you may hear Continue reading →