Dr. Michael Kerr points out that compulsive optimism is one of the way we bind our anxiety to avoid confronting it.  This coping mechanism is often used when physical symptoms are presented in the body. How many times have you heard that positive thinking will cure the disease you are faced with. 

Rather than try and convince your body and mind that all is well, we need to have a two-pronged inquiry:  what is the illness saying about the past and present, and what will help in the future?  Traditional medicine focuses only on the second half without considering fully what contributed to the illness in the first place.  Such "positive" methods fill the bookshelves.

In order to heal, it is essential to gather the strength to think negatively.  Negative thinking is not the same as a pessimistic view that is often called "realism".  Rather it is a willingness to consider what is not working.  Ask yourself, what is not in balance? What have I ignored?  What is my body trying to tell me?  Without exploring these answers the stresses responsible for our lack of balance will remain hidden.  The trick is to be body aware and notice the manifestation of stress in your body BEFORE it becomes chronic. Mind/body movement practices teach you to become more present in your body and in tune with what you are feeling on a regular basis.  Nia is one of the best mind/body exercises you can do!  Try it once and you are hooked, try it again and you slowly become more aware of what your body is saying to you.  

We have all been to the gym and know what it like to life a weight for 12 repetitions, and then do it again two more times.  How often do you start to daydream and forget how many you have done?  That is habitual movement.  Doing the movement without really focusing on the physical sensations your body is feeling.  In Nia, we move functionally and with purpose.  We practice without shoes, so that we are aware of how we are moving. The 7000 nerve endings on the foot intensifies the physical and psychological feeling of being grounded.  Turn off auto-pilot and move with purpose.  You are not a robot.

Fitness must address the Human Being, not just the Human Body.  Exercise that is done strictly for it's own physical sake, divorced from emotions and human spirit, isn't satisfying, isn't fun and eventually fails. Nia simultaneously addresses the body, mind, spirit and emotions.  Nia uses physical activity to integrate one's neurology with one's outer body.  Check back soon for a class near you!

Lose your shoes and you stand to gain.  Wearing shoes can reduce how much you use the muscles in your arch, the foot's core, and dampen the feedback cycle between your feet and your brain.  That causes foot muscles to weaken with bones and joints taking the brunt of the force, which increases the risk of heel pain and other foot and leg problems.  So dig your toes into the soft summer grass and let the pain-easing magic begin. Or better yet, take up Nia!  In Nia we dance in bare feet for exactly this reason.

Confused about the different styles of yoga?  I have been practicing for many years and only recently discovered the difference between the several to choose from.  Here is the readers digest version.

• Ashtanga-is a gymnastic style developed by Pattabhi, a student of one of the original yoga masters.
• Bikram-hot yoga that more resembles boot camp than yoga.
• Hatha-the ancient classic.
• Iyengar-the modern classic.
• Kundalini-the heavy breathing style popularized by a Sikh mystic.
• Power-an aggressive form of Ashtanga.
• Vinyasa-a flowing style developed relatively late in life by a yogi and popularized by his student, Srivatsa Ramaswami.

Who knew there were so many?  They all have their merits so choose the one that suits your personality and dosha.

The joy of movement is the secret to health.  Excess exercise puts as much stress on your body as does over eating or mental anxiety.  The key to health is the pleasure principal.  If it feels good do more of it and if it doesn't then stop. The "no pain, no gain" or "feel the burn" has no place in any fitness regime.  If you enjoy the movement then chances are you will continue and fitness will be a pleasant by-product to the activity.  This is the philosophy of Nia.  Check out a class.  The first one is free!  If nothing else, come for the pants and stay for the dance!

This ancient Vedic saying underscores the importance of not what you eat but how you eat.  Your body will assimilate more of the nutrients from a Big Mac eaten under a tree at a park, than a salad eaten in your car rushing from one place to another.  Food consumed mindfully is better than any elimination diet and will produce better results than following the latest fad diet. "To eat is human, but to digest is divine."  

After lathering up in a warm shower, do a 30 second blast of cold water!  Once the initial shock wears off, you will feel more invigorated as blood flows away from the surface of your body toward your core to try and conserve heat.  One study found that it actually helps release endorphins, so that your polar bear moment could have an antidepressant effect.

I often suffer from bloat for many reasons, flying (in an airplane), eating cold foods, irregular routine, and driving in the city.  All activities that increase the air in my system and therefore the bloat that goes with it.  One of the best ways I have found to combat the feeling of exploding is to drink a tonic made from cumin, coriander and fennel.  

Flat Belly Tea for Two!

• 500 mL water
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

Set the water to boil.  Meanwhile, toast the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, until they release their aroma.  Transfer the seeds to a pestle and mortar and lightly bruise.  Remove the boiling water from the heat source and steep the seeds in the water for 5 minutes or cool enough to drink.  Strain out the seeds and serve.  

I don't know about you all, but I have just worked through a very unpleasant cold/cough/flu.  One remedy that I find helpful is to sip on Ginger Cinnamon Tea often throughout the day.  This tea is especially good for colds that include congestion, headache, body aches and a runny nose.  It is also a great way to ward off a cold when you feel it coming, on as it boosts immunity.

Ginger Cinnamon Tea
1 tsp. of grated ginger
1/2 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon or 1 small stick
pinch of cardamon or 1 crushed cardamon pod

Add the ingredients to one cup of boiling water and let steep for 5-10 minutes.  Strain into a cup and add one teaspoon of raw honey once it has cooled a bit.

Word of caution, do not combine ginger and aspirin as they are both blood thinners and should not be taken together.