Guest Blog—The Gift of Knowing Yourself

Being Present—It’s All GOOD

By Lori Flynn

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin

I teach yoga. As a yoga teacher, it is my passion to guide people into the present moment, help them watch their thoughts and start to feel and sense rather than spend so much time “thinking.”

The meditation and movement work we do in a 75-minute class, over time, begins to find its way into the lives of students in the world outside of the yoga studio. It is through this work that we begin to notice the “ruts” our thoughts create in our lives and the automatic responses that follow certain triggers.

At first, this can be frightening for people. Many people approach yoga as a strictly physical practice. When I lead a meditation at the beginning of class I can almost hear the mind chatter of students. Once it begins to die down, there is a calmness that takes over the room—followed quickly by a panic of sorts: eyes suddenly opening, nervous glancing around the room, hair fixing and outfit manipulations.

After a few classes, though, a new student begins to settle quickly into the meditation and remains calm for the 8-10 minute period of stillness. Week after week, students return, their small talk at the beginning of class evolving from “Hi. How are you? I am fine,” to “I’ve had some major shifts in my life in the way that I’ve been dealing with stress at my job.”

When we start any practice centered around the concept of watching the mind, a new world opens to us. We first are met with the concept of what is commonly referred to as the “witness consciousness.”

As soon as we notice we are “watching our thoughts,” we are faced with the question of WHO is watching. Am I not my thoughts? If not, what ARE these things?

It is our minds’ duties to create stories and assist us in making sense of the world. Once we start to tune in to that process, the new territory can be both thrilling and scary. We are creatures of habit and can be extremely attached to our coping mechanisms, crutches, addictions and behaviors. Without taking the time to sit with ourselves for even a few minutes a day, these deep ruts can actually nurture behaviors that are no longer serving us. This is what drives us crazy.

When we learn to be present with our thoughts, we can start to look at the way we integrate experience into our lives. If we are not seeing the results that make us feel safe, secure and valued, we can pinpoint a reaction to our thought stream that is no longer serving us.

Then, we can start to experiment with new ways of “being” in our own lives. The good news is that because what we’ve been doing up until now isn’t working for us anymore, we get to try any number of approaches that just might. The ‘not so good at first’ news is that it is scary. Changing life-long habits requires stepping out of a comfort zone.  But think about it—is it really that comfy if we’re seeking a way out? Probably not.

We live in a busy world of reactive decision-making. Remember to take time for yourself throughout the day to simply take a deep breath and stop for a minute. You really don’t need any formal guidance to simply sit, tune in to your own thoughts and bring yourself into the present moment.

If you want to explore and go deeper, then certainly shop around for a teacher and practice that resonates with you. Either way, giving yourself the gift of knowing yourself and integrating daily experience into your personal evolutionary path is one of the best things you can do for your physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Have fun!

Lori is a musician, yoga teacher and gypsy currently residing in Lyons, CO. Visit her on Facebook or at FullCircleYogaOnline.com.

Guest Blog—My current recipe for exercise success:

Variation and Rewards

By Bobby McCullough

It was a little over a year ago that I decided to get proactive about my health and integrate exercise into my daily life. As someone who was aiming to be mentally healthier, I recognized that improving my physical health would be a crucial part of the solution.

  

With all the traveling that I do, I initially had concerns about whether I would be able to maintain any kind of exercise schedule.  As it turns out, I found that the inconsistencies in my whereabouts and schedule could actually help keep things interesting!  

First and foremost, I have had some of the most amazingly scenic runs while on the road: on the trails of Redwood National Forest, in the mountains of Colorado and through the urban landscapes of cities like San Francisco and Seattle.  

When I toured last summer, I also used running as a way to explore the small towns that we tour through.  I would wake up early on Saturdays to shop at the local farmers markets or I would find some interesting local stores I wanted to visit and base my run around them.  I also get to visit so many different gyms and yoga studios, the change of atmosphere is something I now look forward to.  

On this past tour with Benyaro, I went to about 15-20 different yoga studios, took a variety of types of classes and practiced with all kinds of people.  With all these variables, exercising on the road becomes more fun and interesting.  Also, between meeting people after the band’s performances and meeting people the next day at markets, stores and yoga classes, I feel like I haven’t just seen a town but have been able to get small sense of the community there.

The other focus that has kept me going for the last year is creating rewards for myself.  The first thing I focused on was how great it felt after exercising in the morning and feeling like I had earned my breakfast.  

When I first started, my goal was just to “do something” before breakfast—simple.  Whether it was a short jog, some weightlifting or a yoga class, I would find something to do before I ate breakfast.  

I love feeling like I have earned my food that day and also enjoy the feeling of actually being hungry, not just eating out of habit. Also, if I exercise at some point during the day, I feel like I can go out and not have to be as cautious about how much I eat or if I have too much dessert, because I have earned it.  I’ve found that it’s amazing how much you can eat when you exercise regularly!  

Focusing on rewarding myself enjoying the rewards that naturally come from exercising are what fuel my motivation to keep moving.

Bobby McCullough is a touring musician living in NYC, who has recently refocused much of his energy on healthy and happy living.

Guest Blog—Picture Rock: Scenes from Life in a Colorado Mountain Town

Picture Rock, Installment Two

Jam

By EZ Ryyder

Climbing up the worn wooden stairs, we’re surrounded by promo photos of musicians from the days when bands had press kits.  I smile at Katy, and the Prophet just nods as we stroll through the front reception area.  I slip the mandolin case off my shoulder and stash it behind the Elvis statue. The Prophet hangs on to his banjo case.

The restaurant is packed with mountain bikers, kayakers, local families, tourists, climbers and an assortment of people that just can't be classified.  The wait staff is bustling around, explaining the beer selections, taking orders and carrying trays with a mixture of plates and glasses.  There doesn't seem to be an open seat and there is no hint of what's to come. 

We wander into the other room, sort of an upstairs bar with “seat yourself” tables in the center of the room, high tops along the walls and windows that look out on the hills and redstone cliffs.  There is a wrap around porch outside with more tables through the heavy glass door.  There are a couple of seats at the bar and we slide in and stake our claim.  Annie’s blue-green eyes sparkle our way from under her curly brown hair while she fills two pints and talks to an older gentleman with a fishing cap and a scraggly beard, and before you know it, she asks us what we’ll have.  I order a Devious Ale and the Prophet gets a whiskey and a glass of water.

We wait for the other musicians to show, sip our drinks and talk about how quickly the trails are drying out. 

Kasey and Erik host the weekly bluegrass jam at the brewery.  Most of the time, at least one of them is off touring with a band. Tonight, they are both in town and there is a buzz of anticipation as a few more folks carrying instruments walk into the bar and tuck their instrument cases out of the way.  Or try to.  The cases are always in the way. 

Around eight o’clock, the last guests finish their dinner and as soon as they get up, people start clearing the tables and carrying them out to the porch and stack them on the outside tables.  Next, the chairs are dragged across the wooden floor and arranged in a circle.  The instruments come out and banjos, fiddles, mandolins and guitars somehow get spaced out so there aren’t too many in a row. 

Erik kicks off the jam with a John Hartford tune, “Here I Am In Love Again.”  After the first verse, the solos start snaking their way around the circle.  When it gets to me, I do my best to play crisp notes that project across the room and don’t get lost in the volume of the jam. Then it’s back to the next verse and the solos pick up at the spot in the circle where they left off.

Most of the pickers are quite competent.  Some are spectacular. 

After the song finishes, the next person in the circle selects the next song and around it goes.  By now, there are 15 people in the main circle and there is barely room to stand in the bar.  Soon, additional circles begin to split off in other parts of the building and as the evening rolls along, the real pros start to show up. 

There is a jam circle in the front lobby, two in the main dining room and one on the back porch.  That’s not counting the main jam that got things going.  The place is mobbed.  The Tuesday night ride from the Cyclery has occupied the large, Viking-length table in the back—which seems fitting as this group has been pillaging the most technical terrain above town for the past few hours wearing headlamps. 

Clusters of people fill the open space between the jams.  It’s hard to tell the musicians from the fans or the random folk that stumbled into something real and alive, ebbing and flowing with notes flying through the air and bouncing off the walls.

I wander into the other room to check out another circle and see the Prophet tearing it up with Kasey, Joseph, Topher and some fiddle player that I’ve never met.  Kasey is singing “I’ve Endured” and it strikes me that this is probably one of the most enduring jams anywhere. 

As on most Tuesdays, I feel lucky to be here.


Next: Installment Three, Spin

© EZ Ryyder 2012

EZ Ryyder spends his time a little bit farther down the road.  Past the city limits.

Guest Blog—Goodbye West, Hello Bagels

By Bobby McCullough

It feels great to be back home in New York City after being on tour since mid-January.  I had been touring with the band Benyaro, traveling through 10 states, performing 47 times in about 60 days.  

Although I did not miss the loud horns and sirens, the crowded subways or the lack of interaction between people in public, I do enjoy not having to unpack my things every night only to pack them up again in the morning.  Now in the same place for a while, I’ve been able to spend the last week recharging, seeing friends and stuffing my face with bagels.

The tour started mid-January in Utah, where we performed at the Sundance Film Festival and saw people like Andy Samberg (SNL) and Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation).  The second day at the festival was our first encounter with heavy snowfall, which we would end up dealing with again the second half of the trip.  

Next we went through California, starting with San Francisco and working our way north through the beautiful wine country, playing some good concerts accompanied by good weather.  From there we moved north through the coasts of Oregon and Washington where I saw some breathtaking shorelines and one amazing sunset.


        

In eastern Washington, we had the pleasure of staying with a local high school football coach in Colfax, and I managed to pull my back out while working out alongside his football team.  We then headed east through Idaho and Montana, playing college towns such as Moscow (University of Idaho) and Bozeman (Montana State University).  This is where our second bout with snowstorms began.  

We left Montana for even more snow in Wyoming where we spent a few days off around the Grand Teton Mountains.  From here we played some more shows in Idaho and Wyoming, at one point dealing with some serious road closures in which roads were closed for days, causing us to have improv some dangerous alternative routes in order to get to our concerts. 
        

We headed south to do a long string of shows in Colorado, one of my favorite states to both perform in and see.  This year, along with performing in our usual towns such as Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, we also saw a few new places, such as Lyons and Eagle.  

After Colorado we played a couple of shows in New Mexico and got to stay two nights in a small town called Cerrillos, which used to be a mining town and now is home to only a few hundred people. I went on one of my favorite runs here in the local state park, and explored the gorgeous, mountainous desert landscape. 

We finished the tour in Austin at the SXSW Festival.  I have never been so overwhelmed with great music before.  It was almost stressful trying to decide which acts to see because there were hundreds to chose from.  It was also crazy to be in 80-degree weather when only two weeks earlier I had gone running one morning in Jackson, WY, and it was only 5 degrees.

Keep an eye out for my next blog, as I share more stories from my journey in music and wellness.  

Bobby McCullough is a touring musician living in NYC, who has recently refocused much of his energy on healthy and happy living.   

Guest Blog—Picture Rock: Scenes from Life in a Colorado Mountain Town

Picture Rock, Installment One

Melt

By EZ Ryyder

The Estimated Prophet turned the key and the Rover started.  Glancing back to make sure the dog was clear or that a moose wasn’t directly in his path, he backed up and got rolling down the backside of the hill.  I sort of looked back too.  Just to double check.

North Road goes north, as it should.  At the turn, the road drops away and gets pretty muddy.  Most people avoid a stretch like this at this time of year unless they have four-wheel drives.  Even then, it is so narrow and the runoff has cut ruts so deep on the edges that there are two-foot ditches where the plowed up banks used to be.  When it’s dry, it’s still a pretty tight squeeze to let two cars get by.  You’re only going about five miles per hour and you wave or nod as you pass each other.   It’s close.  Now, with the mud, if you move over at the wrong spot you will sink to your axles.  Even with the Rover, you’re in for a poke in the mud. 

It’s sunny and the snow is melting. 

There is a low fog trapped by the redstone walls and even though the sage is barely showing, it smells rich and pungent.  Dripping and trickling, snowmelt water runs down the road in narrow veins and where they merge, the path washes out.  I keep an eye out to be sure the Prophet doesn’t drift away with thoughts somewhere else.  He never does.  But you never know. 

Down past the old horse ranch the road plunges through a little gully and then climbs right back up the other side towards a long ridgeline.  At the top of the hill you could see the divide across the mountain valley if it weren’t for the fog trapped by the hillside.  Where the road crosses the highway it turns to pavement but don’t think you will go much faster.  The dips and holes will shake and buck your shocks and springs until they squeak or your fillings rattle out.   Slow going all around. 

So, you might as well look out to see if there is anything moving where the forest meets the meadow. You could see a flock of wild turkeys or a coyote.  Maybe an elk.  I don’t think you will see the bear.  Definitely call out if you do.  I haven’t seen him in a while. 

Once, he snorted at me from behind a big boulder when I was riding my mountain bike.  Actually he growled at Marley and the dog veered off.  We just kept going.  The next day I went back without the canine patrol and walked around that big rock to the back.   Just to see if there were any signs or tracks.  There was a dug out corner where the bear was digging and some tracks.  That was early last fall.  I know he is still around because he was at Mary Anne’s feeder just last week.  He’s a big old brownish-black male and I’m pretty sure the Prophet was on the hill first but maybe not. 

Rolling down to the river we come to a stop by the “put in” spot.  It’s still early in the season and the runoff hasn’t really even started.  With hardly a word, we pull our waders on over our jeans and lace up our felt bottom boots.  I tie on a Griffith’s Gnat while the Prophet selects a twisted midge.  

Stepping into the water, I can feel the 38-degree water welling around my feet and below my knees.  I’m not getting wet but I’m glad the water is still slow and low.  Before long, this river will rise and come crashing down the canyon like it’s nobody’s business.  For now, I work my way upstream to a quiet hole surrounded by lodgepoles and aspens.  The Prophet heads down stream.  He always walks downstream.   He’ll still be fishing long after I’m done.  I’ll find him a couple of miles down Redstone Creek with the sun shining on his shoulders, his rod dancing above the water.


Next: Installment Two, Jam

© EZ Ryyder 2012

EZ Ryyder spends his time a little bit farther down the road.  Past the city limits.

Guest Blog—Spring Cleaning for Your Mind and Body

By Lori Flynn

Full Circle Yoga

Spring has arrived and brought with it a transformative energy that can be found in and around us. In tune with nature, our stored energy from winter introspection is now bursting at the seams to be nurtured and materialize in one way or another. 

With spring, comes the participation—willingly or not—in noticeable internal and external shifts. Some of us find ourselves moving, buying a new car or switching jobs, while others start new relationships, pick up a new instrument or just generally seek new ways of “be”-ing. Whatever the change of seasons has brought your way, there are some crucial areas of life to nurture that will help you maximize how this time of shift and transformation can best serve you.

Be Selfish – when we board a plane and are given the emergency instructions we are told to secure our oxygen mask before helping others. That is the kind of healthy selfishness needed to nurture change in ourselves. Make time for you: walking in nature admiring spring's abundance, setting aside a space in your home for meditation and quiet reflection, or visiting an art museum are all soulful solo activities that connect you to your source, allowing you to really become in tune with where your path is taking you. We all want to participate in our chosen communities; there is no greater gift we can give “the whole” than showing up as the best version of ourselves.

Fuel – Just as walking in nature helps to neutralize our human emotional frenzy, having a diet as close to nature as possible is one of the best ways to honor our minds and bodies. Take inventory of what you’re eating and recognize that food is your fuel. Cultivate a relationship with your food when possible; grow veggies, visit an organic farm, get to know your local farmers. Eat mindfully; set aside a time and space in your home or in nature to eat your meal and fully enjoy it; honor all the elements of nature and humans that participated in getting your food to your plate. Most importantly, opt for food and drink with as little alterations from nature as possible.

Exercise – Movement helps us to relieve stress, clearing our minds and allowing us to establish our center. Not exercising? Start now. Bored with your current routine? Try something new! Possibilities are endless year round: hiking, skiing, yoga, stand up paddle boarding, dance, running. Remember, what works for others may not resonate with you; try a variety of things in order to find something that fits…or embark on an adventure to try one new thing each week.

Sleep – Get some. Preferably eight hours per night. While ongoing research has yet to nail down the exact reason that we sleep, we really don’t need to know the reason for it to know that it’s good for us. Theories include body-based muscle recovery and brain-based information integration—both of which are crucial for maintaining and establishing wellness.

Create –Find an outlet for your creative energy—drawing, painting, dancing, journaling, cooking—and let your right brain do the driving. Keep the energy flowing!

Lori is a musician, yoga teacher and gypsy currently residing in Lyons, CO. Visit her on Facebook or at FullCircleYogaOnline.

Get a Good Night's Sleep the Natural Way!

Getting a good night’s rest is so important to your health, which is why the topic of quality, restful sleep has been in the news a lot recently.  Sleeping better obviously helps you feel more alert, but it can also improve your productivity, keep you on track with your diet, help you live longer, and make you a happier, healthier person in general. And did you know that people who have been awake more than 16 hours perform the same as those who are legally impaired in a roadside evaluation? Yikes!

More sleep keeps you healthy and can result in weight loss because of the production of two specific hormones during REM sleep. Leptin and gherlin are hormones that regulate the appetite and our feelings of “fullness.”  If we have too little sleep leptin levels plummet, resulting in the feeling of not being satisfied after a meal.  At the same time, gherlin levels rise, causing us to feel more hungry.  Recently scientists have discovered that high levels of gherlin not only make us gravitate toward food, but also crave higher carbohydrate, fatty foods.  Being awake longer does not necessarily mean we are burning more calories, however, so we gain weight.

Although some people turn to medications to fall asleep at night, there is new research that shows this may not be the best way to manage sleep issues. In a recent study, use of prescription sleeping pills was linked with increased risk of earlier mortality, including cancer deaths. The study found people who took18 sleeping pills or fewer per year had more than 3.5 times higher a risk for death than those who didn't take any sleeping pills.

What can you do to sleep better without prescriptions? It shouldn’t be a surprise that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you get better sleep, but there are specific natural foods that also aid in quality sleep.  Recently, Dr. Oz featured five foods on his television program that can help you get a more restful sleep—including tart cherry juice!

Tart cherry juice made from Montmorency cherries contains a high level of melatonin, a naturally occurring compound produced by humans, animals, plants and microbes. Melatonin has several important functions in the human body, including in the sleep cycle. In our modern lives, many things are thought to disrupt the natural cycle of melatonin production in our bodies, including artificial light, electronics, jet lag and shift work. Drinking one or two 8 oz. servings of tart cherry juice everyday provides a steady supply of melatonin that can help you get a deeper, more restful sleep.  

Here in Cheribundi Land, we like to drink ours late in the afternoon, around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. How about you?