While driving Friday, an NPR report caught my attention .....An Australian study showed a connection between TV watching and earlier death (yikes) citing the usual suspects, sedentary lifestyles, cardiovascular disease, etc. but what really caught my attention was their root cause, and the suggestion.
Root cause: (I paraphrase) of issues: muscles not contracting, and therefor atrophying.
Suggestion: Find ways to contract muscles during TV sessions. They suggest moving around (such as a brisk walk around the house during commercials ;-) but I have a better idea.
Given the wiggliness of my children, I rarely relax on the couch when the family is gathered for viewing. (And, to be honest, I like sitting by the fire.) So I have a series of favorite yoga stretches, poses that I regularly do while watching TV.
Now, the classic texts of yoga do say that the purpose of the yoga poses are to build heat to purify the body and still the mind for meditation. But, these same sages say that yoga practices can help us find contentment, even if sitting in cold, muddy water.
Can yoga poses help me find contentment when my football team is losing, or watching Bear Grylls on Discovery Channel (and protect me from early death, as above?)
I have found this to be so. And let me share a few of my favorites, categorized by those you can do anytime (ie, when there is company) and those that look a little strange, but worth doing!
Anytime TV - Yoga Positions/Stretches
1. Butterfly pose. Feet together, knees dropping outward, hands holding onto ankles, sitting tall, hold 8 breaths.
2. Single leg forward fold. Extend one leg forward, keep holding one ankle. Keep eye on screen and lengthen forward over extended leg. Hold eight breaths. Reverse legs, repeat.
3. Shoulder/Chest opener. Sitting cross legged, clasp hands behind tailbone. Extend fists away from bottom, hold for eight breaths, squeezing shoulder blades together, taking gaze to the top of the TV set (or above, if you're not really watching, but just hanging out.)
4. Reverse plank pushups. Extending the legs in front, hands on floor behind bottom, lifing hips up, keeping heart lifted, and doing small, tricep intensive pushups. Do about 20 or so at a time.
5. Seated twist. Sitting cross legged, put right hand on left knee, and put left hand behind tail bone. Sit up tall as you inhale, and exhale twisting to gaze at your left shoulder. Hold for 3 breaths and reverse.
Yoga Poses when its Just Family
1 Cat Cow series. On all fours, inhaling stretching your head and tailbone to the ceiling, letting your bellow drop low, as you exhale, drawing shoulder blades and belly button upward.
2.Downward Facing Dog, to Plank (take a few breaths in each). If you can, add a pushup or two before repeating.
3. Chair pose, with twist. Starting from standing, drop weight into heels and lower hips towards heels, hold in pose for about 4 breaths. Arms can be up by ears, out in front of shoulders, or resting at hips. After a few to the front, finish chair by bringing right elbow to the outside of left knee, bring hands into prayer position in middle of chest, and twist. Repeat to other side.
4. East West Stretch. Start sitting up with feet in front. Bring hands onto ground behind hips. Lift hips off ground, holding body in upward facing plank (pushup postition). After 3 breaths, lower hips, lift hands to sky and reach forard to stretch torso forward to feet for 3 breaths. Repeat several times.
Once you've done these a couple of times, you'll not need to think about them, and you can easily strech and enjoy your programs, family time, and keep your blood flowing!
Let me know if you have other favorites!
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