AcroCore - Seattle Yoga and Fitness with Andreas Fetz » Uncategorized

Parenting as Yoga

Andreas — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:25:20 +0000

My wife and I recently had our first kid, a baby boy named Octavian. While I am brand new to being a parent, one thing that struck me immediately was how similar in some ways being a parent is to meditation. Both require you to stay with the moment, to simply be present with what is happening, and both require a certain balance of effort and surrender.

While I’ve had a meditation practice for a while now, I will admit that at times, it’s been hard for me to see concrete examples of how I’ve grown through that practice. I might be able to stay with my breath a little longer now than when I started, but I wasn’t sure that my life had changed much as a direct result of the practice. It ‘s sometimes easy to think of yoga as something that you do only in a controlled environment – either at the studio or in a meditation corner at home, while the rest of life continues on pretty much as normal.

As a new parent however, I’ve had to call upon my mindfulness practice repeatedly in order to be fully present for my child. A meditation practice has given me a valuable tool in beginning this new journey, and conversely, bringing mindfulness to my every day life allows me to practice yoga wherever I am.

Being a parent has reminded me of why we practice – so that when life calls on us to be present, to deal with a crying child without crying ourselves, to experience the rush of rush hour traffic without losing our sense of calm, or to be there for a friend in need, we are able to call upon our experiences and remind ourselves that ‘I know how to do this. I know how to stay with this moment and be centered even when other thoughts might be trying to draw me away from that center”

For the teachers

Andreas — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:00:26 +0000

I was quoted in a Yoga Journal article that just came out. It’s an interesting overview of subbing if you are interested. http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2721.

Being Present

Andreas — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:38:54 +0000

I’ve been a little behind on posting to this blog for the last month or so, but I have a good excuse! My wife and I just welcomed our first child – a little baby boy named Octavian Orion Fetz Stallings. I’m taking some time off until the new year to enjoy these first few weeks to their fullest. This is to say, I probably won’t be posting much here and I might be hard to get in touch with for a little while, though then again, I might not. It’s hard to say really. Have a great holiday season and I look forward to seeing some of you again in the new year!

New Sequence – Week of 8/23 Pose Focus – Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakopatasana)

Andreas — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:28:39 +0000

At the end of each week, I post the sequence that I’ve been teaching that week during my classes in Seattle. For more sequences from other weeks, click here. And if you would like to see these sequences in action, come join me for a class!

Grounding and Warm Up

Accomplished Pose	Siddhasana
Core Work
Cat Cow	Chakravakasana
Downward Dog	Adhho Mukha Savasana

Flow – 3x each side

Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana
Downward Dog	Adho Mukha Savasana
Low Lunge	Anjaneyasana
Revolved Side Angle	Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Downward Dog	Adho Mukha Svanasana
Repeat 2nd Side
Locust (1st 2 rounds)	Salambhasana
Bow (last round)	Dhanurasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana

Standing Poses

Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Eagle Pose	Garudasana
Warrior 3	Virabhadrasana 3
Low Lunge	Anjaneyasana
Lunge – bring torso inside leg
Pigeon	Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Downward Dog – Repeat 2nd Side	Adho Mukha Savasana
Warrior 2	Virabhadrasana 2
Triangle	Trikonasana
Half Moon	Ardha Chandrasana

Seated and Inversions

Head Stand	Sirsasana
Staff Pose	Dandasana
Head to Knee Pose	Janu Sirsasana
Bound Angle Pose/ Cobbler’s Pose	Baddha Konasana
Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend	Upavista Konasana
Baradvaja’s Pose	Baradvajasana
Reclined Big Toe Pose (reaching up 3x with hands – flow with breath)	Supta Padangusthasana
Supine Spinal Twist
Corpse Pose	Savasana

New Sequence – Week of 8/16 Pose Focus – Shoulder Pressing Pose (Bhujapidasana)

Andreas — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:28:29 +0000

Grounding and Warm Up

Accomplished Pose	Siddhasana
Seated Twists
Seated Side Bends
Bound Angle Pose/ Cobbler’s Pose	Baddha Konasana
Cat Cow	Chakravakasana
Downward Dog	Adhho Mukha Savasana

Flow – 2x each side

Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Chair	Utkatasana
Revolved Chair	Parivrtta Utkatasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana
Downward Dog	Adhho Mukha Savasana
Low Lunge	Anjaneyasana
Intense Side Stretch Pose/ Pyramid	Parsvottanasana
Revolved Side Angle (variation rolling to outside of foot)	Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Prayer Squat	Namaskarasana
Crane	Bakasana
Downward Dog	Adho Mukha Svanasana

Standing Poses

One Legged Chair (option of arm balance or forward bend)	Eka Pada Utkatasana
Wide Legged Forward Bend	Prasarita Padottanasana
Warrior 2 (variation w/ arm around back)	Virabhadrasana 2
Triangle (variation w/ arm around back)	Trikonasana
Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana
Downward Dog	Adhho Mukha Savasana/td>
Dragonfly Shoulder Opening Stretch
Shoulder Pressing Pose	Bhujapidasana
Firefly Pose (option)	Tittibhasana

Seated Poses

Staff Pose	Dandasana
Head to Knee Pose	Janu Sirsasana
Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend	Upavista Konasana
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose	Ardha Matsyendrasana
Plow	Halasana
Shoulderstand	Sarvangasana
Fish Pose	Matsyasana
Reclined Big Toe Pose	Supta Padangusthasana
Supine Spinal Twist
Corpse Pose	Savasana

New Sequence – Week of 8/10 Pose Focus – Lotus (Padmasana)

Andreas — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:28:20 +0000

Grounding and Warm Up

Siddhasana
Seated Twists
Thread the Needle / Under the Bed	Sucirandhrasana
Downward Dog	Adhho Mukha Savasana

Flow – 3x each side

Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Standing Side Bends	Chandrasana
Chair	Utkatasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana
Half Chair	Ardha Utkatasana
Standing Forward Bend	Uttanasana
Side Plank	Vasisthasana
Knee to nose flow – 3x
Warrior 1	Virabhadrasana 1
Downward Dog	Adho Mukha Svanasana

Standing Poses

Mountain Pose	Tadasana
Eagle Pose	Garudasana
Warrior 3	Virabhadrasana 3
High Lunge
Warrior 3	Virabhadrasana 3
Wide Legged Forward Bend	Prasarita Padottanasana
Side Splits	Samakonasana

Seated and Inversions

Dragonfly
Head Stand	Sirsasana
Staff Pose	Dandasana
Seated Forward Bend	Pashimottanasana
Upward Plank Pose	Purvottanansana
Half Bound Lotus Forward Bend	Ardha Baddha Padma Pashimottanasana
Double Pigeon / Fire Log Pose	Agnistambhasana
Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend	Upavista Konasana
Lotus	Padmasana
Reclined Big Toe Pose	Supta Padangusthasana
Supine Spinal Twist
Corpse Pose	Savasana

Hot Springs

Andreas — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:22:55 +0000

I have been overdoing it a bit lately with exercise. My work schedule hasn’t really allowed me to take any days off for quite a while until this last weekend. My wife and I were up in Canada, and while there, spent a day at some hot springs soaking in the mineral waters and generally relaxing. After my trip to Breitenbush this spring, I’ve become a firm believer in the benefits of hydrothermalmineral healing (that’s actually what it’s called). Soaking in hot springs relaxes muscles, calms the nervous system, increases blood flow and oxygenation to tissues of the body, and can at least temporarily relieve pain associated with injuries and various conditions. For more serious conditions, such as rheumatism in its various forms, and respiratory conditions, it seems to be that the common recommendation is for treatment lasting at least 15-20 days, but for less serious issues, even a day soaking can be beneficial. By allowing your muscles to relax fully and increasing oxygenation of tissues, the body is able to speed up recovery time. Professional athletes use hot soaks all the time to recover from workouts. I noticed that while I was at Breitenbush this spring, the same amount of asana practice which would have normally left me feeling sore, was no problem alongside daily soaks in the hot springs. So if you have access to a hot soak of any kind, you might consider treating yourself to some relaxation. Recovery is an important part of any exercise program.

Good article on Pre and post workout food

Andreas — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:51:20 +0000

Found this article in the N.Y. Times and thought I’d share. Gives a good overview of what to think about when eating for exercise.

Summer

Andreas — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:32:35 +0000

Summer is officially here. The weather is beautiful outside, the butterflies are out, and the trees are in their full greenery. Most of the time, unless you run, you probably work out inside. I’ve been trying to take my activities outside this summer and enjoy the sun while we have it. Meeting up with friend on the weekend at the park for acro, and there have been a bunch of yoga in the park events around Seattle this summer (which I swear I will be able to make it to one of these times). There is also an endless array of outdoor activities to take advantage of. Just a little gentle encouragement to get outside. Even if you aren’t “working out” being outside tends to mean being more active. It’s good for the body and good for the mood too. Vitamin D, which we don’t get much of in Seattle, feels really good when it’s available.

Patience.

Andreas — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:58:03 +0000

This week, I’ve been thinking about patience. Patience I think often is confused with being passive and has therefore some negative associations. In my own life, I’ve used patience to be an excuse not to work hard for certain things, and I’ve also used the association of patience with passivity to become overly attached to goals in my life, thinking that I was simply being proactive. I think that ideally, patience is simply not attaching to an end result, yet also having consistency of effort. In this way, patience is a bit of a misnomer. We can’t just wait around for something to happen, that’s a recipe for disappointment. Yet, equally, being overly attached to a outcome is as well. I’ve been trying to have more consistency in my life. Meditating when I get up in the morning, it’s hard not to want to progress, feel like I’m making progress, yet I also know that the simply act of consistently making time for it is the only thing I can really control. It’s an interesting balance to look for. It requires being in the moment and seeing the means as the end, not the other way around. Still working on that one.