Cracking Open the Door

Okay, that was easy, now where…? And there you are again, facing that same problem or crux that’s been bugging you for the last few climbing sessions. And you hang. And you hold. Crap. There. No, Here. Maybe. Ok, wait. Ahhh, burning. I got this. AHHHHH. No I don’t. And you let go, falling just short. Again. Standing feet flat, you look up at that last hold, pondering. Analyzing. You know it’s do-able, Johnny (or insert any of your...

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“Supported Matsyasana” or as I call it, Block Under the Shoulders

After a long day of climbing, and your chest muscles and upper back are stiff, you can use this pose to relax and open up, restoring the muscles to resting length. Some days I would say this is my very favorite pose.*  I do it just about every day, sometimes twice.  When I’m sad, stressed, or generally less than optimistic, my mood is instantly lifted.  I once heard a teach say that when you’re feeling guarded your body closes in around...

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Kick Start 2013

The new year is always a great time to reassess your life. When I used to teach lecture classes on fitness and health at Metropolitan State University of Denver, the students first project was to assess their lives on a “Wellness Wheel.” The goal is to view the essential categories of life on paper. This way one can see where to add more focus, or where to back off some. I encourage you to do the same this year, so that you can be more...

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