Telluride Yoga Festival & My Thoughts on Yoga Retreats

05 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment

by Christine Scarcello in Colorado, Travel, Yoga Tags: , , , , , , , ,

This weekend commences the 3rd Annual Telluride Yoga Festival. From July 8th-11th, participants will experience yoga amongst the amazingly breathtaking scenery of Telluride, Colorado. Nestled in the Mountains of Southwestern Colorado, this event is a culmination of my two current obsessions: yoga and Colorado. Unfortunately I will be unable to attend this event, but it is a goal for next year when I’m not committed to working every weekend at the hospital!

The TYF should be amazing this year, as there are going to be world-class yoga instructors (including my teacher’s beloved teacher, Tias Little), great music (including Wah! and Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band – 2 favorites), and amazing people from all over the world. Admission starts at $150 for Single-Day passes, but can include more expensive packages for the weekend. If you’re a local or near Telluride this weekend, why not drop by? For only $150 you could experience some of the best yoga of the summer!

Telluride is a beautiful town any time of year; known for its awesome (yet expensive) snowboarding & skiing, Telluride has great activities year round. This summer, Telluride also hosted their 37th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival (June 17th-20th), which would have been amazing to attend as well. Upcoming events include the Telluride Film Fesitval (Sept 3rd-6th), and Blues n Brews Festival (Setp 17th-19th). The Blues n Brews fest is every local’s favorite, because it combines great music, great beer, and amazing fall colors and scenery that help launch the beginning of ski (um, snowboard) season! I am actually considering a road trip out to see this!! Acts this year include BB King and the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, among many others. I love SW Colorado (and Mick Fleetwood!!) and could also hang out in Durango for a few days (not to far away!!)… which would be a heavenly Autumn vacation!

Anyway, the TYF got me thinking again about my inner conflict with yoga retreats. Yoga retreats to exotic locations had always been difficult for me to understand. I’ve always wanted to attend one but have found it difficult to spend money and resources on something that I could practice at home. During this time of environmental corruption, how could one support using gas and energy to travel somewhere distant to meditate and do yoga? Shouldn’t we celebrate and respect our environment by practicing closer to home? Yoga, to me, has always been about minimalism and a retreat from excess, and I have always found yoga retreats – with their expensive price tags and far-away locales – to complicate this.

But as an avid snowboarder bored by the midwest and lack of mountains, I understand the necessity to travel to a place that accommodates a need. Snowboarders need snow-covered  mountains. Surfers need ocean currents. Mountain bikers need rough terrain. While I maintain that you can practice yoga anywhere and everywhere, I can also understand the allure of going to Telluride (or Indonesia, or India, or Costa Rica) and practicing yoga among the backdrop of beauty, of nature, of peace. Yoga is not the same in a humid gym at your healthclub, or at the expensive yoga studio downtown, or in your living room while your dog is trying to run underneath you while in bridge pose. I’m not quite sure how necessary it is do yoga in one of these exotic places, but I will admit that it is probably very inspiring and can bring your practice to a whole other level. I’m hoping that when you embark on these long journeys across our Earth that you respect the place you are and the place you came from, just as during any vacation.

The issue for me isn’t traveling, it’s the issue of traveling for yoga, which had always inspired me to be more conscientious of the Earth around me. There are many yogis that boycott excessive “yoga travel” for the fact that one is wasting resources and harming the environment in the process. But as long as we respect the Earth in our daily lives, why not take a yoga adventure? We all need a vacation, right?

What do you think about destination workshops? Does it conflict with your environmental concerns or ethics? Have you ever attended an exotic yoga retreat? If so, please share your experiences. And maybe I’ll see you next summer (or this winter!) in Telluride :)

Namaste

Learning to Let Go… kind of…

27 May 2010 Leave a Comment

by Christine Scarcello in Colorado, Environment, Snowboarding, Travel, Wellness/Health Tags: , , , , ,

So I’m back from my roadtrip to Colorado, and I have to say that – hands down – this vacation was exactly what I needed. I traveled with one of my best friends to visit this gorgeous state and see my ex-boyfriend, who just moved there 2 months ago. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.

While we traveled to Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, I fell in love with the little town of Durango, nestled in the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado. I have never encountered nicer people and a more tolerant atmosphere. Everyone I met was active, polite, and had a general aura of happiness. I spoke with one store owner (for about an hour) about Durango, and she explained that it must be the environment. Like most of Colorado, Durango gets 300+ days of sunlight, and year-round access to the mountains and Animas River. In the summer, the town is filled with mountain bikers, hikers, and people rafting, tubing, and kayaking in the river. In the winter, Durango is host to some of the best snow for snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing and other various winter sports.

I was happy to see that Nick was well-adjusted to life in Durango. There is a great skatepark in town, as well as a BMX track and many places to go dirt bike riding. I also know that he will have a ton of fun snowboarding (which is a passion for both of us) in the winter. One winter, Durango got over 10 ft of snow in one night. Another time, Durango was “closed off” from the rest of the world; the snow was so bad that the mountain passes that lead in and out of the town were closed and no one – including trucks carrying food and supplies – could get in and out. Durangoans explained that you should always stockpile for the winter.

But in a way this appeals to me, to be locked in to my own tiny community. I loved the mountains, and I absolutely love snow. While I liked Boulder and Denver, I felt more at home and relaxed in Durango. This also could have been because of the company I kept while there, since even in a strange new town I felt so comfortable because I was with Nick. Maybe that’s what made the town feel so much like home.

But I also learned that it’s time for me to move on, and to let go of the past. I have a lot to work on – I need to feel happy and satisfied with myself, with or without him. While I have finished school, I still need to complete a Dietetic Internship and move forward toward my dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian. This summer I am doing so much … I am taking Spanish conversation classes, doing a social media nutrition writing internship with Rebecca Scritchfield, and I am pursuing ACE group fitness certification. I am also getting back into yoga and running on a more dedicated level. If all else fails, and I don’t get an internship, I think I am going to pursue yoga teacher certification. Maybe one day I can open a yoga studio in Durango and truly be at peace – with the mountains, the sunshine, and the snow.

We shall see.

How to Stay Healthy and Fit (and Sane) During a Road Trip

13 May 2010 Leave a Comment

by Christine Scarcello in Colorado, Nutrition, Travel, Wellness/Health Tags: , , , ,

It’s already May… Summer is soon approaching… the thunderstorms are rolling in, you’re taking finals or maybe even graduating from college this semester, and that can only mean one thing… Summer Vacation! Some of you might be staying home and working, traveling with family or friends, or planning day trips to the beach or whatnot. For me… this means Road Trip season!

On Monday my good friend and I are leaving for Colorado… Chicago >St. Louis > Denver and beyond… we’re stopping through Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Durango, and possibly Santa Fe, NM before heading back to the midwest. This will come out to approximately 10 days of fun and couch surfing at friends’ places and 3000+ miles of driving.

Vacations alone can be stressful and total saboteurs of your health and fitness routine… but don’t fear – there are plenty of ways to stay healthy, while being sane about it, on your road trip. Starting off with food…

Be smart about the food you bring from home

During a road trip you’re going to spend a lot of time in the car. You’re also going to spend a lot of money on gas, so many of you might want to bring your own food to reduce costs. If you do this, remember a few things.

1. Don’t bring anything that will spoil. This includes dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese, or string cheese. Sure, it might last for a little while, but with the rapid growth of bacteria on warm dairy products, you can never be sure. And the last thing you need during a road trip is food poisoning. Also be weary of mayonnaise-based salad sandwich fillings, such as egg, chicken, or tuna salad sandwiches. Mayonnaise can also spoil fairly quickly, leaving you very sick to your stomach.

2. Think about nutrition. Pack things that are nutritious, instead of products that contain empty calories (sodas, sugary candies) or products that are calorie-dense without offering much nutrition (chips, cookies, and the like). You’re going to get tired from driving or even sitting in a car for long periods of time, so be sure to pack snacks that will energize you, such as fruits that won’t spoil (apples, bananas, oranges, plums, peaches, and grapes), nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios), and home-made snack mixes such as trail mix or a granola, dried fruit, and nut concoction.

3. Don’t forget to stay hydrated! You’ll want to make sure you pack water or healthy drinks with you, but also be careful not to drink too much… or you’ll be stopping for bathroom breaks fairly often. Be sure to drink plenty of water the day before, and to drink moderately throughout the trip… sitting in a stuffy car can dehydrate you if you’re not smart about drinking your water.

Be choosy about the food you buy on the road

Unless you seriously plan ahead, chances are you’re not going to pack enough food for the duration of your road trip… and what about on the way home? At some point you’re either going to get sick of the bananas and almonds or you’re going to stop for some fast grub.

1. Be careful at fast-food restaurants. All too often on a road trip, you’re going to want to find the quickest meal possible, and this will probably mean rolling through a McDonald’s or Burger King off the highway. Just be sure to select items carefully, paying attention to the quality and quantity of what you eat. Gobbling down a super value meal will not only totally destroy all the hard work you’ve done in your comfortably-at-home life, where healthy foods are at your disposal, but it will also make you very tired and drowsy for driving. Stressing out your digestive system with a huge, salty, fattening meal zaps a ton of your energy, which is not convenient for driving long miles on the open road. Stick to light items, like side salads, baked potatoes, veggie burgers or veggie sandwiches, or – if you must have fries – a small serving.

2. Choose wisely at the gas station. Picking up snacks at the gas station is all too tempting… There are aisles and aisles of candies and snacks that look so good after you’ve been on the road for a while. Especially if you’ve been driving through Kansas or Nebraska and are totally bored with the scenery. But beware, also, of the effect that these foods will have on your body and the remainder of your drive. Avoid high-salt and high-fat foods, as well as sugary sodas, energy drinks, or candies that may an instant pick-me-up but later make your blood sugar crash. If you want a snack at the gas station, look for fresh fruits (many around here offer apples and bananas), salt-free almonds or other nuts, and maybe a granola bar or power bar if you’re craving something candy-like but want nutritional value.

How to trick yourself into exercising while on vacation

So now that you’ve reached your destination(s) after a long and boring drive, it’s time to think about when and how to exercise. For some of you, it might be the last thing you want to think about. Of course this is your time to relax, but putting in a little workout here and there will make you feel healthier and happier during your vacation (remember the endorphins…) and won’t make you feel like a total failure once you return home to reality.

1. Take advantage of physical activities in your environment. Whether you’re vacationing near the mountains, at the beach, or in a major city, take advantage of activities around you. Enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains or a national park by hiking or mountain biking. Explore canyons, rivers, and streams by canoeing or kayaking. Run on the beach at sunrise – there’s almost nothing more enjoyable than that! Take public transportation and walk when traveling in the city to sightsee or go shopping… a stroll in the city, park, or beach will do you good.

2. Use your hotel’s gym/weight room. Most hotels these days cater to us fitness fanatics. Sure, the gym may be small, with one or two treadmills and a few sets of weights, but take advantage of it when you can. Even if it’s just a power circuit for 30 minutes, kick it up a notch. Doing high-intensity cardio, even for a brief half-hour, will jumpstart your metabolism for the day and keep it revving.

3. Don’t forget to pack your bathing suit! Make sure to take a swim in the ocean, the lake, or the hotel’s pool if you don’t feel like doing a traditional cardio/weight routine. Swimming is one of the best exercises you can do for your body, and it’s relaxing as well as low-impact, so it’s sure to be the perfect workout for your vacation.

By all means, have fun and enjoy your time away from work, school, and other commitments while you’re on vacation. But don’t let the excuse of a long road trip and being away from home wreck all the hard work you’ve put into eating right and staying in shape!

Yoga for Stress Relief

07 May 2010 Leave a Comment

by Christine Scarcello in Exercise, Travel, Yoga Tags: , , , , , , ,

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/business/06YOGA.html?ref=nutrition

I just read this article today on the NY Times online, and have to say, I almost transitioned from my computer chair into some sun salutations. This man doing yoga at the airport is so inspiring; though he travels 150 days out of the year, he finds time to practice every single day, no matter where he is. Yoga is one of the most beneficial activities I’ve ever come across in my life. When I used to practice yoga daily I was calm, stress-free, and generally very happy with my life.

As my life got busier and busier with school, work, volunteering, and social commitments, yoga began to slip away. I truly regret slacking off and missing out on the benefits of yoga. Every week I tell myself that I should stop in the studio and take just one class… but something always comes up. I’m trying to lose weight (~10 lbs), and when time is limited, you can find me on the stairmaster, in the weight room, or running outside… but not in the yoga studio.

It’s not that yoga isn’t good for you – it totally is – but for me, I need to burn mucho calories in the short amount I have to dedicate to working out. I am excited to gradaute in about a week because then all the stress of school and this never-ending research project will be over.  So in the meantime, I’ve been doing yoga at home with the bevy of yoga DVDs I have in my collection. My favorites are Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rae, Core Cross-Training with Rodney Yee, Bending and Twisting with Natasha Rizopolous, and Yoga for Stress Relief (with the Dalai Lama!) by Barbara Benagh.

So, I’m hoping my own lack of determination to get back to the yoga studio doesn’t keep any of you away… practicing yoga with a community of other yogis and a teacher is, in my opinion, the best way to experience yoga and to improve. Having a teacher to guide you and position you is the best way to learn proper form. But if you lack time and want to do yoga at home, check out any of the above videos. My recommendation for beginners would be Yoga Journal’s AM/PM Yoga with Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden. Anyone who is interested in Flow Yoga (also known as Vinyasa Flow) should check out ANYTHING by Shiva Rae… she is truly inspiring. Yoga Shakti is an older DVD; her newest is called Daily Energy – Vinyasa Flow… I haven’t checked it out yet but I absolutely love Shiva Rae.

Yoga is a unique gift that you can give yourself… you get out of it what you put into it, and with daily practice you’ll develop strength, flexibility, and a clearer mind, body, and spirit. Just as this man has demonstrated in the NY Times article, you can take yoga with you anywhere, anytime!

Wishing you the best,

Namaste

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