Summer Fire; Heart Meridians

In the Zone: Being in flow state fuels movement and joy.

This month free subscribers get a 30 minute Yoga Flow for the Core video.

In this issue:

• ✨Flow State

• 🖋 Journal prompt

• 🧘‍♀️ Heart opening yoga flow

• 🌟 Offers & services to support your journey

• 🔥 Mantras

• 🍲 From the Kitchen

• 🏃‍♀️ What’s next: Marathon training

Flow State:

The world is hard when we are rigid. This past week my family said goodbye to a loved one. Many passages, quotes and newsletters I read the past week gave me perspective on the cycle of life and the heart meridian. One stated, “victories are multiplied but grief is divided.” A good reminder of our need for community and openness to share experiences. Opening the heart for ebb and flow, giving and receiving makes life's challenges more bearable.

The heart meridian in Traditional Chinese Medicine runs from the heart down each arm to our fingertips. This makes sense with natural physical expressions. We use our arms to express love with hugs, while anger pushes away. A reminder that our bodies are in tune with our emotions.

The same heart opening that helps with life challenges, helps us navigate our athletic goals. Being in flow state with a goal means having self-awareness around the intake and output to have balance, growth and more productive training. Flow state keeps us running and routines consistent. We sign up, show up and keep going. We set ourselves up to continue moving forward with training plans and goal races each season. When we are in our sport we are in our essence.

Heart opening flow consists of being available in body, mind and spirit for your goals. Summer brings in more light, giving opportunity to allow more light into your heart’s space.

Flow state feels secure with a strong foundation and ease of breath. Yoga practice of gentle movements compliments the heat of summer. To be in flow is to be in the zone. To create the ebb and flow with ease brings in the joy of movement.

In Yin Yoga training with Kristi Kuttner, we study the connection of seasons with the Doshas in Ayurveda (Pitta - fire, water, Vata - wind and Kapha - earth). Summer relates to fire - Pitta Dosha. A yoga practice in harmony with summer includes heart openers and slower, gentler movements to counteract the heat of the season. A fiery Pitta person can boil over if measures are not used to maintain a balance. I know this from personal experience being an often times out of balance Pitta, my face breaks out from being overstressed with heat internally and externally.

Yin yoga works well with summer heat. Each Yin pose becomes meditative from longer holds. Melt into the pose, hold it for several minutes. Come out of the pose and notice the sensations. Then use a rebound pose such as cat cow or a gentle twist. Lately, one of my favorites is prone savasana with a rebound of melting heart (puppy pose).

Prone Savasana: Lie on your belly with hands stacked to rest your forehead on. Notice a release in the shoulders and trapezoids area. This pose serves as a gentle backbend, offsetting daily activities that create a rounded forward posture.

Rebound with Puppy Pose: Slowly, lift the hips over the knees with arms reaching overhead with forehead on the mat. Allow the heart to melt toward the floor.

Journaling Prompt:

What comes to mind while practicing Melting Heart pose as you sink toward the mat and the tension in your upper body releases?

What I’m teaching this week in Yoga class:

Heart opening flow.

Releasing tension in the upper body for better energy movement.

The goal is to create space in the body, allowing for more fluid movements as we prepare for active months of summer. This practice will support you as you continue to build strength and stability.

Cat Cow

Puppy Pose

Warrior II

Side Angle

Camel

Bridge

My favorite free videos right now are with Yoga by Kassandra. This short sequence creates openings for the heart and upper body.

How can I support you in your athletic adventures:

Monday Yoga for Runners, Hikers and Walkers: Start the week off moving and recovering from the weekend. 7:30am CT Click the link to register. 🧘🏻‍♂️

PAID SUBSCRIBERS:

Workshops: Four seasonal yoga and journaling workshops throughout the year, each featuring a yoga practice aligned with the season, reflective journaling, and community sharing.

All newsletters + weekly Q&A sessions to address issues and accomplishments for runners.

Recover & Restore Yoga Journal (eBook format) 4 week post race recovery journal.

Mantras:

My positive energy is contagious.

My energy flows with giving and receiving.

I am open and receptive.

My strength increases each workout.

My willpower is strong.

I allow space for growth and renewal.

From the Kitchen:

Matcha Tea Protein Latte

Ingredients:

2 tsp. Matcha powder

1 frozen banana

I cup frozen mango

8 oz unsweetened soy milk

1-1/2 scoops of protein powder (Quest Vanilla about 46 grams)

Blend and enjoy!

Macros Protein 40% Carbs 53% Fats 7%

Total Calories 381

For summer cooling ideas, I look to principles of Ayurveda. Matcha tea offers cooling qualities. For me, a Pitta in Pitta season the internal and external temperatures run hot, so anything I can drink or eat to offset the fires helps. Other cooling foods, coconut, cucumbers, watermelon, chickpeas and rice. Look for in season fruits and vegetables. Nature is our best guide.

What’s Next:

Next week, we kickoff fall marathon training. I would love to hear in the comments what race is on your calendar.

Call for runners to interview who have participated in the New York Marathon. I would love to share your story on my newsletter during the next 6 months of this journey to the race. Direct message me for details.

Keep moving forward shining your light on and off the mat.

Namaste’

Jill

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Note: Photos by author except the YouTube insert.