From Labyrinths and Shakti to Chakras and Hard Science

I get a 6 AM wake-up call from a real, live La Quinta person, who asks me if she'd like me to have her ring back in 10 minutes "just in case." I decline, thank her and try to shake the sleep off.

I shower, dress, run a comb through my hair and step outside. It's a beautiful morning here in the Coachella Valley. The cobalt blue sky is back after yesterday's dust/sandstorm and stands out in sharp relief from the brown-red of the mountains that serve as an almost surreal backdrop to the resort. It's pleasantly warm. I meet the group heading for the The Labyrinth: A Meditation Walk, and meander through the manicured landscape of the resort with them to the site of Phyllis Pilgrim's session, the first of the regular conference. We covered Labyrinths in the Inner IDEA column in IDEA Fitness Journal recently, so I knew a bit about them from the article (which you can access now from the IDEA Online Library), but I wanted to experience it firsthand.

Phyllis has a lovely English accent that gets served up on her soothing, throaty, experessive timbre. I think to myself that she should read poetry. She prepares us for the walk in this, a replica of the 12th Century Labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France. It's a huge circle, about 40-50 feet across. Twenty-eight of us venture in, each with a different story, a different history, a different intention. It takes a while for all of us to reach the "heart center." I am the last to arrive, becasue I've been shooting video while I should be fully integrating myself in the experience (an editor/reporter's work is never done!).

Phyllis reminds the group, clustered in a tight rosette, that although we all experienced this walk individually, that we were now joined to "feel the powerful ethos of the group--of the shared experience." She coached us to take the first step away from center and into our future "knowing our purpose." I will share one reflection I had: I believe my purpose is to heal people through exercise and holistic living. I do this by using IDEA's many-faceted educational tools and publications as a conduit to reach and teach fitness and wellness professionals, who ultimately are the instruments of this mission of change. I dwelled on those thoughts as I walked the twists and turns around the center and felt gratitude well up inside of me. I am often grateful for the opportunities I've been given in my career and life, but it was nice to really think on this for a while and understand that I was in the presence of people who share this common and lofty goal. It was a terrific way to start the day.

I wander over to the community breakfast on the lawn behind the main casita. There were actually two breakfast "experiences" set up. One that allowed for chatting and networking, and another that opened the opportunity for a silent, reflective meal. I've been reflecting already this morning, so I opt to sit down and chat. Long-time IDEA member Diane Buchta and her husband Dick sit down and join me. We are soon laughing it up about something, when Dick and I randomly get into a college football discussion. He's a Notre Dame fan. I'm a USC fan. If you know anything about their storied history as rivals, you can guess where that conversation went! With respect to the event and the setting, I do my best to be strong by bending like the willow tree. Now I'm really awake for the day!

Serenity Now!

The rest of my day turns into a blur of sessions. Because of the nature of my job, my calm state must go out the window so I can focus and take care of business. There are 150 sessions offered at this conference. While I can't humanly cover them all, I need to spread myself thin to get as much as possible. I must capture video, take notes and network. I must make astute observations about what I'm seeing (although that doesn't always happen). I swing into action mode and hit the circuit. Here is what I see and learn in a day, Cliffs Notes style:

• Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, is an amazing woman. She's (uber) smart, attractive, fit, and darn funny. I'm in awe whenever I'm in her audience or even just talking to her one-on-one. Her first lecture today covered Integrative Fitness (another IDEA article you can read vis a vis our Online Library). She defined it simply as the optimal functioning of the mind-body-spirit loop. She pointed out peer-reviewed science that proves that neuropeptides in our bodies are altered by physcial activity. Our bodies are altered and adapted over time (it takes 6-12 weeks depending on the individual, but it can be done). Medicate With Movement! is her battle cry. "It's not the strongest who survive; it's not the smartest who survive, it's those who can adapt who survive," she taught. " When you are conceived you are hardwired to adapt and adjust which translates to survival. Inability to adapt and adjust leads to paralysis, which leads to self-destruction--your default. This is the most important thing you can teach your clients. This is the core of Integrative Fitness."
• Have you tried Shakti [TM] yet? I was instantly smitten with this non-purist, mind-body approach that fuses fitness-choreographed applications of yoga, Feldenkrais [R], GYROTONIC [R], Nia [R], Pilates and tai chi--all with inspiring non-traditional body-mind music. Creator Lawrence Biscontini taught superbly with non-verbal cuing (it's taught in silence) and his usual brand of calm, graceful energy. What I really loved about it is that I believe almost anyone could do this. It's easy to follow, even for a choreographically challenged person like me.
• Mehrad Nazari, PhD, took students on a journey in Self-Mastery through Raja Yoga, an all inclusive style of yoga. There was a stage set up, but Mehrad prefers to walk the floor where his students are so he can be close by to help fine tune movements and croon philisophy to them. For instance: "When perfecting the stillness, it's equally challenging to harness the mind. The active mind wants to move on. Use the silence as a source of sound. Strengthen both aspects of yourself equally. The power is in the stillness." Profound, eh?
• In Why Invert? Face Your Fear of Falling, Stacy McCarthy was demonstrating her SSA (sensitivity, stabilization and assist) technique for partner assisting on a handstand when I happened by. But there was more at work here than just handstands. Inversion can be a mirror for personal transformation and can deepen your sense of self. Turning upside down lifts your energy and creates a being of lightness. On the emotional and psychic level, inversions throw new light on old patterns of behavior.
• Cathleen Murakami helped students harness the energy centers of their bodies in Chakra-lates. Utilizing Pilates movements, sound, breath and visualization, students recharged, realigned and strengthened their chakras, even as they honed their teaching skills and ideas.
• When I walked in to Balanced Body University: Creating Your Career Map as a Mind-Body Professional, I was delighted to hear Elizabeth Larkham telling an intimate group of attendees that they need to get a 10-year plan--fully inclusive of their business model--in place if they hope to achieve success. Too many talented Pilates and mind-body pros are swallowed up by the business world because they fail to plan when they open their businesses. Applause, Elizabeth!
• Ralph LaForge, PhD, captured the history of mind-body research from the 1920s forward in his session Top 10 Mind-Body Research Trials: Lessons Learned. I was impressed to hear that 4 of the 10 researchers he talked about had won Nobel Prizes for their work. We all need to pay attention, because, clearly, there's something to all of this! (Naturally, I'm preaching to the choir on that one.)
• In "Exercise is Medicine: How to Benefit from Teaming With Healthcare Professionals, Dr. Peeke dispensed a savvy marketing prescription for wellness professionals who hope to collaborate client/patient care with physicians and other allied health pros. A few top pieces of advice: 1. It's imperative that you're certified by a credible fitness organization; 2. have a copy of the certification ready to show; 3. have liability insurance; 4. write a business sketch of yourself and your services. Don't be afraid to market yourself and all of your special skills; 5. have a mission statement; 6. scan your local environment and look for the opportunities that excite you. 6. never take it personally when an allied health pro says no to collaborating with you. It's not about you. It's because they're not ready to see the opportunity. Say thanks and move on. That's just good business.
• STOTT PILATES Ball Challenge with PJ O'Clair gave attendees a dimension of freedom, movement and creativity away from Pilates apparatus that seemed refreshing for all. PJ infused her considerable anatomical and biomechanical knowledge to make every movement with the stability ball meaningful, while layering an exercise physiology refresher course over the curriculum. Pilates is a many splendored thing!
• If you've never seen Rael Isacowitz teach, slip into one of his classrooms sometime for a real treat. I was able to capture some video to underscore this point in Pilates, Biomechanics and Reality. This lovely, articulate, passionate man teaches with the classic iron fist in a velvet glove. He's determined you're going to get it and will persist until you do (but in a nice way) or until your muscles shake so badly he has to demonstrate it for you. He urges students to maintain open minds and approach things from a different perspective to try and understand better what clients are experiencing.
• I came in at the very end of Nia--The Five Stages of Healing. I didn't get to see the dance part, but founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas have a tradition of bringing the group forward for a "sit down' to touch base verbally before saying goodbye. I had obviously missed some kind of magic in this session, as the discussion went on for a good 8 minutes as individuals shared sensations of release ranging from euphoria to nausea. There was very supportive energy in the dialogue; everyone seemed open and accepting of whatever was said. I'm more curious than ever to try Nia, something I've never done and have determined that I will do it tomorrow morning.
• Peter Reding explored the possibilities of using "Inspired Learning" techniques in his course How to Become an Absolutely Brilliant Facilitator (Part I). Using positive teacing techniques is far more effective than criticism, which only slows down the learning process. A gem from Peter: "I believe as human beings we want to learn, but what kind of environment are we creating? By praising students and their knowing that they won't be criticized, they become more adventuresome, creative, exploring and risk taking. [Being positive] will not only help you to retain students, it will generate word-of-mouth excitement for what you're doing. Students will bring others back."
• In The New Balance, Wellcoaches founder Margaret Moore explored new fundamentals in life balance. There is more to balance than meets the eye. There are dimensions such as alone time, relating time, inner and outer focus, intense flow and recovery, positive and negative emotions, movement and rest. Attendees were encouraged to identify and explore non-traditional areas in which they need focus and balance.
• Speaking of balance, I figured since I started my day with her that I should get a bit more Phyllis Pilgrim on the lee side of the afternoon. She didn't disappoint in Yoga--Movement as Metaphor. Phyllis managed to weave life's challenges into the yoga poses, including courage, boldness, creativity, holding your ground, compassion, surrender and integrity. It put into perspective how a yoga practice could come alive with the broader picture of one's life. One example: "It's very important to not be aggressive. Bow to the inner wisdom, which will tell you when you've gone far enough."
• Finally, after this busy, exhillirating day, I capped things off with deep relaxation through autogenic training with Larry Cammarata, PhD. Autogenic training, a self-generating method of training your body and mind to respond quickly to your own verbal suggestions to relax--is the oldest Western method for inducing self-regulation. It was developed by a German scientist in the early 1920s and includes six standard exercises: heaviness, warmth, heart, respiration, abdominal warmth and forehead cooling. Larry walked us through a sample 20-minute training, during which the hypnotic mantra reduced me to an almost formless slab of Jello. I left there refreshed, but negotiating with myself about whether I had time for a nap.

No time for that, however...I have just a few minutes to check e-mails, get cleaned up and get over to the VIP party to discuss much of what I learned today with the instructors who taught it! Looking forward to mixing and mingling with so many brilliant minds. Naturally, I am a bit intimidated to do this, but my curiosity about a few things overwhelms any sense of hesitation.

Afterward, maybe another moonlight Jacuzzi with co-workers. The moon is breathtaking and is near full for Lawrence's Moonlight Meditation, which, regrettably, I have to miss to attend this party. So many trade offs!