Aerial Exercise: Fly your way to fitness.

As published VC Reporter’s “Fitness Guide,” January 2014

Aerial Exercise

Fly your way to fitness.

Courtesy photo provided by AIReal Yoga ™

Move over pole dancing and boot camp, the newest fitness craze will have you flying through the air like a circus acrobat.

Kathy Lopez of V-FIT Studio in midtown is teaching what’s known as AIReal Yoga ™, fully accredited by the Yoga Alliance and created by local Carmen Curtis of Airealistic Circus and Flying School, whose background includes gymnastics and work with Cirque du Soleil. Using a thick and tightly woven red silk fashioned into a hammock swiveling freely from a single point in the ceiling, the luxurious fabric molds to your body comfortably, allowing you to perform yoga poses unencumbered mid-air.

Safety is given top priority with this exercise. Fear subsides, giving way to trust in self and the professionally-rigged equipment. You’re never far from the ground since the straps are customized according to your height plus a few inches to make you hover over the floor from a safe distance. Carabiners keep the straps safely anchored, and the hammock acts as a built-in spotter, but still allows you to challenge your balance while building strength.

Using the looped silk just like the trained professionals you see in the circus, the assistance and resistance provided by the hammock helps you find muscles you never knew you had and takes advantage of deeper stretches than you ever imagined. When was the last time you did a handstand? With the help of the silks and a creative intertwining of your legs, that handstand that seemed impossible becomes a reality. It’s one of Lopez’s clients’ favorite exercises.

“They love the inversions – hanging upside down,” says Lopez. Leveraging the strength and safety of the silk straps against the weight and support of your own body makes these gravity-defying moves a cinch. Another simple pose on the hammock allows for a deep backbend with arms wide open and floating. These inversions take away joint pressure, decompress the spine, bring blood-flow to the brain and allow tension in hips, back and neck to melt away.

More challenging moves get the heart rate up and build strength, like the handstand pushup, which targets chest and shoulder muscles a simple floor pushup can’t begin to tackle. Core work is central to most of the choreography, building tighter abs and a strong healthy back. For some, yoga can seem boring and nondynamic, but yoga suspended up in the air makes for a thrilling and fluid workout.

All fitness levels can experience the pure grace and freedom of movement of a professional aerial ballerina. But make no mistake, sore muscles the next day will remind you this is an intense workout.

Go for it:

V-FIT is located at 4561 Market Street, Suite C. For more information visit www.vfitstudio.com.

Airealistic Circus and Flying School is located at 4476 DuPont Court, Suite B. For more information visit www.venturacircus.com.  

Fitness Columns

Lisa first became interested in fitness when her P.E. teacher told her she threw like a girl.  In the 80’s she was intrigued by leg warmers.  Today she hikes and does Pilates.  And she still throws like a girl.

Click to read Lisa's fitness column in the VC Reporter (newest artcles at the bottom):

Hiking in Ojai, as published in the annual '07 Fitness Guide
Yoga, as published in the annual '05 Fitness Guide

Monthly columns:
Runners Do Weird Things, on sleeping next to a half marathoner
Grace to Spare, on Pilates      PILATES PODCAST
To Gym or Not To Gym, on finding your perfect fitness match
Returning from illness or injury, on getting back in the game
Men's Health for Father's Day, Taking the Y chromosome to the M.D.
A Pedestrian Pursuit, Leisurely walks can grow to fitness routine
A Fitness Plan That’s All Wet, Here’s a tip: Take a dip
Fitness without the fitness center, Getting in shape at home
Rock out, Getting a total body workout by climbing
Not just a pretty name, Rolfing expands on massage experience
The Hula Hoop Proxy, BodyHoops
A Recipe for Fitness, the perfect meal
Fitness Fashion, I'm not working a runway, I'm working my abs
Mental Fitness, Train your brain
A good night's rest, the elusive pursuit
Ergonomics, Making sure your boss is your only pain in the ass at work
Corporate Fitness, Exercise well-suited for the workplace
Why so hypertense? Getting control of high blood pressure
The stay-cation, Stay fit, stay healthy, stay solvent, stay home
Skin Protection, a summer guide to preventing skin cancer
Digestive Health, tips to keep you regular
A healthy diet, Sometimes it's the little things that count most
Fitness disguised as fun gets the job done
Decision 2008: How to cope with the stress
Beefcake: it's not what women want
Surviving the Holidays: Your 2008 Guide
Resolve to make resolutions you will keep
Chocolate: more than just a Valentine Day indulgence
Zen and the art of working out: making the mind-body connection
Colorful Dining: look to the rainbow to make healthy meal choices
Short Workouts: carve out just a few minutes throughout the day
Sleep: Skip the propofol and choose to sleep the old-fashioned way
Wine: A glass a day keeps the doctor away?
Kids' Health: Back to school lessons in moderation and nutrition at the farmers market
Breast Health: How are your ta-tas?
Avoiding Illness: More tips than just washing your hands
Acupuncture: Get stuck with needles (Fitness, Health and Beauty Guide - January 2010)
Self Talk: It's OK to talk to yourself, just make sure you say nice things!
Be A Competitor! (January 2010)
Cardio Counts! (March 2010)
My Favorite Foods (April 2010)
Your Own Home Gym (May 2010)
Fun in the Sun (June 2010)
Fitness Core Values (July 2010)
Sun Protection and a Rogue Freckle (August 2010)
Eat Local (September 2010)
Rethink Your Drink (October 2010)

Yoga Woes

Yoga.  Yō’-guh.  The mere enunciation conjures up all sorts of images of trying to breathe

from my third eye while attempting to tie myself up like a pretzel.  I am not coordinated or

flexible and at 5’10” I imagine I look about as graceful as a giraffe.  That combined with my

penchant for eye-rolling cynicism has kept me away from the local yoga studio.  But in my

unyielding quest to experience quintessential Ojai, I signed up for my very first yoga class.

My friend Josephine, a yoga aficionado, gave me some good advice.  The first one being not to wear shoes.  No shoes?  But they might see my, gasp, rough heels.  And don’t eat before class because some of the moves could make you nauseous, or worse.  Other than that, she just encouraged me to have an open mind.  Vowing not to giggle or fall over, I resolved to go the next day.  I supposed if I messed anything up, I could always stand in place, put my hands together, close my eyes and feign contemplation.

So off I went, sans footwear, to yoga class.  When I arrived, I was met by the instructor, Amy, to whom I confessed, “It’s my first time,” as if to say yes, it’s true, I’m a yoga virgin.  She was very kind and told me I had picked the ideal class because today we would be doing Restorative Yoga, described as “conscious relaxation,” and since I have never been conscious or relaxed, I figured this would be right up my alley.

I was given a mat, a couple of blankets and a bolster, and from my vantage point, these were all of the trimmings for the perfect nap.  She cued up some ethereal eastern chanting music and lit an incense, walking it all through the room as if to ward off evil cynics.  I immediately thought of my allergies and tried my best not to inhale, which I knew would soon be a problem.  Unfortunately, I was then instructed to breathe deeply and to focus on my breath.  I complied and found the aroma very subtle and since it did not kill me, the first potential crisis was averted.

Next we were asked to sit comfortably and since everyone was doing the obligatory cross-legged sitting thing, I conformed to the majority.  Apparently, I did not look comfortable teetering on my behind, so Amy came over and reconfigured me.  She then asked us to close our eyes and said that we would start with a few short meds.  Meds?  Did she just say meds?  I opened one eye, half expecting to see a tray of pills coming around, then realized that she meant “meditations.”  We were asked to do that deep-breathing thing again and focus on our breath.  I was focusing a bit too much and knew if I continued in this manner, I would soon hyperventilate and pass out.  Amy asked us to put our hands together over our hearts, but not like you’d do with the pledge of allegiance, which is the glaring mistake I made.  Then, bam, there it was, she asked us to “ohm.”  So the nasal droning started, and the weak guttural sounds I emitted became reason number 312 as to why I will never be the next American Idol.

And then the posing commenced.  In yoga, when you are awkwardly contorted in a peculiar way, it is called a pose.  The first pose had us sitting on our haunches with our chests resting over a bolster and our arms overhead on the floor like we were praying to Mecca.  We held the pose for so long my feet began to fall asleep.  So while we were being asked to focus on the intent of our practice for this session, all I could think about was the fact that I no longer had any feeling in my ankles.

Next we were directed to scoot our tooshes up against the wall and flip our legs overhead at a 90 degree angle.  This was very relaxing, if not weird, but as the blood started to find its way out of my feet, I was soon pining for my socks.  Plus I was beginning to realize that drinking all of that Gatorade was a big mistake.  When Amy came by to gently place a buckwheat pillow over my eyes and apply soothing pressure onto my shoulders, I forgot about my cold feet and full bladder.  She asked us to focus our thoughts only on this one moment and be in the present time, which was easy for me to do because at that moment I was fixated on the hangnail on my index finger.

The last pose had us lying on our backs over the bolster with our legs splayed out in a butterfly formation over rolled up blankets.  This was particularly comfortable and yielded a good thigh stretch.  Amy guided us on another meditation, “Notice your thoughts, like clouds moving across the sky.”  Clouds.  Hmm, I wonder if it’s going to rain.  Crap, did I close my car window?  Is it an all-new Desperate Housewives tonight?  I need to put my clothes in the dryer when I get home.  Did I pay the phone bill?  Surely these are not the thoughts Amy had intended.  I needed to focus more, or did I need to just let go?  I began to fidget.  Amy again came by and quietly replaced my eye pillow and draped a blanket over me.  “Don’t worry about seeing your thoughts through to completion.”  I began to have flitting images, like you have just before you drift off into a deep sleep.  A red pony, a floating chess board, a giant hummingbird.  And for just that moment, my cynicism seemed to melt away; I was transformed.  No phones ringing, no television, no chores, no bills.  It was relaxation in its purest form and completely self-indulgent.

We were brought back to the conscious world and moved into our cross-legged postures once again.  The woman in the corner didn’t move – I think she was asleep.  Another “ohm,” the ringing of a chime and our successful journey to restoration came to an end.  I was sold and knew I’d be back again soon.

For fifteen bucks, you too can escape the stresses of everyday life in just an hour and a half on a late Sunday afternoon – the perfect way to wind up the weekend and prepare for the workweek.  Lulu Bandha's Yoga Studio is located next door to Azu.  There is a complete schedule of yoga classes to suit any level and drop-ins are welcome.  Visit www.lulubandhas.com for more information.

As published in the Ventura County Reporter, circulation 35,000, March, 2005.

Hiking Ojai's Trails

It wasn’t all that long ago that the very idea of a hike conjured up fits of hay fever and blisters.  But after a dose of Claritin and a careful application of Band-Aids, I got out there and have been trekking the trails of Ventura County’s backyard ever since.  The Ojai Valley is surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest, boasting miles of easily accessible trailheads.  So fold-up that treadmill (who wants to watch those flashing lights anyway?), head up the 33 and out into nature to get the blood pumping!

Acupuncture Angst

“The needles are really small,” she said in a reassuring voice.  I’m sure she’s heard it a million times when I whine back to her that it’s really not my wish to be a human pin cushion.  But with an insatiable desire to touch that elusive quality that gives Ojai its mystique, I made my first appointment for acupuncture with a tried and true Ojai native and graduate of the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine.

I’ve been having some pain in my left shoulder for awhile now from carrying a heavy purse and typing while talking on the phone with my head, neck and shoulder contorted around the handset.  I switched to a small backpack, got a headset for my phone and went through some physical therapy, but the pain persisted.  When acupuncture was suggested, I absolutely flinched.  You see, I’m what you might call “needle-phobic.”  I’d like to feel like I’m unique in this respect, but, really, isn’t pretty much everyone in this same boat?  Actually, the clinical term would be Aichmophobia or Belonephobia.  And a phobia, by definition, is “a persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.”  This just means we’re all freaks and we need to get over it.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese remedy dating back thousands of years.  As a staunch believer in conventional Western medicine, and a devout skeptic, combined with my apparently unreasonable and freakish fear of sharp things, I knew this would be a stretch for me.

I arrived to the acupuncturist’s office and immediately noticed the room was approaching sauna-like conditions.  After an intense in-take interview, she took my “pulses.” Yes, plural, pulses.  This is a yin-yang thing which I don’t quite understand.  I wondered if the pulse jumping out of my throat would tell her more about my needle anxiety!

I was then instructed to strip down to my bra and underwear.  Gasp!  Okay, first of all, how was it that this blind-sided me?  Did I expect her to shove the needles through my t-shirt?  But what did she want with the lower half?  Besides, of all days, I picked today to wear a hot pink Victoria’s Secret thong!  My bad for not planning ahead on this one.  I then had to hop up on the table, which I’m sure I did with the grace of a ballerina, and turn face-down (butt-up).  Nevermind my needle-phobia, I was suddenly having a mini modesty crisis.  Thank goodness she had a towel for my exposed cheeks.   And at that moment, I understood why the room was so warm.

Staring at the berber carpet below, I could hear things being unwrapped over the Asian-inspired ambient music that was no doubt supposed to be subduing me into a compliant half-sleep.  However, my mind was focused on how certain I was that she was unwrapping needles the size of a number two pencil.  She must have noticed how tense I was, because before she started jabbing me, she gave me a very soothing massage on my shoulder.  She asked me to inhale deeply, then exhale deeply.  Upon the exhale, I felt a whisper of a sting near my scapula.  Huh, not so bad.  This continued about 20 more times, with each exhale, a gentle tap, tap, accompanied by a minute little pinch.  The needles were everywhere – my back, my legs, my feet, my hands, even my head.

She had me lay there for about 20 minutes and said that during this time I should practice some visualizations.  So naturally, I began to visualize all sorts of catastrophes that could potentially occur as I lay there in such a vulnerable state.  Why, there could be an earthquake, which could tilt the table upside down, with me on top of it, plunging the needles deep into my body!  I started to feel dizzy.  If I faint, she’d never know since I was already lying down.  I finally calmed myself down and actually began to feel the therapeutic effects of the needles.  The pressure was actually easing some of the pain, and the rest of my body felt as if the tension was subsiding.

I sensed that she was approaching me, then felt something brush against me near where the needles were inserted.  Then she said we were all done.  I asked if the needles had been taken out yet and she assured me that they had.  I hadn’t felt a thing.  I got up from the table and felt extremely relaxed.  I wasn’t ready to conquer the world, though.  No, I was ready for a power nap!  I felt great.  With my curiosity piqued, I asked to see the needles; they were about an inch long and as fine as hair!  I laughed at myself for being so high maintenance, and then I made an appointment to return next week.

So, for about $50, you too can get stuck with needles.  Call Kris Dutter at Ojai Alternative Healthcare at 218-9851 for an appointment.

As published in the Ojai Valley Visitors Guide, October, 2005.