Day 3: Diving!!!

This past Saturday's class started off with my instructor telling me to 200 meters of Freestyling. Which I found out that each lap (swimming to the other side of pool and then back) was only 50 meters! So I had to do that 4 times which was killer on my arms and legs! The rhythm of breathing did go better this time, I was better about turning my head to the side and rotating my body enough to take in the air with out lifting my head up. But on lap 3.5, I definitely tried to breathe while still under water! Yikes! I think as I got tired my breathing would increase, just like when I run and start to pant - I got a bit out of sync!

What I looked like when I tried to breath underwater. Not an exaggeration...

After that, I was handed a kick-board and was told to work on my kicking for 200 meters. Now this was hard!! After one lap I was ready to take a nap and massage my legs! But I kept on! Taking mini breaks in between each lap. Thankful that I was told I could keep my head out of the water during this exercise. I switched it up each lap by kicking really fast one way and then gentle kicks coming back. I noticed the faster I kicked, I was more on top the water and when I kicked slower, my legs would sink deeper. Hmmmm... good to know! See this neat little video below about how to use a kick-board! I have just used the style where I am on my belly and holding on to the board with outstretched arms. But I  would love to try the backstroke style!

Diving!

After I finished that, my instructor took all of us down to the deep end of the pool. We was working with the very beginner students, showing them how to sink down in the water, maybe even to the bottom, and then push off the floor and swim to the top! While he did that, he told me to try diving! So first he said "Show me your dive" So I dove. Now keep in mind the only diving I have ever done is off a diving board at the community pool. Which was straight down. And beautiful if I do say so myself! But this class is focused on lap swimming and/or racing so it is important for the dive to go out rather than down. And he had me start kneeling (we didn't have the starting dive blocks like the pros). So I tried it - Go for the distance!!!

wah-wah-waaaahhhh

Not quite what I planned... It kinda hurt, my face, neck and chest. I think the fact I was wearing a one piece swimsuit helped the stinging from happening on my stomach! I was a little embarrassed about belly flopping, but you know what? We all do it at least a couple times in our lives so I shook it off and tried it again! It went better, but I still dove a little too deep. While my instructor was working with the other students, he had the life guard, AJ, give me advice and pointers which really helped.

AJ had me start sprinting (swim-wise) to the other end of the pool after I dove, then get out and walk back, and do it all again. We did this about 8 times. Sometimes I felt that my dive was more shallow and other times, it was definitely too deep. I knew this because when I tried to get to the surface to start my freestyle...it wasn't there! I was still very much under water and it seemed like feet away from the surface. AJ suggested that I try doing the streamline or Dolphin kick (remember my Patronus!!!) after my dive to help get me to move further in the water and it will help me break through the surface easier too.

This did help a bit, but I kept diving too deep. I tried to correct this only by doing 2 more belly flops. Oh well, by the end of class I was exhausted and just kept getting worse. But that's okay! It is something that I am ready to tackle next time!!

Next Week

By the way, I have to skip next Saturday's class because I am in a community theater production of "HAIRSPRAY" where I get to play the mean and snobby Amber Von Tussle!!! Awesome!! But anyways, we are in our tech week so I will be making up my missed swim class at a later date! So I will blog then! But in the meantime if you are interested in checking out our show here is all the info!!! Click here for tickets

Second Day of Swim Class!

So last Saturday was my second day of swimming lessons, and I was able to find my way to the pool without getting lost!! Yay Woo Hoo!! High Five!!

For about the first 5 mins of class I was the only one there from my class. So my instructor had me start the drills. Up first was the Freestyle Stroke.

Freestyle

He coached me to take a breath in by turning my head to the side about every three strokes so I can get used to breathing on each side. To recap, in case you forgot, when the head is in the water ALWAYS breathe out through the nose. Then turn the head to the side and breathe in through the mouth. As I was doing my laps, I would notice I would breathe out through my nose and then at the end of my exhale, push more air out through my mouth! What? Why am I doing this? I still don't know why. Maybe it is a weird habit I have that I never really noticed. Because of this weird habit, breathing in through my mouth was a little more difficult. I was already exhaling out the mouth and to reverse that....it was weird. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe try it out and see if you have the same issues I was having. It was like I didn't have enough time to take a breath in before having to put my head back in the water. Also, I was told I kept picking my head up, rather than just turning to side for the breath in. To help correct this, my instructor showed me how to fully rotate my body to the side with my stroke when I needed a breath. He even gave me a dumbbell-floaty to hold on to practice.This helped a lot! But after a while I would get fatigued and my breathing would get messed up and then so would the rest of my form.

Very sound advice that I find useful

My classmates did show up for class after a few minutes and we had about 5 more ladies joining the class! He went through the basics with them and since I am a little more advanced, had me swimming laps in the Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke and would give me some more pointers every few laps.

Backstroke

I like the Backstroke. I get to keep my head up out of the water and I like swimming on my back. Makes me feel like a Mermaid....not sure why... Any-hoo. This stroke was a little easier for me since I didn't have to count my strokes and alternate sides while breathing. But one thing that made it difficult was the water splashing on my face and sometimes the waves would come up over my head. And of course I would get a bunch of water up nose! I kept trying to exhale, thru the nose every time this happened, but it always caught me off guard! Something I need to work or get used to. 

See? Water all over! and in 2 seconds, straight up the nose!

Breaststroke

Okay this stroke was weird for me. You have to bob your head up and down in the water as you bring your arms forward and then sweep them out and around. At the same time your legs are doing this frog kicky-thing (technical term by the way). The first two laps of this, I wasn't getting the feet right. I kept flutter kicking them rather than froggy kicking them (another technical term). He gave me some pointers and I did two more laps. Basically, I have some muscle memory habits that I need to recognize and re-teach. I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time on this stroke because it was the end of class and lets be honest, I started to swim REALLY slowly by the end of this hour. 

I think I am the latter...

To sum up last week's class. IT WAS EXHAUSTING!!! I have no idea how the Olympians do this. I am pretty sure I wasn't even going an 1/8 of their speed and I was out of breath and tired and pretty sure I almost drowned a few times. But I did have a great time! There is so much to think about! Breathe, stroke, kick, head down, rotate, slice through the water, etc. I am really looking forward to my next class! I am hoping that the breathing will come easier and more natural to me. I think that is the most challenging aspect of this sport. But I am sure it will get easier as I practice! Oh and on a side note, I took the Patronus quiz on Pottermore and I mine is a Dolphin!!! YES!!! So I must have been born to swim, I just need to figure out the mechanics!! Also, I am a Gryffindor, just in case you were wondering.

Dolphin Patronus baby!! Take that Dementors!!

First Day of Swim Class!

As I mentioned in my "First Blog Ever!" post, I am taking swimming lessons at Medger Evers College. The week before my first class I finally received my swimming gear from the SwimOutlet! As I mentioned before I got a discounted $25 "Grab Bag" TYR swimsuit and here it is!!

Day 1 of my journey to be swimming champion of the world!!!
Or just a regular recreational swimmer...I open to anything

I love it! It is nice and supportive and doesn't give me wedgies!! Major plus there! The swim cap is awesome and the goggles are so legit I feel like they are sucking my eyeballs out! I need to talk to my swimming instructor next class to help me adjusting them, because they feel a bit tight. But on the bright side, absolutely no water leaks through!

On Saturday morning, September 3rd, I took my first swim lesson and it was fantastic!

I was very pleased to find out that my class is literally across the street from my apartment at the High School! I had originally thought it was a couple of blocks away at the college so it was a good thing that I checked the address! When I got there and checked in with security, he gave me directions on how to get to the pool. Unfortunately for me, he said something like:

"You are going to go down this hall, take a right at the vending machine and then a left and then there are some stairs and then take another right, I mean left and it should be right there."

So naturally I got lost and found myself in a deserted corridor that was undergoing some renovations. There were paint cans and ladders everywhere. I tried to retrace my steps and got lost again! Luckily I found a super friendly custodian who walked me to the swimming pool. Super nice guy!! Thanks a bunch Mister!!!

I got into the locker room, checked in with the staff in the pool office, and took off my sweats (my swimsuit was already on underneath) and showered before heading out to the pool. Now when I was younger I never understood why I had to shower BEFORE getting into the pool. It didn't make sense to me at all. I was getting into a pool of water, whats the point? I am getting wet anyways. Well here is the thing: I know most people don't think that they are gross, but just know that you are! There are a bunch of dead skin cells and hair and dirt on you that if you don't shower off before jumping in the pool, all of that grossness gets in the pool. And if EVERYONE does that, that is a lot of nasty ass stuff floating around in the pool (which is also why swim caps are required). Also, by showering, it reduces the risk of waterborne illnesses that can spread to the swimmers. And fun fact, if your pool does NOT have a strong chemical smell, you have a healthy and clean pool. Who knew? And I don't feel like I need to say it, but don't pee in the pool.

My Classmates

I am in the class with two other ladies. One gal is my age (late 20's - early 30's), we will call her Lucy, and the other lady is in her 40's, we can call her Debbie. As we were waiting for the instructor to come out and start class, we talked about our swimming experience. As I mentioned before, I know how to swim but I want to learn technique of the different strokes and how to breathe while swimming. Lucy said she gets the mechanics of swimming, but has never actually learned how to swim. Debbie informed us that this was her 3rd time taking the Beginners Swim Class and she is still very nervous about swimming.

Our instructor, Charles, came out and introduced himself. He said that in order to swim we have to be confident, relax, and to ALWAYS breathe out through our nose. If we are tense, we wont be able to float. And if we don't breathe out through the nose when our face hits the water, water will shoot up the nose and burn. And nobody enjoys that feeling! He then led us through some exercises so he could see where we all stood in our swimming skills.

Swim Exercises

Bobs

He then demonstrated a very basic, but helpful exercise that we will do to start every class. Bobbing is where we would duck our heads under water and breathe out through our noses and then come back up for air. He wanted us to make this as natural as breathing on land and to not think of it as holding our breath, so he coached us to hum while breathing out and come back up for air when needed. It was helpful to think of it in this way, because how are you going to swim laps if you are holding your breath the whole time? You don't hold your breath when running!

Gliding

Gliding is when you push off the wall with your feet and breathe out through your nose as you glide as far as you can go without kicking or swimming the arms. I learned that there is no need to lift your head up to see where you are going. If you have goggles on, just look down at the pool floor and the lines at the bottom will tell you if you are going the right direction. Plus if your head is up, it makes it hard to cut across the water and makes you slower.

Kicking

We practiced kicking while holding on to the edge of the pool. It is important to not to try to kick the entire leg. Just little flutters with the leg from the knees down. Keep ankles loose! We added this on to our gliding.

Arms in Freestyle Stroke

And finally, we added the arms in the freestyle stroke. Our instructor told us to keep our elbows up when we are bringing the arms forward and to pull the water back when we are moving the arms back. He took videos of us in this last exercise so we can see what we look like and so he can analyze it and give us pointers and exercises for the next class. I haven't quite mastered the technique of this stroke in the video below. You can see that I am a little too far under the surface of the water and it is better to swim on top of the water. Also you can see that I never come up for air. Oops! But we are going to go over how to breathe in the Freestyle Stroke this weekend.

Look at me go!!! My Grandma said I could be the next Esther Williams. I'm going to have to agree with her! :)

So that was my first day! I had a blast and was super tired after the hour long class. I can't wait for this weekend and to see what new skills I learn!!

I am Ashley Jones and I approve this message!

Everybody Farts in Yoga

I have been a Yoga Instructor for over 2 years now and I have been asked a lot of questions:

"How do I gain more flexibility in my hamstrings?"

"How can I hold a handstand?"

"Am I doing this right?"

But the question that surprised me the most was:

"What exercises can I do to keep from farting in class?"

I was surprised because it was something I have never thought of before. To be honest, I pass gas all the time in yoga class. Granted they are just little poofs here and there, especially during twisting or core work but I just never notice them or the flatulence of my peers because I am so absorbed in the poses I am flowing through. But I will tell you what I told my student; farts aren't meant to be kept in, they need to be released, so it is okay to pass gas in class. My student was more worried and embarrassed about the sound or the smell and wanted to know what could be done to prevent this from occurring. Unfortunately, we cannot control exactly how our farts will come out: loud and proud, silent but deadly, or what I call a 'tooty fruity' - silent or little toots that are scentless. But there are somethings that can be done to help these gassy situations:

1.) Do not hold in your farts!

This is just an opinion of mine. I believe if you need to let one rip, just let it happen. Holding in farts, from my own experience has left me feeling bloated and they end up coming out anyways. I find it better to just let them come out on their own naturally. If I force or push it out, I usually make some sort of noise (which, when I was experimenting, scared my dog! Hilarious!). So for me, it was best to just relax and allow nature to take its course.

2.) Limit carbonated beverages.

I love seltzer water! But the carbonation in this beverage makes me very gassy. Most of it is expelled through burping. I usually belch immediately after drinking, but sometimes the carbonation makes it all the way to my intestines which then results in farts. To help keep me from tooting in yoga class I will stop drinking sodas or other carbonated drinks usually 3 hours before I take class.

3.) Limit gas-causing food.

For me, this includes broccoli. I love the stuff! Especially in ranch or some hummus - yum! But hoo-boy do I get gassy after eating it! In fact, a lot of fruits and vegetables can cause gas, along with grains and dairy. Some foods you can avoid are:

-Beans

-Broccoli

-Prunes

-Pears

-Apples

-Milk

-Bran Cereals

-Whole Wheat Bread

You can see the full list here.

I also noticed that if I ate garlicky or spicy foods, my toots would be smellier. If smell is a concern for you then maybe take note of various seasonings you consume.

4.) Do some poses before class.

Downward Facing Dog
(PS. that's me!!)

If you know there are certain poses that always make you pass gas, get to class early (or before you leave for class) and gently move through those poses to get the gas out. I would recommend starting with Pavanamuktasana, which actually translates to: "Wind-Relieving Pose." You see? You were meant to fart in yoga class!! 

Some other poses you can try are:

-Gentle Supine Twists

-Child's Pose

-Downward Facing Dog

-Forward Bends

-Happy Baby Pose

Just remember to move slowly, and take full inhales and exhales in each pose.

5.) Don't take yourself so serious

My life instantly got better when I learned to laugh at myself. In fact, I remember the first time I farted in front of my husband when we were first dating. I almost died from embarrassment! But he started laughing, which made me laugh. If you happen to pass gas during yoga class my advice is to ignore it and move on. If it is a loud one that everyone heard - laugh it off! It happens! We have all done it! One time I coughed, sneezed and farted all at once and to this day my big brother and I still laugh about it! Ps. I have never been able to replicate that since - it was a phenomenon! :)

Honestly, no matter what you do, there will always be farting in yoga class. Just know that it is natural and it happens all the time. Usually no one notices when farts happen during class. Most of the other yogis are too involved in their own practice to take notice. Music volume or incense can cover it up as well. In the years that I have been teaching, I do not recall a single time having noticed when a student breaks wind. If you do become self conscious about it, you are always welcome to excuse yourself to the restroom. Yoga is a non-judgmental practice so you can come and go as needed. I hope this will give you peace of mind when it comes to 'yoga farts'. Everybody does it, it is natural! So be free!! 

Namaste! 


***Please note that these are my opinions on the subject. If you are experiencing any major pain or discomfort because of gas, please consult your doctor.***

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http://yogijonesdance.wixsite.com/yogijonesdance/classes