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Say it now

aerialates — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:50:22 GMT

Video:
Say it now say it clear

As a kid, I spent every Memorial Day with my grandmother, Mabel. We would go to the local nursery and pick up flowers; then, we would spend the day driving around to the local cemeteries and put flowers on the graves of all of our dead relatives. Most of the graves were marked, but there were a few outside of an old church in the country that weren't. Grandma would point out the graves; we'd walk over and she'd dig a little hole. I'd pour some water in, she'd put in some flowers and pack the dirt around it, then tell me to pour on a little more water.

Then, she'd tell me something - who the person was, a little story about the person, who the person was related to that I would know. I would need reminding from year to year. The only grave where she didn't say much, and where I didn't need reminding, was that of her husband.

This week I ended one job as an adjunct professor, as I got a full-time tenure-track job this fall. At this job, I was teaching speech this quarter. For the students' final speech, they were to give a tribute to someone who inspired them.

My Thursday section was one of cosmic alignment; they stepped up to the plate, they took it seriously, they thought, and thought, and thought. One student even got her mother on Skype from California (we're in Wisconsin) so her mom could hear the tribute - a tribute to her.

After the two hours of speeches, I told the students: if your tribute is to someone you know that's living now, read it to them, just like that student did. Tell them what they mean to you while you still can. Then, when you are putting flowers on their graves, you can do so peacefully, without having to think, "I wish I would have.."

I visited my grandmother a lot before she died; I told her I loved her, but I didn't tell her what she meant to me. At the time, I don't even think I knew what she meant to me. Still, I believe that she knows it, somehow, somewhere, nonetheless.

Finding Your Sanctuary

aerialates — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:03:00 GMT

Read any fitness blog and you're bound to find tips on nutrition, new exercises, and ideas for managing your time. What you may not find are any suggestions on how to chill out.

Finding your own sanctuary is just as important as finding an exercise you enjoy, or a workout buddy, or an energy bar that doesn't taste like chalk-covered cardboard, or a good multivitamin. For optimal health, you must have a safe, quiet space where your body and mind are quiet too.

Sitting on the couch in front of the TV is NOT a sanctuary; your mind is not at peace in front of a screen. Make it your goal this week to find a safe, quiet (a little soft music is ok) space where you can be in your own sanctuary for five minutes.

I have a little meditation corner in my workspace that I use for sitting quietly. Ultimately, however, my sanctuary is anywhere my dog is (see above).

Where is your sanctuary?

Moving Outside the Box

aerialates — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Moving Outside the Box

Children hang upside down, swing, skip, slide, jump, twirl, leap, climb. They have a developmental imperative to push outside the linear dimensions of earthly movement. It’s called play. As adults, we seldom get the chance to move in all three-dimensions – unless we’re in water. If we don’t actually seek movement that is circular and expansive, everyday life presses us into smaller and smaller ranges of movement. Before we know it, we all but forget about the dimensions of space to the sides and behind us. For 25 years I practiced the martial art tae kwon do, which developed movement patterns mostly back and forth, side to side. There were, of course, the powerful, explosive spinning kicks. For the most part the practice encouraged movement in lines. But my exploration soon led me to the more circular movements of aerial arts and Gyrotonic® (an complete exercise system that incorporates principals from tai chi, swimming and yoga). As soon as I began to experience my body in a more three dimensional way -- spiraling, waving, arching, curling, hanging upside down, swinging and climbing – I began to feel whole again. I began to feel the physical freedom of a10-year-old. Through the practice of Gyrotonic and its sister version, Gyrokinesis, my muscles elongated. I found space in my joints. Persistent muscular pain and imbalance began to lift. I found a quieter, more fluid, graceful strength. But just as important as muscular freedom, my sense of adventure and confidence also broadened, so when I tried Elizabeth’s Aerialates classes, I found the same sort of playful freedom. But play isn’t easy. It starts with taking the courage to move outside the box life has created. With each reach, swing, spiral, you become stronger and more courageous. This builds muscle and confidence. You are never too old to be young again.

Susan Gaines Sevilla

Gyrotonic® Gyrokinesis® trainer - Minneapolis, MN

Metro magazine columnist, Personal Gaines

www.susangaines.com

www.metromag.com

twitter@srgaines

Photo by Sara Rubinstein, http://rubinsteinphoto.com/

Living your dream life

aerialates — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:11:00 GMT

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Jane Goodall speak. As a girl, she had grand dreams of studying animals and writing books about them. Look what she did!

Dr. Goodall did not have an easy road. She was born in an economically disadvantaged family and had to face many obstacles in her career. Still, she let nothing get in the way of her heart's journey.

Hearing her speak of her incredible journey was immensely inspiring, and I can't help but think about my own dream life and the steps I'm taking to actualize my dreams. Are your steps on the road to your dreams?

Give attention - get POWER

aerialates — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:45:00 GMT

I got this saying in a fortune cookie once: "You give power to what you give attention to." (I had to reword it for the title of this blog...I have an M.A. in Comparative Literature and ending a sentence with a preposition REALLY bothers me).

It's taking me a few years, but now I really get what that means. And let me explain by telling you a story.

I know someone who is really particular about his cars. REALLY particular. He has special cleaners for the interior windows, dash, tires, and whitewalls. He waxes and washes his cars regularly. He researches gasoline and oils and puts very specific liquids into his cars to enhance their longevity and performance. As a result of all this, his cars look great, run smoothly, and have excellent resale value.

This same person drinks a lot of beer and soda. His diet consists primarily of breads, meats (including sausages), and cheese. He takes blood pressure and cholesterol medication daily. He admits to having a short temper and has a difficult time controlling his mood.

His cars get a lot of his attention, and thus his cars are a strong area in his life. His body does not, and it shows in the number of medications he takes, his complaints about back pain, and his erratic mood swings. His body is a weak area of his life.

Of course, this person would never ADMIT that his cars are more important to him than his body, but what do his actions say?

Our bodies are the vehicles that allow us to move about the world and enjoy our lives. If we are playing with our children but are tired and our back hurts, isn't that experience with our children compromised? Isn't my view of the world smaller if I don't have the energy to move around in it?

My question for myself, and for you is: where do you put your attention? If there is an area in your life that's important to you, give it your time and attention. Tell me what happens!

Grilled spring veggies = good eatin'

aerialates — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:49:00 GMT

I grew up in a house that considered a potato a vegetable. Salad was iceberg lettuce with packaged croutons and bacon bits. Other veggie options included canned green beans with bacon and boiled broccoli with melted Velveeta cheese. mmmm.

I was fortunate enough to have veggie-loving roommates in San Francisco who also knew how to cook. The secret to making veggies taste good is: 1. buy (or grow) really good veggies; 2. do as little as possible to them so you enhance, not kill or smother, their flavor.

Now that spring is here everyone wants to grill - so here's my little recipe for grilled vegetables. Everyone in my family loves these - even the cattle farmer!

1. Get a pile of veggies you like. I usually use eggplant, zucchini, and a variety of bell peppers.
2. Cut them in a way so they'll hold up on the grill but not get burned too fast (eggplant takes longer - cut slices about 1/3" thick. Zucchini and peppers are a little faster. I cut zucchini in slices lengthwise and cut the peppers into eighths).
3. Pour a little olive oil over the veggies (you want them to glisten, but you don't want them drenched), then sprinkle on some spices. You can use fresh or dried. I like black pepper, oregano, basil, and a little thyme.
4. Throw them on the grill and watch them carefully. They'll be done in 5-10 minutes, depending on the veggie, heat of the grill, and how you cut them.

My family's grilling this weekend and oh - look at that! My brother just send me a text asking me to bring some veggies!

A healthy body requires daily maintenance

aerialates — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:25:00 GMT

I know it's been a bit since my last post. Since my last post, my dog had 6 visits to urgent care. Not surprisingly, I was sick for a week after he got better. I know the stress of dealing with all of that negatively affected my immune system, and for all of last week I was down for the count.

I took a lil' run today - LITTLE - but I was out there. Feeling the sun on my face, the breath in my semi-clogged lungs, and the heart beating in my chest brought me new energy and motiviation to make health a daily priority - REGARDLESS of whatever events are going on in my life. Here are a few things that I've noticed helps me feel energetic, clear-headed, content, and strong. Tell me - what am I missing?

1. Get plenty of quality sleep each night. For me, that's about 8 hours.
2. Meditate daily. I've noticed when I meditate regularly I need less sleep (6-7 hours) and wake feeling rested and alive - not groggy.
3. Move. At the very least I walk my dog daily. I like to get 3-4 good cardio workouts in a week and 3 strength training workouts. I also like to take a pilates reformer class weekly. If I have time for an extra treat, it's a yoga class. Sounds like a lot. I do what I can, but I've noticed if I do SOMETHING every day everything works better.
4. Drink water. Lots.
5. Eat clean meals. Veggies, rice, lean protein (for me, fish or egg whites), oatmeal, fruit, etc.

What activities are a part of your daily life?

The pull-up bar is your friend, part 3 of 3

aerialates — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:50:00 GMT

You've mastered the negative pull-up...now it's time for the real thing! Here's a video to help you.

I have three women in a class right now who have made a commitment to do a pull-up in 2010. I have another client who started doing Aerialates with me a few months ago and she can already do two underhand-grip pull-ups.

Pulling up your body by your own strength is empowering. I want your pull-up stories, people!!

Easy, healthy breakfast

aerialates — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:40:00 GMT

You've heard it a hundred times, right? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People who maintain a healthy weight eat breakfast. It's all TRUE.

If you think you don't have time in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast, you're wrong. Here's an easy, healthy breakfast I made a couple of weeks ago when my parents were in town: Crock-pot Oatmeal!

Get a canister of steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are YUMMY but they do take 25-30 minutes to cook. To save yourself time, make them in the crock-pot! Set up your crock-pot before you go to bed. Put in the oatmeal and lowfat milk (follow the package's instructions on amount of each for number of desired servings). You may want to add a smidge more liquid than what the package calls for since it will be cooking overnight. You can add some dried fruit (I like currants, but raisins and dates are good too), cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and set on the lowest setting to cook overnight. When you wake up, your breakfast is ready! The nice thing about this is that even if people in your home wake at different times, they all can have a warm, hearty, and healthy breakfast. Done!

Gym in a box. And in your living room, office, hotel room...

aerialates — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:46:00 GMT

I recently posted a workout that you can do at home without any fancy equipment. I know there's at least ONE of you that's been doing that workout diligently and is craving more...
so here it is, your gym in a box for only 20 bucks: Powerhouse Hit the Deck

My colleague and friend Jenny Evans created a workout that you can do anytime, anywhere, without any equipment. Powerhouse Hit the Deck is a stack of cards with exericses and a timer. You pick a level and set the timer; do the exercise on your first card. When the timer beeps, pick another card! Easy! And just in case you are wondering..."is this really a good workout?" Just look at Jenny (the person on the cards). She's ripped and doesn't have a gym membership. Enough said.

Have fun!

The pull-up bar is your friend, Part 2: Negative pull-ups

aerialates — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:55:36 GMT

Now that you've mastered how to hang form a pull-up bar you can work towards doing a pull-up. If you can't do pull-ups yet, start with negative pull-ups. You'll step on a chair so you can get above the bar, hang, then lower yourself slowly. Here's a video that gives a great demonstration. The one thing I would suggest you change from what's shown in the video is to grip the bar with your palms facing away from you, as you did for the hanging exercise. There's nothing 'wrong' with gripping the bar with your palms facing you, but the palms away will engage your back muscles more and is the aerialist's pull-up of choice. Have fun!

The 'I have a baby and can't leave the house' workout

aerialates — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:02:00 GMT

Babies, babies, babies... now that I'm in my early 30's, everyone around me seems to be having babies. I'm not quite ready to have kids myself, but because I think it's so darn fabulous what parents do I've created a special workout for all of you stay-at-home moms and dads who want to fit some exercise into your day. The following program is especially for those who have small blocks of free time, have little to no exercise equipment in the house, have been sedentary for a while, and have minimal knowledge of exercise. It's designed to hit every major muscle group once and give you a way to do SOMETHING when you can't get out of the house and don't have a big chunk of time. Of course, you should always check with your doc before starting a new exercise program, especially after giving birth.

Part 1: AM Cardio 15-20 minutes
You have a lot of options for this segment. Here are a few ideas:
1. Go for an outdoor walk with baby. This is my favorite option. But if it's too cold or otherwise unsafe for you to be outside with baby, you can...
2. Dance around with baby in the house. If you've got a wee one, you can put your infant in one of those bouncy things while you put on some not-too-loud music that inspires you. If you've got a toddler, your child can join in the fun. For example, my niece and I like to dance to hip hop and disco.
3. Play, play, play. Example...my niece loves it when I follow her around on my hands and knees. Then we'll dance, then more crawling around the house.
4. Get a short workout video or video with 20-minute segments that you can do while baby naps. Collage Video has some great options. You can also save money by checking out videos from you local library or getting a Netflix account and renting videos from their Sports and Fitness section. You have the added option of streaming some workout videos with most plans.

Part 2: AM Upper body 15 minutes
While baby naps or is otherwise content, do the following exercises. Go for three sets of 15 reps each.
1. Push ups. Go for the full plank push-ups where you do them on your toes. If those are too tough, you can do them on your knees - however, I prefer to modify by doing push-ups on a chair or bench if full-plank push-ups are too hard for you right now. To see what I mean, click here for a video.

2. Military press. You can do these standing or seated. This video gives a good explanation. The woman in the video is using dumbbells - if you have dumbbells, start light - no more than five pounds. If you don't have dumbbells, you can use any two items in your house that are the same and that weigh less than five pounds. I suggest beginners start with soup cans. After the soup cans get easy, you can progress to something slightly heavier (like a big can of soup!).

3. Tricep dips. Do these off of a chair. This video explains it. One option that this video doesn't mention is to have your legs straight out in front of you with your feet on the FLOOR. Do these after the bent knee ones are easy, then progress to having your feet on a chair in front of you.

Part 3: PM Cardio 15-20 minutes
In the afternoon, do another cardio segment. Any of the options listed in Part 1 will do.

Part 4: PM Lower body and core
Afternoon nap time=chance for you to finish your workout.

1. Chair squats. Stand in front of a chair; squat down like you're going to sit in it, then stand back up. Here's a video for clarification. If this gets easy, you can make it harder by holding dumbbells (or soup cans). Start at 3 sets of 15.

2. Wall sit. These are one of my favorite love/hate exercises. They burn your quadriceps (the front of the leg). Keep in mind that wall sits are not a good exercise if you have high blood pressure. Work up to 3 sets of 15-20 seconds, then 30, then 45. Yes, here's a video just to be sure.

3. Calf raises. You can do your calf raises on a stair. Be sure to have a hand on a railing for balance. This video gives a thorough explanation and offers a challenging one-leg version.

4. Plank. This is your core exercise. Work up to 3 sets of holding your plank for one minute each time. This video offers several modifications. Notice how the exerciser has her elbows directly under her shoulders.

There you have it! You got in 30-40 minutes of cardio exercise and 30 minutes of resistance training for your upper and lower body.
Congratulations on your little one...but don't forget to give some time to yourself!

Too old my foot

aerialates — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Whenever I hear someone say he/she is 'too old' to so something I think of Konrad Thuranos. At the time of this performance (click for video) in 2006, he was 97. I love the part at the end when he does pull-ups on the rope using only two fingers.

Why 'getting in shape' should NOT be your New Year's resolution

aerialates — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:18:00 GMT

A couple of years ago I had a client who trained with me two days a week and with another trainer one day a week. I gave her cardio 'homework' that she completed. We talked about nutrition during our workouts and it all made sense to her. After one month, however, she shared her frustration with me: "Why am I not losing any weight?"

I asked her if she had changed her diet: "No." I asked her if she had stopped drinking Coke: "No. We're going out of town this weekend....I'll cut back after our vacation." or "I have houseguests" or "The kids like the cookies and ice cream and they can't finish them all" were her excuses.

A couple of weeks later she still hadn't lost weight. After our session, I told her, "You know that what you eat is 80% of this, right?"

She looked at me as if antlers had grown out of my head.

The next time I saw her she was a changed woman. "I'm ready," she told me.

"Mary," (not her real name), "I've been waiting for you to say that this entire time."

Two months later she was thrilled to tell me she'd lost 20 pounds. "You were right," she said. "As soon as I got the food in order, the weight came off."

"The diet starts Monday," "I'm going to get back into shape after vacation," and "Next year I'm going to start exercising," all fall into the same category: they are clues to the obstacles you're creating for yourself from living the life you want to live. The truth is, the day that all of this will be easy never comes. It will not be any easier on Monday or after vacation or next year than it is today - but something inside you knows your life will be richer if it's a healthy one. So why not start now? For some ideas on getting started, see the previous post "One small change."

Happy New Year!

The pull-up bar is your friend, Part 1

aerialates — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:38:00 GMT

As promised...your pull-up bar workout begins NOW.
Forget pull-ups for the time being...first, it's important to learn how to hang from a pull-up bar in a way that will keep your shoulders healthy and maximize results.

You've got your pull-up bar installed safely. You're ready to begin.

Step 1: Hang from the bar. If the ceiling is low enough (or you are tall enough), you can jump up to grab it. Otherwise, use a chair or stool to help you reach the bar.

The rules for hanging from a bar are these:
1. wrap your thumbs around the bar
2. keep your whole body tight, especially your abs. Point your toes - they should be slightly in front of the midline of your body.
3. KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS AWAY FROM YOUR EARS. This is so important. Keeping your shoulders away from your ears works the larger back muscles and keeps the stress off the little rotator cuff muscles which are NOT designed to hold your body weight for extended periods of time. In other words, it's the best way to prevent injury.

Notice Kristin below. She is wrapping her thumbs, her body is nice and tight, and her shoulders are low, away from her ears:

In the following picture Kristin is hanging incorrectly. See how her shoulders are right next to her ears?

Hanging is tough. See how long you can hang. When you are done hanging, your upper back and abs should be tired. If they are not, you are not engaging the correct muscles. Hanging alone is an excellent exercise to strengthen the upper back and core.

Step 2: The next move is more advanced and is ONLY for those of you who have mastered hanging from two arms. It's called a monkey hang, and it's the same as step 1 only you are hanging from ONE arm instead of two. You still have to keep your shoulder away from your ear - so if you can't do it correctly, keep your feet on a box or step to help support your weight, or keep doing the two-arm hang until you build up your strength. Kristin's strong and she's showing you a monkey hang below:

There you have it! I'll give you a good week or so to work on hanging from a bar. Thank you to Kristin Procopio, owner of Studio U in Minneapolis for her lovely demonstration!

Putting bad energy in a good place

aerialates — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:12:00 GMT

There's a lot of bad news going 'round this holiday season. People close to me are getting divorced, losing their jobs, and losing their homes.

When I hear news like this I wish I owned my own company so that I could give all my friends jobs, or that I was so rich I owned extra homes and could say "just stay awhile." But alas, I don't. All I have is a listening ear, and often even that is malfunctioning.

I remember one of my first corporate jobs in San Francisco - three months after I was hired there were massive layoffs. At the time my co-workers and I didn't know if we were "safe," so we went out to an expensive lunch on the company card.

I was in marathon training and had a run to do after work, so I didn't partake in the rounds of shots everyone was buying. I didn't order my own dessert. I was mad and angry, but I told myself I'd take it out on my run - and I did.

I'm not saying that working out will fix problems as big as losing a home or job. All I'm saying is I've found it's a productive way to express bad energy. There have been times when I've been really angry about something, and I'll sit with a friend over drinks and complain for hours. I never feel better after doing that. I do feel better if I can run, or do a yoga video, or hit a punching bag. (Note: all of the aforementioned exercises can be done without having to pay for a gym membership).

We can't always control what goes own in our lives, but we can control how we react to them. For more tips on dealing with holiday stress, check out this article from Psychology Today.

One small change

aerialates — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:40:00 GMT

I know several people right now who think and talk a lot about getting "back into shape," but feel like the mountain is too high to climb. They haven't exercised in years. They've put on weight after a baby and feel like it's a long road to get it off. They feel self-conscious at the gym. They don't want to drink shakes and eat rabbit food.

You don't have to - nor should you - turn your life upside-down to start incorporating wellness into your life. My advice to those of you who feel overwhelmed is this: make ONE small change. Just one. Buy whole grain bread instead of white bread. Drink tea or water instead of soda. Take your kids to the playground and play WITH them instead of watching TV.

If you need help thinking of more ideas send me a note. But I'm confident that if you sit and think about it for a moment, there's something you'll find you can change. It doesn't have to be big. If you like, post a comment about your change - you may inspire others to start thinking about new ways to be that feel a whole lot better.

The one piece of gym equipment you need in your house - right now!

aerialates — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:33:00 GMT

I started my circus training when I was 23. I took a flying trapeze class at the then San Francisco School of Circus Arts (now Circus Center) and fell in love with it. I was the baby in the class, and for a year I hung out (literally) with all sorts of people - IT gurus, retired and working doctors, DJs, you name it. Hanging from bars with youthful adults is loads of fun.

When you do something you enjoy, you want to get better at it. Not two months into my flying trapeze classes, my instructor, Scott, told me there was one piece of equipment I needed to improve the height on my flying trapeze swing: a pull-up bar.

The next day I spent 20 bucks on the cheapest bar I could find and installed it in my door frame. I move a lot, and that pull-up bar came with me to six more apartments or houses from 2002-2006.

Circus performers get ripped using their own body weight and things like pull-up bars, and so can you. There are loads of exercises you can do on a pull-up bar, and over the next few weeks I'll tell you about many of them. But first you have to get one. Then the fun begins!

Holiday parties for the fitness-minded

aerialates — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:16:00 GMT

I have a work-related holiday party to go to this weekend, and - don't hate me - I'm looking FORWARD to it. I can't wait to enjoy that glass of wine, that deliciously prepared meal, and that rich dessert around people I find good company. The fact that I don't have to pay for it is icing on the cake.

Hmmm...how come she's not dreading it you're wondering. What about all those extra calories and fat? I don't even go to MY work parties anymore, you say. I can't handle being around all that food.

What's my secret? It's not a secret - it's a PLAN. I'm going to...

1. Work out HARD in the morning. There's a class at my local gym (I go to Lifetime) called Total Conditioning that leaves me DRIPPING with sweat. It's a tough, non-stop circuit workout that pushes my boundaries. If you've been working out a while, go for it. If you're newer to the game, find something that challenges you at YOUR level - a step class, a 20-30 minute run, an hour-long power walk. Just do something.

2. Get a little extra in here and there during the day. I'm going to walk my dog and clean the house. Doing so, I'll burn an extra 200-300 calories than if I sat on the couch.

3. Eat a light and healthy breakfast and lunch and have a small snack about 3 hours before the party. For me, this will be bowl of steel cut oats in the morning, some veggies and chicken for lunch, and a small shake (fruit + protein powder) in the late afternoon.

4. Drink water and herbal tea to stave off hunger during the day. Tea does a great job of satiating my appetite - just make sure you don't drink too much caffeinated tea as it's dehydrating.

5. Enjoy every minute of it. I'm not going to gulp my wine or stuff my face. I'm going to cherish the gift of good company, drink, and food. Focusing on gratitude slows me down and makes me happy. The fact that I'm eating less becomes an afterthought.

6. Stop eating before feeling full. Pay attention to your body. You know that sick feeling you get when you've eaten too much? Why end what would have been a wonderful evening on that note? Tell yourself you want to leave feeling good, not gross.

It's sad how our obsession with the scale has caused us to dread a time when we should be enjoying one another's company and honoring the work we do for each other. The holidays don't have to be a time when your health gets shoved to the backburner. Make it a priority - and allow yourself to have some fun at the same time by making and following a plan.

My Thanksgiving Exercise Ritual

aerialates — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:47:00 GMT

I thought at first I should have a fabulous post with tips on how to get through your Thanksgiving dinner without feeling like you've eaten too much and how to fit a little workout into the holiday. I'll get to that in December, I PROMISE, but right now I have something else on my mind.

For the past 5 years or so I have had a Thanksgiving ritual: I go running Thanksgiving morning. I ALWAYS feel like sleeping in and tell myself I should really take the day off, but that second piece of pumpkin pie tastes that much sweeter when I feel like I've earned it.

I lived in the Bay Area from 1999-2005, and the last two years I lived in Oakland and Berkeley. On Thanksgiving, I'd get up around 9 and the streets would still be quiet. Everything seemed to be coated in a gray fog that would lift by the time I arrived home.

In Berkeley there's a park called People's Park that has a history too rich for me to go into here. In 2003, my first year in the East Bay, I took my Thanksgiving run from my north Oakland home and ran by the park. The scene was quite unlike the picture you see above.

I saw, on that cool, hazy morning, mounds of gray heaps staggered across the park. The park was commonly used by Berkeley's large homeless population as a camping ground, but I had never seen it like this. The scene resembled that of a graveyard, only instead of flowers, garbage littered the land; where I should have smelled clean air, the stench of trash, dirty clothes, and unwashed bodies filled my nostrils. What struck me most was that I saw not a single body move; they were tombstones placed strategically across this piece of land that once symbolized a thriving grassroots movement.

I took the same run in 2004 and 2005; the scenes were identical. Whenever I've run on Thanksgiving day since, I always think of People's Park. I'm sure there is some great lesson that I should be able to articulate by now, but it hasn't yet surfaced. The gray mounds still haunt me.

I won't be able to take my ritual run this Thanksgiving morning due to travel plans, and I'll miss it. I suppose the one thing I have learned since my People's Park runs is that it won't hurt you to be kind to your body or take a good look at the world on Thanksgiving Day.