link to columnist /Chinook
by Chinook
In the past when I've done an integral cross training workout, I'd get mixed up on how many sets I'd done. Has this happened to you? You started doing your exercises, telling yourself you're going to do 10 sets, and when you get to 6 – you can't remember if you're beginning # 6 or # 5? I've suffered from this dilemma for years and today, like a lightening bolt from heaven, I got an answer so clear that I wondered why hadn't I thought of it before? I said to myself 'Chinook…you have been such a cabbagehead!'
I named my new workout the 'stone workout'. That's 'stone' not stoners…. I picked up 15 small stones about an inch in diameter and at the beginning of my workout I laid them all side by side on the ground. I said to myself, after each set of exercises that I do I will move a stone from the right to the far left. This way I'll never forget again how many sets and reps I've done. VOILA!!! It worked like a charm.
What Counts
Here's my latest workout regimen. Feel free to tweak it and make it work for you. I did 2 Kung Fu forms, 1 Tai Chi form, 25 abdominal strengthening exercises, 10 up dog-down dogs-chaturanga combos, 1 back hyperextension, pigeon pose & seated spinal twists and resistance cord strength training (for shoulders, arms and chest). It all took approximately 16 minutes. Multiply 16 minutes X 5 sets and you get an 80 minute workout. Now you may not have enough time to do 5 sets – so do 1! And feel great afterwards! You may not want to use stones though. You have lots of options - pearls, rubies, diamonds, cigarette butts, soda can pull tops, whatever….but whatever you choose, they really help! I plan on eventually working up to 10 sets of these 5 days a week. As you keep doing things you get more proficient at them. So each set will probably end of taking 10 minutes a piece.
Good Deeds and Good Intentions
Remember, the physical results are wonderful but are NOT the primary emphasis - instead I must keep striving for higher discipline. Intention and faith are very important but useless without good deeds. I realized today when I was walking that the most important type of discipline is to let go of our negative addictions. The yamas and the niyamas (yoga science principles) must be respected and maintained always. It's very easy to do the things we like to do but very difficult to stop doing the things that we like to do that are bad for us (food and sugar addiction, procrastination, un-punctuality, substance abuse, sex addiction, over-consumerism, wastefulness, etc). The real discipline comes from being able to rise above the lower 4 chakras and to surrender to the yamas and niyamas. Discipline means to never, ever quit doing the good deeds. If you fall, get back up & get in the saddle. One stone, then 2 stones… one yama… then 2 yamas. One stone…then 2 stones… then 3 stones…then 4 stones… meditation, exercise, proper nutrition, chanting, prayer, pranayama, rest, humor, good company, community, etc.
Chinook Wusdhu is a health and fitness theorist and movement engineer. Chinook has honed his teaching over the last 30 years, sharing his understanding of movement and health. In 2006 he won the U.S. National Kung Fu and T'sa Chi championship in Houston
