Water yoga can do wonders

photos special to viewTop, Marie McDonald, second from right, leads an Ai Chi class at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. Club members practice the rounding position, top, and balancing pose bottom. Ai Chi is best practiced in warm water.

Every thought that crosses your mind, every emotion that you experience will trigger a response somewhere in your body. You cannot separate one from the other. They are linked at the deepest levels. Toss in the spirit and there you have it -- the complete human being.

Most of us are familiar with the fight or flight response to fear. The body prepares to defend itself in a dangerous situation. The blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and muscle tension heighten to increase your ability to escape or do battle. Hormones and inflammatory chemicals are released. When we don't need this bodily reaction to spring into action, it can cause adverse effects, ranging from headaches to heart attacks.

Depression, loneliness, fear, anger and chronic stress can adversely affect your physical well-being. Digestive distress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and immune suppression are just a few of the physical manifestations of a troubled mind. Many health care professionals believe that 60 percent to 90 percent of doctors' visits involve stress-related symptoms.

There is no way that we can keep adversity out of our lives. At some time in our lives, we will be forced to deal with stress, betrayal, grief, anger, fear and what ever else comes our way. Unfortunately, we can not control outside pressures, including the behavior of others. The important thing is how we deal with it.

Just as we fall into poor physical habits, such as improper posture, we also form mental and emotional habits that affect our health negatively. Worrying about loved ones' problems can make us sick. While it is kind and loving to listen and sympathize with their concerns, we cannot control their thoughts and actions, nor the circumstances of the problem.

Holding onto a grudge is something we all have done from time to time. Years ago, I ended a toxic relationship that left me emotionally and financially drained. You can bet I was mad. One day, I was ranting to a friend about how this person ruined my life, when she said softly, "Marie, turn the page." It hit me like a bolt of lightning. Those three little words made me realize what I was doing to myself. It was over. Now it was time to move on.

Ever since then, if I catch myself reliving a bad experience, those words pop into my head and I "turn the page."

There is no doubt that warm, loving relationships can not only make us happy, but can keep us healthy. Holding our loved ones responsible for our happiness is not only unfair, but unhealthy. True happiness comes from the spirit within ourselves.

A quiet mind is just as essential to our health as good nutrition and exercise. To that end, we can use techniques that we find soothing. For those who practice religion, prayer can be powerful. Surrendering one's self to a higher power brings peace of mind.

Let's not forget that exercise relieves tension. It can decrease anxiety, allows you to sleep better and raises your spirits. Many biological benefits take place, which can increase the health of your nerve cells and improve the blood and energy supply to your brain.

Mind/body exercise can accomplish physical and mental enhancement. Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates and Ai Chi, to name a few, are all based on deep breathing coordinated with slow, controlled movements. Breath is the source of life -- a bridge between the body and mind. Diaphragmatic breathing is the most efficient respiration system. Most of us breathe at half our lung capacity.

Yoga is the most well-known and widely practiced mind/body exercise. Meditation, deep breathing and controlled movements teaches us to quiet the mind and relax the body. With the full relaxation response, we achieve a deep sense of calm -- blood pressure drops, heart and respiration rates slow and the muscles become less tense. No wonder it has been around for more than 5,000 years.

Ai Chi is the aqua version of mind/body exercise. It is one of my most popular classes at the Las Vegas Athletic Club.

Being the water person that I am, I find taking it into the water further adds to the relaxation process. The temperature of the water should be between 88 degrees and 96 degrees. The movements are soft, round and flowing in rhythm with diaphragmatic breathing. The inwardly directed focus requires a nonjudgmental attention to self. Although the program is very structured, we strive for tranquility, rather than precision.

Ai Chi achieves not only tranquility, but enhances range of motion and balance.

As we journey through the 16 postures in class, relaxation deepens and the breathing slows down. Tensions leave the body, causing the range of motion to expand. Every movement has a spiritual meaning.

For example, in gathering, we reach behind us to gather all the irritants from the past that we are having trouble letting go of and sweep them forward, replacing them with new energy. Physically, we are stabilizing the torso.

While rounding, we lift the toe forward to the fingertips, giving our bodies a full stretch from neck to toe, as well as a core crunch.

The spiritual visualization is to accept all challenges and allow them to roll off of our shoulders. Balancing achieves the same physical benefits, while visualizing the balance of mind, body and spirit.

You may have to learn how to achieve peace of mind. I can't think of a better formula than the serenity prayer.

In the coming months, I urge you to take some time each day to relax and treat yourself kindly. Find joy wherever you can. Appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Relish the hugs and kisses your grandchild gives you. Most of all, embrace each day.

Marie McDonald teaches aquatic fitness and swimming technique at the northwest area Las Vegas Athletic Club. Her book, "Your Personal Best: A Common Sense Guide to Fitness for all Ages," is available on Amazon.com. You also can find it at the Clark County Library. Contact McDonald at mariedy.fit@hotmail.com.