

	Your turn to sweat ...

flip orley

Post your stories about yoga, hypnosis, the person who changed your life and anything else related to this episode with Flip Orley. And consider entering our listener "ride" contest. Email us at theride@npr.org. Please give us your first name and tell us where you're writing from. Of course, we also like to get mail the old-fashioned way. Write us at: Along For The Ride, National Public Radio, 635 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001.

"... she said it would help us snowboard better..."
From: Leah in Boulder
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 12:55 PM

Karen started teaching beginning Iyengar yoga classes in the space behind the small natural foods market I was working at while finishing college. Karen works at the store as well and encouraged my friends and I to come. The class was free for employees and she said it would help us snowboard better.

A group of us started going every Sunday morning. It was extremely challenging physically and emotionally. As I stood in downward dog pose, shaking profusely trying to stay up there and mentally trying to block out random giggles and bodily noises, I was overcome with the connection I was feeling with my body. As time went by, I started going to Karen's class twice a week and practicing at home. My relationship with Karen became stronger and she became a mentor for me. She had a way of explaining poses and movement that made sense to me. She made it easy for me to discuss challenges I was facing with a particular pose or body part. "Everyone's body is different and will have challenges with different poses" she would say.

When snowboarding season came around, I felt fantastic, balanced and strong. Yoga did indeed help me progress in my riding techniques, but Yoga has brought me so much more. I feel at peace with my mind and body. I have balance, strength and flexibility. My body is loose and free. I manage stress through meditation and simple sitting poses. I can self-heal physically and mentally. I find myself recommending Yoga for all sorts of reasons to friends and strangers. I want the world to reap the benefits of this amazingly simple and complete exercise for the mind and body. I still practice yoga and know that I always will.

"...hypnotized to break the habit of thumb sucking..."
From: Cecile in Sacramento
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2001 1:09 AM

Question: I recently heard that a parent had her six year old hypnotized to break the habit of thumb sucking? I was interested to hear Flip's comments on this. Is it advisable for a child so young to experience hypnosis? And who would be qualified to administer it,a person that specializes in child therapy?

"...I saw Flip Orley's show at the Improv in Washington, D.C. last night..."
From: Mark S. in Fairfax, VA
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 7:07 PM

I saw Flip Orley's show at the Improv in Washington, D.C. last night, Saturday. I heard your broadcast today, Sunday. I am signing up for a yoga class in the fall tomorrow, Monday ... How's that for a significant impact for your show?

".. the crack was audible..."
From: Cathy L. from Apex, NC
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 6:03 PM

Remind me to never pressure my significant other to participate in an activity he is not real excited about. One Saturday, we enrolled and attended a Yoga on a Roll class. It was the first lesson ever taught by the instructor and improvisation was the word. First the premise; you combine yoga poses while sitting on large inflated balls.

Sound interesting? It was indeed.

After loosening up, and "finding our center" while sitting on the balls, the instructor suggested we improvise and attempt anything that appealed to us. With her encouragement, 8 people gathered in a circle began flinging arms, riding bronco, and literally dancing on the balls. The balls were not nice and responded accordingly, bucking folks off, at an alarming rate. My darling 6'4" 210 lb. hubby was kicked from his mare and came crashing down on my foot. The crack was audible and momentarily stunned everyone into silence. Being the well brought up, noncomplaining, and certainly "Don't rain on anyone's parade" type girl, I murmured "I'll be okay, please continue on without me." and dragged myself into the corner of the room.

Later at the emergency room, the staff nearly fell out, when I stated I broke my foot during Yoga and how. The upshot is that now both my husband and I regularly practice a more traditional Yoga. His guilty feelings necessitated him to give the practice one more try. And no more accidents to date.