Trust Your Gut And Get Killer Abs (VIDEO)

"All the great scientists say that whenever they discovered something, they discovered it not by thinking but when the thinking had stopped and there was an interval, a gap. Into that gap came the insight - the intuitive flash, like lightning." - Osho

In yoga, or any path of living whether spiritual or otherwise, there are infinite ways of describing and intellectualizing concepts outlining what there is to do that takes us where we want to go. There are endless lineages, texts, sermons, teachings, and leaders that will tell you their way is the best and only path. Many schools will even spell out exactly what to do and why. Unfortunately these teachings bring us further away from what we already know and trust, before we are taught to second-guess ourselves. They separate us from our intuition.

Krishna Das reminds us that love is the answer. Maharaji said, "Practice like Jesus." He lost himself in love. You don't need a book of scripture or a man dressed in robes of any faith to show you how to do that. No one will show you how to do that. You have to figure out what it looks like all by yourself. That's the hard part. It's easy to be told what to do, follow directions, and hope for the best. It's practically the American dream, the deferred life plan, but we are collectively starting to figure out another option.

We don't have to completely abandon intellectualized spiritual concepts, scripture, and lineage, but we can keep our eyes and hearts wide open if we are choosing to listen and participate. Everyone has intuition and insight.

Ram Dass used to say in the 60s that we are in our bodies but we are not our bodies. Now, in his 70s, he more completely reminds us that we are not only our bodies, but we are also our bodies. When we treat our bodies well, our intuition can function more efficiently and we will enjoy the beauty of life from a state of radiant health.

When we have a strong and stable body we can live from and trust our guts. When we have a steady and open mind we are able to live from our instincts (the gut of our minds). Intellect is useful sometimes. It can even trigger intuition so we should use it for what it's worth. Intuition is of a higher level. Take advantage of both by keeping your body and mind strong and clear.

This routine strengthens your core and is designed to wake up your body and clear your mind. Focusing our minds and moving with the breath is like adding wind to the fire that is our intuition. Wake up and move from your gut. Trust your intuition and unlock anything that is holding you back. This is all practice. There is no pose and no end point. It is all the same pose, and we're already in it. Your life is your practice. There is only one of you in the world for a reason.

If we can shift our thinking to living our lives as practice we are less likely to be controlled by our circumstances and more likely to start living from our instincts. This kind of thinking also has a way of putting us a little more right here rather than always looking a few steps ahead toward our goals. Which, interestingly enough, has a way of helping us get where we want to be with much more certainty, and be able to actually enjoy it all when we get there.

If you've been following along this is part of a 4-week series. This routine is designed to strengthen and waken your core. Try it any time you need a reminder to trust your gut. Warning: killer abs may result with regular practice.

 

 

Follow Tara Stiles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tarastiles

Comments

[bambilashes]

My trainer has been telling me to eat more to lose weight and get my abs back, which I didnt understand then I read it online and it seems to be true, I spent the summer of 2009 over weight and self consucious I wont do it again, im eating more and raising my metabolism at the same time, heres the post they can explain how it works http://911­-fitness.c­om/why-eat­ing-less-c­auses-weig­ht-gain.ph­p who knew

[ChelseaC]

Excellent video.

[Tara Stiles - Huffpost Blogger]

In yoga, as well as life, there is always somewhere else to strive for, you are never "there", so that makes difficulty level irrelevant to your practice. Stay where you are and do what you can. Practice points out our work ethic and how we feel about our lives. Frustration easily turns into complacency, judgment of others, and bitterness about what we have vs what we don't have. I've seen many over-weight people practice plow pose without complaint. I've also seen people skip it because they are tuned in that it isn't a good idea for them at this time.

There is no "pose". The whole thing is a pose. One flowing moment to the next. It's your choice whether to become frustrated, self-congr atulatory, or shift your attention to noticing where your thoughts go and bring yourself back to your breath, the place of calm and inspiration where your best self is revealed. Stop trying to be other people. Cultivate what you have and stop complaining about what you don't. You can waste your whole life complaining.

If any of these "poses" are painful then don't do them. Do what you can and continue to challenge your body and mind. Be where you are. Stop comparing yourselves with others. That's exactly where you should be, and are perfect.

[gjohnthehorrible]

I'm working hard on my abs everyday. Everyday I strive to add another layer of fat to it, this way no one will be able to hurt me, all punches will just bounce off. Bwaaaahaha­hahahahaha

[TWM1]

Moving from a strong focused center is essential to a healthy body. If your a bit over weight and with lower back issues what would you suggest?

[sunnylo1]

One thing; Osho didn't point out the fact that a lot of thinking in a particular direction preceeded the flashes of insight he spoke about.

Your articles are always enjoyable.

[mjt96]

This is a great reminder about the importance of beginning with a healthy body - so much more valuable than intellectual talk. Everything else gets much easier from there.

As a side note, noticed a couple comments that refer to your routine as "advanced." I'd suggest people get more comfortable with just reaching gently out to their own edge, rather than overly worrying about copying you exactly. This doesn't have to look for another person exactly how it looks for you, it's just a matter of moving in this kind of way in our own bodies. As you keep reminding, intuition can serve here on the safety side . . . but the routine definitely isn't advanced. It's open to anyone with some practice. If something is easy the very first time you try it, then it probably isn't so worthy an aim. Anyway, great work!

[Tulka2]

You are skillful to remind us that a healthy body is ours to give ourselves and yoga is not a race or a commodity.

[HuffyAmy]

These are definitely advanced moves for people with strong abs already -- swinging your legs around like that would be terrible for the lower back if you aren't already strong. Sheesh. How can you get all spiritual if you hurt yourself?

[Tulka2]

Careful never to flail. Every movement is controlled. Start small. Yoga is not a race or competition. There is an apocryphal story that Buddha once saw a cat wake up and stretch herself and he realized this was the way to exercise because a cat would never dream of over-extending or hurting herself.

The story isn't true because yoga predates the Buddha, but it's a good point. Be a cat. Cats do not hurt themselves stretching.

[provgrays]

Most people are not contortionists and could not to that rediculous routine. It's also hard on the lower back. People needing to lose weight couldn't perform these moves. Eating better and walking briskly for 40 minutes daily is the way to start. After that, weight training is the best way to build muscle and bone density.

It's about burning calories, not killing yourself.

[Tibibosh]

I with you on that. Most people aren't reed thin and long of limb. I for one have never been all that flexible, even with training so these moves, especially the yoga moves are pretty difficult. If one has bad knees, then those moves at the end of routine would put a lot of stress on the patella. If someone is a beginner, this would not be the exercises to begin with. If you have weak abdominals then these advanced pilates moves would surely strain the lower back. Although this is something to strive for, one needs to know their limitations and adapt their exercise plan accordingly.

[Tulka2]

Every seven years, every molecule in your body is new.

If this was taught in public school gym class and this knowledge available to children, they would benefit their whole lives. Older people should probably take a class, but make no mistake, yoga can change your body and life.

[powerlift2201]

Knowledge of the human kinetic chain shows that one does not need to perform a bunch of crunches or abdominal specific exercises in order to develop a strong core. Actually performing a bunch of abdominal only exercises will cause a muscular mechanical imbalance and actually weaken the core. Performing exercises that strengthen the whole body - clean, snatch, deadlift, squat, get ups and so on - will do more to strengthen the entire body as well as the abdominals.

Remember the human body moves as a chain; everything is connected and the most effective methods of exercising include that concept.

[Tulka2]

She is using every muscle in her body.

[powerlift2201]

The very first movement alone is a disruption of the kinetic chain. She is not using her entire body. She is not utilizing her hamstrings, spinal erectors (erector spinae, multifidus etc.) She is performing abdominal specific movements! Yes hip flexors are invovled but that's about it.

The video shows that people are more interested in abdominal specific movements that involve relatively low motor unit recruitment compared to a deadlift, squat, clean and so on.

Is Yoga good exercise? Yes. Do some or most Yoga movements target the entire body? Not according to this video but yest they do. Is showing abdominal specific or "targeting" movements affective at selling books, videos, equipment and so on? Absolutely.

Just because Yoga is an old form of exercise and meditation doesn't immediately make it affective. Does it stand the scrutiny of peer reviewed scientific research?

Are there other methods of exercise that are equally or even more beneficial?

Is educating oneself in the anatomy, physiology and physics of human movement important to gaining a greater understanding as to what are the most affective means of strength and health?

Does reading research books by leaders in the scientific field of human movement (Verhkoshansky, Zartsiorsky, Siff, Bompa, Santana and so on) improve one's ability to understand the affectiveness of exercise and exercises?

[fff]

Can’t tell you how delighted I am with the unpresuming succinctness of your description of where we are collectively; or rather, the direction toward which we are evolving as we stumble out of the cultural wreckage of the 20th century. The simple intuitional clarity of love, breath, body as the foundation for all of our cognitive predilections and interests without some kooky old external authoritative figure attempting to mediate for us our relationship to ourselves is a freedom it seems more and more people are beginning to discover and embrace.

Gorgeous videos, too. Thank you.

[patrickjkiger]

Hmmmm. I like some of these moves, but I don't see how the plow would do anything for your core musculature. Also, that move really, really overloads your neck and upper back/spine, where a lot of people have too much mobility, overstretched, weak supporting muscles, and disk degeneration. Unless you're a 24-year-old yoga instructor, I would skip that one.

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

thanks for pointing that out. I was about to comment: can we please have the version for those of us who weren't born snakes, now?

[ObiW]

How many minutes into the video is this?

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

alright, I'll try and be all gut-of-my-mind. Let's see how this works out...

:-)

[NevaforLeadership]

Trust your gut and get killer abs.

Yeah. Sounds good.