It's kind of a no-brainer, right? Everybody knows that it's unsafe to get liquored up and go throw people around on the mat. Nobody would feel safe practicing judo with a drunk. But have you considered what other drugs might affect the safety of your practice?
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What about NSAIDS (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs), like aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc... It is part of the yoga ethic that you don't practice while under the influence of NSAIDS because it defeats the purpose - you want to be able to feel what your joints and muscles are doing. Having taken NSAIDS it is harder to feel the internal state of your body so it is harder to find your edge and easier for fall over the edge.
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What about caffeine or ginseng? They affect your central nervous system and can affect your fine motor control and your cardiovascular function.
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How about Nyquil?
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How about pot or cocaine or mushrooms?
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What about Zoloft or Xanax or Paxil?
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You know, athletes with low body mass are particularly susceptible to hyponatremia - so called "water poisoning" - ingestion of too much H2O can dilute the electrolytes in their blood to dangerously low levels and impair their functioning - from drinking water.
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When it comes down to it, we use so many substances - legal or illicit, prescription, OTC, homeopathic - to make it through the day that you'd be hard-pressed to find an American who is not impaired (or at least modified) at any given time.
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So, where do you draw the line? What does an unimpaired practice partner look and act like?
I don't know about you, but I draw the line at practicing with that baby.
ReplyDeleteYeah - that baby looks like he's got an ego problem! :-)
ReplyDeleteColin
When you train, you want to look good. You want to hit hard and perfect every time. You want to throw for ippon every time. You want to score a knock out or submission every time. Every technique you throw must its mark. Just like that parent- you want everything to go smoothly with out any hiccups or mistakes. As in life: "what you want and what you got, aren't exactly the same thing."
ReplyDeleteA surprising number of students have no interest in what their joints, muscles or organs are doing. They only care whether the opponent falls down or not.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest, interest in self-monitoring may not in itself confer the ability to do so.
My name is Steven Martin and i would like to show you my personal experience with Zoloft.
ReplyDeleteI am 35 years old. Have been on Zocor for 7 months now. This med did clear up the PPD, but weaning off of it has been absolute HELL. I got/am still getting the "zaps" that so many others talk about. Had I known it would be like this, I would have requested a different med. I will NEVER take this med again under any circumstances!
I have experienced some of these side effects -
Weight loss, upset stomach
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Steven Martin