Supta Bowl
February 6, 2016
“To accomplish the grand, you have to focus on the small. To exist in the eternal perspective, you have to live in the moment.”
~ Pete Carroll, Head Coach for the Seattle Seahawks
The word “supta” is Sanskrit and means, resting, reclined or inactive.
Unlike the athletes they will be watching on TV, most people spend Superbowl Sunday reclining on their couches for several hours. All that lying and sitting in one position can make hips, lower backs and knees cranky. Taking a moment for a few restorative yoga poses during the halftime show can soothe sore muscles and help put space between vertebrae compressed by hours of posing as a couch potato.
If you think that yoga and football don’t go together, you might be interested to know that professional football teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, football players such as Russell Wilson, Vernon Davis and Victor Cruz and basketball players such as LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Blake Griffin all credit yoga and meditation with improving their games and lives.
So do like your favorite players and use halftime to make the necessary adjustments and get yourself ready for the win. You need not be a practicing yogi; here is a short, easy sequence of simple, restorative, seated poses anyone can do to stretch the muscles and open up the spine (and you don’t even have to get up off the couch):
Cat and Cow Stretch
For cow stretch: sit up straight with your feet planted flat on the floor. Inhale slowly and deeply and arch your back, dropping your shoulders and looking up slightly.
For cat stretch: on the exhale, round your spine back, bringing the shoulders forward, the head forward and down and tilting the pelvis up. Continue with cow stretches as you inhale and cat stretches as you exhale for about 3 or 5 full breaths.
Seated Upward Salute (Touchdown, Field Goal, Extra Point Pose)
Inhale as you look forward, raising and reaching your hands and arms toward the ceiling. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed. Exhale, slowly bringing your arms back to rest above your knees. Repeat this sequence for 3 to 5 breaths.
Seated Forward Bend
Take a deep breath in, raise your arms overhead and, as you exhale, move your body forward and bend over your legs. If your hands can reach the floor, let them hang. If not, you can wrap them gently around the front of the legs or underneath the upper legs. Relax the neck. Take a few inhales and exhales as you let your body hang over (or between) your legs and allow your spine to open up. On an inhale, raise your arms overhead and repeat the sequence through a few breaths.
Seated Spinal Twist
Begin by sitting up straight, knees together, looking forward. Inhale and turn your head to the left and gently twist your torso toward the left, reaching your right arm across the front of the body and around toward the back of the couch or chair. Let your left arm rest behind you. Exhale back to center position. Repeat, this time turning toward the right and moving the left arm across and around the body. Exhale back to center.
Extra Credit: Chant mantra for your favorite team!
For the Carolina Panthers: the seed mantra that corresponds to the color light blue is “Ham” and is pronounced “Hahhhhm”.
For the Denver Broncos: the seed mantra that corresponds to the color orange is “Vam” – pronounced “Vahhhhm”
Inhale deeply and exhale, singing one note and extending the “ahhh” sound and then holding the “mmm” sound at the end of each mantra as you fully exhale the breath. The act of making a humming sound has been found to help reduce stress, so if the team you are chanting for doesn’t win, at least you will be able to take it in stride.
You did it! Don’t you feel better? Take a few moments to close your eyes and simply breathe slowly, fully and deeply in and out of the nose (if possible). Now you are ready for snacks and the second half.
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Polenta Fries with Parmesan Dip is a wholesome and tasty snack for the game.
Polenta Fries with Parmesan Dip
You can make “french fries” out of pre-cooked corn polenta from the grocery store. Surprisingly easy to prepare and fun to eat, they will make a unique addition to your game day or awards season snack table. If you want to avoid genetically modified corn, be sure to buy organic polenta, which can be found at your local Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or other well-stocked grocery store.
For 2 servings (double or triple for more):
1 (18oz) tube of organic pre-cooked polenta
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing (less than 2 TBL)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan Dip (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 425°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Open tube of polenta and blot with paper towels to reduce moisture.
Slice tube lengthwise in half. Slice each half horizontally, making 4 pieces. Slice each piece into 8 rectangular french fry shapes. This will give you 32 total pieces.
Brush each piece on all sides lightly with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.
Place fries in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until crispy on the outside and golden brown on the edges.
Serve hot with Parmesan Dip.
Parmesan Dip
1/2 cup organic mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
(or a blend of Parmesan and Romano cheeses)
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
2 tablespoons milk
1 small clove of garlic, minced fine
A tiny pinch of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Mix all ingredients together well in a bowl and chill until serving time.
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