Why do most people start yoga?

Why do most people start yoga?

So why is it that people start practicing yoga?  For some it's to help with their stress, to find their peace and inner balance.  For others, it's to increase their flexibility, or to increase their fitness levels!  For many it's to relieve some form of pain such as back pain.  These are very general reasons but most people, I find, fall into one of those categories. 

The beautiful aspect of yoga that I very much appreciate, is that ANYONE can do it!  If you are 80 something years old and have never exercised, you can do yoga!  If you are a double amputee, you can do yoga!  If you are poor, you can do yoga!  If you believe yourself to be extremely physically fit, yoga will give you that nudge you need to increase your endurance and your stamina!  There is no specific body type required to do yoga.  It's not like taking up swimming where you'll need hours and hours of lessons and training before you finally learn to swim that first lap!  Yoga is there for anyone of ANY level of yogi practice. 

Some people have purely physical reasons for doing yoga, some people have purely spiritual or mental reasons for doing yoga, most of us practice yoga for both the spiritual and physical benefits yoga can give us!

Yoga and the mind/spirit

*Increases happiness

*Improves discipline

*Enhances focus

*Improves reaction time

*Inspires better sleep

*Enhances self worth

Yoga and the body

*Increases flexibility

*Strengthens the muscles and tendons

*Increases bone density

*Improves balance and coordination

*Improves the function of the internal organs by twisting them and allowing fresh blood supply to them

*Burns energy (between 140-400 calories an hour)

*Decreases chance of injury

*Stabilizes hormones

*Decreases the chance of arthritis or other joint disease

*Decreases pain and fatigue

In short, when done properly, yoga is a comprehensive fitness program that will help you keep strong, limber, happy and healthy for the rest of your life.  Yoga lets you try new things without fear, it gives you the chance to play again (act like that tree during Tree Pose).  It teaches you about yourself, how you handle yourself with the frustration of falling for the 8th time during Crane Pose!  

If you are very new to yoga, you need to start out in a beginners class, or buy yourself a beginners DVD.  Be patient with yourself as you learn the poses, have fun with it, and know that what you are doing is extremely beneficial for your body, your mind, and your spirit.  You will be amazed at what you will learn in a short amount of time.  

Have fun with yoga.  Fall into the lap of the Yoga Gods and Goddesses and explore the possibilities and the benefits that yoga will give you.  Give yoga at least 8 weeks so that you can then decide if it is for you or not.  I would bet that you will find at least one benefit that you absolutely adore about yoga, and it will push you to keep going with your practice.

Namaste~~~  

   

What's so great about the Psoas muscle?

What's so great about the Psoas muscle?

The more I practice and read about yoga, the more I look into the anatomy of the human body.  As an RN I took anatomy in college, but lately I've been brushing up on my anatomy stumbling upon the fascinating intricacy of the psoas  muscle.  The psoas is a mysterious muscle.  Some consider it one of the most important muscles in the human body.  It affects us physically, emotionally, energetically, and mentally!  

As illustrated in the picture above, we have two psoas muscles.  One on each side of the body.  It is a long muscle that attaches to our spine at the bottom of the rib cage, running all the way down the sides of our body, attaching to the inner thigh bone (near your groin).

Physically, the psoas muscle enables us to stand upright as a species.  The lumbar (lower back) curve was created by the psoas muscle so that we could stand upright.  Secondly, the psoas muscle is the main muscle of walking, of propelling us forward.  Without the psoas we would not be able to stand up, nor would we be able to walk!  

Now here is the interesting part, the psoas muscle is the muscle of emotional trauma!  The psoas holds deep seated emotional trauma, mostly connected to our childhood.  So if you are trying to release your psoas, memories of trauma, especially those from your childhood, may resurface.   

This intricate muscle is connected to diaphragmatic (your main breathing muscle below your lungs) connective tissue.  The psoas is also connected physically to your reptilian brain, the part of the brain that is your basic survival instinct signaling stress, the fright or flight reflex

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So a fast paced lifestyle (which cannot be avoided for most of us) runs our body on adrenaline through our fight or flight reflex resulting in a chronically tight psoas.  The psoas becomes tight when we are stressed so that we can physically run from danger (the reptilian brain cannot distinguish stress, it does not know if the stress our body feels is due to immediate danger of being eaten alive from a dinosaur, or from the stress of  everyday modern life).  

So what does a chronically tight psoas muscle cause?  All sorts of trouble.  Naming only a few, it can lead to lower back pain, sciatica, knee pain, spinal disc problems, infertility, menstrual cramping, digestive problems, and breathing problems.  It can also lead to fear and root chakra issues (see my blog titled Chakras and Yoga for an explanation of Root Chakra issues).  

A chronically tight psoas signals danger in the body (remember the reptilian brain and stress), thus exhausting your adrenals (the glands that sit on top of your kidneys).  Exhausted adrenals can cause depression, loss of interest in life, feeling groggy, insomnia, feelings of being anxious, and feeling overwhelmed. 

So how can we release the psoas?  I work on it through yoga of course!  I will be putting a link at the end of this paragraph that will lead you to a youtube video on different postures you can utilize to try to relax and loosen your psoas muscle.  I will also put in a few links about adrenal exhaustion.  

Youtube video on how to stretch the psoas! 

An interesting article by Dr. Christiane Northrup MD about adrenal exhaustion, and what you can do to help yourself.

Another blog by Yoga instructor Hope Zvara about the psoas muscle.

Chakras and Yoga

Chakras and Yoga

Take a look at the image above.  Note where each chakra sits.  We have the base/root chakra which is red in color, located at the base of the spine.  The sacral chakra which is orange in color, located below the navel.  The solar plexus chakra which is yellow in color, located just beneath the rib cage. The heart chakra which is emerald green in color, located in the heart area.  The throat chakra, blue in color located at the base of the throat.  The third eye chakra indigo in color, and is located between your eyes.  And your crown chakra, which is on the top of your head and is violet in color. 

The word Chakra means wheel.  The chakras are psychic centers of energetic and spiritual experience.  They are not physical locations, we cannot palpate them, we cannot see them with the physical eye (some are able to see chakras intuitively), and they are not material.  

If you have read my blog "Why Am I Feeling So Emotional In This Pose" I talk about how yoga poses can open up, and energize or "equalize" our different chakras.  If for example, you are in a chest expansion pose, such as the camel (click here for an image of the camel) and you are feeling emotional in that pose, then most likely the asana is trying to balance and heal the heart chakra.  In my personal experience, I have noticed that the most damaged and the most difficult chakra to heal or "fix" is the heart chakra.  Love is very important, and this chakra is associated with love.  All of us have had our hearts broken at many points in our lives, and if not correctly handled will end up slugging your heart chakra, thus closing up that energy point or making it weak.

In the remainder of this blog, I will very briefly go over each chakra.  I will then post a photo or a video of one asana that will help that particular chakra.  Keep in mind, that there are MANY asana's that you can use to open up any of your chakras.  If you are using yoga to balance your chakras, be prepared to be uncomfortable and emotional.  Take your time, and be very gentle with yourself.  There are many ways besides yoga to help heal your chakras.  Color, food, prayer, reiki, cleansing, meditation, visualization---I'm sure you get the point.  

Located at the base of the spine is our first chakra, called the Root Chakra, it is red in color. It is related to our most basic survival needs, and our sense of belonging to family, group, culture, world. When this chakra is clear and energy flows through it freely, we feel secure and confident that we can easily fulfill our needs. On the other hand, blockage in this area can cause us to feel anxious and worried. This chakra connects us to the earth. It is helpful to listen to the sensations of the root chakra when we are in the process of making decisions. Uncomfortable sensations are a message to be alert and to reconsider, while pleasant feelings indicate that your decision is likely to meet your needs for safety and nourishment. It is the most physical of chakras. This chakra develops during birth up until 3-5 years of age.  A simple and basic yoga pose for the root chakra is Mountain Pose.  Mountain Pose encourages your connection with Earth, it connects you with your body, and keeps you in the present moment.  Click here for an article on how to do the Mountain Pose  

The second chakra, known as the Sacral Chakra is orange in color. It sits a few finger widths beneath the belly button (in the reproductive area), and is associated with birth and with creativity. Birth in the literal sense, as well as metaphorically to new aspects of ourselves, projects and ideas. When this chakra is healthy, we’re tapped into the source of higher energy that helps us write beautiful music, develop an innovative business, or create a loving family life. When this chakra becomes congested, we may experience a block in our creative powers and a sense of dryness or emptiness. This chakra develops between the years of 3/5-8 years of age. It is associated with the lymphatic glandular system of the body.  The Cobra pose is very beneficial for the Sacral Chakra.  Click here for a video of the Cobra Pose.  

The third chakra is called the Solar Plexus Chakra, and is located a few finger widths above the belly button. It is bright yellow in color. This chakra governs our will, self-esteem and sense of personal power. When this chakra is blocked we may lack passion, desire and motivation to move forward and accomplish our goals or find it difficult to manifest true purpose in life. When this chakra flows freely we’re confident about our ability to manifest our intentions and desires. The years of development of this chakra is 8-12 years. This chakra is associated with the adrenal glands (the glands that sit on top of the kidneys).  The easy bow pose is helpful for working on the solar plexus chakra.  Click here for a video on how to do easy bow.  

  

The Heart Chakra is located at the same level of the physical heart. It is emerald green in color. The developmental age of the heart chakra is 12-15 years of age. The heart is where tenderness and compassion are united with unconditional love, acceptance and continuity. When the Heart Chakra is flowing and open, we feel deeply connected to everyone in our life. But when it’s obstructed, we experience loneliness and a sense of alienation.  Any asana that opens up the chest is beneficial for this chakra.  A simple pose is Cat/Cow.  Click here for a video of cat/cow, this is for children but I find it beneficial in teaching adults as well.

 The throat chakra is located in the neck at the base of the throat. It is blue in color. It governs our sense of "hearing" and gives us the power to communicate openly and honestly without fear. It is linked to the development of the sense of law and order/justice. Imbalances of this chakra can represent physically as thyroid problems, weight gain, or chronic neck pain. It is associated with both speaking our truth, as well as listening. When our center of communication is clear, we’re able to express our truth without worrying about what others may think. If we have a congested throat chakra, we feel anxious about how other people will react to our views and are likely to censor ourselves. I personally find that women especially tend to have issues with their throat chakra in their mid to late forties.  A beautiful asana that will help to open your throat chakra is the Lion Pose.  Click here for a video for the Lion Pose.  

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The third eye chakra is indigo in color. It is located between your eyes and is also known as the "third eye". This chakra governs the higher self. It governs intuition, and psychic insight. It is the center of insight. When energy isn’t flowing easily through this chakra, we have a sense of self-doubt and distrust. When it’s open and clear, we feel deeply connected to our inner wisdom and trust that it guides us in our choices.  A pose that will help with your third eye chakra is down dog.  Click here for a video on how to do down dog.

The seventh chakra is located at the crown of the head, thus called the crown chakra. It is violet in color. It represents light, wisdom, and knowledge. It is the chakra that joins our soul with the spirit world. This chakra is connected with the auric body. Some say that fear of the dark, fear of spiritual abandonment, loss of identity personal and with society are related to an imbalance in the crown chakra. The seventh chakra is also known as the “Thousand Petaled Lotus,” which bursts open when we remember our true nature and experience enlightenment.  Head stands are excellent in opening up this chakra.  However, because you need a very experienced teacher to teach you how to do a headstand, as well as it taking a long time to learn how to practice headstands safely, the corpse pose is something I would suggest to practice.  Click here for a video on the corpse pose, this again is for children but I find it useful for beginners.  

**If you have any injuries, or any medical conditions, please speak with your healthcare provider about practicing any yoga asana mentioned in this blog**

Namaste 

    

Chanting OM during Yoga

Chanting OM during Yoga

Om is actually pronounced as AUM, and is a sacred chant that most people enjoy at both the opening and ending of their yoga practice or class.  A yoga session will typically begin with chanting "AUM" three times, and will end with chanting "AUM" one time.   I personally enjoy chanting Om because it is a ceremony inside of yoga that prepares me for the class, and helps me to feel unified with my fellow students.   Some students do feel that chanting "AUM" is a weird religious ritual that could possibly be at odds with their belief system or their spiritual path.  If you feel uncomfortable chanting "AUM" or Om in yoga class, it is totally okay to refrain from chanting and to sit quietly until the chant is over.  

AUM is a mystical or sacred syllable.  Some describe it as the "essential sound of the universe", the "voice of God", or "the voice of creation."  Some teachers have told me that AUM is the sum of all sounds in the universe.  The sound Om, when chanted, vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz, which is the same vibrational frequency found throughout everything in nature and in ourselves.  

One theory suggests that there are four parts to chanting AUM, and that those four parts represent the cycle that everything must pass through during life.  "Ah" represents birth, "oooo" represents life, "mmm" represents death, and the fourth part is the silence after the chant which represents oneness or resolution.  

Physically, chanting AUM can help you to strengthen your diaphragm (the muscle that makes you breath) thus helping you to learn to control your breath.  It also has a calming and meditative effect on the body thus lowering blood pressure.  It is also good for clearing nasal congestion via the vibrations the chant produces, thus helping to ward off infection.  

Energetically, chanting AUM emanates sound from the stomach, heart, and throat thus bathing those chakra (energetic centers of the body) with positive energy.  The "M" consonant vibrates and stimulates the pineal gland thus opening up your center of intuition.  The pineal gland will also release melatonin thus relaxing our bodies.  

Om is one of the ways to bring you back to the deeper reason of why we practice yoga, which is to connect body, mind, and soul!!

Please click here for an informative video on how to chant AUM or Om. Although it is a video to help instruct children, I've found it quite useful.

Why Is Breathing Important in Yoga?

Why is Breathing Important in Yoga?

When I first started yoga, while struggling with a pose, I would vaguely hear my yoga instructor reminding me to breathe.  At first, this would irritate me, because it took my attention away from standing on one leg while in tree pose.  "Of course I'm breathing," I'd tell myself, only to realize that she was right!  I would find myself holding my breath whilst in a challenging asana.

Physically, breathing is a necessity.  But, breathing while performing yoga has many benefits!  For one, it brings more oxygen to your brain, muscles, skin, and organs while at the same time eliminating toxins from your body.  If you don't get enough oxygen, you may feel mentally sluggish, have negative thoughts, or feel depressed or anxious.  Oxygen is a vital nutrient, and yoga can help to increase the consumption of oxygen into your body.  

Certain yoga postures squeeze out old blood and toxins from certain body parts such as, for example, your pancreas (the organ that makes insulin thus helping to stabilize blood sugars, it is the organ related to diabetes).  Remembering to breathe deeply and rhythmically during such a pose is beneficial to your pancreas by helping to bring fresh oxygen to that organ thus rejuvenating it, helping to prevent disease of the organ (diabetes), and helping to prevent premature aging of the pancreas.

Click here for a link to an article showing you various yoga postures to help those with diabetes.  

Once you have become more experience in the practice of yoga, you will find that you'll be more able to focus on your breath.  Being relaxed in an asana greatly aids with deep breathing or yoga breathing.  

In yoga, the Ujjayi breath is used.  Click here for a youtube video on how to breathe using Ujjayi breath.  Ujjayi means "victorious".  In short, it is a slow, deep, and even breath.  

No breath is perfect, and everybody breathes differently.  As a swimmer, I breathe differently than other people.  A general rule is to inhale while moving into a pose, and to exhale while coming out of a pose.  Inhale while expanding or opening in a pose, and exhale while twisting or folding into a pose.  The key is to be patient.  I have found that after my 6 years of dedicated yoga practice the breath is one of the most challenging aspects of yoga!            

Yoga helped me quit smoking!

Yoga Helped Me Quit Smoking!

When asked what are one of the many benefits of yoga, some yogi's and many yoga instructors will tell you that you will learn to respect your body on a "whole new level!".  I didn't quite understand what this meant until the past several months.

9 months ago, I quit smoking....I only smoked cigarettes at work so in my mind I was "alright" as I wasn't really a hard core smoker, "I only smoke at work" I told myself!  The more I practiced yoga, and the more I focused on moving my breath with the asana's, I began to fully and deeply realize how much damage I was doing to my lungs with smoking cigarettes.   I was out of breath during yoga, and I could tell that I wasn't oxygenating my blood the way I could be if my lungs were tar and smoke free.  I also told myself "how silly of you to be practicing yoga 6-8 hours a week, yet you smoke!".  I felt like a hypocrite.  So on September 22, 2012 I told my husband "that's it I'm done, no more smoking so don't buy me anymore cigarettes". 

Another benefit of yoga, was that anytime I felt an urge to smoke, I got up and did a few asana's instead...such as holding down dog as long as I could, or holding the plank for as long as I could.  So not only did yoga make me realize that abusing my body was not healthy or sensible, yoga also helped me to quit a very bad, and nasty habit.

After a few months of quitting smoking, I was happily cleaning my bathroom one morning and as I was opening the window to let the fumes of the cleaner out into the air, I realized that I was further damaging my lungs and my body by inhaling toxic cleaner fumes.  I decided from then on to make my own cleaners.  One cleaner I enjoy making is taking orange peels, and putting them in a jar....I then pour white vinegar over the orange peels, let it sit for several weeks, strain, fill half a spray bottle with water and the rest with the home made cleaner, and there you have it...your own toxic free cleaner!  I find that my lungs are not burning while I'm cleaning, and I know I'm doing something good for my body as I'm not absorbing whatever toxic chemicals are in commercial cleaners. 

 My point is that yoga has taught me a deep respect for my body and for the health of my body.  Without my body, I would not be able to perform all the wonderful asana's yoga has to offer for me.  Yoga has connected me deeply to the needs of my body.  It has connected me deeply to the health of my body. After practicing yoga for a while, you will learn a new found and deep respect for your body.  Your body houses your spirit and you want your body as healthy as possible so that your spirit can express itself in it's purity and love.  Yoga leads you to good health so keep on practicing!

Namaste

  

    

How To Practice Yoga At Home

How To Practice Yoga At Home

  Practicing yoga at home is very peaceful, it helps me to look inward and to challenge my body at my pace without distractions.  Don't get me wrong, I love my yoga classes!  Classes are inspiring, and I always walk away learning something new.  Also, practicing with a group of people is a very positive and uplifting experience.  

  For many reasons, it may not be possible to attend yoga classes.  Developing a yoga routine, which takes a lot of self commitment, is a profound tool for deepening your relationship with yoga.  Some general tools I use to strengthen my home practice are: 

 1)  DVD's!  I personally recommend Wai Lana (click here for a link to her workout DVD selection).  She has developed four sets of DVD's which go from beginners all the way to very challenging.  The great thing about her DVD's is that if you master the beginners, you are ready for the intermediate (which if you master, you're ready to move into the more advanced poses).  She also has a 1/2 hour show on PBS if you're lucky to receive that particular television channel.  I have all four sets of her DVD's, and I always rotate those DVD's so that each week I'm using different muscles and utilizing extremely different poses.  If buying new DVD's is something you cannot afford, thrift stores and garage sales are places where you may be lucky enough to find Yoga DVD's.  Always watch the DVD's several times before practicing however, so that you get to know the routine and you have an idea of how the poses look.  If you are very new to yoga, please only get beginner DVD's or invest in beginner classes so that you don't injure yourself!

 2)  Require a minimum time of practice everyday!  Even 15 minutes of time set aside to practice yoga is beneficial and good for your home practice.  Before I go to bed every-night, I usually write down on my calender the amount of time I want to set aside for yoga practice, and if necessary what time of day to practice.  So for example I may write down "wake up--30 minutes of yoga, at 1pm--1 hour of yoga, before bedtime--20 minutes of yoga."  This is a contract to myself that I will follow and agree to, and it's a way that I know I will stick to my practice.  

 3)  Make sure to have an area in your living space dedicated to practicing yoga.  Follow a routine prior to your allotted yoga time.  For example, I always light some incense, roll my mat out, get some water, sit for a few minutes in quite contemplation, and then begin my yoga session.  This is a way for me to remind my body and prepare my mind that I'm about to practice yoga, it calms me down and opens my spirit up.  I also turn off the computer, TV, and phone so that I am not disturbed.

 4)  Go in for that tune up class every so often, it's a good way to make sure that your technique and your positioning is correct.

 5)  If you do not want to use yoga DVD's, you should form a sequence.  I have a few general tips for sequences when I practice yoga without a DVD.

a) get in touch with your breath, sit in a seated pose, or in child's pose for several minutes.

b) warm up the spine and legs by doing seated spinal twists, the cat/cow, or rocking back and forth on your back.

c) perform several sun salutations, try some variances in your sun salutations, this will get your heart pumping.

d) try some standing/balancing poses such as the tree or the triangle pose.

e) focus on core strength such as the plank/side plank/boat pose.

f) try some back bends such as camel/bridge/or easy bow.

g) end with an inversion of some type such as legs up the wall/shoulder stand

h) Savasana--lie on your back in a comfortable position, this is the "dead man's pose" where you completely relax all the muscles in your body, this is also the pose where you allow your body to integrate all the work you have just completed.

i) sit and meditate, and give thanks.

Namaste........

Children and Yoga

Children and Yoga

Lately, in some of my yoga classes, mothers are bringing their children into class with them.  Both times, they were girls and both appeared under the age of ten.  Now mind you I don't have children of my own, but when I first saw one of the children in class my immediate reaction was "oh great, I hope she behaves herself!".  How rude of me to think that way!!

I was also quite fascinated by it all.  I kept my eye on the children while they were doing the poses, and I thought "wow look how easily they can do these poses, I'm so envious!".  It got me to thinking that at that age I probably could do the same poses, as at that time I was into gymnastics.  It made me think about how as we age, our bodies stiffen, our joints aren't as loose, we become less flexible, minor injuries all add up making it harder for us "older" people to get into poses that children basically yawn at!  

However, I did notice one common similarity with both children.  They both got extremely bored, extremely quickly.  One even rolled her mat up and left the class to go play outside.  The other, although bored, stayed in and ended up doing her own poses which I found cute, and amusing!  

So in observing these children I got to thinking, that if yoga is so easy for them physically, it's obviously more difficult for them to concentrate, and to keep their focus on maintaining the poses, as well as following the instructors directions.  One of the benefits of yoga for children is that it helps to develop self-discipline (it takes a lot of discipline to do exactly what the yoga teacher is telling you to do when all you want to do is roll your mat up and go outside).  Yoga helps children by helping them to master their own behaviour, and by learning to control themselves, which in this society, nowadays, is difficult for young children.  I was reading an article about children with challenges such as autism and learnt that yoga also helps autistic kids by teaching them techniques that help to control emotional outbursts.  Those are just two out of hundreds of benefits of yoga for children.

So although I am envious at how some kids find what I feel are difficult poses, easy for them.  Children in yoga have different things to learn, such as patience and self discipline.  For me as an adult, I find patience and self discipline easier in yoga, but then again, I've swam all of my life and still do (and studies show that swimmers have more discipline, patience, etc).  I also learned not to be so judgmental when I see a little person in class, it helped me to realize that I shouldn't put all children into the category of "oh my those kids are going to misbehave and ruin this class for me".  

Yoga...it is more than just the physical....it's the emotional and spiritual learning that benefits us yogi's.

Namaste~~  

Missing Yoga!!

Missing Yoga!

Well, it has been more than a month since my last blog!  And I've been feeling very guilty about not updating my blog every six days as planned.  I do have a bit of an obsession when I set goals, and when I don't meet those goals of not writing a blog every six days, I feel very badly about myself!

The same feeling comes with yoga.  I try to practice every day, at least for an hour, at most for an hour and 40 minutes a day!  I wake up, drink some tea, and do some yoga.  Then I do my chores, go for a swim, come home, do more chores and do yoga.  Before I go to bed, I do more yoga!  Lately that's not been happening.

Other things in my life have come up that makes it impossible to follow my usual yoga/chore routine.  And in the process I'm extremely hard on myself if I can't get my yoga in my day!  I feel even worse if I can't get my chores along with work and yoga in on my day.  

Then I got to thinking....how does the practice of yoga teach me about being gentle with myself?  

Over the last three years of me faithfully putting in hours of yoga a week into my routine, I've learnt to be extremely gentle with my body. If I feel a muscle has been worked too much, or that my ankle is a bit tweaked, I work around those issues, and I become gentle with my body.  I have learnt to listen to my body, I've learnt that pain is not good when it comes to yoga, I've learned to love my body by backing off if something doesn't feel right, or if a pose feels too sore or pushes my body past my limit.  

The physical gentleness that I've learnt from yoga, has turned into an even better gentleness with my tendency to be obsessive compulsive with my life.  So, if I can't get those 100 minutes of yoga in a day (along with my mile swim), I have learnt to trust my body, to trust my mind and go with the flow.  I used to be very hard on myself, and I would feel very guilty if I didn't wake up and be active from sun-up to sun-down (with chores, work, yoga, swimming, more chores etc).  Now, I'm more gentle, realizing that if my mind and body needs a break from all of the activity, that I need that break.  In fact, if I've not practiced yoga for four days or so, I find that when I get back into my practice, I'm a lot stronger and a lot more "with it" during my yoga sessions.

My whole point in this blog is this:  Listen to your body, listen to your mind....respect your body and respect your mind.  If either your mind or body says to you to take a break, then do so......respect your mind and your emotions just as much as you would respect that injured muscle, or injured ankle or knee or hip!  

Yoga in my humble opinion, is about learning to know your body and your mind and your spirit, and learning to respect it when it says "no not today please".

Namaste

Give Yoga A Chance!

Give Yoga A Chance!

Why should you practice yoga?  What are some of the benefits of yoga?  Read on, and maybe this blog will help you to understand why you could love yoga as much as I do!

Yoga can seem like an ancient, mysterious, and exotic art form (or form of exercise).  It's impressive, yet intimidating.  With all of my experience with yoga, after hundreds of hours on the mat, I finally realized that yoga simply  makes me feel good.  It's relaxing, energizing and strengthening.  It has changed my perspective in life.  I feel physically strong, my hormones are more balanced, and my stamina has increased.  It's made me more spiritually aware of my body, and it has helped me be more empathic.

Yoga is an acquired preference.  When I was a child, I did not like to brush my teeth (who really did!), my parents pushed and prompted, at times cajoled and now as an adult I'm faithful about brushing my teeth.  So now I brush everyday to keep my teeth healthy, and because I like the feel of my teeth being clean and healthy!  A somewhat similar concept occurs with yoga, at first, it took me a lot of strict discipline, and a huge amount of effort for me to establish a daily practice.  After 3 years of faithfully practicing yoga, I now practice because I feel good during and after. I feel calm, strong, and flexible in mind and body.

Yoga helps with flexibility.  When our bodies age, we get stiff and our muscles tighten up.  Our range of motion in our joints diminish, and you may not feel as alive as you once were.  As this happens, your body becomes less efficient, and you are more prone to disease.  Yoga can retard, and at times reverse this tendency to stiffen as you age.  The benefits of being more flexible from yoga can be felt after your very first yoga class or session!!

Yoga helps with balance.  We all favor one side of our body over the other, most of us are asymmetrical, and this state of not being in balance creates stress on your body.  This stress can lead to falls, or injuries.  Yoga creates symmetry throughout your entire body.

Yoga will improve your strength and tone all sorts of muscles in your body!  The weaker you are, the heavier you will feel.  The stronger you are, the lighter you will feel!  When your tone of your body increases you'll have an easier time moving your body, your metabolism will increase and you'll be far less prone to injury.  

I have only very lightly touched on the few benefits of yoga in this blog.  Let me give you some more benefits of yoga that you may find interesting:

-improved sleep

-increased overall energy

-lowering of your blood pressure

-improving your skin complexion

-body detoxification

-decreased feelings of anxiety or depression

-improved gastrointestinal functions

-lowering of blood sugar levels

-decreased incident of osteoporosis

-reduction of asthma symptoms

I could go on and on with this list, but I'm sure you get the gist!  Yoga is good, yoga is good for your body, your mind, and your spirit.  Don't let those pretzel type postures that you see in commercials scare you away from yoga.  Yoga is for everyone, the young, the old, the fat, the skinny, the sick, the healthy.  Give yoga a chance :)

Dead Body Pose

Dead Body Pose

  Dead body pose, also called Savasana is physically one of the easiest poses in Yoga.  But in other ways, Savasana is the toughest of all poses!  In fact, a yoga instructor once told me that he felt that Savasana was the most difficult pose of all!  I was at a yoga class the other week, and at the end of a brutal 60 minute yoga workout, it was time for Savasana (click here for a photo of Savasana, along with benefits and instructions).  As I was getting ready to lie down and relax, I noticed quite a few people quickly getting off the floor, rolling their mats up and promptly leaving.  This got me to thinking, why do some, if not most, practitioners of yoga have such issues with this pose? 

  I remember reading an article a while back, and the only thing I got out of it was how a client of a yoga instructor would always refuse to do Savasana.  When asked why, he responded with "it makes me feel like I'm dead, so I refuse to do it!".  Okay, his choice, but lets look at some of the many the benefits of this pose:

--it decreases your heart and breathing rate.

--it decreases blood pressure.

--helps to reduce frequency of panic attacks, or feelings of anxiety.

--increases confidence.

--increases your energy.  

  In many ways people view this pose as "meditation", and there's a lot of stigma attached to meditation making it seem almost impossible to do.  When I'm in Savasana I like to focus on my breathing, and relaxing all of my body from my toes up to my head.  I make it sound easy, but for all of us, this is extremely difficult.  Many of our minds are racing a mile a minute, such as "what should I make for dinner to-nite", "how am I going to handle this situation at work I've been having problems with", "I wish the person next to me would stop moving around", "the music playing in the background is really irritating!".  Then you get an itch and you really need to scratch it, then that bead of sweat is rolling down your forehead and you have to wipe it away.  The pose can then get very frustrating, and you want to come out of it so you can carry on with your day!  Can you see why this is difficult?

At least, if you're doing a challenging pose, like Tree you are concentrating on keeping your balance, maintaining your breathing, stretching your spine up and keeping your shoulders down.  In Savasana you're only focusing on the inner self, the mind, the brain so to speak.  My point in this short blog is this, try even if for only a minute, to stay in Savasana.  Try to watch your breath and when you start to think of other things, be okay with that, then move back into watching your breath.  After a minute, go for two, then go for more and more time, but don't be so concerned with time (see how confusing this pose can be?)

Be gentle with yourself in this pose.  Give it a try, it's very invigorating, and it helps you to assimilate all the benefits of the yoga you have just done.  Be aware, but don't think.  Be relaxed, but don't fall asleep.  It's not so easy when you think about it, or not think about it!

  

  

Is Yoga Supposed To Hurt?

Is Yoga Supposed To Hurt?

No!!!  Yoga is not supposed to hurt!  There are reasons why you have modifications for poses, and that props (such as belts or blocks) are used to support you so that you don't injure yourself.

You have to know your boundaries.  You have to learn how to listen to your body at all times, check in with yourself and be aware during your entire practice of what your body is feeling.  Do you notice how your yoga instructor (either in real life, or on DVD) keeps reminding you to breath, to relax your shoulders, to soften your face?  They're not doing that to annoy you, or to make you look pretty, they're reminding you to check in with your body.  

This also includes emotional pain!  Poses that cause us emotional pain (see my last blog), can stop us from breathing correctly, or cause us to have an expression of pain on our faces.  Again, check in with yourself and ask if this is physical or emotional.  Emotional pain is just as painful and important as physical pain, so again it's alright to use props, or get into a modification of a pose.  

It's really important that you communicate with your yoga instructor about modifications.  In my opinion, a good yoga instructor should always ask new comers if they have any old or new injuries.  If your yoga instructor doesn't ask, please go and tell them.  

On the other hand, in my personal practice, yoga has healed an old injury.  About twice a year, sometimes more, I would sprain my left ankle to the point where I would be on crutches for a month at a time.   I was told by a doctor, the last time I sprained it, that I would eventually require surgery.  I don't like surgery (who does!), so I decided to use yoga as a way to mend and strengthen the muscles in that ankle (something I don't recommend you do unless you speak to a professional first).  Now mind you, I was very afraid to do any pose or activity that would challenge that ankle.  So for 6 months, I wore an Ace Wrap around that ankle during yoga practice to give it more strength while doing certain poses such as Tree Pose (click here for a photo of tree pose, and it's benefits).  Modifications and props were my best friends during that time!  This strengthened my ankle to the point where I don't have to wear an Ace and I've not had a sprain in over two years!

I remember looking on Facebook years ago, and a friend who is an avid yogi was teased by one of her friends that yoga can cause severe injuries by placing a link to an article to "prove his point".  Sometimes yoga injuries are just plain freakish (I knew of a woman who broke her nose while falling out of crow pose), and some are due to people pushing their yoga limits way past what they should be doing.  The point is that you should not do a yoga pose by yourself, that could have the potential to injure, unless you absolutely know what you're doing.  

If a yoga instructor is going around class forcing people into certain poses (such as pushing you down so that you can stretch further), I would suggest staying away from that instructor.  I'm okay with an instructor correcting my pose, and with a very gentle touch correcting my posture.   I'm not okay with an instructor who uses force to "help" you get deeper into the pose.  If you find yourself in a class with an instructor who uses force, it's okay to ask them to please not touch you when you see them coming your way.  

Remember, be aware, be safe, don't force it, listen to your gut, use modifications, use props, find a good yoga instructor, and have fun with it!  Yoga should not hurt, and yoga should not cause injuries.   

          

Why am I feeling so emotional in this yoga pose?

Why am I feeling so emotional in this yoga pose?

 The first time I tried a simple back bend, I felt panicky and suffocated.  I ignored that feeling because I didn't understand at that time what it meant.  Then, the first time I was in Camel Pose (click here for a photo of what Camel Pose looks like) I couldn't hold the position for very long because I felt as though I was going to have a panic attack, so I gently came out of the position, and went into child's pose.  It baffled me, why was I feeling this way?

 I then got to thinking about trauma and how the body tries to protect the mind.  Keep in mind (no pun intended there!), that the body and the mind and the spirit are all one.  The body will try to protect your spirit and mind by taking some of the blow of a traumatic or emotional situation.  So, lets say for example, that something happened to you that made you shut down your heart, when you do back bends, you're opening up your chest very wide, you're also opening up your heart along with your heart chakra.  

Chakra's, simply put, are energy centers in your body that spin according to how open or closed that chakra is.  If your heart has been broken, or if anything happened that affected your heart chakra, chances are that the heart chakra is closed down, or clogged, or dirty and needs to be "repaired".  Click here for a chart of our seven chakras.  We have seven chakras, each of them related to a glandular section of the body, each chakra has a spiritual, and physical purpose.  If one or more chakras are "broken down", then our entire aura, and thus spiritual body is affected, this in turns affects our minds, and body!

This is the beauty of yoga.  Yoga is for the mind, body and spirit.  So how do you get into poses that are difficult and make you feel like you're going to have a panic attack, or cry, or feel depressed, or feel any "negative emotion"?  In my example of Camel Pose, I would get into the pose, and breath very deeply.  I would allow myself to feel the panic, and if it became too much, I would go back into child's pose.  Also,  while in Camel, I would imagine my chest and my heart chakra opening up.  I imagined green light (green is the color of the heart chakra), entering and cleaning out my heart chakra.  Be gentle with yourself, be patient, and don't force any pose if it starts to feel overwhelming to you in any way.

Yoga gives us a mind/body/spirit communication.  The key with this communication is to stay present, and to be open to receive the messages your body is trying to tell you.  Expect nothing, your body will not speak if it's being watched like a hawk, or forced to produce a result.  If you need to seek support please do so.  You are worth to being listened to at every level of your being.    

Your First Yoga Class

Your First Yoga Class

  I was so afraid before my first yoga class.  Nerves took a hold because I truly didn't know what to expect, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to do some of the poses, I was scared people would be watching me secretly giggling at my technique or lack of, I was just scared.  But, once I was 10 minutes into my first yoga class, I realized that all those fears were totally false, and I began to mellow out and enjoy yoga class!

  So what to expect?  First, find a beginners yoga class (if you are a beginner especially), even if you're not a beginner, and have not practiced in a while, a beginners class will brush you up on poses, technique etc.  My best advice for choosing a  yoga class is to ask around, word of mouth is a good way to find a good class and yoga instructor!  Do research on your computer about yoga studios in your area, find out if your gym offers yoga classes (they usually do).  

  If you have one, bring your own yoga mat, and make sure to clean your mat before you use it in your home again.  If you have yet to buy a yoga mat, most studios will supply you with one.  Using yoga mats supplied from a  yoga studio will actually help you figure out what mats you would prefer, and eventually buy (mats come with different thickness and treads and last many years, so they are investments).  Most yoga studios will also supply belts, and blocks so no need for you to buy or bring your own.

  It's helpful to do some online research on basic yoga poses.  This will help you understand what the instructor is saying when she says "lets lie in corpse pose", or "lets do a simple sun salutation".  Some common yoga poses are: down dog, fetal/child pose, corpse pose, warrior stance, chair pose, plank, cat/cow pose.   Here is a wonderful link with photos of the basic poses that you should take a look at before your class Love to know Common yoga poses.  

  Finally, if you're in class, and you find you just cannot do the pose your instructor wants you to do, it's totally okay to lie down into child pose until the next pose comes along.  Although it's a simple pose, it's a resting pose with many benefits, and is totally fine to do when you're feeling overwhelmed in class.  Here is a youtube video on how to get into child's pose this is the beginners version of child pose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MATFkfTgJU

  Michelle.  

My body is not bendable at all!!!

" My body is not bendable at all!!", this is a quote from someone who saw a video of Wai Lana performing the camel pose!  Click on this link to see the video, if you are interested.  Wai Lana Camel Pose.

I feel sad when I hear people say things like this about yoga.  Media images of people showing off on how bendable their bodies are via yoga, is a huge influence on one of the reasons why people refuse to give yoga a chance.

Have you noticed that not one body is similar to another body?  That also means that some bodies just cannot do certain poses!  Some bodies cannot flex in a certain position because their bodies are not made to do so!   Take for example, the camel pose, you don't have to do it perfectly like Wai Lana does in her video. There are variations for those of us who cannot attain that pose.  There are props that we can use such as blocks or belts, or cushions, or walls.  There are beginner variations of poses that we can look up or ask our yoga instructor about, that are just as beneficial to the body as the "actual pose".

Just because you cannot do a certain pose, doesn't make you a "failure" in yoga.  In fact, just trying makes you a winner, just trying gives you the same benefits of doing the "real" pose.

It takes time to do certain poses.  After three years of using props (belts, blocks, pillows, etc), or beginner variations of the Camel Pose, I can now get into the Camel.  Not for long mind you, but I can do it.  And that's three years of practicing 3-4 times a week.  One of the beautiful benefits of yoga, is patience and learning when to take it easy on your body.  You learn a lot of patience, and you learn to treat your body with respect.

So if you see someone in an unbend-able position, don't fret, there are other ways to attain the same benefits, and with patience, one day you may be able to do that pose that you thought impossible.

Namaste ~~

"I'm Too Fat To Do Yoga"

I'm Too Fat To Do Yoga!

"I'm too fat to do yoga."  Sadly, many images on the internet, in magazines, and on television of people doing yoga are strong, skinny, and in very good physical shape.  This turns a lot of us bigger men and women away from practicing yoga!  Also, has anyone reading this who is larger than a size 12 gone shopping for yoga clothes?  They don't exist!!

I've spoken to many friends, encouraging them to give a yoga class a chance.  They tell me that they are ashamed because they're heavy and are embarrassed to be seen in a class struggling.  I must say, after a year of attending hard core yoga classes, I have seen the fittest of students struggle the most out of all the students during a session.        

The image above is of myself taken a few months ago.  I was climbing down the "steps of doom" as I like to call them to get to a beautiful northern Californian beach!  I weighed 200 pounds in this photo, I am medically considered obese.  

My point in showing you this photo is that  I don't feel that the chart of "if you're five foot four you should weigh between 125 to 145 pounds" is correct.  What about someone like me, or you, who are just big.  Big boned, and a lot of muscle.  I have many friends whom I work with in a very physically demanding job,  who by medical standards would be considered obese, but honestly look perfectly strong, and healthy.  

There are plenty of yoga instructors out there who are "obese" who do teach classes.  Google them and you'll find them.  They are beautiful, they look healthy, they look radiant, and most of all they look deeply and truly at peace with their body size.  One thing yoga has taught me is to love and appreciate the strength of my body.  It has taught me that despite my "obesity" I can do yoga moves that some of the fittest people in my surroundings cannot begin to do.  And that makes me proud.  

If you're overweight, and you want to give a yoga class a chance then please go for it.  Don't be embarrassed, just go and enjoy it.  If you're too shy then buy beginners yoga DVD's and work your way up (again, I suggest Wai Lana DVD's as they go from beginners, to intermediate, to more advanced levels).  

Be okay with your size and please don't let your heaviness take you away from trying yoga.  Yoga will give you such a positive outlook on your self image.  Don't fall into the media trap of "if I'm not skinny I'm not beautiful".  I guarantee you that yoga will help you to realize that your body is beautiful, and strong, and flexible.

I have to say as a Registered Nurse that if you are obese please talk with your health care provider about starting yoga.  Also, there are certain yoga poses that shouldn't be practiced if you have issues associated with obesity such as the shoulder stand.  Do a lot of research about yoga and learn about your body as you practice.  If any pose intuitively or physically feels wrong, come out of it, or use props to get into the pose.  

Namaste~~

Yoga Has Aged Me Well!

Yoga Has Aged Me Well!!

Just like a fine wine ages well if it sits long enough, yoga has aged me well!  After almost three years of practicing yoga, I have seen spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits that I never in my wildest dreams thought was possible at the age of 37!!

I started the three years with a lot of grit and determination.  I practiced and practiced beginners yoga, and built up my practice, until eventually I could go to a class that I consider extremely hard even for those who are in excellent shape and don't practice yoga often.  My point here, is that it takes patience, and determination before you see benefits of practicing yoga.  There are of course, immediate benefits, such as feeling more relaxed, feeling like your muscles have been stretched and revitalized, increasing the range of motion in your joints, increasing your metabolism, increasing your mood, increasing your sense of self esteem.  

After I could master the asana's physically, I found myself able to focus on my inner self.  If, for example, I was in child pose (Balasana), and I felt suffocated or emotional, I realized that the pose was opening up something in my past between my mother and myself that I did not release.  When ever we go through experiences that are traumatic, we store that experience in certain parts of the body.  Yoga helps to open up those parts of the body, and thus those emotions are released.  So it's not uncommon for people to cry or feel sad during certain poses.  Some poses teach us how to "let go" such as the Pigeon Pose.  Some poses teach us how to look at life from a different angle, such as The Camel, or the Headstand.

My point in this blog, is to show you that yoga has benefits that are not just physical.  That yoga is an art that can be utilized as a healing tool for past emotional trauma that you stuffed down and therefore placed into your body.  In a future blog, I will talk about how my crippling anxiety was virtually cured due to yoga.  

Namaste