Take a Look Inside

Pretend that you are your aching back or pretend that you are your knee. And look from the perspective of your aching body part. How do you treat your self physically and emotionally? Are you hard on yourself? On the physical side, do you sit for long hours without moving? Or do you exercise to the point of exhaustion? Maybe you bend and lift with poor mechanics. Maybe you have given into gravity and sustain a hunched posture. On the mental side, do you curse your body?  Do you beat yourself up at the end of the day for what you didn't accomplish? If you can say yes to any of this, Your body is not betraying you. You are betraying your body.

As you tune into your body by becoming quiet, give gratitude for all the good things your body does each day.  Give some love back to your self for small but important things.  Focus on what you DID achieve.  Take small steps to creating compassion for your body and your self.  The payoff will be BIG.

Namaste,

Stephanie

I talk in my yoga classes.

I don't use music because it distracts me from what I need to say. The goal of my words is to bring you into our body and to get you to pay full attention to the sensations of your body. I try to accomplish that by first, becoming fully aware of your breath and then of your body, usually scanning from feet to head. The goal is to bring awareness to movement and positions of your body during the practice.

Before I started sitting still in meditation, the words of BKS Iyengar resonated with me. He describes using asana, or the performance of the poses, as a "dynamic meditation" when able to do the physical practice with full awareness.  Early in my Yoga Journey I was relieved that I didn't have to try quieting my crazy monkey mind in meditation. I could achieve that sense of quietness while paying full attention to how my body felt. I think that was the first step toward getting a handle on my pain. I learned to exercise mindfully and not push my body. I still became strong and more flexible, but I didn't hurt as much. It also taught me a little more patience (still working on that one!). In some ways, my mind and body were not at war anymore with one pushing and the other resisting.

Child's Pose: Making it your Own

The benefits of the pose are to stretch the ankle, knees, hips, low back and shoulders. It is commonly used as a restorative pose to promote calming of the nervous system. However, many of my clients cannot achieve this pose when they start yoga or are returning from injury. The goal is to sit the hips back on the ankles and round the spine.  However, limitations in the ankle, knees, hips or back can hinder this position. Attempts to achieve the full pose end up extending (or arching) the spine, rather than rounding it.  So here are some ways to modify child's pose

• Place a rolled towel or mat under the ankles
• Place a rolled towel or mat at the back of the knees to limit bending
• Place a folded blanket or bolster across the lower legs and sit the hips on it
• Place the forehead on a block and bend elbows

  Over time, take away layers or thickness of support. Every couple of weeks, test your comfort in the full pose. With patience and persistence you will see things changing. But don't have some idea of "the perfect pose". But when it feels good, take the time to enjoy and let go.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Why do we beat ourselves up?

Let me share my observations of how it seems that we beat ourselves up a little every day. We start the day by thinking "I have so much work to do, I couldn't possibly get it done". First of all, is your "to do" list feasible? Or only able to be completed by a Super Hero? So why even ask the question? When you allow the negative thought to lead your energy for the day, guess what, you are going to feel stressed and fatigued all day long.  For many of us, it triggers pain in the neck and shoulders.

Then we go and exercise and we beat ourselves up even more. Sometimes as a punishment for the mid afternoon pick-me-up candy bar and sometimes because of our crazy perception of what exercise is supposed to be.  I know many people think that if you are not sweating profusely then you're not gaining benefit.  But you entered into exercise with the sympathetic nervous system stimulated from the negative day, and you keep it activated by trying to "run away".

All this leads to the physical manifestations of chronic stress. Just to name a few (and maybe more than a few resonate with you):

• high blood pressure

• muscle tension

• panic attacks

• heartburn, acid reflux

• diarrhea or constipation

• nausea, stomach ache

• headache

Let me invite you to exercise in a kindler and gentler way.  In a way that will calm the sympathetic nervous system rather than rev it up.  Give yoga a try.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Namaste

For those of you who have never been to a yoga class or those of you that forget the meaning I will explain my interpretation.  The language of yoga is Sanskrit, a sacred language which is used for spiritual rituals. I only use those words in my yoga practice that have begun to hold special meaning for me. Namaste is used as a greeting which means "the Devine in me, sees the Devine in you".  From my Christian upbringing, I see this as the Holy Spirit living in you. I think this can be visualized by light. Like when someone's eyes light up. Or someone who is depressed has a dull look in their eyes. Whether light is bright or dim, I can see it in everyone. I also think back to a song I used to sing in Vacation Bible School: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine". I can visualize little children belting that song out: "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine". The second verse is "hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine." Sometimes we should channel the enthusiasm of children and let our light shine.

What makes your light shine?  Do 3 things today that make your light shine. It can be small things, because each small thing will make the light grow brighter.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Why is Yoga so Life Changing?

I had a student the other day say that yoga for her had been “life changing”.  I would agree too that yoga changed my life.  It brought back my strength following the birth of each child.  Several years later it got me through tough times on the job.  And now it is central to my practice of staying healthy.

But can yoga really be life changing for anyone?

As I started my studies in yoga I went to PubMed to review research on yoga.  I still do this on a regular basis and I am amazed at the variety of health conditions that are being treated with yoga.  Here’s what came up when I typed “yoga” into PubMed recently:

·        Depression

·        Obesity

·        Cancer-related fatigue

·        Asthma

·        Chronic Low Back Pain (my personal favorite)

·        Falls in Older Adults

·        Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

·        Psoriasis

·        Irritable Bowell Syndrome

·        Diabetes

I could go on, but the fact that nearly every body system is addressed amazes me.  I am not quite of the opinion that “Yoga Helps Everything and Everybody” but when I see a list like this I start to lean that way. 

I have heard many other stories about how yoga has changed not just physical health, but psychological and spiritual health.  How yoga helped recovery from drugs and alcohol; from the pain of divorce; from PTSD; and the list goes on.

I have some ideas of why yoga is gaining popularity in health care, but I would like to hear from you.  What is your experience with yoga?  How has it improved your health?  Has it changed your life?

Namaste,

Stephanie