Month: September 2017

Categories
Healthy Activities

Frozen Shoulders?

Regular yoga practices can prove to be a preventative medicine to some of the discomforts associated with stiffness gone too far.

Here it is ! Some ideas as you work with your PT to defrost your frozen body part …

“Its’ not enough to build muscle and achieve aerobic fitness. …
You may think of stretching as something performed only runners or gymnasts. (and dancers!)
But we ALL need to stretch in order to protect our mobility … “A lot of people don’t understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be daily,”
says David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
…
Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints.
Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way.
That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. …
Regular stretching keeps muscles long, lean and flexible:)
…
With a body full of muscles, the idea of daily stretching may seem overwhelming. But Nolan says you don’t have to stretch every muscle you have. “The areas critical for mobility are in your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh.” Stretching your shoulders, neck and lower back is also beneficial.”
– Harvard Health Publications dtd 9/2013

Categories
Healthy Activities Healthy Living

Not an ordinary

Magazine rack …here at a certain college town. I could be here for hours just reading … while flipping through the pages, I was filled with gratitude that nothing I read was all that new or surprising.  Rather more and more reaffirming and validating. Articles especially in health and fitness related magazines reinforced my conviction as to the efficacy of our yoga practice supporting our health, physically – mentally – emotionally- spiritually. 

 

Feel it was timely that I completed a certification program called “Foundation in Mindfulness” recently . It’s basically YOGA but secular semantics to appeal to the broader audience. I still have a neighbor who would be so helped by yoga but she refuses because she says it’s “Hindu” and she’s not into religion. What ????!!! So like … um … what? Could not believe my ears but there are people who think it’s some religion … I’d say it’s more a philosophy or … science … and art. Or it can be just about fitness – why not? Anyway – at this point, bunch of monkeys are jumping from vine to vine in my mind now – back to this thought: It’s empowering to know how to better manage our energies and regulate and balance our overthinking mind. 

Studies have shown how you start off the morning with freshness and clarity is the key to joyful living. That morning ritual of gentle luscious hatha yoga or if need be, dial up to the sweaty highly solar practice, whichever that integrates your mindful practice sets the tone for the rest of the day.  To live with intention, a purpose, no matter how small, makes us a happier empathetic human being. 

With increased awareness of each soothing breath (Ujai or not), gently unravel the knots, smooth out the kinks, soften the tightness, stiffness with an intention to live a life of more flexibility, suppleness, and … joy that comes with such lightness of being. 

Categories
Yoga

Lion’s Pose Benefits

Heads Up – The yoga Lion Pose also stimulates the platysma, which is a flat thin muscle in the front of the throat. This is the muscle that pulls down the corners of the mouth and also wrinkles the throat. It is believed that this exercise will help to prevent the sagging of the throat with age. Additionally, this pose helps promote good posture and in turn increases confidence levels. (excerpt from YogaWiz.com)


late BKS Iyengar:)

Perhaps slip this pose in – when you see agitation among some who carry too much stuff and scuffle with furrowed brows or raspy voice …maybe just maybe.
Consider these therapeutic applications of the lion pose. Roaring ! It may be just about cleansing out the stale air all at once, throw out all the angst (Tamas, the dullness) to shift the mood, the greater benefits include:

Removing wrinkles – facial yoga thing…
Curing stutters
Curing teeth grinding
Curing clenched jaws
Helpingin decreased burning in eyes
Reliving back pain
Relaxing tensed up neck muscles
Improving the tone of the voice

Really? Really never know until you try it, right?


Cool – Judith Lasater with the late Master in her youthful (still is actually) days ! So happy to have studies with her – a grandma but still teaching ! Respect!!