Month: October 2017

Categories
Beautiful Rituals Beautiful Things

DIY Homemade “China Gel”

Muscle Tensions? Tightness? Pain?

We can make our own muscle pain relief cream, gel, balm – what you might want to call and the following is the basic recipe. You could add lemongrass, frankincense, myrrh for additional aroma/healing qualities … but make sure to dilute and to do a patch test to see if there’s any sensitivities*:

1/4 – 1/2cup Coconut Oil – Melt and whip
1-2 teaspoons Beeswax pellets

(if you don’t have it – basically to keep the coconut oil from melting into liquid and provide the needed consistency for spreading on skin – just place whipped and in frig)

5 drops Camphor oil
5 drops Peppermint oil
5 drops Eucalyptus oil

(warning – just do not rub your eyes or for that matter, do not touch your face area when engaged in this fun project!)

OR if dealing coconut oil is a bit too messy for you, purchase a jar of natural Vitamin E cream then add the essential oils.
Blend and whip with a whisk or blender. Consistency of the cream is something to experiment with so start with the smallest batch to find the right ratio.
One should do a patch test on the arm to make sure the concentration of oils are just right and not too strong to cause skin irritations.

If cooled in frig., applying this cream is especially effective after a hot bath or shower. And even better DURING or AFTER a good yoga practice.

Give it try in your home spa:) spread it on shoulders, then have warm towels on them,
relax into a restorative pose for rejuvenation. Sighhhhhh

* Eleven year old boy’s favorite pose – supported but floaty bridge pose – after muscle strengthening series of warrior poses:) Then, there’s a mom-to-be, gestating new life – Reclining bound-angle pose is super yummy for others in need … to restore and renew their zest for life:) Bring on the calm, the alertness … recharge each day with a good mix of effort offset with ease. Rest. Balance.

**why homemade? As with anything, non-home balms with unknown ingredients, moderation in application is advised. As with exercise, more is not necessarily better – read this.

 

** Lavender and tee tree oils in a large doze are not recommended for men and boys.  What is large doze?  Just ask me directly.

Categories
Healthy Activities Yoga

Brain weight … 3lbs or 1300 gm-ish

and the HEAD weighs about 11-12 lbs on the average. Which means ? When we realize that a 3 months old baby weighs about 12 pounds, it’s a bundle of joy up there. It’s not an uncommon discomfort to carry those all familiar knots in the shoulder girdle region (which controls the most mobile joint for that full range limb, the arms) and the neck – literally we are saddled with heavy burdens on our shoulders or with TLC and erect posture with open chest, a bundle of joy. You might hear the the creaking, cracks of a stressed neck if you have a posture that does not carry the head gracefully …or have to engage in work that requires you to stoop or curve your back in such away to cause blockages of energy up the spine.
Neck grinding and cracking? What would alleviate that – shaking your head ? No, steady, gentle and well calibrated … stretching would help.
Engaging in self-study and then … act of self care, proceeding with mindful care in the process – in fact, enjoy the PROCESS not so much about the full expression of the pose.

Just going over the basics of basics in class to reclaim more freedom in that trouble spot this week – feel better.
BTW, if you are becoming an anatomy nerd, then this site might actually be FUN !

Categories
Anything Cute

First Time

Quite a wait time, a long line out the door and it’s not even summer anymore…
Almonds, nuts, chocolates into ice cream batter – learning it’s Thai style…Curled into ROLLS❤️

😋

choose some toppings and there you have it – yummy:)

It’s a roll up- is what I was thinking. Serve up your own yoga time – it’s yummy for your body, mind and spirit:) Find freedom.

& my mind is always busy so … thought about that “roll up rag doll” movement in yoga when you go fom a forward bend into a standing Tadasana (mountain) pose. In this instruction, we are rolling up our spine “vertebrae at a time”. It’s a common instruction in yoga classes. Should you do this ?

Here’s the thing – One of the advantages of having a yoga teacher who has a thorough knowledge of anatomy, is that she/he is always thinking of how to best serve up yoga, safely so that anyone can do it in some form or shape to get the benefit of that pose. They understand not only how to get into a pose and also equally important – how to exit a pose and most important – WHY we are doing it in the first place. Usually a yoga instructor is following a blue print sequence they learned in their 200 hours or some workshop but may not have a clear idea of what she/he is doing other than follow a format given by their teacher – We all laughed when a guy teacher in a workshop quipped – yeah, when I blank out, I instruct, down dog – iSAD.

It’s been known that sometimes the best athlete in a certain sport may not make the best coach. The same can be true for yoga – for someone truly gifted with that perfectly toned and flexible body, it’s sometimes challenging to empathize with someone quite not as gifted, so perplexed or even irritated by bodies that do not bend and bind, the way so easy and intuitive for that gifted athlete/instructor/coach. That’s why the former ballet dancers and gymnasts may not quite get the condition of a normal regular human being – it’s not as malleable as we’d like it to be. Once I was very frustrated that I was not able to do a certain pose and this stereotypical yoga teacher (been to India, practice Ayurveda, doing cleanse/fast) said – ah, don’t worry – shrug – maybe only 3% of the world population is able to do it so it’s fine. Yeah, let it go.

You can tell a yoga teacher is trained in the art of healing and transformation, if she/he knows to do these things:

* they will tailor the class to suit the needs of individual students, providing modifications depending on your level.
Able to give advice on how to protect your joints such as wrists and knees in poses

* promote looking at the body from inside out – promote self-study and inquiry to allow the experience in being in the body. To fully occupy it.

* provide a organized, not fragmented sequence that makes logical sense – there’s a flow to it in that degree of intensity or effort can be modulated. There’s always an out while keeping it challenging and engaging.

* Yet, allows the students to get out of their own way.

* holds a space of safety, non-judgement and … is trauma informed.*

Without proper instruction, roll up of spine from forward fold can create unwanted pressure (good and bad) on your spine, especially in the lumbar discs, which for some there may be a vulnerability. So … hope the instruction you get is the kind that heeds every body type and promotes safety so that you can do yoga for a long long time. There was a 92 year old in this yoga class in Tokyo I attended. The teacher was definitely therapeutically and trauma informed. RESPECT.

( BTW, about *The last point – what is not trauma informed? I had a very popular teacher who towered over me from the back, then maybe keeled – can’t see – and embraced me from the back in a forward hold. From the back – Putting her weight onto my back so I bow down further – Her sweaty chest was on my back and …Never felt so awful in my life – very disconcerting. Maybe guys would have loved it? but I reserve that kind of intimacy with family and friends that I know for years. I respect that different people have different comfort zones with touch and physical proximity and it does not mean that the person is not loving for not hugging, etc. This may be cultural and the barriers can be broken down over time but not for the first few classes …until you establish that sense of trust. Still…)