Yoga Flavored Life » Wellness

How Yoga Can Benefit Cyclists

Charlotte Bradley — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:49:55 +0000

Yoga is a great practice for cyclists who want to stretch their muscles and balance the tightness that can occur from using certain muscles intensely and repetitively.

Why add yoga to your training regimen?

When the body moves through the same plane on a regular basis it can become unbalanced. Some muscles are overworked while others are underused. Yoga can help to strengthen and elongate muscles that are overworked and chronically tight from repetitive use. It is also a great form of cross training.

My sister Julia, is a track cyclist (that’s her in the photo above!) and she trains intensely. We often end up chatting about yoga and trying to find poses that might help her ease some of the muscular tension that inevitably builds from such intense training. Her most common complaints are tightness in the back and shoulder region as well as the hips.

Hip Flexors

The iliotibial (IT) band is a group of muscle fibers that runs along the outside of the thigh starting from the pelvis, going over the hip and to the knee. In cycling, the hip flexors work very hard and this overuse can cause micro traumas, tiny tears in the fibers that results in strain. IT band issues and injuries are very common with cyclists. In order to prevent injury it is important to stretch these muscles.

For the hips, Thread the Needle is great and is also a good pose to use in preparation for the more intense, hip-opening Pigeon Pose.

Upper Back and Shoulders

Cyclists are hunched over the handlebars of their bikes for long periods of time. This posture can contribute to tension. Yoga poses that focus on stretching the shoulders and opening the back (any backbending pose) may be quite beneficial.

Cat-Cow flow will really help to open up and stretch the chest muscles. Another recommendation — try a gentle supported backbend reclining over a bolster or folded blanket. This allows you to stay in the posture for a longer period of time (you are fully supported) and feels amazing in the shoulders and back.

In the following video, Sadie Nardini teaches a short yoga flow designed specifically for cyclists. It starts out with a seated Cat-Cow flow, followed by Upward Facing Table, then Pigeon Pose and ending with One-Legged Forward Bend for the hamstings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yoga for your Hip Flexors

10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Practice Yoga!

Charlotte Bradley — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:38:55 +0000

photo credit: -mrsraggle-

Thanks to Mary Ward for sharing this post and some great reasons for practicing yoga.

Yoga has gained much popularity recently and it’s no wonder why! Yoga can improve not only your physical shape, but also your mental and emotional wellbeing. People are turning to this exercise at all stages of their lives so let’s find out just why that is.

Better Health: Yoga helps with both your physical fitness and your mental wellness – it contributes to your overall health. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will help you to look better and feel better!
Feeling of Contentment: As yoga helps you to become more centered and confident in your own body, you may find that you feel happier.
Perspective: Yoga classes often include some meditation which can help bring perspective to your problems and help you to deal with them in a healthy way.
Stress Management: As you meditate and focus on breathing, your stress levels decline. Life seems more manageable and as you move through the practice you will notice your body releasing tension and becoming more relaxed.
Better Shape: Yoga increases your flexibility, your muscles will grow stronger and it will improve your posture. Yoga helps your body to function as it should and promotes physical fitness.
Improved Mood: Yoga promotes an attitude of acceptance and introspection helping you to view ideas from new and perhaps more positive angles. Yoga has been shown to alleviate depression.
Gratitude: Yoga and meditation help you to focus on what it is that you are grateful for.
Disease Prevention: Yoga is believed to help lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and help to prevent the onset of diabetes and heart disease.
Positive Outlook: The endorphins that are released after a yoga workout along with the breathing, mental focus and meditation, all contribute to a feeling of wellbeing.
Variety: Many people turn to yoga as a new form of exercise – something different to try. Perhaps you are physically fit but are looking for something else that yoga has to offer, such as stress relief, mental flexibility, relaxation or maybe you have an interest in the spiritual aspects.

If you already take part in yoga, you no doubt can add to this list. If you haven’t yet, there’s no reason to wait and 10 reasons to try!

About Mary

Mary Ward blogs about various health care job issues, including how to study to obtain an online MHA.

Ashtanga Yoga Improves Kids’ Physical and Mental Health

Charlotte Bradley — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:13:49 +0000

photo credit: creativedc

Thanks to Matthew Papaconstantinou from Weight Loss Triumph for his guest post on the physical and mental benefits of Ashtanga yoga for children.

Obese children face a well known list of physical risks. Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are just a few ailments that can strike far too soon. Their bodies aren’t all that is affected. In addition to being at risk for lifelong physical ailments, overweight children may also experience psychological distress. The emotional effects can be even worse for girls who are frequently exposed to unrealistic beauty ideals.

A vigorous type of yoga, such as Ashtanga or power, can help overweight kids improve their physical and mental health. Ashtanga sessions focus on challenging practitioners’ strength and flexibility while moving at a lightly aerobic pace. A recent study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, suggests that Ashtanga yoga could help overweight children lose weight while reducing depression and improving self-image.

Ashtanga Classes for Kids at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

In this study, two University of Texas researchers, Benavides and Caballero, investigated how yoga affected children’s weight loss. Through community outreach, the researchers invited overweight children to participate in free Ashtanga classes as part of the study. The kids were asked to go to three one-hour-and-fifteen-minute yoga sessions each week for three months. They weren’t told to change their diets or their activity levels.

Study Overview

Kids who were overweight, had an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes or were of Hispanic or African American descent were invited to take part in a 12-week Ashtanga yoga program.
The 14 participants, most of whom were Hispanic, ranged in age from 8-15.
After enrolling in the program, the kids had their weight, height and body mass index (BMI) recorded.
They also underwent lab tests to check their levels of glucose, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides.
Everyone completed a survey to measure anxiety, depression and self-concept at the beginning of the program.
After finishing the program, the participants weighed in and took psychological surveys again. Those with unusual lab results had their tests repeated.

Weight Loss and Psychological Improvements

By the end of the program, the kids had lost weight—an average of 2 kilograms, or 4.4 pounds, each. One 13-year-old girl lost 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) the largest decrease of all the participants. Of the two kids who had abnormal lab test results, their retests at the end of the program showed an improvement.

Most of the kids who indicated emotional distress in their initial surveys also showed improvement.

Five of the kids had low or very low self-esteem scores; four of them showed improvement in their self-esteem by the end of the program.
Three kids initially showed signs of depression that, by the end of the study, had improved.
Two kids who had a high level of anxiety were less anxious by the end of the study.
One parent commented on the increased confidence that her daughter showed after the Ashtanga program.

What Does This Mean for Kids?

Adults who do yoga frequently already know that regular practice has a soothing effect on the mind. Grown-ups are not alone in the ability to feel calmed by performing the asanas. Yoga has been associated with lowered anxiety and increased feelings of relaxation in a study of kids with ADHD. The children )mostly boys) practiced Hatha yoga, a slower and more relaxed style than Ashtanga.

Overweight kids, who are likely to be self-conscious and stressed out about their bodies could benefit even more from the more vigorous Ashtanga style of yoga. Children who develop a regular Ashtanga practice will strengthen their bodies and, quite possibly, begin to feel better about themselves. They could get a boost in self-esteem boost from taking action to get into better shape and as they begin to feel and see the difference in their bodies, develop healthier self-images.

Author’s Bio:

Dr Matthew Papaconstantinou is a research fellow at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Funding from the American Heart Association allows him to research cardiovascular disease and obesity, his longtime passion. In his spare time, Matthew is developing his website that offers a coupon code for Nutrisystem diet program. In addition to publishing the latest weight-loss news from the scientific community and credible weight-loss articles, he posts Medifast coupon code discounts and reviews of diet plans for weight loss.

Yoga Aids Weight Loss And Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk: 34 Years Of Scientific Findings

Matthew Papaconstantinou — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:27:28 +0000

photo credit: lululemon athletica

Today join me in welcoming Matthew Papaconstantinou from Weight Loss Triumph as he surveys decades of research into the weight loss and heart health benefits of yoga.

When you hear the advice that “diet and exercise are the keys to weight loss,” you probably think of running, kick-boxing, aerobics, or speed walking as the kind of exercise being recommended. But what about yoga? Isn’t it just about flexibility?

Actually, scientific studies published over three decades indicate that yoga may be a good choice as an exercise to help reduce risk for cardiovascular disease and for insulin resistance syndrome (IRS, also known as metabolic disorder, is a combination of medical disorders related to metabolism that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease).

Researchers at the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies at the University of Virginia Health Systems, led by Dr. Kim Innes, reviewed clinical studies published between 1970 and 2004 that evaluated the effects of yoga on cardiovascular disease and IRS. While Innes and her team concluded that there were some limitations in the way most of the studies were conducted, the results were generally quite positive, suggesting that yoga can reduce the factors for cardiovascular disease and IRS.

As a researcher working on cardiovascular-related diseases, with a personal interest in best diet programs for weight loss, I’m fascinated by these findings, which suggest that one of the oldest forms of intentional exercise might help us meet a lot of our health-related goals.

Cardiovascular Disease, IRS, and Obesity

The leading cause of premature death and disease in the U.S. and other industrialized countries is cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance syndrome (IRS or metabolic syndrome) is a cluster of symptoms including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, elevated levels of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, and belly fat.

The various components of metabolic disorder are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and they are also associated in a complicated circle of cause and effect with lifestyle characteristics such as poor eating habits, smoking, and lack of exercise. Obese individuals often have metabolic disorder, and whether the disorder then feeds the obesity and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In addition, recent research has suggested that chronic stress and negative emotion are also implicated in the cycle (causing bad lifestyle habits and perhaps even contributing to the development of metabolic syndrome).

Yoga: An Attractive Option for Intervening in the IRS-Obesity-Cardiovascular Disease Cycle

Yoga has been used in India since ancient times for the management of high blood pressure, diabetes, and related physical disorders. It is a mind-body discipline, involving meditation, controlled breathing, strength, and flexibility. There are a variety of types of yoga. If you’re thinking of yoga in the U.S. in the 1970s, you’re thinking of Mantra yoga, popularized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. Also popular in the U.S. today are Hatha yoga (also known as forceful yoga) and Raja yoga (classical yoga).

Yoga is safe, easy to learn, and can be practiced even by people with limited mobility. It doesn’t require much of anything in the way of specialized equipment, and overall, it is a form of exercise that once begun is well maintained.

The Virginia Study of Yoga, CVD, and IRS

Innes and the other researchers at the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies knew there was evidence that yoga could aid in reducing or improving metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, including the risk of early death from cardiovascular disease, but they also found that no one had conducted a systematic review of the studies (a standard way scientists start to draw conclusions from research).

They did a systematic review of the research published between 1970 and 2004, and they including studies that evaluated the effects of yoga on various components of metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance, cholesterol levels, body weight or BMI, blood pressure, and other medical signs of cardiovascular health. They found a total of 70 studies, most of them published between 1990 and 2004. The results were encouraging.

Effects of Yoga on Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to take up and use glucose for energy and metabolism. As I’ve noted, it’s a key component of metabolic disorder, which is implicated in obesity and cardiovascular disease. The Virginia researchers found a number of studies that evaluated the effects of yoga on insulin resistance.

Specifically, they found that studies using controls (that is, studies that compare the effects of the treatment to the effects on another group that did not receive the treatment) found that patients who practiced yoga experienced improvements in their levels of fasting glucose, glucose measured after a meal, and glycohemoglobin (a form of hemoglobin formed when high levels of glucose are available in the blood), all indicators of insulin resistance. Results for fasting glucose varied from a modest average 5.4% decrease to a whopping 33.4% decrease.

Lipid Profiles

The researchers also found significant clinical results indicating that yoga has positive effects on lipid profiles, reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and increasing HDL (good cholesterol). Results varied, but were as strong as an average decrease of 25.2% decrease in total cholesterol.

Weight Loss and Body Composition

A number of the studies reported favorable effects on weight and body composition following yoga programs lasting between a month and a year. The average weight loss ranged between 1.5% and 13.6% reduction in body weight.

Blood Pressure

The researchers found that most of the clinical studies had focused on the effects of yoga on blood pressure. Over 75% of the studies that evaluated effects on blood pressure found significant improvements in blood pressure with yoga. The studies that found these improvements in blood pressure were based on yoga programs lasting between a month and a year. Even the short-term studies found meaningful reductions in blood pressure.

Antioxidants and Free Radicals

The researchers also examined the reported effects of yoga on oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the process that doctors are trying to counteract when they tell you to eat your green leafy vegetables or take antioxidant vitamins: the production of free radicals, those highly reactive molecules that damage proteins, membranes and genes.

Yoga, according to the published research, reduces oxidative stress by increasing antioxidants.

Effect of Yoga on Cardio-Respiratory Function and the Vagus Nerve

A number of studies over the years have focused on the effect of yoga on the vagus nerve, which regulates the activity of the lungs and heart. Yoga stimulates the vagus nerve and helps to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Studies have found effects including reductions in cortisol (the “stress hormone”), reductions in catecholamine (“fight-or-flight” hormones), and other measures of stress on the heart and body, including heart rate and rate of respiration.

Psychosocial Risk Factors

Chronic stress and depression, through mechanisms that are only beginning to be understood, also effect cardiovascular health. The studies reviewed by the Virginia team provide evidence that yoga is also a positive force in reducing these psychosocial risk factors. Yoga has been reported to decrease perceived stress and reactivity to stressors, enhance stress-related coping, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and decrease anger, tension, and tiredness. Yoga may also improve sleep.

The Bottom Line

It’s all good: yoga, an easy, inexpensive form of exercise with very low risk of injury, can be used to improve various aspects of metabolic disorder, including glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, weight and body composition, blood pressure, vagal function, and stress and anxiety. While the researchers call for more tightly controlled studies to fine-tune the results, the research since 1970 strongly suggests that yoga is a good option for those looking to lose weight and improve their cardiovascular health.

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Author’s Profile

As a researcher whose work is funded by the American Heart Association, Matthew Papaconstantinou maintains a web site where he regularly publishes news from the scientific findings about weight loss; his site also provides a free online personal counter for calories and offers a Medifast diet discount. Matt is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.

4 Ways to Work with Heart Energy (Dimensions of the Heart in Yoga – Part 2)

Charlotte Bradley — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:12:20 +0000

“When pure sincerity forms within, it is outwardly realized in other people’s hearts.” – Lao Tzu, 6th century B.C.

Pranamaya is our energy body. The heart center has its own energy that we will examine using yogic, Chinese medicine and western models.

According to yoga, energy allows us to be, to live and to act in the world (from YinSights; Bernie Clark). The energetic heart is expressed as the Heart Chakra, Anahata. If the heart chakra is closed, our core being is affected. Breathing is shallow, metabolism slows down and we feel physically drained. We pull into ourselves, withdrawing and becoming closed to the world. If the heart chakra is too open, we tend to give away all of our time and energy. We become so focused on others that we can lose ourselves.

In Chinese medicine, the heart meridian is one of the major channels that conduct energy throughout the body. Blockages in the heart meridian may result in diseases of the heart and chest including pain, insomnia and mental problems.

Western science has discovered that the magnetic field produced by the heart is more than 5000 times greater in strength than the field generated by the brain. The heart’s electromagnetic field can be detected and measured several feet away from the body, in all directions using a sensitive device (SQUID-based magnetometer).

When people touch or are close to one another, one person’s heart signal can affect the other’s brain rhythms. This suggests that the cardiac field is an important carrier of information. Studies by the Heart Math Institute propose that the cardio-electromagnetic field may be a little known source of information exchange between people and that this exchange is influenced by our emotions. (Source: http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart-head-heart-interactions.html)

Yogic Tools to Affect the Energetic Heart

1. Asana

Practice asanas that open the heart energy, such as backbends.

10-Minute Chakra Focus Practice for Anahata: Back Bending
(Source: Chakra Yoga; Alan Finger)

Upward-Facing Cat/Downward-Facing Cat Pose (Marjariasana) – Inhale/ Exhale 5 times
Sphinx Pose (Ardha Bhujangasana)
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Hare Pose (Hasangasana)

2. Pranayama

Nischala Devi Joy uses Nadi Shodan and the 3-Part Breath in her program for heart healing. Nischala teaches that, “The surrendering effects of relaxing the physical body are enhanced by accessing the energy body”. (The Healing Path of Yoga; Nischala Devi Joy)

3. Meditation

Meditate on the heart chakra by focusing on anahata, chanting the seed sound Yam, and visualizing the mandala.

So Ham mantra: The heart is thought to be the source of So Ham. The syllables arise from the heart, are sounded on the breath and again, subside in the heart.

4. Heart Tapping

Stimulates the thymus gland to help build immunity and opens the heart chakra. Standing with your feet hip width apart, use the finger tips to rapidly tap the center of your upper chest. Vigorously tap the area for one to three minutes.

—–

Dimensions of the Heart in Yoga (A 5-Part Series)

Part 1: The Physical Heart (The Heart of Annamaya Kosha)

Part 2: The Energetic Heart (The Heart of Pranamaya Kosha)

Part 3: The Intelligent Heart (The Heart of Manomaya Kosha)

Part 4: The Wisdom Heart (The Heart of Vijnamaya Kosha)

Part 5: The Heart of Bliss – Unconditional Love (The Heart of Anandamaya Kosha)

Dimensions of the Heart in Yoga – Part 1: The Physical Heart

Charlotte Bradley — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:46:34 +0000

Our heart keeps our physical body alive. It pumps blood throughout the entire body carrying oxygen to each cell. Essential – yes! However, you only need to look at the language of the heart; heartache, heartbreak, kind hearted, warm hearted, heartthrob, heartfelt, to see that intuitively we know the heart is more than just a pump.

Heart transplant recipients have reported having strange dreams about their donors. Sometimes the heart donor would appear and ask the recipient to go to a specific place to tell the family that they were okay. Visions of the donor were confirmed by photos the heart recipient saw in the family’s home. Perhaps the emotional heart of a loved one is somehow embedded within our own emotional heart even after they have died.

According to the yoga kosha model, our body is manifested in five different sheaths; annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnamaya and anandamaya. In a 5-article series, we are going to look at how the heart is manifested in each kosha and at what yogic tool we can use to access the heart in each of its expressions. More than just a mechanical pump, the heart center has its own energy, intelligence and wisdom and is home to our Divine Soul. A healthy heart on all levels allows us to live the life that we are meant to live with integrity, compassion, joy and love.

The Heart of Annamaya

“Every heart that has beat strong and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Annamaya, the first layer is the food sheath. The heart in this layer refers to our physical heart (the muscle) as well as the cardiovascular system. A healthy heart means the cells of your body are receiving nutrients and oxygen and getting rid of waste products so that you have the energy to do what you want to do.

When the physical heart is out of balance the result is heart disease. Every seven minutes in Canada someone dies from heart disease or stroke. In my family, my dad’s dad died in his early 40s from a heart attack — I never met him. My dad suffered from angina and underwent angioplasty. On my moms side, my grandmother died from a heart attack in her 50s, her husband 10 years later also due to heart failure. My mom’s youngest brother had a heart attack at age 34. He survived but died from a heart attack in his 50s. Her other brother had a recent heart attack and happily, is doing very well post-surgery. We are all touched by heart disease in some way.

You can benefit the physical heart in numerous ways to help prevent as well as reverse and heal heart disease. (Note: Please check with your doctor and consult with a qualified instructor before undertaking any new exercise program)

Preventive Tools of Yoga

1. Asana

Inversions allow the heart to rest by using gravity to help bring de-oxygenated blood from the extremities to the heart and oxygenated blood from the heart to brain. Vinyasa style yoga (including Sun Salutations) get the blood flowing and help to improve cardiovascular conditioning.

2. Pranayama

Kapalabhati (Shining Skull Breath) helps to increase circulation and cleanse the respiratory system. It is sometimes called breath aerobics.

3. Stress Reduction

The stress response affects the heart of many harmful ways. It raises blood pressure and heart rate and can cause spasm in the coronary artery. According to 3 10-year studies, emotional stress was more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than smoking. Yoga helps people deal with stress in a healthy way.

Yogic Tools to Help Heal Heart Disease

1. Asana

Practices should be gentle and incorporate lots of relaxation. Chair yoga is a great option.

2. Relaxation

Nishcala Joy Devi developed a sequence for heart patients that incorporates a deep relaxation pose (Savasana) at several stages. Relaxation helps lower the heart rate and has been shown to relieve angina pain. When patients engage in deep relaxation during an angiogram, there is a physical release of spasm in the coronary arteries.

Nischala Joy Devi used the following practice for the “Lifestyle Heart Trial” which saw reversal in heart disease:

While seated in a chair: neck circles, shoulder shrugs, ankle circles, knee to chest pose (lift one knee at a time and hug to chest)
Savsana (1 minute)
Cobra
Half Locust
Savsana (1 minute)
Seated Forward Bend
Supported Shoulderstand
Savsana (1 minute)
Fish
Savsana (1 minute)
Seated Spinal Twist
Yogic Seal (Yoga Mudra)
Savasana (longer with guided relaxation)
Pranayama in chair: 3-part breath, alternate nostril
Meditation in chair

(Source: Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing; Timothy McCall)

—–

Dimensions of the Heart in Yoga (A 5-Part Series)

Part 1: The Physical Heart (The Heart of Annamaya Kosha)

Part 2: The Energetic Heart (The Heart of Pranamaya Kosha)

Part 3: The Intelligent Heart (The Heart of Manomaya Kosha)

Part 4: The Wisdom Heart (The Heart of Vijnamaya Kosha)

Part 5: The Heart of Bliss – Unconditional Love (The Heart of Anandamaya Kosha)

Try Breath of Joy to Energize, Uplift and Cleanse

Charlotte Bradley — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:18:32 +0000

The Breath of Joy is a warming and energizing yoga breathing practice (pranayama). It uses rhythmic body motion, coordinating arm movements with breath, in order to facilitate deep breathing. The motion of the arms helps to fill all areas of the lungs (lower, middle and upper) with fresh oxygen. This charges the entire body with energy making it a great practice to use either as a warm-up before other yoga postures or on its own on mornings when you don’t have the time to roll out your yoga mat. It would also be a great addition to a Vinyasa style yoga class as the intention is similar — to allow breath and movement to work together resulting in a fluid motion.

Benefits

Use of the arms with inhalation encourages deep and full breathing infusing the body with oxygen :
- first inhalation (arms forward) encourages diaphragmatic breathing
- second inhalation (arms to the side) encourages thoracic breathing
- third inhalation (arms up) encourages clavicular breathing
The deep and complete exhalation at the end helps to detoxify the body (via the respiratory system)
Energizes the entire body.
Strengthens arms and shoulders.
Will make you smile.

A Few Cautions

Because the head is below the heart at some points, you may feel lightheaded. If you are otherwise healthy, this is not a major concern. Just take a moment to relax and find your natural breath again.
If you have low blood pressure, practice slowly and go less deeply into the bend on the final exhalation.
The Breath of Joy is not recommended for anyone who has untreated high blood pressure or any injuries of the head (such as migraines, glaucoma).
Having the knees flexed helps protect the low back against the slight bounce that is a part of this rapid and dynamic breath. If you have issues with your low back, you can still use this technique but minimize torso movement and go at a slower, gentler pace.

Technique

Stand with your feet hip width apart with a gentle bend in the knees. The inhalation is done in three parts. Each part corresponds to a movements of the arms. Inhale through the nose and gently swing your arms up in front of you, parallel to the floor. Continue to the second part of the inhalation while swinging the arms open to the sides in a T-formation. Feel your shoulder blades coming together in the back as your chest opens to the front. On the third inhalation, swing your arms overhead, fingers to the sky. On the exhalation, swing the arms towards the ground letting your torso fold forwards as you let out a breathy “Ha” sound. Yoga doesn’t always have to be quiet … Start off slowly until you find a rhythm that is appropriate for you.

As you practice, remind yourself of the technique, either the arm movements or breath movements by repeating them.

The arm movements are: front, side, up and down.
The breath movement is: in, in, in, out.

Breath of Joy is often practiced in kids’ yoga classes. This may be because they are naturally less inhibited and just love to move. I showed it to my kids today and we ended up in fits of laughter – it certainly lived up to its name! This is also a great practice for adults and perhaps in the process we’ll rediscover some of our own playfulness and childlike energy.

Amy Weintraub is a leader in the area of yoga and mental health and the author of Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga. She describes the benefits of Breath of Joy: “(this) breathing exercise can sweep away cobwebs of lethargy and bring more energy into your life.” Have a look at the video below to see Amy demonstrate Breath of Joy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sipping Tulsi Tea for your Health

Charlotte Bradley — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:58:14 +0000

Yogis and yoginis love tea, just check out Anne-Marie’s passionate post on the subject. I must admit that I have always been more of a coffee drinker (really not a good habit!) but have been intrigued by the many varieties of tea that everyone brings to our yoga teacher training weekends to share. One particular tea that I recently tried and really enjoyed was tulsi tea. My friend who supplied this tea tells me that she orders it by the crate as you can’t get it around here! The tea had a mild and earthy flavor and intrigued I decided to find a bit more about this tea.

Tulsi tea is an herbal tea made from the tulsi herb (Ocimum tenuiflorum). The Tulsi plant is both a common and most revered plant in India. It has been around for over 5000 years and is one of India’s most sacred herbs. It is a rich in antioxidants and adaptogenic properties. Antioxidants are known to help prevent damage to cells from free radicals that facilitate the progression of disease. Adaptogens balance different processes in the body and help it to adapt more easily to stress helping to boost the body’s immune system.

Tulsi or holy basil is known by many names. It is called "the Queen of herbs", "the mother medicine of nature", "the incomparable one" and "the elixir of life. It is a small shrub with green or purple leaves that is grown for medicinal use, religious purposes and for its essential oils. There are three varieties; Krishna, Rama and Vana.

Tulsi has an interesting and colorful past. It Hindu tradition, it is regarded as feminine. Tulsi, the goddess is said to have been dear to Vishnu to whom she is married ceremonially each year. Many households in India keep Tulsi plants in a special container adorned with deities. According th the philosophy of Ghandharva tantra, places overgrown with holy basil are ideal for worship.

Tulsi is an important herb in ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India and sister science to yoga that focuses on wellness through a healthy lifestyle). In ayruveda, tulsi is used to treat cold, heart disease, headaches, stomach disorders, poisoning and inflammation. It is often taken in the form of a tea. It also has antibacterial properties that make it suitable for use in herbal skin preparations. Recent studies have shown Tulsi can help to reduce blood glucose levels and is beneficial for treating diabetes.

Health Benefits of Tulsi

Helps with digestion
Reduces the effects of stress
Strengthens the immune system
Promotes respiratory functioning and health
Promotes healthy liver function
Reduces inflammation due to arthritis or other disease
Helps fight infection
Promotes longevity
Promotes a healthy metabolism

Growing Tulsi in your Herb Garden

According to all I have read, Tulsi seed is easy to germinate and grow. It prefers sun, rich soil and lots of water. It can be started indoors in early spring or sown directly into the garden later spring or early summer when the soil is warm enough. Though grown as a perennial in India, it grows as an annual herb in most temperate climates. It also grows well in pots or windowboxes.

Tulsi sounds like an amazing herb with many uses and benefits. I didn’t come across any contraindications although it is always wise to keep in mind that all bodys are different and be sure to listen to yours as you try anything new. It’s a tea that I will definitley add to my expanding tea repertoire and I think I might just try growing it in my herb garden this year. The following quotation sums it up beautifully:

"Leaves, flowers, fruits, root, branches and the main stem and everything about tulsi is sacred; even the soil under the tulsi plant is holy." –excerpt from the Padmapurana, an ancient 5000 year-old healing text from India

Yoga and Wrist Pain Don’t Have to Go Hand in Hand

Charlotte Bradley — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:43:27 +0000

Protect your wrists by paying attention to alignment and maintaining body awareness.

Yoga practitioners who suffer from wrist pain, either chronic or temporary, do not have to give up their asanas just yet. One of the most common causes of chronic wrist pain is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). CTS is often caused by repetitive activities, and can be aggravated by bending and applying pressure on the wrists.

In yoga, two poses that tend to cause the most discomfort in sufferers of CTS are Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana).

However, with proper alignment and awareness of your body’s limitations yoga is not only possible for CTS sufferers; yoga can improve CTS, according to the American Medical Association.

In 1998, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a report on a trial conducted to determine if a yoga-based stretching regimen could improve CTS. The study followed two test groups of CTS sufferers—one group who practiced 11 yoga poses, twice a week for eight weeks, and one group who were only given wrist splints. The study found that those in the yoga group experienced significant improvement in grip strength and less wrist pain.

The 11 yoga poses, each held for 30 seconds and then repeated, were:

Sitting with extension of the trunk (Dandasana)
Hands in prayer position (Namaste)
Arms extended overhead (Urdhva Hastasana)
Arms extended overhead with fingers interlocked (Parvatasana)
Arms interlocked in front of the body (Garudasana)
Chair twists (Bharadvajasana)
Standing, Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
90-Degree forward bend to wall (Half Uttanasana)
Arms extended overhead with palms together in prayer position (Virabhadrasana 1, arms only)
Dog pose with chair, with special emphasis on hand placement (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Hands joined in prayer position behind the back (Namaste)

Even if you are diligent in practicing these 11 poses, it is important to always focus on proper alignment and awareness of your body’s conditions. If you are inclined to work harder poses, such Downward-Facing Dog, into your sequence, consider implementing a modification, such as relieving pressure on your wrists by imagining pushing your weight through the ends of your fingertips when they are on the floor.

For a different Downward-Facing Dog Pose modification, make your yoga strap into a loop and hang it from both door knobs on a door. Step through the loop, face away from the door, and then practice the pose with the strap around the lower thighs, which takes some of the weight off your wrists.

Yoga for your Hip Flexors

Charlotte Bradley — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:17:36 +0000

On Friday I will be co-teaching a yoga class as part of my yoga teacher training practicum. While putting together the class we wanted to come up with a main focus. I love working with shapes that focus on the hips. You usually feel these poses intensely and it is very obvious that something is working and changing in your body.

In our modern society, most of us lead fairly sedentary lifestyles. We spend a lot of time sitting — sitting at the computer, while watching TV, while driving in the car. While we are in the seated position, the muscles of the hip flexor are contracted. This constant contraction leads to an imbalance in the muscles of the hip area which in turn can lead to lower back problems.

There are several muscles across the front of the hip area whose job it is to pull the thigh and the torso towards each other. The most notable of these is the iliopsoas. The iliopsoas is actually made up of two muscle groups – the iliacus and the psoas (major and minor). The iliopsoas is considered to be the most powerful flexor of the thigh.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Most problems in the hip flexors are not due to a lack of strength, but a lack of flexibility. Due to our lifestyles, the hip is kept in a constant state of flexion which causes the muscles to shorten. This will limit your ability to fully extend these muscles. When the muscles of the hip flexors are tight, they pull the pelvis forward, tilting it and creating strain on the lower back.

In his book, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, David Coulter reports that hip flexibility is the most important requirement for least half of the postures in hatha yoga. Yoga has many great poses that work to stretch out and create space in the hip flexors and you will find shapes that work the hip flexors in all the major posture categories, including standing, sitting, reclining, forward bending and twisting.

If you can manage it, daily hip flexor exercises will help prevent many problems that afflict us from lower back issues to neck and shoulder complaints. The health of the psoas directly affects our posture and in yoga is well known that a healthy and flexible spine promotes wellness and vitality.

One-Legged Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) is a classic hip opener that works the hip in its full range of motion including the outer groin and hip flexor. It is a great a hip opener but should be done gently and mindfully especially if you have had any lower back or knee problems.

A Selection of Poses that Target Hips

Lunge Poses (low with knee down and high with knee lifted)
Pigeon and Pigeon Variations
Warrior 1
Bound Angle Pose / Cobbler (Baddha Konasana)
Knee to Ankle (Figure 4 Pose)

Yoga Journal lists poses by anatomical focus. Have a look at the recommended poses for hips for more suggestions.