Tag Archives: yogatherapy

Yogatherapy for the parasympathetic system

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Yoga for the parasympathetic system : Ah yes, TGIF ! Did you have a week of overthinking things? If so, your parasympathetic nervous system was likely shut down and your sympathetic nervous system was in high gear!. Did you even know that your autonomic nervous system had two branches?

Well, research is now showing the benefits of yogatherapy for stress management and disease prevention. According to a recent article by Dr. Timothy McCall,

“The SNS, in conjunction with such stress hormones as adrenaline and cortisol, initiate a series of changes in the body, including raising blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. These changes help a person deal with a crisis situation. They mean more energy and more blood and oxygen flowing to the large muscles of the trunk, arms, and legs, allowing the person to run from danger or do battle (the so-called “fight-or-flight” response).

The PNS, in contrast, tends to slow the heart and lower the blood pressure, allowing recovery after a stressful event. Blood flow that was diverted away from the intestines and reproductive organs, whose function isn’t essential in an emergency, returns. In contrast to fight or flight, these more restorative functions can be thought of as “rest and digest.” They are also sometimes dubbed the relaxation response.”

Today’s tip: If you have time to put your legs up the wall or even lay down with the entire back wall of the lower legs on a chair, cover your eyes, and breathe so that you start to extend your exhalations. Or listen to one of my relaxation practices. 15 minutes goes along way to reboot and free up some creative energy for your weekend

parasympathetic

Yoga for movement

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Yoga for movement : This quote is so motivational! “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward”.

The way yoga fits into this quote for me is that, as a yoga therapist, I meet and teach a bouquet of students, all kinds of bodies, and all kinds of mindsets. I watch transformations and “ah-ha” moments. I believe that the less we chase a yoga pose, the more it evolves for us. I believe in stages and steps and that each place we are at is where we are supposed to be.The skills you learn in yoga practice are huge, and hugely transformational. People tell me they stand up straighter, they drive with more ease, walk with less pain.

Maybe you are one of the people who think you aren’t flexible enough. I hear this excuse a lot. Guess what? Gains can be made in terms of mobility and agility at any height, weight and age. Take the heart of this quote to your consciousness.

The beauty of using yoga as therapy is that there is always a “can” do whether you need to modify, or adapt, and then you can relax where you are. If you are not sure what this means, a private yoga lesson will clarify 🙂

yoga for movement

moon salutations in yoga

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moon salutations in yoga:

You may be familiar with ‘surya namaskar’, sun salutations, a vinyasa which is translated to mean: “bow to the sun.” There is much lifting of the arms and bending forward and stepping, hopping, or jumping back which is heating to the body and thus embodies the more ‘solar’ energy.

Sun salutations are one way to warm up, which is necessary and common sense sequencing. However, there are a gazillion warm ups and you don’t need to over do or just stick to one way. If you are feeling depleted, overstimulated, or overheated, which can happen to anyone – think : stress, emotions, lack of sleep, it is good to know that there are soothing practices in Yoga. Remember that the key word is balance not over-doing.

The whole concept of yogatherapy is to suit the practice to the person. Let’s say you don’t want to do a completely restorative class, you are looking for a slow flow. Here is Chandra Namaskar, or Moon Salutation. As the name suggests, Chandra Namaskar is more quieting sequence that invites you to cultivate the moon’s soothing lunar energy. This doesn’t mean that you are not warming up, rather, you are doing so in a less strenuous way. Think: conserve, it can still be intense, but not draining. Some days, you need a little more R and R. In fact, if you practice at nighttime, this would be a good little flow, adding a restorative child’s pose and savasana. For more info please contact me, I am here in Jersey City and available for private yoga lessons

moon salutations in yoga

Core Strength

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core strengthCore Strength:  this is a fun quiz to see whether you understand the meaning of core strength

What is the core?

a. What you throw away when you’ve eaten the tasty bit

b. More with a ‘C’

c. Only computers have one these days

d. An essential part of our being

e. What the tree huggers are after

If you answered ‘d’ you are on the right track. There is still some misunderstanding of the term ‘core strength’ or core stability. It used to be a term used in conjunction with the abdominal area, and whether you could do 50 crunches at the gym or just hold yourself rigidly through the centre. There is an ingredient of truth in this insofar as if you habitually let your tummy drop forward, therefore straining your lower back, you are not promoting core strength. You do however, want to keep your lower belly toned.

I would go further here and suggest that the term ‘core strength’ in terms of muscle action is composed of different muscles that will stabilize the pelvis, acting on spine and entire trunk of the body. When there is a good balance, you are able to be upright without collapsing your weight into one area. Yoga asana can help you develop these skills. One of these safe alignment skills we practice in yapana® yoga is to keep the lower belly toned all the way up to the top throat, and if you find this skill in your asana, you are on your way to building a pretty good core awareness.

Since I believe in #liveyouryoga, I will also add that you can breathe from your core, and connect through relaxation to you inner core of peace…so keep practicing core strength for different reasons!

 

restorative yoga poses

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Restorative yoga poses: I chose this photo because in the Yapana® method, which is the style of yoga I teach, we call restorative yoga poses, the “being” poses.

Restorative yoga poses, “being” poses are asanas where the body and mind are supported, there is no struggle to hold or resist against gravity. This quiets the breath and thus supports a yoga mind and a feeling of rest and digest along with relaxation and recovery. The stretching is more passive than in the dynamic poses, and we use strategic prop placement so that the posture is brought to you and therefore has more of a therapeutic component. As I have written before, it isn’t just laying on a bolster, even though we do use them. There is an alignment involved, and actually, the better the body is supported, the more extraordinary the experience of peace will be. This is crucial. You don’t want to be constantly fidgeting because you are not comfortable, you are looking to just feel peaceful in all the categories of yoga poses.

Restorative yoga poses can be backbends, forward bends, twists, inversions and a few others that hopefully, by now you are curious enough to contact me for more information.

Restorative yoga poses

Yoga Twists Without The Shout

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Yoga Twists Without The Shout: Yoga Twists can either unwind the spine and help digestion or they can torque the spine and de-stabilize the SI joints..etc.  Most of my students – especially those with generic back pain tell me twists feel great but you do want to approach yoga twists with safe alignment (think belly button up).  Using your yoga as therapy, a few tips to keep in mind when you want to unwind with a yoga twist:

~ avoid twisting from the lumbar; stacking the pelvis and shoulders while maintaining a ‘straight’ spine … you may not go as deep but it will be a safer exploration

~ try to open the thoracic area enough to be able to emphasize the rotation here

~ put yourself into neutral after a twist (child’s pose for eg)

~ typically if you have just had abdominal surgery, are pregnant, have sciatica, herniated discs, SI joint dysfunction, twists are contraindicated. Some people want to go deeper into a twist and then you may have to let the opposite hip slide forward with you.

You may find one side easier that the other. You can do the tighter side twice. Feel it out.
Yoga twists Rana-twist garden

Nourish Your Being With Yoga Therapy

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Finding a quiet moment during a stressful time can be challenging. What I love about the practice of yoga is that it nourishes us and brings us back to a still point, free of resistance and search or struggle. In Yapana® yoga we use poses called “BEing” poses to restore and support the parasympathetic response – these involve strategic placement of  yoga props to meet your body’s needs (alignment, safety, flexibility) and we make sure to include a nice long relaxation so you can really let go of all the layers that cover up this happy to BE place.

being with

The High Lunge

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Do you walk a lot? Sit a lot? This is a photo of the classic lunge taken up a notch thanks to the Hoboken pier. (No, I don’t mean because of my jeans and coat 🙂 ) Actually the height of this rock helped to add length while keeping my knees safe. The jeans made it a little harder to get the back leg straight but that is ok; if you are at home, you can use a chair, placed against a wall instead – the variations in using yoga as therapy are endless, depending on who you are and what props you have available.

Rana Hoboken 2

If you are doing a regular lunge, here are some steps to help you get into the pose:

From a standing forward bend you can bend your knees ,inhale, and step your left foot back toward the back edge of your mat, with the ball of the foot on the floor under the heel. Step back with enough distance so that your right knee can form a right angle.

Lengthen the torso. To soften your right groin, draw the thigh back. Look forward. Simultaneously, firm the left thigh and push it up toward the ceiling, holding the left knee straight. Stretch your left heel toward the floor.

Exhale and step your right foot back beside the left. Then repeat the above reversing sides. Finish in downward facing dog or another forward bend…

Yogatherapy for the neck

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Yogatherapy for the neck is one of my favourite yogatherapy subjects! I have a perfect yogatherapy workshop entitled “Pain in the Neck” so when I found this photo I quickly chose it for today’s blog.

Yogatherapy for the neck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what one new student said after a private yoga class where we focused on learning skills to improve her posture especially since she is prone to headaches:

“I feel more space in the back of my neck very cool” ~ R.G.

I think what we all need to remember is that the body eavesdrops on our thoughts, responds to our sleep positions, driving habits, and other holding patterns. Change or transformation is possible through Yoga if the right practices are used for the right person. This includes postures, modifications of postures, breathing, affirmations, insights and so on.

Today’s yogatherapy tip: just be aware how you hold your head – does it tilt, fall, is your chin lifting up? Maybe this affirmation will help you heal today, feel your head on straight with the top throat light or at least not clench up as you deal with whatever life brings your way…”It is with flexibility and ease that I see all sides of an issue…”

Yogatherapy for the neck

Monday Punday

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Too cute not to share.  Laughter is great medicine; contentment breeds calm ~ or here’s to hoping! Naturally, a balanced Yoga practice will stimulate the endorphins; you can also do a lot with breathing exercises.

A great yoga therapy technique to simulate laughter is Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati Pranayama (pronounced (kah-pah-lah-BAH-tee). Kapala = skull and bhati = light (implying perception, knowledge).
The effect of this energizing pranayama is to clear the mind, release emotional tensions, improve digestion, and leave you feeling “brighter,” almost as if your brain was standing in a warm and happy sunbeam.
Build up slowly!
Step by Step Guide:
Sit comfortably, using any support or props.  Try seated tadasana on a chair, if you like.
Focus on your lower abdomen, placing your hands there, one atop the other. Breathe in and then try laughing.
Notice the activity under your hands, as the belly contracts in short bursts.
Inhale, and as you exhale next time, repeat the same “ha ha ha” action but using short exhales through the nose.

Your inhales can be long, passive and slow, the exhales will be shorter bursts.  You can keep your hands on the belly and use them to pump the abdomen until you are comfortable and feel more adept at the rhythm.

Monday Punday