Tag Archives: health

yoga and its cold cures

Posted on by

from overload to cold curesyoga and its cold cures…

“It’s not the load that breaks you down it’s the way you carry it”.

I think this expression needs a little play. Are any of you suffering from the common cold? Perfect example of a little viral infection – actually of the mucous membranes that line the respiratory tract – which includes nose and throat. Common symptoms can be nasal congestion, discharge, sinusitis, sore throat, coughing, headaches. So how does yoga help? Well, yoga postures can be pretty helpful for respiratory disorders. Some sequencing might include downward facing dog with head support, other inversions and some soothing backbends to open the chest. The focus is more restorative, opening, and relaxing for the system. Downward facing dog is not a restorative in that it requires a lot of muscular effort but a bolster under the head or some other support has benefits for the brain, very soothing to the nervous system and can cure fatigueI am actually teaching a restorative yoga workshop to support the immune system – check it out

Stress definitely knocks us out when we don’t have a plan, and even the best of us, with the most disciplined practice get overwhelmed sometimes. All you can do is your best to prevent the cold, but if you have it, you will find it will pretty much dictate its needs which usually include rest and fluids. The neti pot is my favourite yoga cleansing technique, which pretty much keeps the airborne viruses at bay. You have to do it routinely. And here is something to think about when you feel like your resistance is low, resistance takes a lot of energy, and as BKS Iyengar said: “fear and fatiigue block the mind. Confront both, and courage and confidence will flow into you”

 

yoga and health quotes

Posted on by

yoga and health quotes: “Happiness is the highest form of health”. What are your thoughts on this ? I think the Dalai Lama is reminding us that inner happiness is the most nourishing lifestyle choice. He is not referring to constantly seeking outside oneself, but rather, to feeling a sense of peaceful fulfillment. Negative thinking steals joy and robs us of our health. The yogis were smart, promoting the breath as link between mind and body, realizing and steering us to calm our minds, improving our mood we seem to improve our health.

In the yogic system, the word for contentment is ‘santosha’ which is one of the niyamas. The path to health is a blend of balancing or re-balancing your body, calming the mind, and learning to breathe calmly through challenges. There is also the personal component to health, making the most nourishing choices, and organizing your life to be meaningful to you. I like this quote because it emphasizes that happiness is with (in) reach.

Cultivating contentment, as I have written before is an art form. I think, at the level of asana, one can be very mindful about how one moves, sensitive to creating conditions for comfort and ease rather than over doing, or, over-stretching. Yesterday at Base, we broke down upward facing dog pose, and the response was great. By breaking the challenge into simplified steps, we found an uplifted backbend instead of a shortened and compressed one.

yoga and health quotes

Feet First: Yoga Therapy Tip Basic

Posted on by

Feet First: Yoga Therapy Tip Basic

Let’s face it – our feet take a beating in daily life, whether it is the shoes we wear, the activities we do, or the way we stand, the feet are our foundations. If you already have a pre-existing condition, then you can use Yoga Therapy to strengthen and even prevent further damage to your feet as well as  learn to stand using better posture. It is always good to know, who you are and what you bring to asana.  Sometimes cues are for the general public.  I have found, through years of practice, that my bunions have gone from pain level 10+ to almost no pain ever (with the exception of walking in some shoes for prolonged periods).  However, I have to do a lot of work in my feet especially in standing poses. Great read on bunions by one of my teachers, Doug Keller

Tips

Yesterday at a client’s house, we didn’t have a tennis ball but they had some small 3 pound weights which we used to

-roll the feet over as a little preliminary massage before

-some ankle rolls

– toe tractions.

Don’t wait for your next pedicure to take care of your feet from the inside out. Try to distribute your weight on your feet (not so easy).  And don’t forget, the feet communicate with your calves so don’t expect to get tension out of the calves without working the tootsies…For more tips contact mefoot healthreflexes in the feet

Do You Breathe Well?

Posted on by

The Breath…Ahhh…

breath as the bridge

“The purpose of pranayama is to make the respiratory system functin at its best.  This automatically improves the circulatory system, without which the processes of digestion and elimination would suffer.  Toxins would accumulate, diseases spread through the body and ill-health becomes habitual” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar,  Light on Pranayama

Do you have  tension in the neck, shoulders and lower back?   Do you complain about headaches, poor sleeping habits, fatigue, stomach aches and high levels of stress ?

Maybe you do not breathe well. Part of a balanced yoga practice frees muscular restrictions which impede healthy breathing. I have some basic breathing practices on my Yoga Mind Cd and am available for private yoga classes to address your particular needs. There are also a few articles I have written online with practices you can check out.

Stillness And The Ability To Listen Inwardly

Posted on by

Be still and listen..rather an art form.

Here are some tips to start cultivating this art :
1. Make notes of anything in your life that is difficult, painful, joyful, and notice how your breathing, heart rate and other bodily sensations respond to each of these.
2. Pay attention to what your body feels like. For example, do you feel fluid, numb, or stuck? These feelings are your body’s wisdom; clues in your inner guidance system.
3. When you experience a bodily sensation such as “gut reaction,” back pain, a headache, a stomach ache, pay attention to it. Are emotions such as anger or fear connected with any areas of your body? When a sensation arises, stop, lie down, breathe and wait with the emotion or sensation – what insights come up through this process?
4. Notice how you routinely talk to yourself. Do you chastise or appreciate when you look in the mirror? Are you hyper critical or do you give your body positive messages, and gratitude. Your body digests meals, breathes in and out, and your heart beats 24/7… Cultivate a positive chain between your inner mental dialogue and the rest of you.
5. Understand that you risk your health when you consistently undermine your body. Burning the candle at both ends, worrying incessantly, food choices, activity choices, friendship choices…it all affects our system as a whole.

stillness

Yoga Nourishes the Mind Body Spirit

Posted on by

Finding what nourishes is a learning process.  Sometimes it is a food hang over the next day, or walking away from a situation and feeling drained instead of energized. If you come out of a yoga class injured you know something is not right either.  I have a host of nourishing ideas for you -my fantastic blend between a yoga session and a massage called Yapana® Stretch One on One.  Or ~ check out my meditation tips, some breathing and relaxing tips on my Yoga Mind Cd; -and join one of my public yoga classes in Tenafly or book your private yoga class with me, we will work on your goals together

 

If it doesn't nourish your soul get rid of it