Q: You have questions and answers on your blog almost every Friday. My question is about the questions: where do the questions that you answer on your blog come from?
A: The questions come from you, our readers! We answer questions that we receive in person, via email (you can find our email address by clicking on the Contact Us tab at the top of the page) or through comments left on individual blog posts (click on the How to Comment tab at the top of the page to learn how to leave comments). Some of our reader's questions get answered on a Friday Q&A post, but others trigger full-length posts on the particular topic.
Okay, fine, I admit it, not all the questions come from our readers. I made up the question for today because it's time for another round of questions and/or concerns, and I thought that some of our newer readers might not realize they can ask us any questions they like.
So speak up, everyone! Do you have any specific questions you'd like us to answer? Or, do you have any requests for general topics for us to address? We love hearing from you.
—Nina
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Yoga Journal Conference and a Giveaway!
Good news, everyone! Baxter’s going to be teaching at the San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference, January 17 - 21, 2013. We hope to see some of you there. For the first time, Baxter will be presenting an all-day workshop on Yoga for Healthy Aging. And he’ll also be teaching a two-hour class on Yoga for Arthritis. Obviously, he was inspired by his writing for this blog, and by the feedback he gets from you, our readers.
Speaking of which, he’s been asked to do one more class at the conference and hasn’t yet picked the topic. What would you like him to teach? Yes, we want to hear your ideas!
To encourage you to make some good suggestions, we decided to hold our first-ever giveaway. The prize will be a yoga book by Nina and Rodney Yee, either Yoga: The Poetry of the Body or Moving Toward Balance, your choice.
To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post suggesting a topic for Baxter to teach at the conference and tell us which of the two books you’d like most to win. It’s okay to vote for topic that someone else has already suggested because multiple votes for the same idea will tell us which suggestion is the most popular. We’ll have two winners: the one with the idea we like the best, and a commenter selected at random.
You have a week to enter the contest, and we’ll announce the winners at the end of next week. Now go forth and get creative!
Speaking of which, he’s been asked to do one more class at the conference and hasn’t yet picked the topic. What would you like him to teach? Yes, we want to hear your ideas!
 |
| This could be yours.... |
To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post suggesting a topic for Baxter to teach at the conference and tell us which of the two books you’d like most to win. It’s okay to vote for topic that someone else has already suggested because multiple votes for the same idea will tell us which suggestion is the most popular. We’ll have two winners: the one with the idea we like the best, and a commenter selected at random.
You have a week to enter the contest, and we’ll announce the winners at the end of next week. Now go forth and get creative!
 |
| or maybe you want this! |
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
1. Sierra Nevada+ Russian River Collaboration: BRUX
2. Sierra Hoptimum 4 packs
3. Ballast Point Double Dorado
4. Dogfish Head Namaste 750ml
5. Deschutes Hop in the Dark
6. Speakeasy Vendetta IPA
7. Alaskan Raspberry Wheat
8. Ninkasi Radiant Ale
9. Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
cheers,
dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610
Ankle Sprains
by Baxter
Yesterday, I provided you with a basic overview of the anatomy of the ankle joint (see Getting to Know Your Ankles). Now let’s turn our attention to the most common injury to ankles, the ankle sprain. Suffering one sprain to an ankle, if mild, is usually no big deal. But many times, there will be several sprains over the course of time, often on the same ankle. This can lead to looser ligaments from repeated micro tears and stretching, resulting in overall less stability in the affected joint, and the tendency to have more twists down the road. Yikes! The vast majority of ankle sprains involve the action described about as “inversion” (which I defined yesterday), so are known as inversion sprains. Due to the foot rolling under and the ankle bowing outward in this case, the ligaments on the outer ankle and foot area are stretched and/or torn a bit, resulting in local swelling and pain in that area around the lateral malleolus. A small but important ligament in this area known as the anterior talofibular ligament is almost always the victim of the trauma. The case of the ankle rolling in is much rarer due to the longer fibula bone as the lateral malleolus tending to prevent that, so I won’t address this specific situation here.
On a practical level, when we suffer an acute ankle sprain, we get local swelling, tenderness over the area to touch and discomfort when we stand or walk, to varying degrees. The typical recommendations from your doc areto elevate your foot and leg above the level of your heart and to use ice can help to diminish the swelling associated with the trauma, so are a good idea to try. And since there are lots of yoga poses that are done lying on your back with the legs elevated, your asana practice could assist in the healing process. In the acute phase of injury, poses such as Legs Up the Wall pose, Chair Shoulderstand, Easy Inverted pose, and similar poses may be all you want to try. All of these poses are also helpful if you suffer intermittent or chronic swelling of the feet and ankles, another common condition.
Once the acute phase symptoms have diminished, you can turn your attention to a more typical asana practice, as well as adding in last week’s seated ankle rolls and alphabet spelling exercises (see Ankle Circles). At this point, you are ready to focus on the strengthening aspects of the poses for the ankle and foot area, so add special attention to activating as many of the muscles surrounding your ankles and feet as you do your standing poses. A modified Mountain pose Tadasana) sequence I learned at the Krishnamacharya Center in India years back also comes in handy for strengthening the ankles after injury. You begin in a good Mountain pose, and on an inhale, lift your heels up and balance evenly on the balls of your feet, taking your arms up and overhead. As you exhale, lower your arms and heels to the starting position. Do this slowly and mindfully six times. Don’t be surprised if you find that you roll in or out onto the ball of the foot, but work to even this out.
As always, cultivate patience with your body to gently guide it back to a healthier place and listen deeply to its requests to honor its limitations.
Yesterday, I provided you with a basic overview of the anatomy of the ankle joint (see Getting to Know Your Ankles). Now let’s turn our attention to the most common injury to ankles, the ankle sprain. Suffering one sprain to an ankle, if mild, is usually no big deal. But many times, there will be several sprains over the course of time, often on the same ankle. This can lead to looser ligaments from repeated micro tears and stretching, resulting in overall less stability in the affected joint, and the tendency to have more twists down the road. Yikes! The vast majority of ankle sprains involve the action described about as “inversion” (which I defined yesterday), so are known as inversion sprains. Due to the foot rolling under and the ankle bowing outward in this case, the ligaments on the outer ankle and foot area are stretched and/or torn a bit, resulting in local swelling and pain in that area around the lateral malleolus. A small but important ligament in this area known as the anterior talofibular ligament is almost always the victim of the trauma. The case of the ankle rolling in is much rarer due to the longer fibula bone as the lateral malleolus tending to prevent that, so I won’t address this specific situation here.
On a practical level, when we suffer an acute ankle sprain, we get local swelling, tenderness over the area to touch and discomfort when we stand or walk, to varying degrees. The typical recommendations from your doc areto elevate your foot and leg above the level of your heart and to use ice can help to diminish the swelling associated with the trauma, so are a good idea to try. And since there are lots of yoga poses that are done lying on your back with the legs elevated, your asana practice could assist in the healing process. In the acute phase of injury, poses such as Legs Up the Wall pose, Chair Shoulderstand, Easy Inverted pose, and similar poses may be all you want to try. All of these poses are also helpful if you suffer intermittent or chronic swelling of the feet and ankles, another common condition.
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| Legs Up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani) |
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| Easy Inverted Pose |
As always, cultivate patience with your body to gently guide it back to a healthier place and listen deeply to its requests to honor its limitations.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Getting to Know Your Ankles
by Baxter
Like many joints and areas of your body, if your ankles are healthy and doing their job well, you don’t give the area way down there by your feet much thought. Yet, when an ankle is not healthy or functioning optimally, it can be hard to think of anything else! Once I began to practice yoga asana regularly, I noticed that my teachers would often have us do ankle rolls as a preparation for Thread the Needle pose (a nice hip opener), and I started to become more aware of the area of my ankles. I was not having any acute problems with my ankles at the time, but I began to notice patterns of tension, tightness and lack of coordination that were previously outside my conscious awareness. In retrospect, I now know that this is exactly one of the benefits of yoga: to make what is not known knowable.
Like many of my students, I have suffered the occasional ankle sprain in the past. Since this is the most common injury to ankles, I’ll be addressing this in a separate post (coming soon). In addition to these common sprains of the ankle area, the other fairly common problem is that of significant trauma to the area that results in fracture or severe tears of the ligaments and tendons. People with this problem have often undergone some sort of surgery to reconstruct and heal the damage. This surgery can be profoundly beneficial; however, people who have had surgery often complain about persistent aches, limited movement and even weakness. I’ll also talk about this group in a separate post, and propose some strategies for you to work with.
But to start, I’d like to step back for a moment and take a closer look at the ankle joint. This joint connects your foot to your lower leg, and is intimately involved in our ability to stand on two legs as well as our ability to walk and run effectively. The ankle is often thought of as a “hinge” joint, which allows for flexion (like the ankle position in your Downward-Facing Dog pose) and extension (like the front leg ankle in your Triangle pose). These actions are also known as dorsiflexion (the Downward-Facing Dog ankles) and plantar flexion (pointing of the foot).
The bones involved in creating the ankle joint include your lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) meeting the two big bones at the back of your foot (talus and calcaneus). The tibia and fibula extend down and around the sides of the talus and calcaneus, and their distant ends become our inner and outer ankle bones, technically called the medial malleolus (on the inside of the ankle) and the lateral malleolus (on the outside of the ankle bone).
If you look at how far down your two leg bones go, you may notice that the outer one extends farther down toward the foot than the medial one. This will come into play later when we talk about ankle sprains.
The ankle joint is held in close proximity by lots of small, short ligaments that run between the 4 bones. The talus bone, which sits just atop the calcaneus bone (the heel bone), is unique in that it is only attached to the bones around it by ligaments. There are no muscles directly connected to it.
Muscles from the lower and upper leg bones cross by the talus and connect onto the heel bone, such as with the famous Achilles’ tendon, or head further down to connect to other bones in the foot. When these muscles contract, they create the movements of the ankle joint.
One other tidbit about the flexion and extension of the ankle joint: the joint is more stable the more dorsiflexion there is, as in squats and Downward-Facing Dog pose, and less stable the closer the joint gets to plantar flexion, such as coming up onto our toes in Mountain pose.
Although it would be neat and tidy if those were the only two movements at the ankle, it would limit our movement capabilities. And indeed there are other movements the joint enjoys, such as turning in and out a bit (adduction and abduction), as well a combination of plantar flexion and adduction known as supination, and a combination of dorsiflexion and abduction known as pronation. Folks who stand on the outer edge of their feet have a bit more supination going on, and those with “flat feet” do a bit more of the pronation action. And often when people come up onto the ball of the foot, the combination of plantar flexion, adduction and supination cause an inversion of the joint. In the opposite scenario, when the ankle is dorsiflexing, abducting and pronating, an eversion is produced. This will become more important when figuring out ankle sprains, which I’ll address in my next post on ankles.
Like many joints and areas of your body, if your ankles are healthy and doing their job well, you don’t give the area way down there by your feet much thought. Yet, when an ankle is not healthy or functioning optimally, it can be hard to think of anything else! Once I began to practice yoga asana regularly, I noticed that my teachers would often have us do ankle rolls as a preparation for Thread the Needle pose (a nice hip opener), and I started to become more aware of the area of my ankles. I was not having any acute problems with my ankles at the time, but I began to notice patterns of tension, tightness and lack of coordination that were previously outside my conscious awareness. In retrospect, I now know that this is exactly one of the benefits of yoga: to make what is not known knowable.
Like many of my students, I have suffered the occasional ankle sprain in the past. Since this is the most common injury to ankles, I’ll be addressing this in a separate post (coming soon). In addition to these common sprains of the ankle area, the other fairly common problem is that of significant trauma to the area that results in fracture or severe tears of the ligaments and tendons. People with this problem have often undergone some sort of surgery to reconstruct and heal the damage. This surgery can be profoundly beneficial; however, people who have had surgery often complain about persistent aches, limited movement and even weakness. I’ll also talk about this group in a separate post, and propose some strategies for you to work with.
But to start, I’d like to step back for a moment and take a closer look at the ankle joint. This joint connects your foot to your lower leg, and is intimately involved in our ability to stand on two legs as well as our ability to walk and run effectively. The ankle is often thought of as a “hinge” joint, which allows for flexion (like the ankle position in your Downward-Facing Dog pose) and extension (like the front leg ankle in your Triangle pose). These actions are also known as dorsiflexion (the Downward-Facing Dog ankles) and plantar flexion (pointing of the foot).
The bones involved in creating the ankle joint include your lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) meeting the two big bones at the back of your foot (talus and calcaneus). The tibia and fibula extend down and around the sides of the talus and calcaneus, and their distant ends become our inner and outer ankle bones, technically called the medial malleolus (on the inside of the ankle) and the lateral malleolus (on the outside of the ankle bone).
If you look at how far down your two leg bones go, you may notice that the outer one extends farther down toward the foot than the medial one. This will come into play later when we talk about ankle sprains.
The ankle joint is held in close proximity by lots of small, short ligaments that run between the 4 bones. The talus bone, which sits just atop the calcaneus bone (the heel bone), is unique in that it is only attached to the bones around it by ligaments. There are no muscles directly connected to it.
Muscles from the lower and upper leg bones cross by the talus and connect onto the heel bone, such as with the famous Achilles’ tendon, or head further down to connect to other bones in the foot. When these muscles contract, they create the movements of the ankle joint.
Although it would be neat and tidy if those were the only two movements at the ankle, it would limit our movement capabilities. And indeed there are other movements the joint enjoys, such as turning in and out a bit (adduction and abduction), as well a combination of plantar flexion and adduction known as supination, and a combination of dorsiflexion and abduction known as pronation. Folks who stand on the outer edge of their feet have a bit more supination going on, and those with “flat feet” do a bit more of the pronation action. And often when people come up onto the ball of the foot, the combination of plantar flexion, adduction and supination cause an inversion of the joint. In the opposite scenario, when the ankle is dorsiflexing, abducting and pronating, an eversion is produced. This will become more important when figuring out ankle sprains, which I’ll address in my next post on ankles.
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Effect of Yoga Poses on Your Mood
by Nina
“To sit in Lotus Pose and gaze at one’s nose is said to be a spiritual practice; to do Lotus Pose and concentrate on the coccyx or elsewhere is said to be a physical practice. Where is the difference? How can Hatha Yoga be only physical and Raja Yoga only spiritual?” —BKS Iyengar
Iyengar sounds a bit cranky in that quote, doesn’t he? I think that’s because back in the 60s he was getting tired of explaining his somewhat radical point of view that doing yoga poses was a form of meditation. Traditionally yoga poses were seen as physical exercises to purify and strength the body for meditation and other spiritual practices. But Iyengar argued that the poses themselves were a spiritual practice.
“A posture can be considered as much a mantra or as much as meditation.” —BKS Iyengar
I thought of this recently when I read an interesting article about a study about the affects of meditation on moods (see Meditation Induces Positive Structural Brain Changes). When I first heard about the article, I thought it was going to be about a study of traditional seated meditation, and I was excited about the possibility that there was proof that traditional meditation helped improve our moods. Instead, I found the study was done using a special form of Chinese meditation called Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) that “differs from other forms of meditation because it depends heavily on the inducement of a high degree of awareness and balance of the body, mind, and environment. And the study found:
“Building on results from a study they published in 2010, investigators found that healthy college-aged volunteers who practiced IBMT for 4 weeks showed significantly improved mood changes compared with those who did not practice the meditation technique.
The researchers note that these mood changes coincided with improved axonal density and expansion of myelin in the anterior cingulate part of the brain, a region that is implicated in self-regulation. Previous research has linked deficits in this brain area with attention deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, and addiction.”
Exciting results, certainly. But doesn’t IBMT sound like Iyengar yoga? I mean, isn’t the practice of yoga poses with a mindful focus on alignment and physical sensations the same as “awareness and balance of the body, mind, and environment”? So it’s pretty easy to extrapolate from this study that Iyengar yoga would have similar effects as this Chinese meditation technique.
Of course I don’t really need a study to tell me what I know from personal experience. My asana practice definitely affects my moods. I usually feel better after practicing almost any sequence, and when I’m feeling depressed or discouraged or stressed, I can intentionally design a practice that can improve my mood. But it’s always nice to find out about studies that back up what I know intuitively because, well, it seems I’m on a mission: I want you, whoever you are, to start practicing, too. Your moods will improve and your stress levels will be reduced, and your overall health will benefit as a result. And now there is the intriguing possibility the practice could also help with dementia (as well as attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and addiction)!
“Yoga is the harmony of the body, senses, mind, and intellect. That’s why there is no difference between physical and spiritual yoga.” —BKS Iyengar
“To sit in Lotus Pose and gaze at one’s nose is said to be a spiritual practice; to do Lotus Pose and concentrate on the coccyx or elsewhere is said to be a physical practice. Where is the difference? How can Hatha Yoga be only physical and Raja Yoga only spiritual?” —BKS Iyengar
Iyengar sounds a bit cranky in that quote, doesn’t he? I think that’s because back in the 60s he was getting tired of explaining his somewhat radical point of view that doing yoga poses was a form of meditation. Traditionally yoga poses were seen as physical exercises to purify and strength the body for meditation and other spiritual practices. But Iyengar argued that the poses themselves were a spiritual practice.
“A posture can be considered as much a mantra or as much as meditation.” —BKS Iyengar
I thought of this recently when I read an interesting article about a study about the affects of meditation on moods (see Meditation Induces Positive Structural Brain Changes). When I first heard about the article, I thought it was going to be about a study of traditional seated meditation, and I was excited about the possibility that there was proof that traditional meditation helped improve our moods. Instead, I found the study was done using a special form of Chinese meditation called Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) that “differs from other forms of meditation because it depends heavily on the inducement of a high degree of awareness and balance of the body, mind, and environment. And the study found:
“Building on results from a study they published in 2010, investigators found that healthy college-aged volunteers who practiced IBMT for 4 weeks showed significantly improved mood changes compared with those who did not practice the meditation technique.
The researchers note that these mood changes coincided with improved axonal density and expansion of myelin in the anterior cingulate part of the brain, a region that is implicated in self-regulation. Previous research has linked deficits in this brain area with attention deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, and addiction.”
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| Orchids in the Mist by Michele Macartney-Filgate |
Of course I don’t really need a study to tell me what I know from personal experience. My asana practice definitely affects my moods. I usually feel better after practicing almost any sequence, and when I’m feeling depressed or discouraged or stressed, I can intentionally design a practice that can improve my mood. But it’s always nice to find out about studies that back up what I know intuitively because, well, it seems I’m on a mission: I want you, whoever you are, to start practicing, too. Your moods will improve and your stress levels will be reduced, and your overall health will benefit as a result. And now there is the intriguing possibility the practice could also help with dementia (as well as attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and addiction)!
“Yoga is the harmony of the body, senses, mind, and intellect. That’s why there is no difference between physical and spiritual yoga.” —BKS Iyengar
Sunday, June 24, 2012
ACCOMPLISHED!
Such a fantastic word…I love feeling accomplished…can you relate? When it comes to a workout and it is on a day where I am feeling unmotivated and I kick it into gear and do it…ACCOMPLISHED. I can also feel this way after cleaning the bathrooms…YUCK…but it has to be done. I can have such an overwhelming AWWWW feeling inside after I have completed something on my long “to do” list…or even my short one. It is like falling back on the couch and saying to myself…well done Darla…I do not need to look for anyone’s approval to feel this way. It is my inner contentment, and love for self that I long to satisfy…and make God happy with what I do of course.
Believe me…I see so many people get caught up in the race of competing with others, comparing to others, wanting to be like others…that they are missing out on their own accomplishments…great or small...why oh why I say…and I further say STOP already. I have got on my soap box a few times about the whole comparison subject and probably will touch on it again and again…it is that important. Life is really too short to live someone else's dream, to try to walk their walk…crap…who really knows what goes on behind the closed doors of anyone’s walk. I mean really…the only walk that is known for sure…is mine and yours…right? I am not going to waste my swagger trying to be someone else, or constantly compare and think I do not match up…heck would never feel ACCOMPLISHED if this were the case. Instead, I will focus my energy on the things I know that I have control over in my life, work on my goals of having a balanced healthy life, and strive for my own feeling of accomplishment.
Sometimes it takes years to understand this…believe me…I have had to walk a journey of life learning just like you. Today as my laundry lies in piles around me, my ARC trainer calls my name for a ride and as I juggle my domestic engineering chores and prepare for my upcoming week…I WILL FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. Feeling accomplished does not have to be some news making event, or something off the charts WOW…it is the small every day things that are done on a daily basis that give me that feeling of accomplishment…my workout, a call to a friend, time with God, laundry, cleaning the house, creating a new recipe, eating clean for the day, got my water intake in for the day…you see…anything goes…it is the things that are done day in and day out on a consistent basis that bring accomplishment and create this life that I call HEALTHY!
IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS
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| My Workout Today with Modifications(NO pushups or dips for Me) |
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding!
Have a Fabulous Week!
Stay Healthy!
Darla:)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals
1. Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean
2. Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers
Friday Q&A: Sleeping on an Airplane
Q: Wait, what is "good sleeping alignment" on an airplane? If I could figure that one out, I'd be golden!
A: Well, I'd be happy to share this with you! I believe I was first introduced to this idea from Washington state based teacher Aadil Palkhivala some years back. And I have taken what I learned from him and maybe modified it a bit. I use this sleeping alignment when I plan on trying to sleep on a plane. Ideally, you should try to get a window seat, so you will be less likely to be disturbed by your neighbors, and make sure to bring along certain props:
Now you are ready to set yourself up. First, scoot your butt as far back into the seat as you can. Tip forward from your hips a bit, then place your lumbar support in the small of your back and lean back into it. Feel free to tinker with it so it feels just right for you. Then put your seat belt on and tighten it snugly across your hips. This is actually important so that you don't slide forward and end up collapsed in the lower back.
Next, make your yoga strap into a loop and place in around your legs, slipping it up to your mid-thighs and tighten it until your thighs are about parallel. This will help to keep your legs aligned and prevent you from dropping your knees to the right or left. If you have any history of developing blood clots, skip the strap part. It is also helpful to have ear plugs (really inexpensive) or noise canceling earphones (not so cheap). If you do, put them in now. Then place your neck support and lean your head back. Finally, if you have a pair of eye shades, put those on last.
You are now set up very evenly in your seat. Ideally, your forearms are both on the armrests (not always possible with neighbors, of course). Once you wake up, you will still want to do some movement to relieve the stiffness of sleeping in a chair, but you may be surprised by the quality of the rest you get with this set up. Happy Flight!
—Baxter
A: Well, I'd be happy to share this with you! I believe I was first introduced to this idea from Washington state based teacher Aadil Palkhivala some years back. And I have taken what I learned from him and maybe modified it a bit. I use this sleeping alignment when I plan on trying to sleep on a plane. Ideally, you should try to get a window seat, so you will be less likely to be disturbed by your neighbors, and make sure to bring along certain props:
- A small support for your lumbar spine, which could simply be a piece of clothing rolled up, that you can place in the small of your back.
- A yoga strap.
- A neck pillow (the horseshoe-shaped ones). I have one that is filled with buckwheat husks, which is great because I can remove or add some to get just the right support for my neck.
- Optionally, eye shades and/or ear plugs.
Now you are ready to set yourself up. First, scoot your butt as far back into the seat as you can. Tip forward from your hips a bit, then place your lumbar support in the small of your back and lean back into it. Feel free to tinker with it so it feels just right for you. Then put your seat belt on and tighten it snugly across your hips. This is actually important so that you don't slide forward and end up collapsed in the lower back.
Next, make your yoga strap into a loop and place in around your legs, slipping it up to your mid-thighs and tighten it until your thighs are about parallel. This will help to keep your legs aligned and prevent you from dropping your knees to the right or left. If you have any history of developing blood clots, skip the strap part. It is also helpful to have ear plugs (really inexpensive) or noise canceling earphones (not so cheap). If you do, put them in now. Then place your neck support and lean your head back. Finally, if you have a pair of eye shades, put those on last.
You are now set up very evenly in your seat. Ideally, your forearms are both on the armrests (not always possible with neighbors, of course). Once you wake up, you will still want to do some movement to relieve the stiffness of sleeping in a chair, but you may be surprised by the quality of the rest you get with this set up. Happy Flight!
—Baxter
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals
1. Bruery 4th Anniversary: 100% Barrel Aged FRUET (Limit 1 per customer)
2. Hanssens Kriek 375ml
3. Prof. Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse
4. Thornbridge Hall Jaipur
5. Maui/Jolly Pumpkin Sobrehumano Palena Red Ale cans
6. Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA
7. Ballast Point Sculpin 6 packs
8. Glazen Toren Saison D'Erpe Mere glassware
9. Gavroche French Red Ale
10. Weihenstephaner Pilsner
cheers,
dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610
Featured Pose: Ankle Circles
by Baxter and Nina
This office yoga pose is a very versatile ankle exercise that enables you to address a typically neglected joint. Many of us have stiff, swollen, or weak ankles, or tend toward ankle sprains. Depending on how you practice this simple pose, you can focus either on loosening and releasing tension from your ankles or increasing the strength of the muscles around your ankles. You could also use this pose to improve circulation in your feet; if your feet tend to fall asleep, this pose may quickly wake them up. And because the seated position for this pose has you cross your ankle over your knee, the pose can help increase mobility in your knees and hips (it's a mild hip opener).
Ankle circles are simple and easy to do, and you can do them almost anywhere you can sit down, at the office, while traveling, while using a computer, or at home on the couch.
Baxter prescribes this for:
• stiff ankles
• weak ankles, including ankle sprains
• swelling in your ankles, legs, or feet
• intermittent numbness in your feet or toes
• tight hips
• antidote for sitting too long, either at a desk or while traveling.
Instructions: Start by removing your shoes (don't worry—if removing your shoes is not possible, you can still do it with your shoes on). Then sit on the front edge of your chair with your knees bent and your legs parallel to each other, and your feet directly underneath your knees and hips-distance apart. As always, follow Baxter’s Prime Directive! Lift from your sitting bones through the crown of your head, to protect your back as you do the pose.
Now bring your right shin bone onto the top of your left leg, just above the knee, so your outer ankle bone is just to the left of your thigh allowing your foot to move freely.
For those with stiffness or swelling in the ankles, try variation 1. Simply make easy circles with your foot, circling six times in one direction and then six times in the opposite direction.
For those with weak ankles, try variation 2. Imagine that your big toe is drawing a circle in space off to your left side. Move slowly and deliberately, as if you’re meeting some resistance, like moving through like warm sand. This will activate the musculature around your ankle joint and can help to build strength for those with ankle weakness or a history of ankle sprain. Do six circles, and then repeat in the opposite direction.
Another option for improving muscle strength (borrowed from the world of physical therapy) is to trace in the air the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. This has a similar effect as variation 2, but because are executing different patterns, you are potentially activating different muscle groups.
When you’re done with your ankle circles, return your right foot to the floor and repeat with your left foot. Take a moment to notice whether your feet and/or ankles feet any different.
Cautions: If you have knee or hip issues and can’t comfortably bring your ankle onto your opposite knee, try a different variation. Place a second another chair in front of you so you can rest your calf on it while your ankle and foot hang off. Then do your ankle circles with your leg supported and straight in front of you. Otherwise, this pose is pretty safe!
More on ankles is coming soon!
Ankle circles are simple and easy to do, and you can do them almost anywhere you can sit down, at the office, while traveling, while using a computer, or at home on the couch.
Baxter prescribes this for:
• stiff ankles
• weak ankles, including ankle sprains
• swelling in your ankles, legs, or feet
• intermittent numbness in your feet or toes
• tight hips
• antidote for sitting too long, either at a desk or while traveling.
Instructions: Start by removing your shoes (don't worry—if removing your shoes is not possible, you can still do it with your shoes on). Then sit on the front edge of your chair with your knees bent and your legs parallel to each other, and your feet directly underneath your knees and hips-distance apart. As always, follow Baxter’s Prime Directive! Lift from your sitting bones through the crown of your head, to protect your back as you do the pose.
Now bring your right shin bone onto the top of your left leg, just above the knee, so your outer ankle bone is just to the left of your thigh allowing your foot to move freely.
Another option for improving muscle strength (borrowed from the world of physical therapy) is to trace in the air the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. This has a similar effect as variation 2, but because are executing different patterns, you are potentially activating different muscle groups.
When you’re done with your ankle circles, return your right foot to the floor and repeat with your left foot. Take a moment to notice whether your feet and/or ankles feet any different.
Cautions: If you have knee or hip issues and can’t comfortably bring your ankle onto your opposite knee, try a different variation. Place a second another chair in front of you so you can rest your calf on it while your ankle and foot hang off. Then do your ankle circles with your leg supported and straight in front of you. Otherwise, this pose is pretty safe!
More on ankles is coming soon!
Beer Cheeses: Frumage Baladin, Chimay and Belgian Kriek Beer Cheese!
Hey all,If your like us you love beer and cheese. Well several producers have made it even easier to get our beer and cheese fix on by combining the two. First we have the tried and true Chimay cheese, which is made by the trappist monks and washed in Chimay beer. They've been making this traditional wash rind cheese since 1876. Next we have a special Belgian kriek beer cheese, which is made from cows milk and washed with kriek beer. The paste is a beautiful mild white cheese with a subtle sweetness and slight hint of cherries. Our newest beer cheese comes from Italy and is called Frumage Baladin. They use raw cows milk, thistle rennet and then wash it in birra baladin. To foster even more of a connection with the base beer they throw some spent mash from a running of baladin inside the cheese, leaving the paste speckled with butterscotch colored flecks of heaven. You want these:
-Chimay Biere Cheese
-Belgian Kriek Beer Cheese
-Frumage Baladin
Cheers!
Nate
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
What if you Can?
Summer Solstice
by Nina
“Life is an ever-rolling wheel
And every day is the right one.” —Mumon Gensen
For us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. I don’t know about you, but I always have mixed feelings on this day. On one hand, the solstice heralds the beginning of summer, and summer in Northern California, with its cool foggy mornings and bright, warm afternoons, its sprawling vegetable gardens and blooming roses, jasmine and herbs, is my favorite season.
But on the other hand, because the solstice is the longest day of the year, I also feel a twinge of regret that soon the days will become shorter and the year will begin to wane.
Shadows from a lingering sun
blur into dusk—
falling cherry petals
—Soko
And as I’m well into the second half of my life, I can’t help but take some time to consider my own mortality as well as that of people close to me. The losses I’ve already experienced. The losses that are certain to come. Then I turn back to my practice and the Bhagavad Gita.
This is true yoga: the unbinding
of the bonds of sorrow. Practice
this yoga with determination
and with a courageous heart.
—Bhagavad Gita, trans. by Stephen Mitchell
“Life is an ever-rolling wheel
And every day is the right one.” —Mumon Gensen
For us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. I don’t know about you, but I always have mixed feelings on this day. On one hand, the solstice heralds the beginning of summer, and summer in Northern California, with its cool foggy mornings and bright, warm afternoons, its sprawling vegetable gardens and blooming roses, jasmine and herbs, is my favorite season.
 |
| White Wisteria by Michele Macartney-Filgate |
Shadows from a lingering sun
blur into dusk—
falling cherry petals
—Soko
And as I’m well into the second half of my life, I can’t help but take some time to consider my own mortality as well as that of people close to me. The losses I’ve already experienced. The losses that are certain to come. Then I turn back to my practice and the Bhagavad Gita.
This is true yoga: the unbinding
of the bonds of sorrow. Practice
this yoga with determination
and with a courageous heart.
—Bhagavad Gita, trans. by Stephen Mitchell
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Neck Muscle Strain and Spasm (Part 2 on Neck Pain)
by Baxter
As promised last time (see A Literal Pain in the Neck), I want to look at a more specific cause of neck pain today and talk about ways to approach it with your yoga practice. And as in “life imitates art,” I was on a red-eye flight last week, and despite my use of the neck pillow and good sleeping alignment, my four-hour plane nap left me with a very stiff and sore neck. In all likelihood, the source of my discomfort was my neck muscles suffering a mild strain from the unnatural immobility I placed them in. Muscle strain and spasm is probably the most common source of neck pain in all ages, young and old. But although it holds the number one spot, the good news is that it is also the one that is most likely to resolve quickly, especially if addressed appropriately. You can bet your bottom dollar I was doing some of the exercises described below the next day!
Now here comes an overarching principle that will likely apply to other causes of neck pain we will cover down the road: when your neck is hurting, avoid putting direct pressure on your skull and neck structures. That is, avoid poses like Shoulderstand, Headstand, Plow pose, Rabbit pose and the like while you are hurting. Especially in the case of muscle-related neck pain, you should be able to return to these poses when your muscles return to working order. I also have a secondary caution for certain standing poses, in which your neck is hanging out in space and your muscles are fighting gravity to keep your head in the requested alignment of the pose. The two examples of basic poses include Triangle and Extended Side Angle poses, which can then be extrapolated to Half Moon, Revolved Half Moon, Revolved Triangle and Revolved Side Angle. To keep your head in the traditional position in these poses you need to work multiple muscle groups in harmony. Even Warrior 3 could be a challenge if the offending muscles are on the back surface of your neck. And in reality, you will need to carefully assess all of your asana that requires significant contraction or stretch of the neck muscles.
So now that you have a few cautions to consider, what can you do when you get a muscle spasm or strain the muscles in your neck? On way to assess and to begin to encourage gentle movement in your neck is to lie down in Constructive Rest position (lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor).
From there, decide if you need a little lift under your neck and head in the form of a folded blanket or if you are comfortable simply resting your head on your yoga mat. Then, as you inhale, gently roll your head toward your right shoulder, and then exhale back to center. Repeat this to your left. I strongly recommend that you roll only a few inches in each direction at first, feeling your way gradually to increase the arc of movement to a point of gentle stretch, but without pain. I’d do at least six rounds of back and forth, and see how that goes. Make sure you are not sliding the back of your head as you do this, as this requires far more muscular contraction than you want for this first exercise.
Another way to influence your neck somewhat indirectly, or maybe less obviously, is to work on arm movements that involve neck muscles. So, from Constructive Rest, inhale your right arm up and overhead to floor behind you, and then exhale your arm back down to your side. Repeat with your left arm. Keep your arm straight, creating an even arc of movement in what is referred to as, in anatomical terms, flexion and extension at the shoulder joint. Do this about six or so rounds. When you finish, pause for a few moments and see how your neck is feeling. If things are quiet, proceed to the next exploration, which combines the two previous exercises.
Still in Constructive Rest position, inhale your left arm up and overhead, and as you do so, gently roll your head to the right shoulder. As you exhale, bring your head and arm back to the starting position. Repeat on the second side, doing a minimum of six rounds. Upon completion, pause and re-assess. If you are doing fine at this juncture, move on to Dynamic Bridge pose, as way of assessing your neck’s ability to safely bring your chin to your chest, or to flex your cervical spine. From Constructive Rest, move your heels about four inches from your hips, with your arms resting at your sides. On an inhalation, lift your hips up just two to three inches off the floor. On your exhalation, lower down. Repeat for six rounds, gradually lifting up a bit higher each round as your neck permits. When dealing with an injury like this, check in with your neck after completing each series of movements before moving on.
To assess and work with the opposite action, extension of your head and neck (the movement you use to look up to the sky), try a low Cobra pose. Flip over onto your belly and rest your forehead or chin on the floor, depending on which action feels better your neck. Place your hands palms down on the floor beneath your shoulders, and as you inhale, gently lift your head, neck and chest up a few inches into low Cobra pose. In this low back bend, try to keep your head and neck in line with the gentle curve of your spine. Exhale and lower down. If that felt ok, on the next time up, let your chin lift up an inch higher, so your neck is taken into gentle extension. Repeat this process, you guessed it, six times, finding the most appropriate amount of extension of your neck and not going past that. Rest and assess before going further.
If all is well, I’d recommend you sit up in a comfortable seated position and follow the Prime Directive, that is, lift from your sitting bones through to crown of head. From here, repeat the gentle rotation movement you did lying down by inhaling as you rotate your head gently to the right and exhaling it back to center. Repeat to the left. Do six rounds. I call these Owl turns, for obvious reasons.
Curious Dog Tips are next. As you inhale, side bend your right ear towards your right shoulder, then exhale back to center. Repeat on your left side. It is helpful to do these in a mirror to make sure you are not adding in any rotation of the neck. Do six rounds and assess. This last movement stretches and contracts the scalene muscle group in the neck, which is a frequent culprit in muscular neck pain.
From here, you can start to explore some of your more basic poses. Two that I like for their gentle tractioning qualities on the neck are Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Downward-Facing Dog. In both cases I would encourage you to let your head dangle towards the floor so gravity can help to passively stretch your neck. If you feel okay in these positions, you might shoot for 90 seconds in order to give your muscles the maximal chance of lengthening.
Simply doing this complete group of explorations as an initial return to yoga for a while is a good way to start the healing process. Folks always want to know how often to do this routine, but this really needs to be individualized. However, having said that, I’d do it every other day for a week and see how you are progressing. I always find the following time periods helpful in assessing the safety and appropriateness of my plan:
• a few hours after the practice
• before bedtime the day of practice
• the next morning
• 24 hours after practice
The less pain at each of these intervals the better! If you are feeling your neck pain diminish, gradually add more poses in, saving the caution group for last. Many of these same exercises will be helpful for other causes of neck pain, but modifications will apply for situations such as arthritis of the neck, which we will take up next we visit neck pain and yoga.
As promised last time (see A Literal Pain in the Neck), I want to look at a more specific cause of neck pain today and talk about ways to approach it with your yoga practice. And as in “life imitates art,” I was on a red-eye flight last week, and despite my use of the neck pillow and good sleeping alignment, my four-hour plane nap left me with a very stiff and sore neck. In all likelihood, the source of my discomfort was my neck muscles suffering a mild strain from the unnatural immobility I placed them in. Muscle strain and spasm is probably the most common source of neck pain in all ages, young and old. But although it holds the number one spot, the good news is that it is also the one that is most likely to resolve quickly, especially if addressed appropriately. You can bet your bottom dollar I was doing some of the exercises described below the next day!
Now here comes an overarching principle that will likely apply to other causes of neck pain we will cover down the road: when your neck is hurting, avoid putting direct pressure on your skull and neck structures. That is, avoid poses like Shoulderstand, Headstand, Plow pose, Rabbit pose and the like while you are hurting. Especially in the case of muscle-related neck pain, you should be able to return to these poses when your muscles return to working order. I also have a secondary caution for certain standing poses, in which your neck is hanging out in space and your muscles are fighting gravity to keep your head in the requested alignment of the pose. The two examples of basic poses include Triangle and Extended Side Angle poses, which can then be extrapolated to Half Moon, Revolved Half Moon, Revolved Triangle and Revolved Side Angle. To keep your head in the traditional position in these poses you need to work multiple muscle groups in harmony. Even Warrior 3 could be a challenge if the offending muscles are on the back surface of your neck. And in reality, you will need to carefully assess all of your asana that requires significant contraction or stretch of the neck muscles.
So now that you have a few cautions to consider, what can you do when you get a muscle spasm or strain the muscles in your neck? On way to assess and to begin to encourage gentle movement in your neck is to lie down in Constructive Rest position (lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor).
Another way to influence your neck somewhat indirectly, or maybe less obviously, is to work on arm movements that involve neck muscles. So, from Constructive Rest, inhale your right arm up and overhead to floor behind you, and then exhale your arm back down to your side. Repeat with your left arm. Keep your arm straight, creating an even arc of movement in what is referred to as, in anatomical terms, flexion and extension at the shoulder joint. Do this about six or so rounds. When you finish, pause for a few moments and see how your neck is feeling. If things are quiet, proceed to the next exploration, which combines the two previous exercises.
Still in Constructive Rest position, inhale your left arm up and overhead, and as you do so, gently roll your head to the right shoulder. As you exhale, bring your head and arm back to the starting position. Repeat on the second side, doing a minimum of six rounds. Upon completion, pause and re-assess. If you are doing fine at this juncture, move on to Dynamic Bridge pose, as way of assessing your neck’s ability to safely bring your chin to your chest, or to flex your cervical spine. From Constructive Rest, move your heels about four inches from your hips, with your arms resting at your sides. On an inhalation, lift your hips up just two to three inches off the floor. On your exhalation, lower down. Repeat for six rounds, gradually lifting up a bit higher each round as your neck permits. When dealing with an injury like this, check in with your neck after completing each series of movements before moving on.
To assess and work with the opposite action, extension of your head and neck (the movement you use to look up to the sky), try a low Cobra pose. Flip over onto your belly and rest your forehead or chin on the floor, depending on which action feels better your neck. Place your hands palms down on the floor beneath your shoulders, and as you inhale, gently lift your head, neck and chest up a few inches into low Cobra pose. In this low back bend, try to keep your head and neck in line with the gentle curve of your spine. Exhale and lower down. If that felt ok, on the next time up, let your chin lift up an inch higher, so your neck is taken into gentle extension. Repeat this process, you guessed it, six times, finding the most appropriate amount of extension of your neck and not going past that. Rest and assess before going further.
If all is well, I’d recommend you sit up in a comfortable seated position and follow the Prime Directive, that is, lift from your sitting bones through to crown of head. From here, repeat the gentle rotation movement you did lying down by inhaling as you rotate your head gently to the right and exhaling it back to center. Repeat to the left. Do six rounds. I call these Owl turns, for obvious reasons.
Curious Dog Tips are next. As you inhale, side bend your right ear towards your right shoulder, then exhale back to center. Repeat on your left side. It is helpful to do these in a mirror to make sure you are not adding in any rotation of the neck. Do six rounds and assess. This last movement stretches and contracts the scalene muscle group in the neck, which is a frequent culprit in muscular neck pain.
From here, you can start to explore some of your more basic poses. Two that I like for their gentle tractioning qualities on the neck are Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Downward-Facing Dog. In both cases I would encourage you to let your head dangle towards the floor so gravity can help to passively stretch your neck. If you feel okay in these positions, you might shoot for 90 seconds in order to give your muscles the maximal chance of lengthening.
Simply doing this complete group of explorations as an initial return to yoga for a while is a good way to start the healing process. Folks always want to know how often to do this routine, but this really needs to be individualized. However, having said that, I’d do it every other day for a week and see how you are progressing. I always find the following time periods helpful in assessing the safety and appropriateness of my plan:
• a few hours after the practice
• before bedtime the day of practice
• the next morning
• 24 hours after practice
The less pain at each of these intervals the better! If you are feeling your neck pain diminish, gradually add more poses in, saving the caution group for last. Many of these same exercises will be helpful for other causes of neck pain, but modifications will apply for situations such as arthritis of the neck, which we will take up next we visit neck pain and yoga.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Way Home: Yoga for Grief
Bonnie Maeda is one of the teachers I trained with when I was in the Advanced Studies program at the Yoga Room in Berkeley, CA, and lately I've been taking a series of classes from her and Shari Ser on yoga therapeutics. I've known for some time that Bonnie was a hospice nurse as well as a yoga teacher, and that one of her specialties was teaching yoga for grief. Intrigued by the compelling possibilities of this aspect of yoga, I asked Bonnie if she would agree to an interview on this topic.
Nina: Why did you decide to start teaching about yoga for grief?
Bonnie: It was a month following 9-11.The entire nation was in a state of shock and grief. My youngest son, Steven, age 29, was murdered. It paralyzed me. I could not move.
At the time I was working as a hospice nurse, and completing The Advanced Studies Program at The Yoga Room. It was purely the love and kindness extended to me and my family that allowed me to put one foot in front of the other. The yoga community surrounded me, and gave me strength. I was determined and committed to complete the program by June of 2002, although I didn't know how. I kept practicing.
In the midst of my early grief, I did graduate in June. That same year my dear friend and yoga mentor died of metastatic breast cancer. I kept practicing. But it was only 3-4years later, as I began to feel the healing process from multiple losses and devastating grief, that I began to understand how yoga had influenced the way home to my body and self.
I believe grief needs to be felt fully, and the process of grief given as much time as it needs. It then began to create a workshop to share my yoga experience of grief and loss called "Moving through Grief."
Nina: Bonnie, all I can say is thank you so much for sharing your story with me, and our readers. Can you tell us more about how yoga can help with moving through grief?
Bonnie:The practice of yoga is a practice of remaining present with what is. I wanted and needed to be present with my grief without allowing it to consume me. This was not always possible, but I do believe yoga gave me a sense of balance in this area as well.
Also, there are some common physical manifestations of grief such as fatigue, a sense of heaviness, anxiety, and lack of motivation, which I believe the practice of yoga can support and even improve. I believe each of our emotions have an energy that presides in the body. Yoga, with its movement and focus on the mind -body connection, can support an individual's experience of their personal grief response.
Nina: What are some of your favorite poses and/or practices for moving through grief?
Bonnie: My favorite poses vary depending on where the student is in their grieving process. This is not necessarily a chronological time. It is more how they are processing their emotions, and the physical manifestations at the time. But in general what I have found to be beneficial working with students are the poses that soothe the nervous system. Forward bends, such as Parsvottanasana to a chair or blocks, seated forward bends, and supported Shoulderstand. I also link two or three standing poses together in a flow-like sequence to create a rhythm for the body and the breath.
Breathing awareness is an important aspect of moving through grief. Bringing attention to the breath encourages the life force of prana to be felt. But I do not teach any prayanama for this class, as I am cautious in this area.
Nina: Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?
Bonnie: I'd like to share my Ardha Chandrasana story. It was four or five years after Steve's death. I was at a yoga retreat, and we were practicing Ardha Chandrasana. My balancing poses had continued to be a challenge for me. My teacher was talking about the strength of the standing leg, and I felt a shift in my whole being. I began to open my body and my heart, prana was flowing throughout. I knew then as I know now, life was forever changed, and I was learning how to manage my grief. I will keep practicing.
Nina: Thank you so much, Bonnie, for being so open, direct, and heartfelt. This whole whole interview is very powerful and inspiring, and I hope we'll be able to talk more about this, and other topics, in the future.
Bonnie Maeda, RN, is a trained Iyengar-style yoga teacher. She graduated from The Advanced Studies Program of The Yoga Room in 2001. Her approach is gentle yoga for health and healing as well as restorative yoga to promote relaxation and to manage stress. She believes in the benefits of yoga for every age, body type, and ability. See http://yogaroomberkeley.com/site/ for information about the classes Bonnie teaches at The Yoga Room in Berkeley, California.
Nina: Why did you decide to start teaching about yoga for grief?
Bonnie: It was a month following 9-11.The entire nation was in a state of shock and grief. My youngest son, Steven, age 29, was murdered. It paralyzed me. I could not move.
At the time I was working as a hospice nurse, and completing The Advanced Studies Program at The Yoga Room. It was purely the love and kindness extended to me and my family that allowed me to put one foot in front of the other. The yoga community surrounded me, and gave me strength. I was determined and committed to complete the program by June of 2002, although I didn't know how. I kept practicing.
In the midst of my early grief, I did graduate in June. That same year my dear friend and yoga mentor died of metastatic breast cancer. I kept practicing. But it was only 3-4years later, as I began to feel the healing process from multiple losses and devastating grief, that I began to understand how yoga had influenced the way home to my body and self.
I believe grief needs to be felt fully, and the process of grief given as much time as it needs. It then began to create a workshop to share my yoga experience of grief and loss called "Moving through Grief."
 |
| View of Jade Green Pond by Nina Zolotow |
Bonnie:The practice of yoga is a practice of remaining present with what is. I wanted and needed to be present with my grief without allowing it to consume me. This was not always possible, but I do believe yoga gave me a sense of balance in this area as well.
Also, there are some common physical manifestations of grief such as fatigue, a sense of heaviness, anxiety, and lack of motivation, which I believe the practice of yoga can support and even improve. I believe each of our emotions have an energy that presides in the body. Yoga, with its movement and focus on the mind -body connection, can support an individual's experience of their personal grief response.
Nina: What are some of your favorite poses and/or practices for moving through grief?
Bonnie: My favorite poses vary depending on where the student is in their grieving process. This is not necessarily a chronological time. It is more how they are processing their emotions, and the physical manifestations at the time. But in general what I have found to be beneficial working with students are the poses that soothe the nervous system. Forward bends, such as Parsvottanasana to a chair or blocks, seated forward bends, and supported Shoulderstand. I also link two or three standing poses together in a flow-like sequence to create a rhythm for the body and the breath.
Breathing awareness is an important aspect of moving through grief. Bringing attention to the breath encourages the life force of prana to be felt. But I do not teach any prayanama for this class, as I am cautious in this area.
Nina: Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?
Bonnie: I'd like to share my Ardha Chandrasana story. It was four or five years after Steve's death. I was at a yoga retreat, and we were practicing Ardha Chandrasana. My balancing poses had continued to be a challenge for me. My teacher was talking about the strength of the standing leg, and I felt a shift in my whole being. I began to open my body and my heart, prana was flowing throughout. I knew then as I know now, life was forever changed, and I was learning how to manage my grief. I will keep practicing.
Nina: Thank you so much, Bonnie, for being so open, direct, and heartfelt. This whole whole interview is very powerful and inspiring, and I hope we'll be able to talk more about this, and other topics, in the future.
Bonnie Maeda, RN, is a trained Iyengar-style yoga teacher. She graduated from The Advanced Studies Program of The Yoga Room in 2001. Her approach is gentle yoga for health and healing as well as restorative yoga to promote relaxation and to manage stress. She believes in the benefits of yoga for every age, body type, and ability. See http://yogaroomberkeley.com/site/ for information about the classes Bonnie teaches at The Yoga Room in Berkeley, California.
The lowest-mortality BMI: What is its relationship with fat-free mass?
Do overweight folks live longer? It is not uncommon to see graphs like the one below, from the Med Journal Watch blog (), suggesting that, at least as far as body mass index (BMI) is concerned (), overweight folks (25 < BMI < 30) seem to live longer. The graph shows BMI measured at a certain age, and risk of death within a certain time period (e.g., 20 years) following the measurement. The lowest-mortality BMI is about 26, which is in the overweight area of the BMI chart.
Note that relative age-adjusted mortality risk (i.e., relative to the mortality risk of people in the same age group), increases less steeply in response to weight variations as one becomes older. An older person increases the risk of dying to a lesser extent by weighing more or less than does a younger person. This seems to be particularly true for weight gain (as opposed to weight loss).
The table below is from a widely cited 2002 article by Allison and colleagues (), where they describe a study of 10,169 males aged 25-75. Almost all of the participants, ninety-eight percent, were followed up for many years after measurement; a total of 3,722 deaths were recorded.
Take a look at the two numbers circled in red. The one on the left is the lowest-mortality BMI not adjusting for fat mass or fat-free mass: a reasonably high 27.4. The one on the right is the lowest-mortality BMI adjusting for fat mass and fat-free mass: a much lower 21.6.
I know this may sound confusing, but due to possible statistical distortions this does not mean that you should try to bring your BMI to 21.6 if you want to reduce your risk of dying. What this means is that fat mass and fat-free mass matter. Moreover, all of the participants in this study were men. The authors concluded that: “…marked leanness (as opposed to thinness) has beneficial effects.”
Then we have an interesting 2003 article by Bigaard and colleagues () reporting on a study of 27,178 men and 29,875 women born in Denmark, 50 to 64 years of age. The table below summarizes deaths in this study, grouping them by BMI and waist circumference.
These are raw numbers; no complex statistics here. Circled in green is the area with samples that appear to be large enough to avoid “funny” results. Circled in red are the lowest-mortality percentages; I left out the 0.8 percentage because it is based on a very small sample.
As you can see, they refer to men and women with BMIs in the 25-29.9 range (overweight), but with waist circumferences in the lower-middle range: 90-96 cm for men and 74-82 cm for women; or approximately 35-38 inches for men and 29-32 inches for women.
Women with BMIs in the 18.5-24.9 range (normal) and the same or lower waists also died in small numbers. Underweight men and women had the highest mortality percentages.
A relatively small waist (not a wasp waist), together with a normal or high BMI, is an indication of more fat-free mass, which is retained together with some body fat. It is also an indication of less visceral body fat accumulation.
Note that relative age-adjusted mortality risk (i.e., relative to the mortality risk of people in the same age group), increases less steeply in response to weight variations as one becomes older. An older person increases the risk of dying to a lesser extent by weighing more or less than does a younger person. This seems to be particularly true for weight gain (as opposed to weight loss).
The table below is from a widely cited 2002 article by Allison and colleagues (), where they describe a study of 10,169 males aged 25-75. Almost all of the participants, ninety-eight percent, were followed up for many years after measurement; a total of 3,722 deaths were recorded.
Take a look at the two numbers circled in red. The one on the left is the lowest-mortality BMI not adjusting for fat mass or fat-free mass: a reasonably high 27.4. The one on the right is the lowest-mortality BMI adjusting for fat mass and fat-free mass: a much lower 21.6.
I know this may sound confusing, but due to possible statistical distortions this does not mean that you should try to bring your BMI to 21.6 if you want to reduce your risk of dying. What this means is that fat mass and fat-free mass matter. Moreover, all of the participants in this study were men. The authors concluded that: “…marked leanness (as opposed to thinness) has beneficial effects.”
Then we have an interesting 2003 article by Bigaard and colleagues () reporting on a study of 27,178 men and 29,875 women born in Denmark, 50 to 64 years of age. The table below summarizes deaths in this study, grouping them by BMI and waist circumference.
These are raw numbers; no complex statistics here. Circled in green is the area with samples that appear to be large enough to avoid “funny” results. Circled in red are the lowest-mortality percentages; I left out the 0.8 percentage because it is based on a very small sample.
As you can see, they refer to men and women with BMIs in the 25-29.9 range (overweight), but with waist circumferences in the lower-middle range: 90-96 cm for men and 74-82 cm for women; or approximately 35-38 inches for men and 29-32 inches for women.
Women with BMIs in the 18.5-24.9 range (normal) and the same or lower waists also died in small numbers. Underweight men and women had the highest mortality percentages.
A relatively small waist (not a wasp waist), together with a normal or high BMI, is an indication of more fat-free mass, which is retained together with some body fat. It is also an indication of less visceral body fat accumulation.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals
1. Allagash Victor (Belgian ale w/red wine grapes)2. Allagash Victoria (Belgian ale w/white wine grapes)
Friday Q&A: Ganglion Cysts
A: Dear Ganglion Cyst,
Thanks for writing in about this. I, too, have had a cyst in my wrist area many years ago that was of the ganglion cyst variety. These cysts are considered benign, and may grow up out of the tendons of the wrist and hand bones. Scientists still do not know what causes them, so prevention is not an issue. But dealing with them once they arise is an issue, especially if they interfere with your regular activities.
First off, I'd recommend that you confirm your diagnosis of this common and benign form of a mass that can appear on and around the hands and wrists. A trip to your family MD should do the trick, with the caveat that they may recommend an ultrasound or drawing a bit of fluid from the mass to confirm that it is indeed fluid filled.
Once you have a confirmed diagnosis, it is important to decide if modifying your practice is needed. The main reason to do so is if the cyst is causing you pain, especially in the poses you mentioned. If it is, you may be able to avoid those aggravating poses until the cyst gets smaller. Over half of all ganglion cysts will resolve on their own without specific treatment. So we are talking about any pose that bears weight on the hands and wrist joint and takes the wrist into full extension. As noted, plus a few more, such as, Plank, Chaturanga, Upward-Facing Dog, Handstand, and most other arm balances done on the hands could all make things worse before they get better.
Avoid the old folk remedy of smashing the cyst with a bible or any other large book for that matter. This has not been shown to beneficial and the cyst can return and be harder to treat if treatment is ultimately necessary. If you want more information on the western medical approach to ganglion cysts, check out this website: emedicinehealth.com. And let us know how things unfold for you and your cyst.
Namaste,
Baxter
A: Since your pain symptoms could be worsened by excessive pressure on the wrists, you should modify the poses that cause pressure. The way to think about pose modification is to look at your wrist and if your wrist "folds" are visible, then there is pressure on the wrist itself. I might use a chair for Dog pose or do Dog pose with the forearms on the floor (or chair) . The same modification can be used to do Plank pose. Shoulderstand would also have to be modified. Doing the chair version of Shoulderstand, which is less active, would keep the wrists from being vulnerable and keep them in a neutral position. Standing poses, forward bends and twists don't need modifications. But as long as the cysts are present, I would avoid active Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow pose) and other backbends where you use your hands to support yourself and wait till they reabsorb. Passive backbends would still be possible. —Shari
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals
Just got a few great beers from New Zealand's own MOA brewery!
1. Blanc Evolution (375ml/$5.99)
2.Breakfast Lager (375ml/$5.99)
3.Five Hop Ale (375ml/$5.99)
4.St. Joseph's Belgian Triple (375ml/$5.99)
5.Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (375ml/$5.99)
6.Moa Noir Dark Lager (750ml/$9.99)
7. Fish Tale 10 Squared Barley Wine (22oz/$9.99)
8. Lakefront Fixed Gear 6-packs ($9.99)
cheers,
dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610
A Pathway in the Mind
by Nina
Yesterday Timothy posted the following quote from Thoreau on his Facebook page (you can find him there at Dr. Timothy McCall Yoga), and it got me thinking:
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. —Henry David Thoreau
This reminded me so much of the post I wrote about samskaras (see Meditation and Brain Strength). And I wasn’t at all surprised to see a quote from Thoreau that echoed yoga philosophy. After all, Thoreau read The Bhagavad Gita and other yoga scriptures, and even wrote that he considered himself “a yogi."
Free in this world as the birds in the air, disengaged from every kind of chains, those who practice the yoga gather in Brahma the certain fruit of their works. … Depend upon it that, rude and careless as I am, I would fain practice the yoga faithfully. … The yogi, absorbed in Contemplation, contributes in his degree to creation; he breathes a divine perfume, he hears wonderful things. Divine forms traverse him without tearing him, and, united to the nature which is proper to him, he goes, he acts as animating Original matter. … To some extent, and at rare intervals, even I am a yogi.
That being said, I had, a first, a mixed reaction to this quote. I tend to get a bit put off when I hear phrases like “we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” As a creative writer, I think it’s important not to censor your thoughts and to allow yourself to think about anything and everything. And I tend to rebel at being told to be more positive. But then, just a few hours later, I realized that in some ways I had already been putting Thoreau’s advice into practice for a number of years.
As a person who used to react to stressful situations with anxiety, I have found it very helpful to repeatedly remind myself of this quote (and this translation) from the Bhagavad Gita:
You have a right to your actions,
but never to your actions’ fruits.
Act for the action’s sake.
And do not be attached to inaction.
Self-possessed, resolute, act
without any thought of results,
open to success or failure.
This equanimity is yoga.
—trans. by Stephen Mitchell
So while I haven’t been censoring my thoughts per se, when I notice myself starting to get stressed out about something, I have been developing the habit of turning my thoughts toward a more helpful way of viewing my life. I thought of this cultivating this habit more as using a new muscle that gets stronger and stronger with each repetition, not as creating a deep mental path or a samskara, but my little epiphany yesterday was: of course! It’s all the same thing.
This is why I think that yoga philosophy, which is indeed is intended to “quiet the mind,” can be as helpful for reducing stress as all the inverted poses and conscious relaxation practices that I also recommend. What do you think? Is there a piece of yoga philosophy that you find yourself turning toward over and over?
Yesterday Timothy posted the following quote from Thoreau on his Facebook page (you can find him there at Dr. Timothy McCall Yoga), and it got me thinking:
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. —Henry David Thoreau
This reminded me so much of the post I wrote about samskaras (see Meditation and Brain Strength). And I wasn’t at all surprised to see a quote from Thoreau that echoed yoga philosophy. After all, Thoreau read The Bhagavad Gita and other yoga scriptures, and even wrote that he considered himself “a yogi."
Free in this world as the birds in the air, disengaged from every kind of chains, those who practice the yoga gather in Brahma the certain fruit of their works. … Depend upon it that, rude and careless as I am, I would fain practice the yoga faithfully. … The yogi, absorbed in Contemplation, contributes in his degree to creation; he breathes a divine perfume, he hears wonderful things. Divine forms traverse him without tearing him, and, united to the nature which is proper to him, he goes, he acts as animating Original matter. … To some extent, and at rare intervals, even I am a yogi.
That being said, I had, a first, a mixed reaction to this quote. I tend to get a bit put off when I hear phrases like “we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” As a creative writer, I think it’s important not to censor your thoughts and to allow yourself to think about anything and everything. And I tend to rebel at being told to be more positive. But then, just a few hours later, I realized that in some ways I had already been putting Thoreau’s advice into practice for a number of years.
 |
| Between Two Rocks by Nina Zolotow |
You have a right to your actions,
but never to your actions’ fruits.
Act for the action’s sake.
And do not be attached to inaction.
Self-possessed, resolute, act
without any thought of results,
open to success or failure.
This equanimity is yoga.
—trans. by Stephen Mitchell
So while I haven’t been censoring my thoughts per se, when I notice myself starting to get stressed out about something, I have been developing the habit of turning my thoughts toward a more helpful way of viewing my life. I thought of this cultivating this habit more as using a new muscle that gets stronger and stronger with each repetition, not as creating a deep mental path or a samskara, but my little epiphany yesterday was: of course! It’s all the same thing.
This is why I think that yoga philosophy, which is indeed is intended to “quiet the mind,” can be as helpful for reducing stress as all the inverted poses and conscious relaxation practices that I also recommend. What do you think? Is there a piece of yoga philosophy that you find yourself turning toward over and over?
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals
1. Stone Ruination 10th Anniversary (Limited Edition Dry-Hopped 10.8%ABV version)
2. New batch of Drake's Denogginizer
3. Gordon Biersch Imperial Pilsner
4. Gordon Biersch 6 packs on sale! (Hefe, Pilsner and Summer Kolsch all $6.99 each)
5. Omission Pale Ale (Gluten Free)
6. Bison Chocolate Stout
7. Gaffel Kolsch
8. Monk's Cafe Sour Ale
cheers,
dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610
2. New batch of Drake's Denogginizer
3. Gordon Biersch Imperial Pilsner
4. Gordon Biersch 6 packs on sale! (Hefe, Pilsner and Summer Kolsch all $6.99 each)
5. Omission Pale Ale (Gluten Free)
6. Bison Chocolate Stout
7. Gaffel Kolsch
8. Monk's Cafe Sour Ale
cheers,
dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610
RECOVERY AND ME
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| Celebrating 48!!!! |
MAN have I noticed a few things over this past year and as I near 50…front and center …I NEED MY RECOVERY TIME…and I better listen to what my body is telling me or … low energy, burn out, unmotivated…and all the things that fatigue can bring me…YUCK. YES, I have taken care of myself and try to be the BEST me every day…does that mean over-the-top grueling workouts…OH NO…no more for this girl. I do not need to be that intense athlete of my teens, 20-30s anymore…and I really do not want to. It is has developed muscle for me which is YAHOO good, but also some wear and tear…not so good.
I create programs that are intense but do not push beyond my limits…nope…not for this fitness girl. I mean…Why? ...What is the purpose…the point…really…do I need to lift enormous amounts of weight to put extreme pressure on my spine, joints, tissues, and grunt until I pop a hemorrhoid…YIKES… do I need to prove something to someone…NO, NO and NO. It is not my goal to further injure myself, or put myself at risk of re-injury. My goal is to take care of my body, nourish it with healthy foods, and REST when my body says…for goodness sakes Darla…lay the hell down already.
I must admit, sometimes, I do not listen to this voice and I pay the price. I will attempt a workout and my body just says…NOT HAPPENING GIRL! Ughhh…then I think about the demands I have placed on it over the past few days, coupled with a few days of not getting enough sleep and I clearly understand what my body needs. The point is, I can no longer ignore and push through these moments…I NEED to listen.
I understand that my physiological self is much younger than my age due to my healthy lifestyle, but what is fact… Darla on the cellular level is indeed 48…I am having all the hormonal and cellular changes that go with being 48...this part can suck…can’t change it…it is a fact. I also realize that I do not have to work out every single day, but NEED those recovery days here and there to ensure my body is able to respond and build in a healthy way. So am I saying that growing older is not a good thing…NO…it is a great honor, gift, and privilege every single moment of every day. What I am saying is that I need to modify how I treat my body and allow for more TLC during this fabulous stage of my life…it is a transition of my body which is a part of my life’s journey.
I will be human and say…YUCK…sometimes, especially on the hormonal changes…and I can go on and on about this one. I will also say that WOW…what kind of brick hit this house today…meaning my body definitely will scream for a day off. This is sometimes hard to accept… I will be truthful, but on the other hand, if I do not listen…I will feel like dog doo…so life is truly a balance of recovery, fitness, nutrition, spiritual being…and more RECOVERY. What works for me at this stage is paying close attention on my intake, and not working so hard on the output…I have fabulous workouts don’t get me wrong, but I am not in there trying to burn off calories of OMG…what did I do yesterday with my food intake. I cater my workouts on the energy level of that day… if I feel like a HIIT workout I do that, cardio and core on a Darla feels slow day…I do that, or back to the basics weight circuit that is controlled and methodical achieving a good burn on a day that says to take it easy with the plyometrics…that gets done.
So, I do not believe in abusing my body through a workout…never again…maybe a part of my past…but definitely not in my present or future. And although it has been difficult to accept that I need more recovery, I also have embraced that I NEED more recovery…my thinking about it has changed in a positive way…I do not have a guilt trip because I am not hitting the gym when my body says rest, and knowing that the rest is rebuilding ME to be my BEST recovered me…FABULOUS! The absolute best part…I feel so much stronger when I do my next workout and love coming back feeling better and stronger. When I look at RECOVERY like that, it is the healthiest gift I can give myself…so today…I RECOVER!
TIME FOR IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS
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| LOVE MY RECOVERY!!! |
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| Definitely on STRONG Darla day with modification |
Check out this fabulous In Your Face MOTIVATION to eat healthy!
I dedicate this Blog to my fabulous daughter Hope who celebrates her 21st Birthday tomorrow!!! Happy Birthday and I am so very proud of you Babe! xoxo Mom
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| Mom and Daughter LOVE |
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and look forward to responding!
Have a Fabulous Week!
Stay Healthy!
Darla:)
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