To stay focused on maintaining lean muscle, my diet can sometimes be kind of boring. I typically eat the same thing for breakfast for weeks at a time before changing it up. My typical breakfast would be oatmeal, protein pancakes, or maybe toast and peanut butter and ALWAYS with coffee.
I changed up my bowl of oatmeal (with cinnamon, raisins, and sliced almonds) in favor of an oatmeal muffin. This is especially good for grabbing on the go on busy mornings. I found a recipe on Sugar Free Mom that is really good. You may have seen this image of hers floating around on Pinterest.
After following her recipe, I tweaked it the second time, halving it (which still yielded 12 muffins) and adding protein powder and MILA (chia seeds- which I'll tell you more about this week). I also made mine with dark chocolate chips and walnuts this time.
The chocolate bits are my favorite.
And I definitely recommend adding the walnuts- they add a great crunch.
Ingredients (Yields 12 muffins) *Adapted from Sugar Free Mom
1 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats
1/3 MILA (chia seeds) *optional
1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
I combined the banana and wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, stirring both well. Then I combined the two and using an ice cream scoop, scooped the mix into the muffin pan. Spray your muffin pan with cooking spray first!
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. I eat two in the morning for breakfast.
I received an email just the other day from a colleague in Colorado who was about to meet with a new private yoga client and was looking for some guidance. The woman coming in had apparently been diagnosed with hip dysplasia around the time of delivering a baby. Even without any more information than that, I could guess that the affected hip is the left one, as statistics for this unique hip condition bear that out. And it is eight times more likely to show up in women than men.
Usually, this is a condition that is diagnosed around the time of birth in babies. When I was involved in my family practice, I’d go in the morning after a baby was delivered to our practice and one of the routine examination techniques was to check the hips of the newborn for a clunking shift in one or both hips when performing a certain movement of the femur bones. From there, if the test was positive, follow up ultrasound or X-rays was done to confirm the diagnosis. The screening done around birth, however, is not perfect, especially when the hip changes are small and that is why the student in question was not diagnosed until adulthood.
Femur Bone
The term “dysplasia” refers to abnormal development of the place where the femur bone (thigh bone) meets the pelvis bone. It can be either the head of the femur bone or, more commonly, the acetabulum (the rounded, concave receptive part of the pelvic bone) that does not develop normally. This abnormal development leads to an increased chance for the hip joint to mildly or more dramatically shift or even dislocate. This can lead in turn to abnormal walking, limping, shifts in the pelvic alignment and other undesirable changes, including pain. When caught in infancy, there are treatments that can help stabilize or treat the condition to increase the chances of more normal development of the joint as the child ages. Untreated milder forms of hip dysplasia can lead to early development of arthritis in the hip joint. And the opposite hip, if unaffected initially, can start to have it’s own problems as it has to pick up the slack for the misaligned dysplastic joint.
According to one source, all treatment aims to delay the onset of arthritis, but no treatment is fully successful in avoiding it. But despite this seemingly dire prediction, it is worth working via yoga or physical therapy to preserve or improve function of the hip. I’d always recommend checking in with the student’s orthopedic doctor and/or their physical therapist to get a sense of the degree of change in the joint, and any precautions they recommend. Since subluxation (shifting of the bones out of normal alignment) and dislocation are possibilities, using caution when doing deeper internal and external rotation, and deep forward bending of the joint would be wise. The approach I’d take would be to work on strengthening and stabilizing the hip area via both weight-bearing standing poses (such as Mountain Pose, Triangle pose, Warrior 1 and 2 poses, and Extended Side Angle pose, with appropriate modifications and/or propping) and non-weight-bearing poses (such as Reclined Leg Stretch and our Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretches).
Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretch Position 2
If there is already some arthritis and pain, I’d treat this situation like any arthritis condition, recommending initially practicing more non-weight-bearing asana variations, including reclining on the floor or using a chair for the standing poses, and progressing to weight-bearing if pain has diminished and strength is improving. Also, remember that preserving range of motion of the joint is important, so taking the joint through all of it’s movement possibilities, keeping the above cautions in mind, will also help keep the joint healthier over time. I will be curious to see how things progress with my colleague’s work. Maybe we’ll get a report back down the road that I can share with you!
I recently wrote about the responsibility that a yoga teacher has (or should have) to respect his or her students (see When to Fire Your Yoga Teacher). But like every relationship, the teacher-student relationship is one that goes both ways. All of us here at Yoga for Healthy Aging are both yoga teachers and yoga students. No matter how much or for how long we’ve taught, we also still take public classes from valued teachers we highly respect. So we have a pretty good idea of how to conduct ourselves on both sides of the equation. And, frankly, I’ve recently heard some disturbing stories about student behavior, including a student who seriously injured himself after ignoring his teacher’s warnings. So I decided it was time to write a little something about how to be a yoga student.
After giving it some thought (and talking with one of my teacher friends), I’ve come up with the following guidelines. If you have some suggestions for guidelines you think I’ve overlooked, please comment on this post or send me an email, and I’ll update the list in a future post
Tell your teacher before class about any injuries, medical problems, or other issues that might affect your performance during class. See What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know for details about what kind of info your teacher needs to keep you safe.
Make an effort to show up on time to class. All your yoga classes are planned with appropriate warm-up or opening poses, and missing the beginning of class can affect your ability to do the rest of the sequence. Besides, it’s just good manners!
Pay attention to your teacher’s instructions. We all have wandering minds—the kids, the job, your date tonight, the phone call from your mom yesterday, dinner-ooh-yes—but concentrating as best as possible on being present in your class will not only help you stay safe (which is a priority for your teacher), but you’ll also learn more. In addition, staying present will make your yoga session more effective at reducing stress levels as you get a break from your everyday worries.
If your teacher asks you not to do something because he or she is concerned for your safety, don’t do it, even if you feel confident that it won’t be a problem for you. Just. Don’t. Do. It. Okay? Your teacher may be wrong, but he or she is trying to look out for everyone in the class.
If your teacher asks you to do something that you don’t usually do and don’t particularly want to do—use a particular prop, change your alignment, try a new pose, and so on—go ahead and try it, just this time. You might learn something new, and you can do whatever you want later in your home practice. The only exception to this is if you feel your teacher is asking something that will put you at risk for injury or other harm, or something that you are absolutely too frightened to try. In this case, briefly explain why you can’t do it, and ask for an alternative.
Don’t flirt with your teacher, ask your teacher on a date, or make inappropriate personal remarks (you know what I mean). Good yoga teachers don’t have romantic relationships with their students, and overstepping the boundaries they are trying to maintain only makes them—and other people in the class—uncomfortable. (I hate to have to bring this up, but, really, I’ve heard some disconcerting things over the years....)
After class, give your teacher occasional feedback about what you found helpful, what you found confusing, or what didn’t work for you (very politely, of course!). All of us teachers want to continue to learn and, hopefully, improve, and getting occasional feedback is very valuable. So don’t be shy!
Checking in on my goals from last week and then some random thoughts
My goals were:
exercise consistently- I exercised HARD 4 days and then one day was a little lighter with just lots of moving around so while it wasn't hard 5 days I did get my five days in.
drink more water- water only 3 out of 7 days- I can check this one off.
to get to bed before 10:30 on work nights. I did this also!
drink more water- water only 4 out of 7 days (upping this by one)
make more healthy eating habits (this is going to be a variety- more fruits and veggies, less sugar and fried foods, etc) for 5 out of 7 days (I usually do okay with this but I NEED to cut down on the sugar part of it!
I found this website yesterday (someone else linked me up to it with their Boston fund shirt) and in the process found the following shirt. Seeing as this has been my "mantra" all year and throughout this journey I think I might have to get this shirt as I come up on the year "anniversary" of my journey:
Life has taken me on lots of twists and turns and I have taken the hard road at times but through it all God has been there so I am trying to figure out He wants me to use this journey. I know that He has provided for my dream to happen but what is there beyond that- so I would love to ask you to join me in praying that things become clear and that He shows me exactly what He wants me to do.
All my life I was a JIF peanut butter girl. I bought the low-fat kind and ate it by the jarful. I love peanut butter on almost everything- apples, celery, PB&J, chocolate, even on my pancakes.
A couple years ago, in an effort to eat less processed food, I switched to all natural peanut butter. I've tried all kinds of brands and even almond butter and keep coming back to my all-time favorite, Laura Scudders, because it tastes so good. You do have to stir it some, but oil separation is normal in all-natural peanut butter. I'm currently loving the nutty one, but they also make it in smooth. I can find it at my local grocery store.
So good on protein pancakes! I recently tweaked that recipe- I now add a little milk to the batter too- it makes them less dense.
Are you eating all-natural peanut butter? What brand do you like?
Saturday was the first "organized" run since the half marathon and my first 5K since Butterflies for Hope at the end of May. I had been keeping an eye on the weather throughout the week because they were calling for an 75% chance of rain this morning at race time. It rained through the night but thankfully there was no rain falling for the 8 a.m. start time. The race was an annual race as part of the Dogwood Arts Festival that takes place every spring here in Knoxville. This particular route took us on a route that I am familiar with- it's one that I ran many times while prepping for the half marathon and where I have been doing some of my running since then.
I ran this route on Monday afternoon in preparation and did the full course in right at 35 minutes. My recent 5K times have been running anywhere from 35-36 in actual runs and my practice/training runs have been about 37-38. So, having that practice at 35 was a good thing since I actually do better in actual races.
The gun goes off and we head out- all 450 runners. I will admit that I walked about a total of a minute as I drank some water through the course. It was a good course- inclines but not too bad, beautiful views of the river and the dogwoods (although I was thankful for the rain/dampness because it helped ease the sneezing a lot). I hit the three mile mark and my friend was standing there- she yelled out that I could see the finish and I needed to sprint to the end. I just glared at her but then gave it all I had and pushed through. My phone's gps had the time at 34:18 and I knew I had started it right when the gun had gone off- but until the official results were posted I didn't know if I had met my goal of 34:00. My previous PR had been 34:00 even back in December. Then I had ITB issues and slowed down. Since a little before the half my issues have eased up so have tried picking up the pace a little bit. When the official results were posted I was so excited! I did it! I hit 33:54 so I cut 6 seconds off of my time- not a huge amount but I was happy with it! A friend on FB posted the following and it says it perfectly!
ETA: Just found out that my previous PR was 33:39 which means I did not PR this one- I apparently had looked only at gun time and not chip time. Bummer :(
Both our Castro and Clement locations have limited quantities of the Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa. Limit 1 per customer. They will go fast, but we will probably get more next week.
Q: I am a yoga practitioner and a teacher of active classes, and have been for 20 years. I am 64. Four years ago, I had a pacemaker put in to correct sick sinus syndrome, which is to say I began randomly fainting because my heart hesitated too long between beats - for no identifiable reason. All other aspects of my heart health and general health are excellent. I returned to my asana practice slowly as I learned to keep space between the collarbone and first rib where the wire is inserted in the subclavanian artery so as not to damage or wear it out prematurely. Having been certified in Anusara, I exaggerated the action of 'shoulder loop', keeping my side body long and my inner body bright. I have not found any other practitioners or therapists, nor have I found any teacher or doctor other than Dr. Carrie Demers who would even address this. Dr. Deemers suggested nadi sodana and agni sara as ways to vitalize the first chakra energy and therefore increase energy upward.
Does anyone on your team have insight or suggestions? I can't be the only yogi with a pacemaker, can I? My aim is to lessen the amount of times my body turns to this back-up device and to put off the eventual need for replacement of the battery and/or wires - which has to be down for everyone sooner or later.
A: This is an intriguing question. To date, there are no specific studies looking at sick sinus syndrome and yoga to help guide us. And none of our staff are cardiac medical specialists, so we are not able to give the kind of specific, scientifically grounded advice our reader may be seeking. The steps the writer has already taken to keep space between the collar bone and first rib appear to be anatomically sound and may indeed lead to keeping the pacemaker in working order longer than poor postural habits might do. General attention to Mountain pose and other upright poses that encourage a broad, open upper chest region could help this work with the Anusara chest loop.
Because the sick sinus syndrome is not very common, I have included a brief definition found on the Mayo Clinic website:
“Sick sinus syndrome is the name for a group of heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) in which the sinus node — the heart's natural pacemaker — doesn't work properly.”
See the Mayo website here for further information.
The result of a natural pacemaker that does not work properly can be a slower heart rate, a faster heart rate, long pauses in heart rhythm, or a combination of these variations. Once the condition is treated and artificial pacemaker is put in place, these variations become less dangerous.
Although I could not find specifics on the effects of stress for sick sinus syndrome, stress can definitely have a negative effect on general heart health. Yoga has been found to be helpful with other heart conditions, even though sick sinus syndrome has not been yet studied. And because yoga techniques can help lower stress responses in regular practitioners, simply doing a balanced practice several times a day, if approved by your cardiologist, could be of overall help for your heart health. In addition, practices that are deeply relaxing for the body and mind, such as restorative practice and guided meditations like yoga nidra would also be helpful.
Caution should be practiced with pranayama techniques in which the breath is held at the beginning or end of an inhale or exhale, as these could either stimulate the heart rate to drop too low or surge too high. In particular, if one takes a full breath in and then retains or holds it for a number of seconds, it could cause a sudden drop in heart rate if not performed properly. In the medical world, this is known as a Valsalva maneuver. And although it is used in medical settings to treat abnormally fast heart rates and even as a diagnostic tool, a pranayama practitioner would not necessarily want to invoke this response unawares.
Balanced alternate nostril breathing, nadi shodhana, without retention, would therefore likely be neutral in effect on the heart, and therefore safe to practice. Agni sara, since it involves breath retention at the end of an exhale, could be a bit more tricky. I’d recommend finding a pranayama teacher with many years of experience to work with more closely to support a regular heart rate. Please keep us posted on practices you find helpful down the road!
This sutra prescribes a kind of mindfulness or mental cultivation off the mat, so to speak, that is, in day-to-day affairs outside of the context of citta-vritti-nirodha-type meditation. Cultivating the higher qualities of sattva is a continuous and constant requirement of the yogic path and spills over into all aspects of life’s affairs and social interactions. It speaks to the fact that yoga need not be perceived as a world-renouncing tradition but is perfectly compatible with engaged and benevolent social action in the world. —Edwin Bryant
In my home practice, I’ve worked on some pretty challenging yoga poses in my day (dropping from headstand into a backbend, for example), but the most challenging yoga practice I’ve ever attempted is something I’ve taken up lately, off the mat. In fact, it’s the practice recommended by the yoga sutra that Edwin Bryant was referring to in the above quote:
Yoga Sutra 1.33. By cultivating an attitude of friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, and equanimity toward those who are nonvirtuous, lucidity arises in the mind. —trans. by Edwin Bryant
In classical yoga, the intent of this practice is for cultivating the peace of mind (“lucidity arises in the mind”) that is a necessary prerequisite for achieving the union with the divine that is yoga. However, I’m adopting this practice (or trying to, anyway) for other reasons as well. One of my main reasons is to help me maintain good relationships as I age. (I want the richness of life that comes with that, not just the health benefits....)
In talking with some of my older friends, I’ve been noticing that many of them seem to be getting fed up with each other. They talk about this one being angry all the time or that one being lonely due to his or her own bad behavior in the past. And I can’t help but feel a little more compassion might go a long way to preserving these long-time friendships. It’s something Brad and I have been discussing, and we have agreed to try to cultivate more compassion for those in distress (as well as all that other stuff in the sutra 1.33) for the benefit of all our relationships in the long run.
I have to confess practice is very difficult for me, however. I tend to very judgmental, probably because that’s how I was raised. My parents were very snobbish—although that’s a word they wouldn’t use themselves—about people who didn’t share their values and tastes. I wonder now if that was a result of them both being the children of immigrants, and the hard times they had as children fitting in to the American mainstream. It’s not the stereotypical story—they were artistic types who taught me to disdain people who had a lot of money but no taste—but it’s still a story of people who used their judgments of others as a shield for their feelings of insecurity. I also tend to be very envious of other people’s successes (rather than happy for them). I don’t know if this was also a family pattern—I do know my father suffered from feelings of failure because he never lived up the expectations that he and others had for him when he was a young art prodigy—but it’s something I’ve observed about myself time and time again. And all these samskaras (thought patterns) run very deep.
So how am I beginning my practice of this challenging form of yoga? For now, I’m starting with mindfulness in my thoughts and feelings about others. And when I catch myself moving toward (or leaping to) judgment, I remind myself that there is another attitude I can take: compassion. As Stephen Cope says in Yoga and the Quest for the True Self:
I have said that samskaras are like ruts in a road, and that as the ruts deepen through repetition, it becomes inevitable that the car will slide into them unawares. Any intentional effort to restrain the car from slipping into the rut is called tapas.
Tapas requires a particular kind of attention—precisely the kind required when driving on a rutted road. We need to be awake. We need to be concentrated in order to avoid the edges of the ruts. And sometimes we need to pull the car wheels—with considerable effort—out of the ridges in the road.
I thought for sure making a sweet fruit smoothie with some spinach thrown in would be a certain way to get my 3 year-old to eat some veggies. No way. One taste and he spit it right out all over my cowhide rug. Thankfully, it wiped off just fine.
I used a big handful of spinach and about a cup of frozen fruit with 1/2 cup of water. It tasted fine at that point, but a little bland. Because it was intended for James, I sweetened it with one of his toddler yogurts and a tablespoon of honey.
It was yummy, but he didn't like it. I drank it all and will make it again. For myself.
In the future, I think I'd add protein powder or greek yogurt for added protein.
Do you or your kids like spinach smoothies? How do you make yours?
As I near forty nine I think not about my age or how I look but blown away by how fast time has gone.I can remember my parents being fifty and never imagined I would be in the exact same spot…HERE IT IS…weird!As I get older and wiser, I really appreciate the GIFT of time, and soak in every moment.In a blink, sixty will be here and I do not want to miss a thing!
Now let me back this up a bit as I do care about how I look, and most importantly how I FEEL.YES, age is just a number in my book, and it surely does not mean I throw in the towel and subscribe to some sort of category that stands for unhealthy and frumpy…nope…that is just not me.Life is about quality and keeping my body functioning in a healthy way, feeling the BEST that I can each day, and that involves CONSISTENT healthy food intake, exercise, plenty of water, and I have noticed…lots more REST is required.There are some days that I feel every bit forty eight whenmy neck flares up, or my back hurts, etc., and that is when I take special care to relax more, stretch more, and not push so hard.My body just like yours is a wonderful machine that talks to me and if I do not listen, then it will eventually let me know.I appreciate the gift of my body, and will spend the rest of my life taking care and appreciating that fact.
It does feel GREAT to be healthy and wear that badge on the outside, but I will share that is all starts on the inside.HAPPINESS is what I want out of life, in
addition to being a healthy woman, and if I did not work on my internal stuff, then life would not make sense.I do not care how fabulous I or anyone could look, if the inside is a mess and an unhealthy mind lives in that body, that is ugly, regardless of the age.It is like someone having all the money in the world and being completely unhappy and unfulfilled.In my opinion, health and happiness go hand in hand.
I consider getting older a privilege and honor and do not hide the fact that fifty is knocking at my door.I have lived a journey full of the good, bad, and the ugly and consider all the roller coasters as growth periods that have created an older, wiser, better, happier ME.I like that phrase that says “In order to get built up, you must first get broke down” just like building muscle, life is my opportunity to grow, learn, change, and reach for the positive lesson.I must say that I am a very blessed woman with my hubby, health, family and friends.In living a healthy lifestyle, thinking and reacting in healthy ways, God has truly blessed me with the husband that I have, my family and beautiful friends that nourish my soul in ways that are gifts themselves.
Age being just a number is fabulous because I truly live by how I feel, and really
age is an afterthought or a non thought.What has come from the years of journey in this life physically are the battle scars from surgeries, stretch marks from having children, facial laugh lines, and the pesky lines that have appeared on my forehead…but hey…goes with the gift of living another day.I am not in panic mode thinking I need to fix this and that, inject this and that, and cover this and that, and I do not need a red sports car.I do not desire to be like someone else or try to be perfect, because as I have said before, perfection only exists in fairy tales, photo shop and heaven.I believe in progress and I am always a work in progress…it is really a GREAT place to be at any age.
I dedicate this Blog to my best friend and more like a sister, Rehana!Thanks for gifting me such a wonderful early birthday celebration and spending the entire day with you was more than a gift to me.You warm my soul and light up my life.Love always XOXO
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Stay Healthy~ Darla
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I got involved in a conversation the other day with Nina after class with our teacher Donald Moyer. Another student was wondering about the “correct” way to do forward bends. She’d just read an article in Yoga Journal by a highly respected teacher who said that the only correct way to do forward bends was with a concave lower back, that is, maintaining a normal inward curve of the lumbar spine. Although Donald sometimes prepares for forward bends like Uttanasana by doing the pose with a concave lower back, in the final pose, he suggests we allow a nice, even rounding of the spine, that is, completely reversing the lumbar curve.
Inherent in the student’s question is the notion that there is only one correct way, that everybody in all circumstances, should do any pose. The reality is that it always depends. What are you trying to achieve? What poses have preceded it and what do you plan to do after it in your practice? Are there contraindications you need to consider? Are there quirks in your anatomy or injuries you need to work around?
We could do this analysis for any pose but, since we’re on the topic, let’s stick with forward bends.
There are times when it is definitely not a good idea to fully round the spine. If you have a herniated lumbar disc, for example, rounding is generally contraindicated. When you round forward, the front surfaces of adjacent lumbar vertebrae come together which tends to push the disc material toward the back of the body, near where nerves exit the spine. This rounding the lower back could lead to nerve compression and sciatic pain.
For a similar reason, rounding the back in forward bends is generally not recommended for those with osteoporosis. Compression fractures of the spine happen when the front surface of one vertebra collapses under pressure from a neighbor. But forward bends done with a concave lower back can actually be therapeutic for those with thinning bones, and were part of the routine Dr. Loren Fishman used in his ground-breaking research (still ongoing for those interested in enrolling in the study) that is documenting yoga’s powerful ability to increase bone mineral density.
For those who lack such contraindications, rounding the spine the way Donald teaches may lead to deeper relaxation and more quieting of the nervous system. When looking at students from an Ayurvedic standpoint, long holds of rounded forward bends can be deeply calming to the vata dosha (the imbalance often tied to stress and over-activity). Long holds of such forward bends are part of yin yoga, and can be a wonderful way to open tight hips, for example, to prepare the body to sit comfortably for long periods of time in mediation.
So my way of thinking is that there is more than one correct way to do forward bends, all depending on the overall situation and what you are trying to accomplish. But that said, there are also certainly wrong ways to do poses. In my mind, any way of doing a pose that unduly increases the risk of injury, or which puts the joints or other bodily tissues in compromised positions is wrong. In forward bends, one common incorrect method is to bend from the waist rather than hinging from the hips. Although not all yoga teachers would agree, I also advise against any knee locking in the poses.
Of course, this just begins to describe all the thinking on forward bends found among different yoga teachers. Some people sit up on folded blankets or other props, which allows them to get more forward tipping of the pelvis, but not everyone needs to do this. Some people hold their toes, some hold a strap looped around the soles of their feet, and some place their hands alongside their legs. Ultimately, good teachers learn to look at students, ask them questions and determine a reasonable approach.
To me the final arbiter of whether a yoga technique is right or wrong is the breath. If you’re able to do the pose and the breath can remain smooth, deep and even, more than likely you're doing it a right way (though probably not the right way).
For many of you out there, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, abbreviated TOS, is one you may not have heard of. Yet, it arises most commonly in people who have been in traumatic accidents, typically in car accidents, or who do repetitive jobs, such as computer work at a non-ergonomic workstation, so that is potentially a lot of people. In addition to the two causes mentioned already, there are other less common causes of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, like the presence of an extra small rib that can compress nerves and blood vessels near the lower side of the neck. Regardless of the underlying cause, folks who develop Thoracic Outlet Syndrome often complain of a host of symptoms, which can include, but are not limited to, numbness and pain in the affected side of the neck, that is, in the arm, front chest and neck. There can also be weakness in that arm or hand. Symptoms often come and go, and in some situations can be positional in nature, only arising when the affected side arm is lifted and held overhead for a little while.
What’s happening under the skin, so to speak, is that any of a number of structures could be getting compressed that should not be. More specifically, the cervical nerves that come out of your spine and come together to form the brachial plexus, (a kind of super highway interchange of different nerves from the cervical spine before heading down into the arm) can be pushed on by muscles and/or bones and lead to the symptoms described above. The same fate can befall the subclavian artery, the large blood vessel from the heart that feeds the arms, as it moves through the area of the side neck, under the collar bone, and out into the upper arm.
A commonly cited aggravator of this condition is poor posture, which we have mentioned in many other contexts as contributing to other body pain conditions, and for which yoga is such a great antidote. In fact, most people diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome will first be referred to physical therapy for postural re-alignment and stretches to open up the area of the neck and upper chest in order to create more space around the brachial plexus and arteries and veins to lessen or eliminate the symptoms associated with the condition. One muscle group that is often implicated in compressing the nerves and blood vessels is the scalenes, specifically the anterior and medial bodies of this three-muscle trio.
Muscles of the Neck
It would be worth your while to review an anatomy book if you are interested in understanding these muscles, which movements they normally create, and how one might stretch them to relieve tension on our delicate nerves and arteries.
Yoga could be a great adjunct to this healing process, since many of our sequences and poses address this area of the body nicely. Even simple warm up exercises like shoulder rolls, where you bring your shoulders forward, then up, then back and down, can start to improve this area immensely. I start class with this kind of attention to the upper chest quite often. Basic attention to Mountain pose and supported reclining backbends would be good starting places as well. And there are a few postures that directly affect the scalenes, such as the head positions in Bharadvajrasana seated twist in which you rotate and then side-bend the neck.
Conversely, since folks with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome often get symptoms when their arms are held overhead, some caution must be used when doing yoga poses with the arms ups, like Warrior I pose, for instance, especially if you intend to hold the pose for a while. I would not be surprised that a few people out there may have become aware of their positional symptoms after starting yoga due to the demands of the poses on the arms. (Yoga would not “cause” Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, but could alert you to its presence in such positions as Mountain pose with arms overhead, Urdhva Hastasana.) If such postures do bring on pain or numbness, it might be more prudent to experiment with dynamic versions of such poses, moving the arms up and down with the breath to see if the dynamic action precipitates symptoms. If not, you could continue to practice this way or even add in short holds as long as no symptoms arise.
By moving and liberating held tension in this area, ultimately you may be able to relieve the compression that is underlying the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. In fact, most patients with this diagnosis find some improvement with modalities like physical therapy and, I suspect, yoga as well, and very few have to resort to surgical intervention to find relief.
I jumped on the kale bandwagon and made kale chips as one of the sides to our dinner on Saturday night. Somewhat to my surprise, I REALLY liked them- and so did everyone at my table. I'll definitely be making them again because they are so quick and simple and full of vitamins K, A, and C as well as magnesium and fiber.
I bought one bunch of kale ($1.39 at my store) which made about 2 servings.
I rinsed and dried the kale, then cut the stems off and tore the leafy part into 2-3 inch pieces. Simply toss the kale with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil (next time I'll spray the olive oil) and salt and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.
I cooked it at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, tossing a couple times. For even drier, crispier chips, cook at 300 for about 30 minutes.
The kale cooks way down and ended up like this.
It is delicious! I'm hooked and wish I would've tried it sooner. We were literally fighting over the kale chips. They taste kinda like roasted brussel sprouts, but the thin crunchy kale is even better.
Have you tried kale chips? If not, have I convinced you to?
