Q: I'm wondering if you could help me ID some yoga resources for my sig other. He suffered an aortic dissection last Nov while visiting me here from Italy. Barely made it to the ER and surgeon's table on time. Five hour surgery later, he had a new synthetic 4 inch segment replacing his aorta just above the heart and a new lease on life. Six months out he's doing great. He does have a little bit of chance of recurrence, but overall the outlook for his continued recovery is good.
The present goal apparently is to keep his BP down. He's been on medication for it, but our family doctor took him off of it recently as his pressure was quite low before the dissection. He works out lightly at the gym and takes long walks.
He's never done yoga but wants to begin, and I want to help him do that. I'm wondering if you've published (or know anyone good who's published) any videos/sequences of asanas/instructional materials on yoga and BP OR if there's simply a good beginner DVD you might recommend for an older (a young 63 year-old) fit man who's been through what he went through. I've searched around a lot, but am a bit lost in the flood of materials for beginners and finding nothing, on the other hand, other some short articles in YJ, on yoga related to BP.
A: I am so pleased that your partner survived his aortic dissection, which is often, sadly, not the case. And it sounds like for the time being he no longer is showing blood pressure reading of high blood pressure that he had prior to the tear in his aorta. That could change as he gets back to normal activities and eating and such. It is great that he is already doing some weight/strength training and aerobic activity with his gym visits and walks.
And I can understand your frustration and desire to start off his venture into yoga in a safe way. Please start by checking out the posts we have done here on blood pressure and yoga (see Hypertension and Yoga: An Overview). It is hard to say for sure what kind of beginner practice will be right for him, as he may have other age-related health issues and old injuries to take into account. You can certainly think about having him work with one of the senior teachers in your area individually, initially focusing on stress-reducing practices. There are some general cautions to be mindful of when designing a home practice, like not holding standing poses for very long, skipping and modifying most inversions, other than Downward-Facing Dog and Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) poses, if his blood pressure is elevated at rest. And generally, doing milder forms of most poses including forward bends and twists that also could increase intra-abdominal pressure. Guided meditation, basic breath awareness and yoga nidra would be good to include, with a focus on visualizing a calm and strong heart and vascular system.
For additional helpful suggestions regarding asana and other yoga practices, there are some written sources that talk about hypertension that you can look over. In Timothy McCall’s book Yoga as Medicine, he devotes a chapter to the subject, featuring experienced yoga teacher Aadil Palkhaivala. Aadil. He categorizes two kinds of HTN, which he calls “jittery” and “pent-up,” and approaches each a bit differently. Timothy’s book goes on to share three series that Aadil teaches, as well as some specific standing, seated, and reclining poses he recommends. A great warning that Timothy also mentions is avoiding what is known as the “Valsava Maneuver,” in which you hold your breath and bear down, like you would to pass a bowel movement. Doing so can cause a major spike in blood pressure.
In their book The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health, Linda Sparrowe and yoga teacher Patricia Walden also devote a chapter to cardiovascular health, and Patricia offers a nice sequence for HTN that is mostly supported restorative poses. This sequence includes one supported Standing Forward Bend and one Downward-Facing Dog (the only two “active poses” in the sequence).
And finally, Gary Kraftsow’s Yoga for Wellness also has a chapter on cardiovascular system, and he offers an example practice that he did with one of his students that utilizes the Krishnamacharya method of mini-vinyasas. In this case, the opening four poses are either seated or using a chair to modify the depth of the pose, followed by a Cat/Cow variation, dynamic Cobra vinyasa, supine Apanasana (Knees to Chest) sequence, and of course, Savasana.
Although I was not able to find the exact sequence used in the recent study on Yoga for HTN that I referenced in my last post, that would be interesting to review if you can get a copy of the actual study as it likely describes all the poses and practices utilized.
I hope that these ideas will help you to get your sweetie on his way to a safe and effective yoga practice to assist in keeping his blood pressure in a healthy range.
—Baxter
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Yoga Relaxation Techniques: They're Not Interchangeable
by Nina
Okay, I admit it. It’s probably my fault. I’ve been going around saying that you can trigger the Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga) using any of the following: restorative yoga, inverted poses, Savasana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra, etc. as if all those practices were somehow interchangeable. This has led to questions like the following comment left on a Friday Q&A: Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Savasana:
It is very helpful to read the distinctions between these four practices as I try to practice all of them, but it's hard to find the time. I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on whether it's important to do all four? For example, if you do restorative while listening to a nidra CD, do you also need to meditate? I'm interested to know what the various benefits are of these four practices, or are the benefits all the same?
Let me start by saying that what I said previously—that you can use any of these practices for stress management—still holds true. And it is also true that you can choose whichever techniques you prefer to trigger the Relaxation Response. However, these practices each have different roles to play in a balanced yoga practice.
The role of meditation in a balanced yoga practice is particularly important. That’s why I asked Timothy to write an article on the purpose of meditation (see his absolutely wonderful post Is Meditation an Essential Par of Practicing Yoga?). Basically, although you can use meditation for stress reduction, its role in classical yoga is to quiet the mind to allow union with the divine or “liberation”:
1.2 Yoga is the cessation of movements of consciousness.
1.3 Then the seer dwells in his own true splendor.
— from Yoga Sutras, trans. B.K.S. Iyengar
Meditation is also, as Timothy mentions, a “fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it.”
Pranayama is also an important component of classical yoga, which precedes meditation as one of eight steps on the path to samadhi (union with the divine). It is considered an instrument to “steady the mind” and a gateway to dharana (the first phase of meditation).
“Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.
Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of intelligence.” — Sutra 2.52 trans. by B.K.S. Iyengar
On the other hand, the two types of asana I recommended for triggering the Relaxation Response, restorative yoga and supported inversions, are brilliant 20th century inventions, mostly developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, which are designed specifically to maximize physical relaxation and reduce stress. Judith Lasater, one of the most renowned teachers of restorative yoga, writes in the introduction to her book Relax and Renew:
“The antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply. This rest is different from sleep. Deep states of sleep include periods of dreaming which increase muscular tension, as well as other physiological signs of tension. Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.
"Common to all stress reduction techniques is putting the body in a comfortable position with gentle attention directed toward the breath.”
Likewise, yoga nidra is also a 20th century invention (though you may see some claims to the contrary) developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. The first sentence of his book Yoga Nidra defines the practice like this:
“Yoga nidra, which is derived from the tantras, is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously.”
In yoga nidra, you lie in Savasana while the voice of a teacher (or a recording) guides you through a physical and mental relaxation process. So, like restorative yoga, yoga nidra is specifically intended as a relaxation technique, and as such does not replace meditation or pranayama in a balanced yoga practice. This would be true of any form of Savasana in which an external voice is providing instructions and/or imagery for you. Unlike other relaxation techniques, yoga nidra includes a sankalpa (an intention) that allows you to influence your subconscious (or so it is claimed). For example, “I will awaken my spiritual potential,” “I will be a positive force for the evolution of others,” or “I will be successful in all that I undertake.” So this may be something you wish to take into consideration when choosing your relaxation practice.
Unlike the modern restorative postures, Savasana is a much older pose. Based on what I’ve read about the original practice, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Savasana is a reclining form of meditation. For some traditional yogis, it was a meditation on death, hence the literal translation of the name Savasana is “Corpse pose,” and it was sometimes even practiced alongside actual corpses. To practice Savasana properly, however, you must actually do the work of meditating while you are in the pose (and make sure you don’t fall asleep). If you don’t actually meditate while in Savasana, then, well, you are simply relaxing. But that's okay, too, if that is what you are after.
So there you have it. Which of these practices you decide to adopt really depends on what your goals are as well as your preferences. If you’re just after stress management and better health, it doesn’t really matter which you chose. However, if your goal is the “liberation” that is yoga’s ultimate aim, both pranayama and meditation are essential steps along the path.
Sorry if I caused any confusion!
Ultimate liberation is when the gunas, devoid of any purpose for the purusa, return to their original [latent] state; in other words, when the power of consciousness is situation in its own essential nature. —Yoga Sutra 4.34 trans. Edwin Bryant
 |
| Patterns in the Sand 2, by Brad Gibson |
It is very helpful to read the distinctions between these four practices as I try to practice all of them, but it's hard to find the time. I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on whether it's important to do all four? For example, if you do restorative while listening to a nidra CD, do you also need to meditate? I'm interested to know what the various benefits are of these four practices, or are the benefits all the same?
Let me start by saying that what I said previously—that you can use any of these practices for stress management—still holds true. And it is also true that you can choose whichever techniques you prefer to trigger the Relaxation Response. However, these practices each have different roles to play in a balanced yoga practice.
The role of meditation in a balanced yoga practice is particularly important. That’s why I asked Timothy to write an article on the purpose of meditation (see his absolutely wonderful post Is Meditation an Essential Par of Practicing Yoga?). Basically, although you can use meditation for stress reduction, its role in classical yoga is to quiet the mind to allow union with the divine or “liberation”:
1.2 Yoga is the cessation of movements of consciousness.
1.3 Then the seer dwells in his own true splendor.
— from Yoga Sutras, trans. B.K.S. Iyengar
Meditation is also, as Timothy mentions, a “fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it.”
Pranayama is also an important component of classical yoga, which precedes meditation as one of eight steps on the path to samadhi (union with the divine). It is considered an instrument to “steady the mind” and a gateway to dharana (the first phase of meditation).
“Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.
Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of intelligence.” — Sutra 2.52 trans. by B.K.S. Iyengar
On the other hand, the two types of asana I recommended for triggering the Relaxation Response, restorative yoga and supported inversions, are brilliant 20th century inventions, mostly developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, which are designed specifically to maximize physical relaxation and reduce stress. Judith Lasater, one of the most renowned teachers of restorative yoga, writes in the introduction to her book Relax and Renew:
“The antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply. This rest is different from sleep. Deep states of sleep include periods of dreaming which increase muscular tension, as well as other physiological signs of tension. Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.
"Common to all stress reduction techniques is putting the body in a comfortable position with gentle attention directed toward the breath.”
Likewise, yoga nidra is also a 20th century invention (though you may see some claims to the contrary) developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. The first sentence of his book Yoga Nidra defines the practice like this:
“Yoga nidra, which is derived from the tantras, is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously.”
In yoga nidra, you lie in Savasana while the voice of a teacher (or a recording) guides you through a physical and mental relaxation process. So, like restorative yoga, yoga nidra is specifically intended as a relaxation technique, and as such does not replace meditation or pranayama in a balanced yoga practice. This would be true of any form of Savasana in which an external voice is providing instructions and/or imagery for you. Unlike other relaxation techniques, yoga nidra includes a sankalpa (an intention) that allows you to influence your subconscious (or so it is claimed). For example, “I will awaken my spiritual potential,” “I will be a positive force for the evolution of others,” or “I will be successful in all that I undertake.” So this may be something you wish to take into consideration when choosing your relaxation practice.
Unlike the modern restorative postures, Savasana is a much older pose. Based on what I’ve read about the original practice, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Savasana is a reclining form of meditation. For some traditional yogis, it was a meditation on death, hence the literal translation of the name Savasana is “Corpse pose,” and it was sometimes even practiced alongside actual corpses. To practice Savasana properly, however, you must actually do the work of meditating while you are in the pose (and make sure you don’t fall asleep). If you don’t actually meditate while in Savasana, then, well, you are simply relaxing. But that's okay, too, if that is what you are after.
So there you have it. Which of these practices you decide to adopt really depends on what your goals are as well as your preferences. If you’re just after stress management and better health, it doesn’t really matter which you chose. However, if your goal is the “liberation” that is yoga’s ultimate aim, both pranayama and meditation are essential steps along the path.
Sorry if I caused any confusion!
Ultimate liberation is when the gunas, devoid of any purpose for the purusa, return to their original [latent] state; in other words, when the power of consciousness is situation in its own essential nature. —Yoga Sutra 4.34 trans. Edwin Bryant
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals CASTRO
New Arrivals at CASTRO:
1. Russian River Supplication
2. Port Brewing Anniversary Strong Pale Ale
3. Strand Brewing 24th Street Pale
4. Strand Brewing Atticus IPA
5. Strand Brewing Beach House Amber Ale
6. Anchorage Anadromous Belgian Black Bier
7. Anchorage Darkest Hour
8. Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
9. Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
10. Schlenkerla Wheat & Helles
11. Almanac Farmer's Reserve 3 & 4
12. Midnight Sun Moscow Rye Russian Imperial Stout
13. Evil Twin Naked Lunch in a Copenhagen Heavenly Resto (Imperial Stout)
Healthy Spirits: Almanac Farmer's Reserve Series
Farmer's Reserve 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available at both Healthy Spirits locations!
Is Meditation an Essential Part of Practicing Yoga?
by Timothy
Do you need to meditate? Can you achieve all or most of the same benefits from just practicing asana, restorative yoga, Savasana, and/or pranayama? Is it worth even trying if you feel like you're no good at it? We get questions like these at the blog from time to time, so I figured I'd tackle them today.
I can't help but notice that people often talk about yoga and meditation as two separate practices. But according to Patanjali, the great codifier of yoga, meditation was an integral part of the practice. By yoga, of course, most people in the U.S. mean asana, which is why people say yoga and meditation. And since most asana classes don't include any meditation, many yoga practitioners have looked outside of yoga, often to Buddhism, if they're interested in learning more. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think people forget that the Buddha was a yogi before he became the Buddha!
Meditation gets a lot of press as an effective tool to de-stress, to calm the mind and the nervous system. That's certainly true, but if that were all meditation had to offer, you could hardly view the practice as vital, since we've got so many tools in yoga that can foster relaxation: asana, breathing practices, chanting and restoratives to name a few.
To many dedicated yogis, however, meditation is the crown jewel of the practice. They recommend asana mostly because it prepares the body for meditation, to sit up straight comfortably for long periods of time. All the high levels of samadhi—absorption as it is sometimes translated—the eighth of the eight limbs of yoga that Patanjali describes in the Yoga Sutras, are said to happen only in meditation. And, more specifically, from its long-term practice over the course of years, even decades.
I have been meditating for a long time, and it has become in many ways the most delicious part of my practice. It didn't start out that way. My mind was very busy when I began, and it was extremely difficult for me to keep my attention from flitting from idea to idea. And it was hard to find comfort sitting in one place, without frequent position adjustments and fidgeting. Many people who try to meditate get discouraged at this point and give up. That, I believe, is a mistake. As with a lot of other areas of yoga, hanging in when things are challenging, even discouraging, can bring rewards. Yoga teaches that it is by strengthening our weaknesses that we become more balanced.
Meditation can be a fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it. (I'm not just talking about the conscious mind, which is mostly what gets dealt with, often quite helpfully, in psychotherapy, but the unconscious mind, which hugely impacts our behavior and happiness.) The first lesson for most of us on the meditation cushion is just how unruly our minds are, and how hard it is to maintain our focus for more than a few seconds. Seeing that reality may be uncomfortable, but it's the first step toward eventually changing it.
And there is real benefit in feeling your mind running all over the place, wanting to get up and move, and continuing to stay seated anyway, trying to bring your attention back to whatever you're focusing on, whether that's your breath, an image, or a mantra. Studies of the Relaxation Response, which were performed on people practicing a demystified form of yogic mantra meditation, have shown that even when practitioners don't feel they are doing it well, they gain the physiological benefits of lower blood pressure, heart rates, etc.
Even after years of practice, some days my mind is still all over the place. But usually, if I stay at it, things eventually settle down. One reason why some experts recommend 20 minutes of meditation daily is that it often takes about that long to settle down. But the more you practice the easier it gets.
You might wonder where you will find the extra time to add a 20-minute practice to your already busy schedule. Well, first off, you don't need to do it for that long. Even a few minutes in the beginning starts to build up the habit. Over time you can slowly increase the time you sit. Interestingly, about a decade ago when I upped my practice to an hour a day, I discovered that I began to need about an hour less sleep each night, as if the meditation were giving me some of sleep's restorative effects. It felt like I was getting to meditate for free, without carving any time out of my day!
In my yoga therapy work, I often recommend meditation, but not always. Sometimes when someone is very anxious or seriously depressed, if they attempt to close their eyes and go inward, they may go into an unpleasant—and potentially counterproductive—state of mind. But if we can use other tools, like breath and asana, to improve the acute situation (along with whatever medication, therapy or other tools they are employing), I will often try to add meditation later. I have come to believe that for the long-term care of anxiety and depression, meditation may be the most powerful tool we have. It gets to places that asana simply can't, as powerful as asana can be. But unlike a lot of meditators, I don't think you should give up your asana practice once you get into meditating. Because asana also gets to some places that meditation can't, like your hip flexors, for example!
The bottom line is that the different yogic tools appear to work together in a synergistic fashion. Meditating can make you a better asana practitioner, and doing asana can help deepen your meditation. And regular pranayama can help both of them!
In my next post, I'll give more specifics on how to begin a meditation practice. If there are particular themes you'd like to me address, please let us know.
 |
| Patterns in the Sand by Brad Gibson |
I can't help but notice that people often talk about yoga and meditation as two separate practices. But according to Patanjali, the great codifier of yoga, meditation was an integral part of the practice. By yoga, of course, most people in the U.S. mean asana, which is why people say yoga and meditation. And since most asana classes don't include any meditation, many yoga practitioners have looked outside of yoga, often to Buddhism, if they're interested in learning more. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think people forget that the Buddha was a yogi before he became the Buddha!
Meditation gets a lot of press as an effective tool to de-stress, to calm the mind and the nervous system. That's certainly true, but if that were all meditation had to offer, you could hardly view the practice as vital, since we've got so many tools in yoga that can foster relaxation: asana, breathing practices, chanting and restoratives to name a few.
To many dedicated yogis, however, meditation is the crown jewel of the practice. They recommend asana mostly because it prepares the body for meditation, to sit up straight comfortably for long periods of time. All the high levels of samadhi—absorption as it is sometimes translated—the eighth of the eight limbs of yoga that Patanjali describes in the Yoga Sutras, are said to happen only in meditation. And, more specifically, from its long-term practice over the course of years, even decades.
I have been meditating for a long time, and it has become in many ways the most delicious part of my practice. It didn't start out that way. My mind was very busy when I began, and it was extremely difficult for me to keep my attention from flitting from idea to idea. And it was hard to find comfort sitting in one place, without frequent position adjustments and fidgeting. Many people who try to meditate get discouraged at this point and give up. That, I believe, is a mistake. As with a lot of other areas of yoga, hanging in when things are challenging, even discouraging, can bring rewards. Yoga teaches that it is by strengthening our weaknesses that we become more balanced.
Meditation can be a fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it. (I'm not just talking about the conscious mind, which is mostly what gets dealt with, often quite helpfully, in psychotherapy, but the unconscious mind, which hugely impacts our behavior and happiness.) The first lesson for most of us on the meditation cushion is just how unruly our minds are, and how hard it is to maintain our focus for more than a few seconds. Seeing that reality may be uncomfortable, but it's the first step toward eventually changing it.
And there is real benefit in feeling your mind running all over the place, wanting to get up and move, and continuing to stay seated anyway, trying to bring your attention back to whatever you're focusing on, whether that's your breath, an image, or a mantra. Studies of the Relaxation Response, which were performed on people practicing a demystified form of yogic mantra meditation, have shown that even when practitioners don't feel they are doing it well, they gain the physiological benefits of lower blood pressure, heart rates, etc.
Even after years of practice, some days my mind is still all over the place. But usually, if I stay at it, things eventually settle down. One reason why some experts recommend 20 minutes of meditation daily is that it often takes about that long to settle down. But the more you practice the easier it gets.
You might wonder where you will find the extra time to add a 20-minute practice to your already busy schedule. Well, first off, you don't need to do it for that long. Even a few minutes in the beginning starts to build up the habit. Over time you can slowly increase the time you sit. Interestingly, about a decade ago when I upped my practice to an hour a day, I discovered that I began to need about an hour less sleep each night, as if the meditation were giving me some of sleep's restorative effects. It felt like I was getting to meditate for free, without carving any time out of my day!
In my yoga therapy work, I often recommend meditation, but not always. Sometimes when someone is very anxious or seriously depressed, if they attempt to close their eyes and go inward, they may go into an unpleasant—and potentially counterproductive—state of mind. But if we can use other tools, like breath and asana, to improve the acute situation (along with whatever medication, therapy or other tools they are employing), I will often try to add meditation later. I have come to believe that for the long-term care of anxiety and depression, meditation may be the most powerful tool we have. It gets to places that asana simply can't, as powerful as asana can be. But unlike a lot of meditators, I don't think you should give up your asana practice once you get into meditating. Because asana also gets to some places that meditation can't, like your hip flexors, for example!
The bottom line is that the different yogic tools appear to work together in a synergistic fashion. Meditating can make you a better asana practitioner, and doing asana can help deepen your meditation. And regular pranayama can help both of them!
In my next post, I'll give more specifics on how to begin a meditation practice. If there are particular themes you'd like to me address, please let us know.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Comparisons- good or bad...
Theodore Roosevelt is attributed to the following quote: "Comparison is the thief of joy." When I started looking at pins on pinterest about comparison I kept coming up with the quote as well as this take on it.
While it's so true- that when we compare ourselves to others- we are stealing our joy because we often see things in others that cause us to talk negative about ourselves, look down on ourselves, and even worse- lead us to say things about others that shouldn't be said.
I have been guilty of this myself- especially recently. Too often, I look at my runner friends who are scoring huge PR's (personal records for the uninitiated), lean and trim runner bodies, and just an all around confidence that I don't seem to have. But, it doesn't just stop at my runner friends- it also spills over into the teacher side of things. I'm going to be honest- nothing bugs me more than when people gloat about their scores- it may be a subtle thing- but it just really bothers me. I may not be the best, or strongest teacher in the world, but I give it my best- day in and day out- so to be looked down upon by someone who might have scored a "5" causes a lot of angst in my heart. Especially, when by state standards I am a "rock solid" teacher at a 3- I am meeting my expectations and in some cases am above. I keep coming back to this pin I saw
The mirror that's where I need to look- but unfortunately there's one more place for comparison- and that's society. It's sometimes hard to accept that I am built the way I am when I am surrounded by images- both of celebrities and "real" people who are considered "pretty" by society's standards- because I am not- I know this- and I accept this but it doesn't make it any easier. My blog friend Abby wrote this post that really opened my eyes and showed me that even they "need" (not really but you know what I mean) help to look "good". The following verse has been my source of comfort these last few weeks:
I know this post is long and I have two more things to share- one is another pin that I found tonight that is PERFECT and the other is a song that kind of led to this post.
and the song
While it's so true- that when we compare ourselves to others- we are stealing our joy because we often see things in others that cause us to talk negative about ourselves, look down on ourselves, and even worse- lead us to say things about others that shouldn't be said.
I have been guilty of this myself- especially recently. Too often, I look at my runner friends who are scoring huge PR's (personal records for the uninitiated), lean and trim runner bodies, and just an all around confidence that I don't seem to have. But, it doesn't just stop at my runner friends- it also spills over into the teacher side of things. I'm going to be honest- nothing bugs me more than when people gloat about their scores- it may be a subtle thing- but it just really bothers me. I may not be the best, or strongest teacher in the world, but I give it my best- day in and day out- so to be looked down upon by someone who might have scored a "5" causes a lot of angst in my heart. Especially, when by state standards I am a "rock solid" teacher at a 3- I am meeting my expectations and in some cases am above. I keep coming back to this pin I saw
The mirror that's where I need to look- but unfortunately there's one more place for comparison- and that's society. It's sometimes hard to accept that I am built the way I am when I am surrounded by images- both of celebrities and "real" people who are considered "pretty" by society's standards- because I am not- I know this- and I accept this but it doesn't make it any easier. My blog friend Abby wrote this post that really opened my eyes and showed me that even they "need" (not really but you know what I mean) help to look "good". The following verse has been my source of comfort these last few weeks:
I know this post is long and I have two more things to share- one is another pin that I found tonight that is PERFECT and the other is a song that kind of led to this post.
and the song
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and Yoga: An Overview
by Baxter
On these hallowed blog pages, we have previously addressed several conditions that involve our cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), such as arrhythmias, strokes, hypotension and hypertension (also referred to as High Blood Pressure and Hypertension, or HTN). We even have at least six posts that at least mention HTN. However, due to the large percentage of adults who will develop HTN over the course of their lifetimes, I thought it worth revisiting. In 1999-2002, 28.6% of the U.S. population had hypertension. And this number seems to be on the rise. Plus, there is yet another study that demonstrates yoga’s beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure in those with mild to moderate hypertension! (For background information about what blood pressure is, see So, what is blood pressure, anyway?)
Why all the hype about HTN or high blood pressure, anyway? Well, if you have HTN, you are at an increased risk of developing other more serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, rupture of your largest blood vessel (the aorta), chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, decreased blood supply to your legs, and problems with your vision. Some people develop HTN secondary to the presence of some other health condition that leads to high blood pressure, such as chronic kidney disease (hey, wasn’t that just mentioned?!), diseases of the adrenal and parathyroid glands (part of our endocrine system), pregnancy, and medications such as birth control pills, diet pills, some cold meds, just to mention a few.
And some people are at a higher risk of developing HTN, if any of the following factors are present for you: obesity, chronic stress and anxiety, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive salt in diet, family history of HTN, diabetes, smokers, and African American ancestry. Part of the frustration for people who are diagnosed with HTN is that they often don’t have any really noticeable symptoms. I can’t tell you how many times I diagnosed a patient in my family practice with high blood pressure when they came in for a routine annual exam with no real complaints, or were in the office for some unrelated complaint, like a cold or headaches. This is why HTN is often referred to as the “silent killer,” as you may not know you have it until one of its complications like stroke or heart attack strike you.
It’s been known now for at least 40 years that yoga practices can help lower blood pressure in people with HTN, starting back in the 60s and 70s with the work of Herbert Benson, MD, a cardiologist who used a particular kind of yogic meditation popular at the time (TM or transcendental meditation) to help lower the blood pressure in his patients who were not responding as expected to the newest medications of that era. Since then, other studies have shown similar results, including the newest study from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, still in progress, which is following 120 patients with mild to moderate elevations in their blood pressure. Already, with 58 people completing the study so far, there is small but significant decreases in blood pressure readings in the yoga group. This could be of greatest importance to patients who are labeled with “pre-hypertension,” where the blood pressure readings fall between 120/80 and 140/90. This group of people is at much higher risk of going on to develop full HTN and is at higher risk than the general population of serious situations such as stroke and heart attack. However, if treated with yoga, they could drop their numbers low enough to avoid the need for medications to do the job. In previous posts, Nina and Shari have talked about kinds of asana practices that have been shown to lower blood pressure, such as forward bends and certain inversions, as well as the effect on the baroreceptors that monitor and influence blood pressure moment by moment. See Blood Pressure: Talking About Baroreceptors and Yoga and Just in Time for the Holidays: Inverted Poses.
As to how you might incorporate yoga practices into your efforts to lower your own rising blood pressure, you would likely want to add it to a broader approach to treatment, instead of substituting yoga for medications, for instance. Usually, a combination of aerobic activity, dietary changes, appropriate salt restriction, stopping tobacco use, lowering stress, and achieving an optimal body weight are the first line actions recommended when you are diagnosed with HTN. As we have shown before, yoga can help with many of those goals, such as weight management and stress, as well as improving will power, which could help with establishing all of those changes suggested from your usual dietary and lifestyle habits. But, independent of that, as this newest study again points out, yoga helps lower blood pressure on its own. It can do it via a balanced asana practice, via meditation practices and via breathing techniques. It is, of course, frustrating for those of us familiar with this data, that mainstream medicine has not embraced this cost-effective modality to any significant degree. If it were a pill, I suppose, it would be a no-brainer.
And for those interested in developing a home practice for hypertension, due to the multiple factors that could influence your unique situation, I highly recommend you work one-on-one with an experienced yoga instructor to create the optimal practice for you. Yoga for high blood pressure? You bet!
On these hallowed blog pages, we have previously addressed several conditions that involve our cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), such as arrhythmias, strokes, hypotension and hypertension (also referred to as High Blood Pressure and Hypertension, or HTN). We even have at least six posts that at least mention HTN. However, due to the large percentage of adults who will develop HTN over the course of their lifetimes, I thought it worth revisiting. In 1999-2002, 28.6% of the U.S. population had hypertension. And this number seems to be on the rise. Plus, there is yet another study that demonstrates yoga’s beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure in those with mild to moderate hypertension! (For background information about what blood pressure is, see So, what is blood pressure, anyway?)
Why all the hype about HTN or high blood pressure, anyway? Well, if you have HTN, you are at an increased risk of developing other more serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, rupture of your largest blood vessel (the aorta), chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, decreased blood supply to your legs, and problems with your vision. Some people develop HTN secondary to the presence of some other health condition that leads to high blood pressure, such as chronic kidney disease (hey, wasn’t that just mentioned?!), diseases of the adrenal and parathyroid glands (part of our endocrine system), pregnancy, and medications such as birth control pills, diet pills, some cold meds, just to mention a few.
And some people are at a higher risk of developing HTN, if any of the following factors are present for you: obesity, chronic stress and anxiety, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive salt in diet, family history of HTN, diabetes, smokers, and African American ancestry. Part of the frustration for people who are diagnosed with HTN is that they often don’t have any really noticeable symptoms. I can’t tell you how many times I diagnosed a patient in my family practice with high blood pressure when they came in for a routine annual exam with no real complaints, or were in the office for some unrelated complaint, like a cold or headaches. This is why HTN is often referred to as the “silent killer,” as you may not know you have it until one of its complications like stroke or heart attack strike you.
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| Complexity in Nature by Brad Gibson |
As to how you might incorporate yoga practices into your efforts to lower your own rising blood pressure, you would likely want to add it to a broader approach to treatment, instead of substituting yoga for medications, for instance. Usually, a combination of aerobic activity, dietary changes, appropriate salt restriction, stopping tobacco use, lowering stress, and achieving an optimal body weight are the first line actions recommended when you are diagnosed with HTN. As we have shown before, yoga can help with many of those goals, such as weight management and stress, as well as improving will power, which could help with establishing all of those changes suggested from your usual dietary and lifestyle habits. But, independent of that, as this newest study again points out, yoga helps lower blood pressure on its own. It can do it via a balanced asana practice, via meditation practices and via breathing techniques. It is, of course, frustrating for those of us familiar with this data, that mainstream medicine has not embraced this cost-effective modality to any significant degree. If it were a pill, I suppose, it would be a no-brainer.
And for those interested in developing a home practice for hypertension, due to the multiple factors that could influence your unique situation, I highly recommend you work one-on-one with an experienced yoga instructor to create the optimal practice for you. Yoga for high blood pressure? You bet!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Race Recap, Review and Giveaway
School is OVER! Yes, I am shouting- my plans this summer include quite a bit of running, quite a bit of reading and studying my nutrition school info. The last few weeks were eh... not a lot of running or exercise. I even commented to my assistant principal that that was something I struggle with- making time to exercise and he agreed with me- it's tough. Between meetings, after school events, and working in the room- it just didn't happen. BUT, school is over and now I can pick back up again with renewed focus. The first event of the summer was immediate! Saturday was our local track club's expo- they host a 10K and a 5K. I originally planned to do the 10K but with the lack of training I just didn't feel comfortable with it so switched to the 5K. I then spent the rest of the week kicking myself for not even trying... until I hit the branch-off. At that point I knew I made the right choice. The weather was a cool- a bit brisk for the end of May- upper 40's but it quickly warmed up. The weather was just gorgeous- it was the first non-rainy Saturday in quite a while.
Rather than rehashing it- I'll just copy what I put n FB: Today was the first "real" run- longer than 2 miles- since May 4th. I struggled getting going (my quads felt like lead weights) but I did finish what I started out to accomplish. I ended up finishing 10th in my age group (out of 24) and 251/415 in the 5K. My chip time ended up being 35:21. Not my best but considering how I felt, the lack of running time these last few weeks, the physical and mental exhaustion I have been dealing with, and the chill in the air- I'll take it. And the lesson I have learned- running should not be the thing that I give up in those last few weeks of school- that will NOT happen next year. Oh, and second lesson- time to kick it up...
Now, for that review and giveaway- a few weeks ago I contacted pro compression and asked them if I could do a review and a giveaway- they agreed to provide a pair for review and today was the first run that I used them. They were AWESOME- see, my quads were so dead the first mile or two, but my calves felt GREAT. No soreness, no pain, they felt strong. I loved the socks and hope to order some in the future. Now, if someone would just invent a full leg compression sleeve I would have loved to run on Saturday.
ETA: I also wore these a few weeks ago with jeans- since I am on my feet all day- other than my feet being hot (which they always are) my legs felt great after the day of wearing them. I am a believer :)
My answer to the blog comment question- chevron or polka dots in white and fun, bright colors! Check out the rafflecopter below to win
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rather than rehashing it- I'll just copy what I put n FB: Today was the first "real" run- longer than 2 miles- since May 4th. I struggled getting going (my quads felt like lead weights) but I did finish what I started out to accomplish. I ended up finishing 10th in my age group (out of 24) and 251/415 in the 5K. My chip time ended up being 35:21. Not my best but considering how I felt, the lack of running time these last few weeks, the physical and mental exhaustion I have been dealing with, and the chill in the air- I'll take it. And the lesson I have learned- running should not be the thing that I give up in those last few weeks of school- that will NOT happen next year. Oh, and second lesson- time to kick it up...
Now, for that review and giveaway- a few weeks ago I contacted pro compression and asked them if I could do a review and a giveaway- they agreed to provide a pair for review and today was the first run that I used them. They were AWESOME- see, my quads were so dead the first mile or two, but my calves felt GREAT. No soreness, no pain, they felt strong. I loved the socks and hope to order some in the future. Now, if someone would just invent a full leg compression sleeve I would have loved to run on Saturday.
ETA: I also wore these a few weeks ago with jeans- since I am on my feet all day- other than my feet being hot (which they always are) my legs felt great after the day of wearing them. I am a believer :)
My answer to the blog comment question- chevron or polka dots in white and fun, bright colors! Check out the rafflecopter below to win
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday Q&A: Neck Pain and Fear
Q: I read of yoga for back pain, but little about neck pain. I've been in PT for months, with good ideas about posture/extension/alignment, etc. And now I'm in a series of skillful massage targeted to the neck muscles...but such stiffness in spite of it all! Did yoga for years, but not lately (still active!) I'm wary of yoga that my pain might be exacerbated. I'm 52. My work is varied, with some hours at a desk but broken up with people interaction. Thanks for your counsel!
A: I understand why you might be afraid of doing yoga again but I want to reassure you that starting to practice again will be beneficial for you in so many ways. I currently have a student with a lot of physical challenges and chronic pain from prior surgeries. She has told me so many times that even though her body may not be able to move the way she wants it to, when she wants it to do something, she finds that “yoga is good for my mind. It makes me tune in and just listen to myself.” This individual needs a lot of modifications when she practices, but because she trusts both me and my co-teacher Bonnie, she is willing to try new things, "even when they are scary,” specifically because she knows she can stop WHENEVER she needs or wants to and we respect her decisions. We have a “circle of trust” in our class that is very valuable to both the teachers, the students and our assistants.
The great thing about yoga in my mind is the ability to stop whenever necessary. The practice is an internal dialogue not an external show. Sometimes we need to be reassured we can still do an activity but are afraid because it might hurt. Well, if something or an activity causes an increase in pain, then we have the ability to stop the action. Sometimes although our minds fear something when there really isn't a physical correlation between the fear and the action, we have to teach our mind not to fear the action. It is kind of like relearning to ride a bike when we have fallen off in the past and done some serious damage but now have the desire to get back on the bike. But where to start? With all activities it is helpful to imagine the activity first before attempting it. So, if you had some yoga poses that you used to do that gave you pleasure, start with those. I would set myself up in a position of comfort where I was warm and felt safe, and then I might mentally begin the practice using only my memory. After a while of envisioning the pose, I would try it just a little bit. If I felt scared that I was going to hurt myself, then I would stop and leave it and try again tomorrow.
If this type of mental re-entry into yoga doesn't work for you, then you might re-contact your teacher (if you had one) and ask to talk about your concerns about returning to a class. If you don’t have a teacher anymore, look for someone in your local area who has experience with working with individuals with neck injuries and discuss your concerns about re-entering a class. If that isn’t possible, look for a class either for people recovering from injuries or with a gentle focus, and, again, approach the teacher with your concerns. Going back to a class has to feel safe for you, and in order to feel safe you have to be able to trust the teacher to not make you do more than you are comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to be frank about your needs and to have the ability to keep yourself safe. If you still can't find a teacher who fits this profile, contact the International Association of Yoga Therapists and ask for a teacher in your area or near to you that you can work with. They keep a registry on file for all members.
And finally when you do begin to practice I would follow the motto of “less is better” because more than that might spiral you back into a flare-up cycle and put you off of yoga for quite a while. Poses that I particularly like when my own neck is feeling fragile are more passive poses like Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall pose) or a passive backbend over bolster with neck and head support. Active practice like standing poses with arm motions often make my own neck feel worse, so go easy on those. Learning to twist again without using arms for leverage also is important. I also like Chair Shoulderstand with a bolster under my upper back and no weight on my neck.
You mention only the physical aspect of asana but as you can see on many of the posts on our blog, that is only one small part of the practice of yoga. I might use this opportunity to re-visit some of the other limbs of yoga, especially some pranayama or basic breathing practices. The ability to fully breathe is a gift in learning to manage chronic pain and stiffness because it's like doing a massage from the inside out. I suffer from major neck issues myself, and I find that my neck will often let me know when I am overworked or overly stressed because the littlest things can set off my own pain cycles. There is no quick fix, but there are many pieces to the puzzle in learning how to manage ourselves in life.
—Shari
A: I understand why you might be afraid of doing yoga again but I want to reassure you that starting to practice again will be beneficial for you in so many ways. I currently have a student with a lot of physical challenges and chronic pain from prior surgeries. She has told me so many times that even though her body may not be able to move the way she wants it to, when she wants it to do something, she finds that “yoga is good for my mind. It makes me tune in and just listen to myself.” This individual needs a lot of modifications when she practices, but because she trusts both me and my co-teacher Bonnie, she is willing to try new things, "even when they are scary,” specifically because she knows she can stop WHENEVER she needs or wants to and we respect her decisions. We have a “circle of trust” in our class that is very valuable to both the teachers, the students and our assistants.
The great thing about yoga in my mind is the ability to stop whenever necessary. The practice is an internal dialogue not an external show. Sometimes we need to be reassured we can still do an activity but are afraid because it might hurt. Well, if something or an activity causes an increase in pain, then we have the ability to stop the action. Sometimes although our minds fear something when there really isn't a physical correlation between the fear and the action, we have to teach our mind not to fear the action. It is kind of like relearning to ride a bike when we have fallen off in the past and done some serious damage but now have the desire to get back on the bike. But where to start? With all activities it is helpful to imagine the activity first before attempting it. So, if you had some yoga poses that you used to do that gave you pleasure, start with those. I would set myself up in a position of comfort where I was warm and felt safe, and then I might mentally begin the practice using only my memory. After a while of envisioning the pose, I would try it just a little bit. If I felt scared that I was going to hurt myself, then I would stop and leave it and try again tomorrow.
If this type of mental re-entry into yoga doesn't work for you, then you might re-contact your teacher (if you had one) and ask to talk about your concerns about returning to a class. If you don’t have a teacher anymore, look for someone in your local area who has experience with working with individuals with neck injuries and discuss your concerns about re-entering a class. If that isn’t possible, look for a class either for people recovering from injuries or with a gentle focus, and, again, approach the teacher with your concerns. Going back to a class has to feel safe for you, and in order to feel safe you have to be able to trust the teacher to not make you do more than you are comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to be frank about your needs and to have the ability to keep yourself safe. If you still can't find a teacher who fits this profile, contact the International Association of Yoga Therapists and ask for a teacher in your area or near to you that you can work with. They keep a registry on file for all members.
You mention only the physical aspect of asana but as you can see on many of the posts on our blog, that is only one small part of the practice of yoga. I might use this opportunity to re-visit some of the other limbs of yoga, especially some pranayama or basic breathing practices. The ability to fully breathe is a gift in learning to manage chronic pain and stiffness because it's like doing a massage from the inside out. I suffer from major neck issues myself, and I find that my neck will often let me know when I am overworked or overly stressed because the littlest things can set off my own pain cycles. There is no quick fix, but there are many pieces to the puzzle in learning how to manage ourselves in life.
—Shari
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Energizing Yourself: Overcoming Styana and Alasya
by Nina
I don’t know about you, but Ram’s post yesterday The Dangers of Being Sedentary scared me a bit.
Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It’s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).
In his post, Ram identified two obstacles that cause us to be sedentary: styana (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and alasya (laziness, sloth). The problem is, how do we overcome these obstacles? I mean, we all basically know that sitting around all day isn’t a good thing, but after hours of doing it—so many of us sit at desks all day or have long commutes—inertia tends to set in. And this can create a lot of resistance to the idea of getting up to practice yoga, even if you know it will be good for you and that you’ll feel better afterward. You think: Oh, I just don’t feel like it today—maybe tomorrow.
"Old man, stiff man, weak man, sick man, they can all take practice but only a lazy man can't take practice." — Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
I know this because even after years of practicing yoga at home on my own, I sometimes notice that tendency in myself. I do have some tricks up my sleeve, however. And I thought today would be a good day to share them, so you’d have some new ideas for fighting both styana and alysya.
My first trick is a mental one: I tell myself that I don’t need to do a full practice, that I can just do one single pose, you know, like Downward-Facing Dog. But I might want to warm up a bit before that one, so, let’s see, maybe a Half Downward-Facing Dog at the wall followed by a full Downward-Facing Dog on my mat. And guess what, by that time, my energy starts flowing and my momentum starts to build, and I end up doing a full-length practice.
My second trick is to pick a pose to start that will energize me, even just a bit. I know that moving with your breath is a good way to fire up your energy. So standing in Mountain pose and raising arms overhead on the inhalation and down by your sides on the exhalation is a good way to energize yourself, maybe even shake off a feeling of depression, and that can lead to some other vinyasas or who knows where.
But if you don’t feel like standing up—yeah, I know, sometimes you just don’t—you can get on your hands and knees and do the Cat-Cow pose, inhaling as you come into the Cow position (the sway back position) and exhaling as you come into the Cat pose (the arching position). That leads very nicely into Downward-Facing Dog pose, and then maybe Standing Forward Bend, by which time you might feel ready to stand up on your mat!
My third trick is that when I’m feeling particularly tired or lazy, I tell myself that I can start lying down. Ah, yes, lying down sounds real good.
Often I start with Reclined Leg Stretch and other reclined hip openers, and even just moving my legs around gets me in the mood for a Downward-Facing Dog pose (and helps make that pose easier), which in turn leads....
Another way to energize yourself is to open your chest, and that’s also a good way to counteract all the forward bending you’ve been doing by sitting down for hours. Good news is this is also something you can do lying down. Try a passive backbend over a blanket roll or a bolster for three or more minutes. Then roll over and see what you might feel like doing next. Lately I’ve been starting by doing a reclined shoulder opener that my teacher often has us do in the middle of class: lying on your back, with a strap just above your elbows, bring your arms up and overhead (if they don’t reach the floor, try holding a block between your hands). Three minutes of that, and if I’m not ready for Downward-Facing Dog pose, I might procrastinate a bit with some reclined hip stretches. It’s all good.
And if this strategy doesn’t work? What if you only end up doing just the one or two poses? Well, that’s much better than nothing. It might even start a new habit that will allow you to gradually grow into a longer practice over time—my own home practice started with me practicing just a few poses. And, besides, you can always try again in a couple of hours....
Of course, what I’ve mentioned here are just a few of many possibilities. Readers, how do you shake off your lethargy and start moving? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
I don’t know about you, but Ram’s post yesterday The Dangers of Being Sedentary scared me a bit.
Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It’s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).
In his post, Ram identified two obstacles that cause us to be sedentary: styana (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and alasya (laziness, sloth). The problem is, how do we overcome these obstacles? I mean, we all basically know that sitting around all day isn’t a good thing, but after hours of doing it—so many of us sit at desks all day or have long commutes—inertia tends to set in. And this can create a lot of resistance to the idea of getting up to practice yoga, even if you know it will be good for you and that you’ll feel better afterward. You think: Oh, I just don’t feel like it today—maybe tomorrow.
"Old man, stiff man, weak man, sick man, they can all take practice but only a lazy man can't take practice." — Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
I know this because even after years of practicing yoga at home on my own, I sometimes notice that tendency in myself. I do have some tricks up my sleeve, however. And I thought today would be a good day to share them, so you’d have some new ideas for fighting both styana and alysya.
My first trick is a mental one: I tell myself that I don’t need to do a full practice, that I can just do one single pose, you know, like Downward-Facing Dog. But I might want to warm up a bit before that one, so, let’s see, maybe a Half Downward-Facing Dog at the wall followed by a full Downward-Facing Dog on my mat. And guess what, by that time, my energy starts flowing and my momentum starts to build, and I end up doing a full-length practice.
My second trick is to pick a pose to start that will energize me, even just a bit. I know that moving with your breath is a good way to fire up your energy. So standing in Mountain pose and raising arms overhead on the inhalation and down by your sides on the exhalation is a good way to energize yourself, maybe even shake off a feeling of depression, and that can lead to some other vinyasas or who knows where.
But if you don’t feel like standing up—yeah, I know, sometimes you just don’t—you can get on your hands and knees and do the Cat-Cow pose, inhaling as you come into the Cow position (the sway back position) and exhaling as you come into the Cat pose (the arching position). That leads very nicely into Downward-Facing Dog pose, and then maybe Standing Forward Bend, by which time you might feel ready to stand up on your mat!
My third trick is that when I’m feeling particularly tired or lazy, I tell myself that I can start lying down. Ah, yes, lying down sounds real good.
Often I start with Reclined Leg Stretch and other reclined hip openers, and even just moving my legs around gets me in the mood for a Downward-Facing Dog pose (and helps make that pose easier), which in turn leads....Another way to energize yourself is to open your chest, and that’s also a good way to counteract all the forward bending you’ve been doing by sitting down for hours. Good news is this is also something you can do lying down. Try a passive backbend over a blanket roll or a bolster for three or more minutes. Then roll over and see what you might feel like doing next. Lately I’ve been starting by doing a reclined shoulder opener that my teacher often has us do in the middle of class: lying on your back, with a strap just above your elbows, bring your arms up and overhead (if they don’t reach the floor, try holding a block between your hands). Three minutes of that, and if I’m not ready for Downward-Facing Dog pose, I might procrastinate a bit with some reclined hip stretches. It’s all good.
And if this strategy doesn’t work? What if you only end up doing just the one or two poses? Well, that’s much better than nothing. It might even start a new habit that will allow you to gradually grow into a longer practice over time—my own home practice started with me practicing just a few poses. And, besides, you can always try again in a couple of hours....
Of course, what I’ve mentioned here are just a few of many possibilities. Readers, how do you shake off your lethargy and start moving? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Ahi Tuna Salad
One of my favorite starters to order at a restaurant, aside from the cheese plate, is the tuna tartare. To satisfy the craving at home, I make something similar once in awhile. This recipe does call for a couple of unique ingredients you may not necessarily have on hand, but you can pick them up at most grocery stores.
Ingredients
- Ahi tuna
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Scallions
- Spicy mayo (I get it from the sushi counter at my store- it's about $1.00 for a small cup)
- Wasabi paste- comes in a tube
- Black sesame seeds
I sear the tuna in a skillet over medium high heat for about two minutes per side and them remove and let rest while I dice the tomato and avocado. Add in a bit of chopped scallion, the spicy mayo and wasabi paste to taste and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.
Are you into sushi or not so much? I know people love it or hate it. I'm definitely in the love category!
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals Castro
New Arrivals at Castro:
1. Allagash Victor
2. Allagash Victoria
3. Grand Teton Cellar Reserve Oud Bruin
4. North Coast Old Stock 2013
5. Flying Dog Imperial Citra IPA 6pk
6. Petrus Aged Red Ale
1. Allagash Victor
2. Allagash Victoria
3. Grand Teton Cellar Reserve Oud Bruin
4. North Coast Old Stock 2013
5. Flying Dog Imperial Citra IPA 6pk
6. Petrus Aged Red Ale
The Dangers of Being Sedentary: Styana, Alasya, and Yoga
by Ram
avirati bhranti-darshana alabdha-bhumikatva
anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah
“Nine kinds of distractions that are obstacles naturally encountered on the path are physical illness, tendency of the mind to not work efficiently, doubt or indecision, lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi, laziness in mind and body, failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects, incorrect assumptions or thinking, failing to attain stages of the practice, and instability in maintaining a level of practice once attained.”—translation by Swami Jnaneshvara
Sitting for more than three hours, sleeping for extended periods of time, watching long hours of TV or simply idling away the time would qualify as “styana” (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and “alasya” (laziness, sloth), which are now thought to be responsible for decreasing life expectancy in the United States. While technology may have increased our productivity, it has certainly made us lazier. Sitting for long periods, sleeping for more than the required hours and watching TV are the most common activities performed by indolent individuals. That puts these activities up there with smoking as a possible barrier to increasing life expectancy.
Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It’s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).
Data gathered from 33 countries indicate that sedentary lifestyle accounts for six percent of all cases of coronary heart disease, about 7 percent of type 2 diabetes and 10 percent of breast and colon cancers. The findings also suggested that if only 10 percent of those who are currently inactive started to exercise, 533,000 lives would be saved; if 25 percent began moving, 1.3 million deaths could be averted. Studies have also shown that even children are spending more time sitting at home than playing outdoors. Health experts are unanimous in their opinion that an adult requires at least 30 minutes/day of physical activity to stay fit while children require at least 60 minutes of playtime.
Thus, there is no doubt that excessive time spent in sedentary behavior is not only having an impact on public health but also has effects on the life span of the individual. Those who maintain a reasonable amount of activity, particularly across the middle and later years, are twice as likely to avoid early death and serious illness. So take my advice, get off the couch and go to the nearest yoga studio for a yoga asana session or seek some enjoyable activity that involves a lot of movement. However, let me also remind our readers that physical activity need not be yoga asanas alone and neither does it have to be strenuous to achieve health benefits. The US Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following that constitutes physical activity: walking stairs (instead of taking the elevator), gardening, raking leaves, dancing, walking to different stores in the mall while shopping, carrying a grocery basket rather than pushing a cart (when applicable), parking in the farthest parking spot and walking to the office or store.
People of all ages benefit from doing any one or some or all of the above mentioned daily physical activities. Sedentary people need to start with short sessions (about 10 minutes) and gradually build up to the desired level of physical activity. It appears that it is never too late to make some changes and experience these positive outcomes. The antidote for these obstacles and their consequences are awareness, focus and determination (see Thoughts On Dhyana). Cultivating these qualities can prevent us from getting entangled and lost in the mire of delusion that can come from the above-mentioned obstacles (see Achieving Stillness in Turbulent Situations).
Note from Nina: Ram recommends getting off the couch and going to a yoga studio for an asana session, but there is no reason you can’t simply get off the couch and do a little bit of yoga, right next to the couch (or anywhere else in your house). We’ve got lots of mini practices on our blog (look on our index for the three “mini” entries) that you can do, try a practice you find in a yoga book or DVD, or just start out with a Reclined Leg Stretch or a Downward-Facing Dog pose and see what happens next. If you skip just one TV program, you can do a half an hour of yoga without even leaving the house. I started my home yoga practice when I was working full time at a software startup company and co-parenting two young children, so I know you can do this! And, of course, if you’ve been following our office yoga series, you’ll know that we’ve got yoga poses you can do at work, at the airport, or anywhere else you can’t roll out a yoga mat (look on our index for the “office yoga” tag).
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| Dance by Marc Chagall |
Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences, with Ayurveda being the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga serving as the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Through the practices of Ayurveda and Yoga an individual is able to connect to his/her true nature through direct experience, and live a meaningful and purposeful life. This would mean following stable routines, having a balanced and nourishing timely diet (see You Are When You Eat) and adapting the eight fold yogic path (ashtanga yoga). However, there are a number of obstacles that arise on the journey to a meaningful life that can prove to be a challenge. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, verses 1.30-1.32 describe several distractions that serve as obstacles on the journey toward perfect health and enlightenment.
vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya
vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya
anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah
“Nine kinds of distractions that are obstacles naturally encountered on the path are physical illness, tendency of the mind to not work efficiently, doubt or indecision, lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi, laziness in mind and body, failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects, incorrect assumptions or thinking, failing to attain stages of the practice, and instability in maintaining a level of practice once attained.”—translation by Swami Jnaneshvara
Sitting for more than three hours, sleeping for extended periods of time, watching long hours of TV or simply idling away the time would qualify as “styana” (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and “alasya” (laziness, sloth), which are now thought to be responsible for decreasing life expectancy in the United States. While technology may have increased our productivity, it has certainly made us lazier. Sitting for long periods, sleeping for more than the required hours and watching TV are the most common activities performed by indolent individuals. That puts these activities up there with smoking as a possible barrier to increasing life expectancy.
Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It’s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).
Data gathered from 33 countries indicate that sedentary lifestyle accounts for six percent of all cases of coronary heart disease, about 7 percent of type 2 diabetes and 10 percent of breast and colon cancers. The findings also suggested that if only 10 percent of those who are currently inactive started to exercise, 533,000 lives would be saved; if 25 percent began moving, 1.3 million deaths could be averted. Studies have also shown that even children are spending more time sitting at home than playing outdoors. Health experts are unanimous in their opinion that an adult requires at least 30 minutes/day of physical activity to stay fit while children require at least 60 minutes of playtime.
 |
| The Dance by Marc Chagall |
People of all ages benefit from doing any one or some or all of the above mentioned daily physical activities. Sedentary people need to start with short sessions (about 10 minutes) and gradually build up to the desired level of physical activity. It appears that it is never too late to make some changes and experience these positive outcomes. The antidote for these obstacles and their consequences are awareness, focus and determination (see Thoughts On Dhyana). Cultivating these qualities can prevent us from getting entangled and lost in the mire of delusion that can come from the above-mentioned obstacles (see Achieving Stillness in Turbulent Situations).
Note from Nina: Ram recommends getting off the couch and going to a yoga studio for an asana session, but there is no reason you can’t simply get off the couch and do a little bit of yoga, right next to the couch (or anywhere else in your house). We’ve got lots of mini practices on our blog (look on our index for the three “mini” entries) that you can do, try a practice you find in a yoga book or DVD, or just start out with a Reclined Leg Stretch or a Downward-Facing Dog pose and see what happens next. If you skip just one TV program, you can do a half an hour of yoga without even leaving the house. I started my home yoga practice when I was working full time at a software startup company and co-parenting two young children, so I know you can do this! And, of course, if you’ve been following our office yoga series, you’ll know that we’ve got yoga poses you can do at work, at the airport, or anywhere else you can’t roll out a yoga mat (look on our index for the “office yoga” tag).
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Yoga and Heart Health: Tachycardia
by Baxter
We recently received two inquiries regarding a heart condition called tachycardia. In its simplest form, this just means a heart rate that is running faster than normal. For example, the normal range for a resting heart rate is said to fall from 60-100 beats per minute. Sometimes it is considered normal to have a resting rate lower than 60. For example, in long distance runners who are very aerobically fit, a resting rate of 50 or lower could be normal and healthy. Rarely is a heart rate above 100 at rest a normal finding.
When we are not resting, but running a sprint as an example, our heart rate will increase so that the heart can adjust to the increased demand for the blood to deliver energy to muscles and take waste products of work away. Once the immediate demands on the heart ease up, the heart rate drifts back to its normal range. In February, I did a post on a particular kind of arrhythmia that happens to involve the heart beating too fast called atrial fibrillation. This happens to be a kind of tachycardia that can lead to serious complications if left unaddressed. Other kinds of fast heart rhythms, especially if they only last for a few seconds or less than a minute, might be felt by the person experiencing them as unusual - a feeling in the chest of a rapid beat, light-headedness, shortness of breath or dizziness, but could resolve uneventfully. I’d tend to be more conservative if this was happening to me, and I’d get in to see my family doc and get an EKG and have the doc listen to my heart to make sure it is not putting me at risk.
According to the Mayo Clinic website:
“if you have tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-de-uh), the rate in the upper chambers or lower chambers of the heart, or both, are increased significantly. Heart rate is controlled by electrical signals sent across heart tissues. Tachycardia occurs when an abnormality in the heart produces rapid electrical signals. In some cases, tachycardias may cause no symptoms or complications. However, tachycardias can seriously disrupt normal heart function, increase the risk of stroke, or cause sudden cardiac arrest or death.”
So, even though some tachycardias may be less harmful, it’s that last sentence that should get your attention!
The causes of tachycardia are numerous, but underlying them all is something that disrupts the normal electrical impulses that control the rhythm of the heart's pumping action. There are many factors that can contribute to the development of an abnormally fast heart rate, but a few of the more common ones are:
In addition, the study that I alluded to in February has just been completed and published (See Effect of Yoga on Arrhythmia Burden, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation). Not only did the study group doing yoga have improvement in their atrial fibrillation, their symptoms improved, heart rate improved, blood pressure improved, depression and anxiety scores got better and reported quality of life scores improved in some areas. A combination of asana, pranayama and meditation were part of the sequence, in the Iyengar tradition, that the participants practiced. No injuries from the yoga were reported, and they did ask and check with the students on this question. And the researchers noted that yoga’s multi-system benefits (that previous research has shown) are probably at play here as well, especially the ability of yoga to quiet the fight-or-flight response of the nervous system.
Keep in mind, too, that if yoga is done in overly-stimulating ways, for example, moving through a rapid series of poses that gets the heart rate up high and fast, or holding poses for longer timings (5-10 minutes - especially if they are physically demanding), this could trigger a tachycardia episode in someone who is susceptible. Therefore, choosing the right practice for students with tachycardia symptoms would be very important. Even certain kinds of breath work that is stimulating to the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), such as longer inhalations compared to the exhalation length, with holding after the inhalation, should be avoided. The opposite approach, with a longer exhalation and a gentle hold after the exhalation, has been shown to help slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure in most students.
So once again, a balanced yoga practice, with asana, relaxing breath work and conscious relaxation and/or meditation is the way to go if you have a tendency to develop abnormally fast heart rhythms.
We recently received two inquiries regarding a heart condition called tachycardia. In its simplest form, this just means a heart rate that is running faster than normal. For example, the normal range for a resting heart rate is said to fall from 60-100 beats per minute. Sometimes it is considered normal to have a resting rate lower than 60. For example, in long distance runners who are very aerobically fit, a resting rate of 50 or lower could be normal and healthy. Rarely is a heart rate above 100 at rest a normal finding.
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| N. Watercolor 1 (The Heart Goes from Sugar to Coffee) by Kurt Schwitters |
According to the Mayo Clinic website:
“if you have tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-de-uh), the rate in the upper chambers or lower chambers of the heart, or both, are increased significantly. Heart rate is controlled by electrical signals sent across heart tissues. Tachycardia occurs when an abnormality in the heart produces rapid electrical signals. In some cases, tachycardias may cause no symptoms or complications. However, tachycardias can seriously disrupt normal heart function, increase the risk of stroke, or cause sudden cardiac arrest or death.”
So, even though some tachycardias may be less harmful, it’s that last sentence that should get your attention!
The causes of tachycardia are numerous, but underlying them all is something that disrupts the normal electrical impulses that control the rhythm of the heart's pumping action. There are many factors that can contribute to the development of an abnormally fast heart rate, but a few of the more common ones are:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Fever
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Drinking too many caffeinated beverages
- A side effect of medications
- Abuse of recreational drugs, such as cocaine
- Imbalance of electrolytes, mineral-related substances necessary for conducting electrical impulses
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
In addition, the study that I alluded to in February has just been completed and published (See Effect of Yoga on Arrhythmia Burden, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation). Not only did the study group doing yoga have improvement in their atrial fibrillation, their symptoms improved, heart rate improved, blood pressure improved, depression and anxiety scores got better and reported quality of life scores improved in some areas. A combination of asana, pranayama and meditation were part of the sequence, in the Iyengar tradition, that the participants practiced. No injuries from the yoga were reported, and they did ask and check with the students on this question. And the researchers noted that yoga’s multi-system benefits (that previous research has shown) are probably at play here as well, especially the ability of yoga to quiet the fight-or-flight response of the nervous system.
Keep in mind, too, that if yoga is done in overly-stimulating ways, for example, moving through a rapid series of poses that gets the heart rate up high and fast, or holding poses for longer timings (5-10 minutes - especially if they are physically demanding), this could trigger a tachycardia episode in someone who is susceptible. Therefore, choosing the right practice for students with tachycardia symptoms would be very important. Even certain kinds of breath work that is stimulating to the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), such as longer inhalations compared to the exhalation length, with holding after the inhalation, should be avoided. The opposite approach, with a longer exhalation and a gentle hold after the exhalation, has been shown to help slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure in most students.
So once again, a balanced yoga practice, with asana, relaxing breath work and conscious relaxation and/or meditation is the way to go if you have a tendency to develop abnormally fast heart rhythms.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Yoga for Healthy Aging Retreat
by Nina
Last week Baxter and I talked about having our first Yoga for Healthy Aging retreat. We were thinking of having it at a retreat center in the California Wine Country, either in the Napa or Sonoma valleys. That way, people would not only get the full wine country experience (wine is good for aging, right?) but we would be close enough to the Buck Institute for Research on Aging that people like Dr. Ram Rao and Dr. Brad Gibson could easily drop in to give talks. And, of course, there would be lots of yoga (and good food).
Our first retreat would probably be three days long, over a long weekend (Friday through Sunday) and in the year 2014. We’re still in the brainstorming stage, though these things need to be planned quite a long time in advantage. But we thought it would be a good idea to put it out there: would any of you be interested in attending this type of retreat? And, if so, what kind of things would you like to see us teach.
Let us know in the comments section of this post or email Nina via the Contact Us tab at the top of the blog.
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| Napa Valley Wine Grapes by Nina Zolotow |
Our first retreat would probably be three days long, over a long weekend (Friday through Sunday) and in the year 2014. We’re still in the brainstorming stage, though these things need to be planned quite a long time in advantage. But we thought it would be a good idea to put it out there: would any of you be interested in attending this type of retreat? And, if so, what kind of things would you like to see us teach.
Let us know in the comments section of this post or email Nina via the Contact Us tab at the top of the blog.
Sudden cholesterol increase? It may be psychological
There are many published studies with evidence that cholesterol levels are positively associated with heart disease. In multivariate analyses the effects are usually small, but they are still there. On the other hand, there is also plenty of evidence that cholesterol is beneficial in terms of health. Here of course I am referring to the health of humans, not of the many parasites that benefit from disease.
For example, there is evidence () that cholesterol levels are negatively associated with mortality (i.e., higher cholesterol leading to lower mortality), and are positively associated with vitamin D production from skin exposure to sunlight ().
Most of the debris accumulated in atheromas are made up of macrophages, which are specialized cells that “eat” cell debris (ironically) and some pathogens. The drug market is still hot for cholesterol-lowering drugs, often presented in TV and Internet ads as effective tools to prevent formation of atheromas.
But what about macrophages? What about calcium, another big component of atheromas? If drugs were to target macrophages for atheroma prevention, drug users may experience major muscle wasting and problems with adaptive immunity, as macrophages play a key role in muscle repair and antibody formation. If drugs were to target calcium, users may experience osteoporosis.
So cholesterol is the target, because there is a “link” between cholesterol and atheroma formation. There is also a link between the number of house fires in a city and the amount of firefighting activity in the city, but we don’t see mayors announcing initiatives to reduce the number of firefighters in their cities to prevent house fires.
When we talk about variations in cholesterol, we usually mean variations in cholesterol carried by LDL particles. That is because LDL cholesterol seems to be very “sensitive” to a number of factors, including diet and disease, presenting quite a lot of sudden variation in response to changes in those factors.
LDL particles seem to be intimately involved with disease, but do not be so quick to conclude that they cause disease. Something so widespread and with so many functions in the human body could not be primarily an agent of disease that needs to be countered with statins. That makes no sense.
Looking at the totally of evidence linking cholesterol with health, it seems that cholesterol is extremely important for the human body, particularly when it is under attack. So the increases in LDL cholesterol associated with various diseases, notably heart disease, may not be because cholesterol is causing disease, but rather because cholesterol is being used to cope with disease.
LDL particles, and their content (including cholesterol), may be used by the body to cope with conditions that themselves cause heart disease, and end up being blamed in the process. The lipid hypothesis may be a classic case of reverse causation. A case in point is that of cholesterol responses to stress, particularly mental stress.
Grundy and Griffin () studied the effects of academic final examinations on serum cholesterol levels in 2 groups of medical students in the winter and spring semesters (see table below). During control periods, average cholesterol levels in the two groups were approximately 213 and 216 mg/dl. During the final examination periods, average cholesterol levels were 248 and 240 mg/dl. These measures were for winter and spring, respectively.
One could say that even the bigger increase from 213 to 248 is not that impressive in percentage terms, approximately 16 percent. However, HDL cholesterol does not go up significantly response to sustained (e.g., multi-day) stress, it actually goes down, so the increases reported can be safely assumed to be chiefly due to LDL cholesterol. For most people, LDL particles are the main carriers of cholesterol in the human body. Thus, in percentage terms, the increases in LDL cholesterol are about twice those reported for total cholesterol.
A 32-percent increase (16 x 2) in LDL cholesterol would not go unnoticed today. If one’s LDL cholesterol were to be normally 140 mg/dl, it would jump to 185 mg/dl with a 32-percent increase. It looks like the standard deviations were more than 30 in the study. (This is based on the standard errors reported, and assuming that the standard deviation equals the standard error multiplied by the square root of the sample size.) So we can guess that several people might go from 140 to 215 or more (this is LDL cholesterol, in mg/dl) in response to the stress from exams.
And the effects above were observed with young medical students, in response to the stress from exams. What about a middle-aged man or woman trying to cope with chronic mental stress for months or years, due to losing his or her job, while still having to provide for a family? Or someone who has just been promoted, and finds himself or herself overwhelmed with the new responsibilities?
Keep in mind that sustained dieting can be a major stressor for some people, particular when one gets to that point in the dieting process where he or she gets regularly into negative nitrogen balance (muscle loss). So you may have heard from people saying that, after months or years of successful dieting, their cholesterol levels are inexplicably going up. Well, this post provides one of many possible explanations for that.
The finding that cholesterol goes up with stress has been replicated many times. It has been known for a long time, with studies dating back to the 1950s. Wertlake and colleagues () observed an increase in average cholesterol levels from 214 to 238 (in mg/dl); also among medical students, in response to the mental and emotional stress of an examination week. A similar study to the one above.
Those enamored with the idea of standing up the whole day, thinking that this will make them healthy, should know that performing cognitively demanding tasks while standing up is a known stressor. It is often used in research where stress must be induced to create an experimental condition. Muldoon and colleagues () found that people performing a mental task while standing experienced an increase in serum cholesterol of approximately 22 points (in mg/dl).
What we are not adapted for is sitting down for long hours in very comfortable furniture (, ). But our anatomy clearly suggests adaptations for sitting down, particularly when engaging in activities that resemble tool-making, a hallmark of the human species. Among modern hunter-gatherers, tool-making is part of daily life, and typically it is much easier to accomplish sitting down than standing up.
Modern urbanites could be seen as engaging in activities that resemble tool-making when they produce things at work for internal or external customers, whether those things are tangible or intangible.
So, stress is associated with cholesterol levels, and particularly with LDL cholesterol levels. Diehard lipid hypothesis proponents may argue that this is how stress is associated with heart disease: stress increases cholesterol which increases heart disease. Others may argue that one of the reasons why LDL cholesterol levels are sometimes found to be associated with heart disease-related conditions, such as chronic stress, and other health conditions is that the body is using LDL cholesterol to cope with those conditions.
Specifically regarding mental stress, a third argument has been put forth by Patterson and colleagues, who claimed that stress-mediated variations in blood lipid concentrations are a secondary result of decreased plasma volume. The cause, in their interpretation, was unspecified – “vascular fluid shifts”. However, when you look at the numbers reported in their study, you still see a marked increase in LDL cholesterol, even controlling for plasma volume. And this is all in response to “10 minutes of mental arithmetic with harassment” ().
I tend to think that the view that cholesterol increases with stress because cholesterol is used by the body to cope with stress is the closest to the truth. Among other things, stress increases the body’s overall protein demand, and cholesterol is used in the synthesis of many proteins. This includes proteins used for signaling, also known as hormones.
Cholesterol also seems to be a diet marker, tending to go up in high fat diets. This is easier to explain. High fat diets increase the demand for bile production, as bile is used in the digestion of fat. Most of the cholesterol produced by the human body is used to make bile.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Healthy Spirits CASTRO: New Session Beers from Mavericks
Three new beers from Pete Slossberg's (Pete's Wicked Ale) new Mavericks Brewery in Half Moon Bay! They're all session ales in cans and they're all delicious.
1. Back in the Saddle Rye Pale Ale
2. Pace Setter Witbier
3. Pit Stop Chocolate Porter
Friday Q&A: Yoga Teacher/Stroke Survivor
Q: I am a yoga instructor and a stroke survivor as well. I know, I know, a yoga instructor AND a stroke survivor. Fancy that! I have a compromised left shoulder and it's getting much worse. Have had it for 6 years. This is the problem: my right side of my body is also compromised but in a different way. It's just less. Little shoulders and most of all hands. It's just less. Imagine what my yoga classes are like, little demonstration. My questions. How long would a person be totally on foot before I would have to do little thing alone? How long would I teach yoga class? When is too much complications you say above is more serious? Anything else you can think of. Also, the article Yoga and Shoulder Joint Replacements was truly wonderful.
A: I am not exactly sure I understand your question but my initial response is you should teach as long as you have students who will come. But maybe your question is more about mobility and how long will you be able to walk "on your feet" and if you can't walk, can you still teach? Again, as long as you have eyes and a heart and can use your language to convey intention, then you can teach, as long as you have the endurance. With all chronic disabilities, and especially strokes, fatigue is a big factor. Sometimes the struggle to do all the little things of life are overwhelming and then there is no more energy left for other things. If your situation is such that fatigue is a factor, can you have an assistant that you train to do the physical adjustments for your students and perhaps the physical demonstration? Your expertise is why people come. I personally don't feel that a teacher has to demonstrate. My teacher, Donald Moyer, doesn't demonstrate much, and if he needs something modeled he chooses a student that he can use to convey the concept he is teaching for that class.
I think chronic illness makes you more adaptable because you can't do things the old way, and have to create new ways. So it might be an interesting teaching tool for you to teach your students what your body feels like to teach compassion. Acceptance is a big deal with acute illness as well as with chronic illness. Learning to accept changing body images as not “limitations” but variations is a powerful lesson.
Also, the complications referred to in the post Yoga and Shoulder Joint Replacements were for the post-operative period. In a shoulder joint replacement, they are reattaching tendons and repositioning muscles to do other jobs.This is why I said that trying to work too vigorously too quickly following the post-operative protocol can lead to serious complications in the success of the surgery. But you are alluding to pain from a stroke, as well as increasing dysfunction on the other side. This is very common because when one arm can't do, the other arm does more and overuse develops. Being referred for a total shoulder replacement is not common as there aren't a lot of docs who do them and do them well. Dysfunction from a stroke with loss of motion is not the same thing. I recommend that if you have access to health care, you see a physical therapist or occupational therapist who specializes in the upper extremity (this includes the shoulder, elbow and hand) to get a holistic view of your movement and movement patterns. From there you can be more specific in your questions of your physical mobility and continuation of teaching yoga.
I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens!
—Shari
A: I am not exactly sure I understand your question but my initial response is you should teach as long as you have students who will come. But maybe your question is more about mobility and how long will you be able to walk "on your feet" and if you can't walk, can you still teach? Again, as long as you have eyes and a heart and can use your language to convey intention, then you can teach, as long as you have the endurance. With all chronic disabilities, and especially strokes, fatigue is a big factor. Sometimes the struggle to do all the little things of life are overwhelming and then there is no more energy left for other things. If your situation is such that fatigue is a factor, can you have an assistant that you train to do the physical adjustments for your students and perhaps the physical demonstration? Your expertise is why people come. I personally don't feel that a teacher has to demonstrate. My teacher, Donald Moyer, doesn't demonstrate much, and if he needs something modeled he chooses a student that he can use to convey the concept he is teaching for that class.
I think chronic illness makes you more adaptable because you can't do things the old way, and have to create new ways. So it might be an interesting teaching tool for you to teach your students what your body feels like to teach compassion. Acceptance is a big deal with acute illness as well as with chronic illness. Learning to accept changing body images as not “limitations” but variations is a powerful lesson.
Also, the complications referred to in the post Yoga and Shoulder Joint Replacements were for the post-operative period. In a shoulder joint replacement, they are reattaching tendons and repositioning muscles to do other jobs.This is why I said that trying to work too vigorously too quickly following the post-operative protocol can lead to serious complications in the success of the surgery. But you are alluding to pain from a stroke, as well as increasing dysfunction on the other side. This is very common because when one arm can't do, the other arm does more and overuse develops. Being referred for a total shoulder replacement is not common as there aren't a lot of docs who do them and do them well. Dysfunction from a stroke with loss of motion is not the same thing. I recommend that if you have access to health care, you see a physical therapist or occupational therapist who specializes in the upper extremity (this includes the shoulder, elbow and hand) to get a holistic view of your movement and movement patterns. From there you can be more specific in your questions of your physical mobility and continuation of teaching yoga.
I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens!
—Shari
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals at CASTRO
New stuff at CASTRO:
1. Epic Pale Ale
2. Epic Hop Zombie
3. De La Senne Zwarte Piet (Imperial Belgian Stout blended with Cantillon)
4. Struise Pannepot Reserva
5. Haandbryggeriet Barrel Aged Odin's Tipple Imperial Stout
6. Haandbryggeriet Blabic (sour ale with blueberries)
7. T'Smisje Oudenaarde Imperial Sour Ale
8. Prairie Ales Okie (Imperial Brown Ale Aged in Whiskey Barrels)
9. Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits Hoppy Tripel
10. Timothy Taylor Landlord
11. Brasserie DuPont Saison Cuvee (Dry-Hopped with Triskel)
12. Green Jack Rippa English Tripel
Mushroom, Asparagus, Radish, & Arugula Salad
Hi everyone! It’s Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home and I’ve got a delicious spring salad to share with you today.
We ate this mushroom, asparagus, and radish salad for dinner recently alongside roasted chicken thighs but I could have eaten it alone as a vegetarian meal. In fact, I did eat the leftovers by themselves as my lunch the next day and I have great news - this is one of those salads that is fantastic leftover.
The mushrooms and asparagus are cooked and warm when you add them to the arugula, which softens and wilts just slightly. The flavors are springy and fresh but I found the salad to still be hearty and satisfying, which is just what I’m craving this time of year.
Mushroom, Asparagus, Radish, & Arugula Salad
Ingredients
1 medium bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 c. shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. grated parmesan or romano cheese
2 c. arugula
8 radishes, sliced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Blanch asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Melt butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic. Sprinkle with salt to taste and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a boil. Transfer to oven and roast until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Return to stovetop and boil over high heat until liquid evaporates.
Lower heat to medium-low and add aspargus, chives, parsley, and parmesan. Stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss arugula, radishes, remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mushroom and asparagus mixture and toss gently to combine.
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Thank you for this post from contributing writer, Jennifer, of The Chronicles of Home. You'll definitely want to check out her blog for more amazing recipes, beautiful home decor, and easy-to-follw DIY projects!
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