Practicing Yoga Off the Mat

by Nina 

Rock Close Up by Brad Gibson

This sutra prescribes a kind of mindfulness or mental cultivation off the mat, so to speak, that is, in day-to-day affairs outside of the context of citta-vritti-nirodha-type meditation. Cultivating the higher qualities of sattva is a continuous and constant requirement of the yogic path and spills over into all aspects of life’s affairs and social interactions. It speaks to the fact that yoga need not be perceived as a world-renouncing tradition but is perfectly compatible with engaged and benevolent social action in the world. —Edwin Bryant

In my home practice, I’ve worked on some pretty challenging yoga poses in my day (dropping from headstand into a backbend, for example), but the most challenging yoga practice I’ve ever attempted is something I’ve taken up lately, off the mat. In fact, it’s the practice recommended by the yoga sutra that Edwin Bryant was referring to in the above quote:

Yoga Sutra 1.33. By cultivating an attitude of friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, and equanimity toward those who are nonvirtuous, lucidity arises in the mind. —trans. by Edwin Bryant

In classical yoga, the intent of this practice is for cultivating the peace of mind (“lucidity arises in the mind”) that is a necessary prerequisite for achieving the union with the divine that is yoga. However, I’m adopting this practice (or trying to, anyway) for other reasons as well. One of my main reasons is to help me maintain good relationships as I age. (I want the richness of life that comes with that, not just the health benefits....)

In talking with some of my older friends, I’ve been noticing that many of them seem to be getting fed up with each other. They talk about this one being angry all the time or that one being lonely due to his or her own bad behavior in the past. And I can’t help but feel a little more compassion might go a long way to preserving these long-time friendships. It’s something Brad and I have been discussing, and we have agreed to try to cultivate more compassion for those in distress (as well as all that other stuff in the sutra 1.33) for the benefit of all our relationships in the long run.

I have to confess practice is very difficult for me, however. I tend to very judgmental, probably because that’s how I was raised. My parents were very snobbish—although that’s a word they wouldn’t use themselves—about people who didn’t share their values and tastes. I wonder now if that was a result of them both being the children of immigrants, and the hard times they had as children fitting in to the American mainstream. It’s not the stereotypical story—they were artistic types who taught me to disdain people who had a lot of money but no taste—but it’s still a story of people who used their judgments of others as a shield for their feelings of insecurity. I also tend to be very envious of other people’s successes (rather than happy for them). I don’t know if this was also a family pattern—I do know my father suffered from feelings of failure because he never lived up the expectations that he and others had for him when he was a young art prodigy—but it’s something I’ve observed about myself time and time again. And all these samskaras  (thought patterns) run very deep.

So how am I beginning my practice of this challenging form of yoga? For now, I’m starting with mindfulness in my thoughts and feelings about others. And when I catch myself moving toward (or leaping to) judgment, I remind myself that there is another attitude I can take: compassion. As Stephen Cope says in Yoga and the Quest for the True Self:

I have said that samskaras are like ruts in a road, and that as the ruts deepen through repetition, it becomes inevitable that the car will slide into them unawares. Any intentional effort to restrain the car from slipping into the rut is called tapas.

Tapas requires a particular kind of attention—precisely the kind required when driving on a rutted road. We need to be awake. We need to be concentrated in order to avoid the edges of the ruts. And sometimes we need to pull the car wheels—with considerable effort—out of the ridges in the road.

Spinach & Fruit Smoothie

I thought for sure making a sweet fruit smoothie with some spinach thrown in would be a certain way to get my 3 year-old to eat some veggies.  No way.  One taste and he spit it right out all over my cowhide rug.  Thankfully, it wiped off just fine.

I used a big handful of spinach and about a cup of frozen fruit with 1/2 cup of water.  It tasted fine at that point, but a little bland.  Because it was intended for James, I sweetened it with one of his toddler yogurts and a tablespoon of honey.

It was yummy, but he didn't like it.  I drank it all and will make it again.  For myself.

In the future, I think I'd add protein powder or greek yogurt for added protein. 

Do you or your kids like spinach smoothies?  How do you make yours? 

* * * * * 

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals CASTRO

New Arrivals at CASTRO:

1. Deschutes Class of '88 Barleywine

2. Fuller's Bengal Lancer IPA

3. Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Imperial Stout

4. Bockor Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge

5. 101 North Heroine IPA

6. Allagash Odyssey/

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

Age is JUST A NUMBER

As I near forty nine I think not about my age or how I look but blown away by how fast time has gone.  I can remember my parents being fifty and never imagined I would be in the exact same spot…HERE IT IS…weird!  As I get older and wiser, I really appreciate the GIFT of time, and soak in every moment.  In a blink, sixty will be here and I do not want to miss a thing! 

Now let me back this up a bit as I do care about how I look, and most importantly how I FEEL.  YES, age is just a number in my book, and it surely does not mean I throw in the towel and subscribe to some sort of category that stands for unhealthy and frumpy…nope…that is just not me.  Life is about quality and keeping my body functioning in a healthy way, feeling the BEST that I can each day, and that involves CONSISTENT healthy food intake, exercise, plenty of water, and I have noticed…lots more REST is required.  There are some days that I feel every bit forty eight when  my neck flares up, or my back hurts, etc.,  and that is when I take special care to relax more, stretch more, and not push so hard.  My body just like yours is a wonderful machine that talks to me and if I do not listen, then it will eventually let me know.  I appreciate the gift of my body, and will spend the rest of my life taking care and appreciating that fact.

It does feel GREAT to be healthy and wear that badge on the outside, but I will share that is all starts on the inside.  HAPPINESS is what I want out of life, in

addition to being a healthy woman, and if I did not work on my internal stuff, then life would not make sense.  I do not care how fabulous I or anyone could look, if the inside is a mess and an unhealthy mind lives in that body, that is ugly, regardless of the age.  It is like someone having all the money in the world and being completely unhappy and unfulfilled.  In my opinion, health and happiness go hand in hand. 

I consider getting older a privilege and honor and do not hide the fact that fifty is knocking at my door.  I have lived a journey full of the good, bad, and the ugly and consider all the roller coasters as growth periods that have created an older, wiser, better, happier ME.  I like that phrase that says “In order to get built up, you must first get broke down” just like building muscle, life is my opportunity to grow, learn, change, and reach for the positive lesson.  I must say that I am a very blessed woman with my hubby, health, family and friends.  In living a healthy lifestyle, thinking and reacting in healthy ways, God has truly blessed me with the husband that I have, my family and beautiful friends that nourish my soul in ways that are gifts themselves.

Age being just a number is fabulous because I truly live by how I feel, and really

age is an afterthought or a non thought.  What has come from the years of journey in this life physically are the battle scars from surgeries, stretch marks from having children,  facial laugh lines, and the pesky lines that have appeared on my forehead…but hey…goes with the gift of living another day.    I am not in panic mode thinking I need to fix this and that, inject this and that, and cover this and that, and I do not need a red sports car.  I do not desire to be like someone else or try to be perfect, because as I have said before, perfection only exists in fairy tales, photo shop and heaven.  I believe in progress and I am always a work in progress…it is really a GREAT place to be at any age. 

I dedicate this Blog to my best friend and more like a sister, Rehana!  Thanks for gifting me such a wonderful early birthday celebration and spending the entire day with you was more than a gift to me.  You warm my soul and light up my life.  Love always XOXO

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

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Stay Healthy~ Darla

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Many Right Ways To Do A Pose and a Few Wrong Ones

by Timothy

Branches and Roots by Brad Gibson

I got involved in a conversation the other day with Nina after class with our teacher Donald Moyer. Another student was wondering about the “correct” way to do forward bends. She’d just read an article in Yoga Journal by a highly respected teacher who said that the only correct way to do forward bends was with a concave lower back, that is, maintaining a normal inward curve of the lumbar spine. Although Donald sometimes prepares for forward bends like Uttanasana by doing the pose with a concave lower back, in the final pose, he suggests we allow a nice, even rounding of the spine, that is, completely reversing the lumbar curve.

Inherent in the student’s question is the notion that there is only one correct way, that everybody in all circumstances, should do any pose. The reality is that it always depends. What are you trying to achieve? What poses have preceded it and what do you plan to do after it in your practice? Are there contraindications you need to consider? Are there quirks in your anatomy or injuries you need to work around?

We could do this analysis for any pose but, since we’re on the topic, let’s stick with forward bends.

There are times when it is definitely not a good idea to fully round the spine. If you have a herniated lumbar disc, for example, rounding is generally contraindicated. When you round forward, the front surfaces of adjacent lumbar vertebrae come together which tends to push the disc material toward the back of the body, near where nerves exit the spine. This rounding the lower back could lead to nerve compression and sciatic pain.

For a similar reason, rounding the back in forward bends is generally not recommended for those with osteoporosis. Compression fractures of the spine happen when the front surface of one vertebra collapses under pressure from a neighbor. But forward bends done with a concave lower back can actually be therapeutic for those with thinning bones, and were part of the routine Dr. Loren Fishman used in his ground-breaking research (still ongoing for those interested in enrolling in the study) that is documenting yoga’s powerful ability to increase bone mineral density.

For those who lack such contraindications, rounding the spine the way Donald teaches may lead to deeper relaxation and more quieting of the nervous system. When looking at students from an Ayurvedic standpoint, long holds of rounded forward bends can be deeply calming to the vata dosha (the imbalance often tied to stress and over-activity). Long holds of such forward bends are part of yin yoga, and can be a wonderful way to open tight hips, for example, to prepare the body to sit comfortably for long periods of time in mediation.

So my way of thinking is that there is more than one correct way to do forward bends, all depending on the overall situation and what you are trying to accomplish. But that said, there are also certainly wrong ways to do poses. In my mind, any way of doing a pose that unduly increases the risk of injury, or which puts the joints or other bodily tissues in compromised positions is wrong. In forward bends, one common incorrect method is to bend from the waist rather than hinging from the hips. Although not all yoga teachers would agree, I also advise against any knee locking in the poses.

Of course, this just begins to describe all the thinking on forward bends found among different yoga teachers. Some people sit up on folded blankets or other props, which allows them to get more forward tipping of the pelvis, but not everyone needs to do this. Some people hold their toes, some hold a strap looped around the soles of their feet, and some place their hands alongside their legs. Ultimately, good teachers learn to look at students, ask them questions and determine a reasonable approach.

To me the final arbiter of whether a yoga technique is right or wrong is the breath. If you’re able to do the pose and the breath can remain smooth, deep and even, more than likely you're doing it a right way (though probably not the right way).

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Yoga

by Baxter

For many of you out there, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, abbreviated TOS, is one you may not have heard of. Yet, it arises most commonly in people who have been in traumatic accidents, typically in car accidents, or who do repetitive jobs, such as computer work at a non-ergonomic workstation, so that is potentially a lot of people. In addition to the two causes mentioned already, there are other less common causes of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, like the presence of an extra small rib that can compress nerves and blood vessels near the lower side of the neck.  Regardless of the underlying cause, folks who develop Thoracic Outlet Syndrome often complain of a host of symptoms, which can include, but are not limited to, numbness and pain in the affected side of the neck, that is, in the arm, front chest and neck. There can also be weakness in that arm or hand. Symptoms often come and go, and in some situations can be positional in nature, only arising when the affected side arm is lifted and held overhead for a little while. 

What’s happening under the skin, so to speak, is that any of a number of structures could be getting compressed that should not be. More specifically, the cervical nerves that come out of your spine and come together to form the brachial plexus, (a kind of super highway interchange of different nerves from the cervical spine before heading down into the arm) can be pushed on by muscles and/or bones and lead to the symptoms described above. The same fate can befall the subclavian artery, the large blood vessel from the heart that feeds the arms, as it moves through the area of the side neck, under the collar bone, and out into the upper arm. 

A commonly cited aggravator of this condition is poor posture, which we have mentioned in many other contexts as contributing to other body pain conditions, and for which yoga is such a great antidote. In fact, most people diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome will first be referred to physical therapy for postural re-alignment and stretches to open up the area of the neck and upper chest in order to create more space around the brachial plexus and arteries and veins to lessen or eliminate the symptoms associated with the condition. One muscle group that is often implicated in compressing the nerves and blood vessels is the scalenes, specifically the anterior and medial bodies of this three-muscle trio.

Muscles of the Neck

It would be worth your while to review an anatomy book if you are interested in understanding these muscles, which movements they normally create, and how one might stretch them to relieve tension on our delicate nerves and arteries.

Yoga could be a great adjunct to this healing process, since many of our sequences and poses address this area of the body nicely. Even simple warm up exercises like shoulder rolls, where you bring your shoulders forward, then up, then back and down, can start to improve this area immensely. I start class with this kind of attention to the upper chest quite often. Basic attention to Mountain pose and supported reclining backbends would be good starting places as well. And there are a few postures that directly affect the scalenes, such as the head positions in Bharadvajrasana seated twist in which you rotate and then side-bend the neck.

Conversely, since folks with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome often get symptoms when their arms are held overhead, some caution must be used when doing yoga poses with the arms ups, like Warrior I pose, for instance, especially if you intend to hold the pose for a while. I would not be surprised that a few people out there may have become aware of their positional symptoms after starting yoga due to the demands of the poses on the arms. (Yoga would not “cause” Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, but could alert you to its presence in such positions as Mountain pose with arms overhead, Urdhva Hastasana.) If such postures do bring on pain or numbness, it might be more prudent to experiment with dynamic versions of such poses, moving the arms up and down with the breath to see if the dynamic action precipitates symptoms. If not, you could continue to practice this way or even add in short holds as long as no symptoms arise. 

By moving and liberating held tension in this area, ultimately you may be able to relieve the compression that is underlying the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. In fact, most patients with this diagnosis find some improvement with modalities like physical therapy and, I suspect, yoga as well, and very few have to resort to surgical intervention to find relief. 

Baked Kale Chips

I jumped on the kale bandwagon and made kale chips as one of the sides to our dinner on Saturday night.  Somewhat to my surprise, I REALLY liked them- and so did everyone at my table.  I'll definitely be making them again because they are so quick and simple and full of vitamins K, A, and C as well as magnesium and fiber.

I bought one bunch of kale ($1.39 at my store) which made about 2 servings.  

I rinsed and dried the kale, then cut the stems off and tore the leafy part into 2-3 inch pieces.  Simply toss the kale with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil (next time I'll spray the olive oil) and salt and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.

I cooked it at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, tossing a couple times.  For even drier, crispier chips, cook at 300 for about 30 minutes.

The kale cooks way down and ended up like this.

It is delicious!  I'm hooked and wish I would've tried it sooner.  We were literally fighting over the kale chips. They taste kinda like roasted brussel sprouts, but the thin crunchy kale is even better.

Have you tried kale chips? If not, have I convinced you to?