Friday Q&A: Benefits of Squatting

Q: I recently decided to try the experiment of sitting cross-legged more, starting out on my sofa, as sitting in this position seems to help my achy hip and back. I will see if I can progress to the floor. I am also wondering about squatting more, not comfortable for me, but a common position in many countries (such as Vietnam, where many families still eat squatting on a low large table). Any thoughts on this position, besides needing to be careful of wonky knees?

A: Do I ever! I happen to like squatting, even though I have an old tear to the cartilage in my left knee, the medial meniscus, which I have to been mindful of getting in and out of squats. My hips turn out decently, which is necessary for  squatting, and my ankles also dorsiflex—what we typically refer to simply as flexing—pretty well so my heels can stay on the ground if my feet are about a foot or so apart.

I became interested in squatting as an alternative way to sit for short periods of time after a yoga adventure trip to Bali in the late 90’s. As we drove down a country road past rice fields one day, I noticed a group of men squatting and talking near an intersection. Returning the same way a few hours later, the same group was still there, squatting and talking as they had been earlier. I was shocked, remembering how challenging the pose could be for me in class when I only held it for a few minutes. So I became motivated to see if I could safely master this position, although I was not sure what I would use it for.

We do need to keep in mind that in these cultures, people squat starting from their early stages of life, and often live in places where western furniture is not the norm, as Ram mentioned in his post To Sit or Not To Sit (on the floor)?. So we are at a distinct disadvantage learning to squat as adults. However, there may be some good reasons to try it out.  I find it particularly helpful in certain social or activity situations, such as when camping and not wanting to sit directly on dirty, sometimes wet or rocky ground, or when using a primitive or non-existent loo! I use it in social situations where there are limited chairs, where I want to be down interacting with kids, or when talking with another person who is sitting and I don’t want to loom over them by standing. And when my back is flared up, being able to squat to pick things up off the floor is quite handy.

But are there any other benefits, you might ask. Well, squats take the knees into the deepest flexion possible, both active flexion (that created just by the muscles contracting) and passive flexion (created by an outside force, such as your body weight and gravity in this case). Fully flexing and then straightening the knees takes them through their full range of motion, which is generally a good thing for your joints. And the ankles also have to flex quite a bit, so their range of motion is exercised. The muscles at the front of the shins have to contract and work in a unique way not required for many other yoga poses, contributing to strengthening this area. The hips and lower back can get a nice stretch as well. You do want to increase your time in squats gradually, as there is an effect on your blood pressure, so that when you stand again, if you have timed it well, you don’t suddenly feel light headed.

If you have tight, stiff knees, you can do a modified version with a block or blocks under your sitting bones, creating a block chair of sorts that still allows you to experience the general shape of the squat.  If your heels don’t touch down easily, put a prop, such as a rolled-up blanket or yoga wedge, under your heels so they can ground. This relaxes the leg muscles and allows the bones to hold you up, which is why those men could hold the squats so long—they weren’t exhausting their muscles! And keep in mind that you might want to design a short sequence of poses that prepare you for the squat, such as, Reclined Knee to Chest pose, Reclined Leg Stretch, Warrior 1 pose, and Cobblers pose (Baddha Konasana), to name a few.

If it doesn’t work for your body to do squats, it is no big deal! There are so many other good postures that can be of benefit for you, so let go of the ones that may seem injurious for your body. And as my old friend Gary Morgan used to say as we played a silly riverside game on canoe outings, “Squat what you got!”

—Baxter

Cultivating the Opposite: Yoga Philosophy for Healthy Eating, Healthy Aging

by Nina

“People in America are addicted to sugar, and to fat and to salt,” he says, and as a nation, it’s holding us back. “Food is intensely pleasurable, and people are afraid that if they change the way they eat, they’ll stop having pleasure.” —Jan. 17, 2013 interview on NPR with John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods

This morning, as I was helping Baxter prepare for his workshop on Yoga and Healthy Eating at the upcoming Yoga Journal Conference, he told me he was struck by this quote from my interview with my friend Elizabeth D, who lost 50 pounds and learned how to eat a diet that suited her particular body:

“I also changed my perspective by viewing eating healthy and exercising as a way to do something positive for myself, not something to dread.”

Baxter went on to say that this was a form of “pratipaksha bhavanam,” which Patanjali recommends in the Yoga Sutras.

II.33 Upon being harassed by negative thoughts, one should cultivate counteracting thoughts. —trans. Edwin Bryant

The Sankrit words “pratipaksha bhavanam” from the original text of this sutra literally mean “cultivate the opposite” (or “cultivate counteracting thoughts” in Bryant’s translation). That’s what Elizabeth did when she said she changed her perspective about how she viewed healthy eating; she contemplated her original view and then consciously took another one. That reminded me of an interview I heard this morning with John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods. He talked about, among other things (most of which I do not agree with, but let’s not go there right now), why Americans have trouble with unhealthy food addictions. He said that people “are afraid that if they change the way they eat, they'll stop having pleasure” and recommended they take the same approach that Elizabeth took, changing to a different perspective, in this case, that healthy food is as pleasurable as junk food. So that’s our thought for the day about yoga for healthy eating: use Patanjali's yoga philosophy to change your thinking about the way you eat.

Seattle Garden (A Detail) by Joan Webster

But, of course, Patanjali wasn’t talking about healthy eating in the Yoga Sutras. He was addressing  a much more all-encompassing subject, which is that negative thoughts can lead us away from the behavior specified in the yamas and the niyamas—including non-violence, non-stealing, non-greediness, and truthfulness—which is necessary to achieve the equanimity that is yoga. For example, thoughts about violence can lead to acts of violence. Here’s the next sutra:

II.34 Negative thoughts are violence, etc. They may be personally performed, performed on one’s behalf by another, or authorized by oneself; they may be triggered by greed, anger, or delusion; and they may be slight, moderate, or extreme in intensity. One should cultivate counteracting thoughts, namely, that the end results of negative thoughts are ongoing suffering and ignorance.  —trans. by Edwin Bryant

Again, Patanjali recommends “pratipaksha bhavanam” or “counteracting thoughts” in this sutra. As Edwin Bryant says, “For example if any aspiring yogi experiences feelings of dislike for a person, which is a type of himsa, violence, then, upon becoming aware of this feeling, the yogi can make the effort to think of the person in a nonviolent fashion, perhaps viewing him or her as simply an embodied being who is victimized by the gunas and karma, etc. and ultimately as a pure purusa soul.”

How does this tie into healthy aging? Spending less time in the grip of negative thoughts, especially anger, and thereby avoiding negative interactions, will obviously help reduce stress and stress-related diseases. And the ability to re-frame our perspective on a situation is a valuable method we can use to reduce the klesas, the five afflictions I discussed in my post The Pains Which Are To Come. Edwin Byrant likens negative thoughts to weeds in a garden:

“As in a garden, the more one makes an effort to uproot weeds, the more the bed will eventually become a receptacle for fragrant flowers, which will then grow and reseed of their own accord until there is hardly any room for the weeds to surface.”

Sweet Potato Hash and Eggs (via The Chronicles of Home)

I'm all about breakfast for dinner, so I'm excited about Jennifer's (The Chronicles of Home) recipe for this week, Sweet Potato Hash and Eggs!

Sweet Potato Hash and Eggs – serves 4

When it comes to breakfast-for-dinner I'm definitely more a fan of egg dishes than pancakes or waffles.  This hash is so flavorful and satisfying it almost makes me forget that it's more of a traditional breakfast dish than a "real" dinner. 

Using sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes does change the texture of the hash.  It won't be crispy like a potato hash made with white potatoes but I actually really love the softer, creamier texture.  And the flavor of the sweet potatoes is a great balance to the salty ham.

I use a nitrate-free Canadian bacon, which is a great staple to keep in your fridge.  It's a lean meat, already cooked, and can be chopped up and thrown into any number of dishes or just warmed and served alongside some pancakes.

A fried egg on top with a soft yolk and crispy edges is the perfect finishing touch.  You may find yourself making this for breakfast and for dinner!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 ½ c. peeled sweet potatoes, cut into ½” cubes

6 oz. Canadian bacon, diced

1 c. chopped yellow onion

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. horseradish

2 c. arugula

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 eggs

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

Directions

Heat grapeseed oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat.  Add sweet potatoes, cover, and cook 5 minutes.  

Stir in Canadian bacon, onion, mustard, and horseradish.  Cover and cook until the sweet potato is tender and the bottom turns golden, about 8-10 minutes.  

Flip sections of the hash and press down with a spatula.  Cook uncovered  another 8-10 minutes, flipping sections occasionally so hash browns evenly.  Stir in arugula and cook a few minutes until it wilts.

Meanwhile heat olive oil in another nonstick pan over medium-high heat.  Add eggs and cook until whites are set but yolks are soft.

Divide hash among four plates.  Top each with ¼ of the avocado and 1 fried egg.  Serve immediately.

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For more recipes from Jennifer, and to see glimpses into her home and fabulous DIY projects, click the banner below.

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HEALTHY SPIRITS CLEMENT IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

Come check out our new location!

 1042 Clement St. (12th and Clement),

SF, CA, 94118. 

(415) 682-4260

We're open for business now but keep an eye out for our grand opening event some time soon!

cheers,

dave hauslein

beer manager

415-255-0610

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals/Clearance

1. Iron Springs Kent Lake Kolsch

 2. Iron Springs JC Flyer

 3. Iron Springs Casey Jones Imperial IPA

 4. Iron Springs Epiphany Amber

5. Iron Springs Sless' Oatmeal Stout

6. Crispin "The Saint"

7. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

8. New Albion Ale (This is a very cool project Boston Beer Company did with Jack McAuliffe, creator of one of the very first craft breweries in California. It's a re-creation of his original New Albion Ale release.)

9. Heretic Gramarye

10. Fresh Growlers of Magnolia Proving Ground IPA

11. Uinta Sea Legs Baltic Porter

12. Bellegems Bruin 750ml

13. Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

14. Flying Dog Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout

15. Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

16. Troubador Magma Special Edition w/Sorachi Ace Hops

17. Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout

CLEARANCE: 12/24/12 dated growlers of Magnolia Blue Bell Bitter. WAS:$21.99 NOW: $14.99 (not including $5 refundable growler deposit)

Studying with Our Teachers

by Nina

One of the frequent questions we get here on Yoga for Healthy Aging is: how can I study with your teachers? The answer is that the best way is to attend the special workshops and retreats that our teachers offer throughout the year. While we previously had some of this information on the blog, I’ve now updated it for 2013. And to make it easier for you to find the information for a particular teacher, I’ve created separate pages for each teacher. To find the listings for an individual teacher, simply click on the tab at the top of the page that displays that teacher’s name. A new page will be displayed, which lists the teacher’s workshops and retreats in chronological order, and includes links to the web sites where you can find registration information.

We hope to meet some of you in person soon!

Healthy Spirits: Interview with Beer Samizdat

Hey Everyone,

We just did a great interview with the excellent local beer blog Beer Samizdat. You can find it here.

http://www.beersamizdat.net/2013/01/sfs-healthy-spirits-on-expansion-stress.html

Cheers!