A few years ago, I found myself constantly throwing myself from one commitment to the next, barely present enough to remember my journey to and from each location. I assured myself that this was not uncommon, this is how most people move through life, was it not? Before long, the telltale signs of stress began to appear. I was mentally drained, I was experiencing chronic headaches and insomnia.
Around the same time, a good friend of mine had a heart attack. I spoke with him often throughout his rehabilitation. His doctor informed him that stress is one of the biggest factors in heart disease. “The effect of stress is like shards of glass on your arteries”, the doctor said. That image stuck with me.
My journey in yoga began as many of yours probably did: I wanted a work out, I wanted to increase flexibility, I wanted that yogi buzz of blissful relaxation… and I wanted to lose weight. While first focused on postures and technique, I soon began to realize there was much more to this practice than physical postures alone. My intentions, my goals and shock-horror–my feelings were waiting to surface.
A few weeks ago I was perusing Spa magazine. I really shouldn’t read this magazine because all it does is make me pine away for a week of massages, herbal wraps, yoga, and a whole host of other yummy organic treatments at a cushy spa retreat (preferably somewhere exotic). This is a fantasy of mine, and reading Spa magazine helps me visualize the trip and encourages me to save my money for a week of yogalicious, spa-filled bliss.
I recently took a trip to the UK for my dear old Grandad’s 100th birthday. I always love my time in England, but I never look forward to the plane ride over. From Vancouver, it is 9 hours on the plane plus another hour in the car. At 5’9, my knees press against the seat in front of me, my broad shoulders poke into the isle where the flight attendants bash them with their carts if I’m not careful, and my feet swell up to (what feels like) twice their normal size, so needless to say, it was not a comfy flight. When I finally arrived at our destination I was desperate to re-calibrate.
Many people, in our contemporary society, experience difficulty sleeping well on a consistent basis. In fact, it is estimated that fifty percent of adults, in the United States, struggle with insomnia. The types of insomnia range from difficulty falling asleep, to waking frequently during the night, and waking up too early. There are many different factors that can precipitate insomnia. An individual may experience insomnia because of a medical condition, such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement. Insomnia can also be caused by an inability to relax due to stress, anxiety, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
I went for a coffee run the other day and ran into my friend, Grant, a fellow yogi and coffee enthusiast. He mentioned that he was reading about the pose Handstand (AdhoMukaVrksasana) and that the listed benefits included relief of mild depression. He wondered if I knew the reason why?
As a yoga instructor, one of the top requests from my students is for hip openers, and for good reason! The hips are a complex joint comprised of many powerful muscles that either connect to or cross by the hip joint. (Iliopsoas, the gluteal muscles, hamstrings and the adductors or inner thigh, to name a few.) Along with muscles, there are ligaments and tendons, nerves, blood vessels and bursae to contend with. No wonder so many of us crave that release of the hips that yoga brings.
There is a growing epidemic sweeping the nation that is affecting our most valuable and precious resource - our children. With adults making poor lifestyle and family choices, a trickle down effect has reached our youth. As a result, the percentage of overweight or obese children is growing at an alarming rate. 30% of children and 15% of adolescents are now considered overweight or obese.
While there are many contributing factors that make weight management among this population increasingly difficult, the most common are calorie-laden foods, lack of exercise, and stressful events within the family or at school. Unfortunately, a vast majority of today's children prefer playing video games or television to going outside to play with their friends. Separation or divorce sometimes causes children to feed their emotions with junk food.
Previously we discussed the role of the hamstrings and the psoas muscles in regard to a painful low back. If tight, both muscle groups have the ability to pull on the lumbar (lower) spine, creating pain and even injury*. This week we will discuss the core’s rolein stabilizing the lower spine, specifically transverse abdominis (or TVA).
As we discussed in part one of this series, the majority of those who suffer from lower back pain do so because of muscular imbalances that we can correct with some simple exercises. Last week we discussed the psoas muscle and it’s connection to a healthy and balanced low back. This week, it’s all about the hamstrings.
Many people, in our contemporary society, experience difficulty sleeping well on a consistent basis. In fact, it is estimated that fifty percent of adults, in the United States, struggle with insomnia. The types of insomnia range from difficulty falling asleep, to waking frequently during the night, and waking up too early. There are many different factors that can precipitate insomnia. An individual may experience insomnia because of a medical condition, such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement. Insomnia can also be caused by an inability to relax due to stress, anxiety, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
I went for a coffee run the other day and ran into my friend, Grant, a fellow yogi and coffee enthusiast. He mentioned that he was reading about the pose Handstand (
Previously we discussed the role of the hamstrings and the 
