Try these two poses and see what happens.

In these exercises we are toning the whole front body to observe the release of the back body.

Pay careful attention to what she says about the knee in the beginning of the video. Our goal is to make the body feel better and eliminate any pain, not cause pain. Careful attention to proper instruction is important in yoga.

Yoga & the Organic Body, Morning Leg Warm up, Part 3

Tone both the neck and abdomen and observe the release of the neck and spine that comes from the law of  ”reciprocal inhibition”  ie; the release of the antagonistic muscles.

Did you feel your back release?  Were you able to let go of tension and hardness in your kidneys?  Let me hear from you.

Namaste, Lillah

If you are interested in more studies and resources for yoga therapy, become a member of  IAYT at this Link.

SYTAR – Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research September 1-4, 2011 Monterey, California

Thank you for reading. I hope the information was helpful to you.  Namaste, Lillah

Yoga Poses for Long Car Rides-Part 2 Shoulders & Chest

To see the whole 7 pose series go to my You Tube channel, Click here.

organic-morning-leg-warmup2.wmv

This extension should really get you warm!  Let me here from you.

Namaste, Lillah

organic-morning-leg-warmup1

What a great way to start a morning. There are 3 more parts with some core toning coming up. Let me know how you like the video. What works for you?

Namaste, Lillah

Stabilize the Sacrum with Yoga – Part 6

Let me know how up dog in the chair helped you.  Thanks for watching!  Namaste, Lillah

Stabilize the Sacrum with Yoga – Part 5

After you can keep your spine neutral with one sweep down and up, then stop at 30, 60, & 90 degrees for more of a challenge. Just remember IF there is pain … no gain.

Look forward to hearing from you! Namaste Lillah

If in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra we are to find stability and ease in asana as part of the evolution of consciousness, then after completing nine poses on the right leg it is hard to recall which muscles are stronger or weaker in each pose, and the relationship between the two legs is lost, causing the path of stability to eludes us. We exhaust the first leg then move to the second, but we are unable to recall the action of the right leg in Trikonasana compared to the left. It appears we dull rather than awaken our inner intelligence.

Ida Rolf, the founder of Rolfing through the Rockefeller Institute, once said the smart side teaches the dull side. So when we move directly from one side to the other in the same pose we avail ourselves of this possibility. We can, in a symmetrical yoga practice, develop and come to understand the relationship of the right leg to the left, the areas of constriction, tone, weakness, strength, and make choices to move toward balance. In essence we expand our consciousness.

Our nervous system begins to easily re- calibrate bringing forth a more “satvic” or integrated state.  There is a sense of ease and tone that results from this type of practice vs., the excessive effort of “all one side than the other” which leads to nervous system exhaustion. It may be great for blowing our Ego out of the water, but not as good for raising our cellular consciousness or the vitality of our nervous system.

I am not saying that I would never perform a vinyasa style yoga practice, but rather suggest that even there, standing poses be grouped by kind. Such as grouping the 4 lateral standing poses; Triangle, Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle and Half Moon pose, which still gives a sense of relationship between our parts as the primary actions required in that group are similar. The well defined relationships of body parts will transmit consciously and unconsciously to the second side.

My final thought is that the more asymmetrical your hips, legs, spine, the more imperative it is that your yoga poses progress one at a time, right side – left side, if you are to reach the balance, equanimity and ease that yoga has promised.

The purpose of our “ yoga practice is to develop the body to the level of the vibrant mind so that the body and the mind, having both become vibrant, are drawn toward the Light of the Soul,” BKS Iyengar from Tree of Yoga.

Your comments are welcomed. Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for video postings on a sacral stabilization series. Namaste, Lillah

Good posture can be elusive for many Americans as so many of our daily activities have us bending forward or “stooping over” in some fashion.

Slide your yoga mat up against the wall. This pose is a variation of warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1. We will use this pose to completely open the front thigh and chest in order to extend the spine and bring relief to the neck and shoulders. Use this pose as a stand alone when you have been at your desk for more than 2 hours and un-crimp your spine!

How did I end up with this pain? Will it ever go away?  What can I do to enhance the healing process?  These are questions more than 50% of visitors to doctors ask when suffering from back pain. As a hard working, busy, active person you may have already asked those questions, because you have experienced back pain.  One solution to help enhance relief from back pain is…Therapeutic Yoga.

When it comes to long term relief a 1987 survey, conducted by Klein & Sobel* and published in Medical Self Care Magazine, yoga ranked at number one.  The survey, of 492 chronic back pain sufferers used several modalities based on long term prolonged relief, short term relief, and no relief.  The top four modalities offering long term relief were as follows: yoga instruction 96%; psychiatrists 86%; physical therapists 65%; acupuncturist 36%. How does that help you?  Let’s explore back pain; its causes, and how Therapeutic Yoga can enhance a long- term solution to its relief.

The causes of Back Pain fall into four general categories: (1) Accidents or injuries, including repetitive motion injuries; (2) Poor posture and body mechanics, including prolonged sitting and other working conditions; (3) Stress, whether real or imagined, resulting in both specific and general muscular tension with varying intensity; (4) Disease processes, including physiological responses from asthma, high blood pressure, and nerve or joint pain from conditions such as M.S. or Fibro-myalgia.

Yoga is both a science and an art. Although yoga is not a panacea, it does offer relief, self-empowerment, and even healing for those individuals who are fortunate enough to find a good yoga teacher. One of yoga’s greatest gifts is the way the practice slows us down and helps us to be in touch with what’s going on inside. Through the practice of yoga we develop a fundamental attitude for healing, that of Ahimsa, non-violence or kindness.

When we extend our limbs in a pose we meet the resistance of our stiff muscles. In the beginning we judge all pain as negative, fearing we may re-injure ourselves. However, all sensations of discomfort are not negative. Meeting the resistance within us, physically and mentally is the doorway to releasing our healing potential.

The formula for releasing pain and resistance with kindness is a simple one. When you come up against your resistance in a pose;

(1) Stop. Don’t resist or push through. (2) Suspend judgment. (3) Breath. (4) Wait, and observe what changes. In this way the healing potential within you is released to flow more freely, and you have an opportunity to exercise discernment in what to stretch and how much, rather than react.

Body mechanics and proper alignment also play an important role in healing back pain. Regardless of how our back pain arises, there will be muscles that are short, tight, or even in spasm, and muscles that are long, weak or overworked. As we correct these imbalances with an appropriate yoga sequence, we are correcting and re-aligning our posture. This is done by aligning one joint with another to create stability along with greater range of motion. As students learn and maintain proper alignment, joint stresses are released and body mechanics become more efficient. The risk of re-injury is reduced as we create a balance of strength and flexibility, making alignment an essential part of the healing process.

The art of yoga also guides us to focus on the breath, and to build the bridge between body, mind, and soul. When we look within and breathe deeply in a pose, regardless of the source of our stress, we begin to reverse the stress cycle. Our body gets the message that it is “safe” to relax. The muscle fibers release, blood vessels dilate, endorphins release, and stress hormones lessen. In this way even the simplest of poses can have a profound effect on relieving the aches and pains associated with stress.

In relation to back pain from a disease process, yoga offers sublime and unexpected relief. One of the cornerstones of Iyengar Yoga, the style in which I am trained and certified, is the adaptability of poses through the use of props to maximize their therapeutic benefit. The therapeutic aim in this instance is measured not in a structural way, but rather in relation to the organic body and its function. The poses are done in such a manner as to open and stimulate the core of the body improving circulation, elimination and function of the glands and organs. The reversal of a disease process may or may not occur, however, a well-guided yoga practice will support a higher level of physiological function and the resulting sense of well-being.

According to Mr. Iyengar’s method, the practice of yoga is an integrative art, often moving students toward longer lasting pain relief, renewed self confidence, and a sense of wholeness.

The following three stretches are a simple way to gain quick relief from low back pain: (line drawings to be posted ASAP)

(a) Dog Pose Prep – position: bend forward at your hip joint, extend your arms placing your hands on a wall, desk or chair. Choose an appropriate height so you align the wrist, shoulders and hips. Step your feet hips width apart and toe in slightly.    Action: turn the upper arms out so the shoulder blades move away from the spine. As you exhale, move your pubis and top thighs back and lift your sits bones. Extend your spine completely, pressing your palms into the wall. Feel the stretch of the legs and ribs.

(b) Kneeling groin stretch – position: Knees as wide as they go with big toes touching, hips even with your knees, the lower back is slightly concave, belly soft.   Action: Breathe deeply, let go of tension in your neck and spine, movethe hips slightly forward and back.

(c) Traction Twist – position: Lying on your back, feet close to your buttocks–yet wider than your hips, arms out to the side.     Action: Drop both knees to the right, tuck your tailbone as you draw your hip and waist back toward the floor. Feel the stretch through the front of your thigh and hip. Change sides.

For back pain relief a good yoga teacher would be someone who has training in alignment and body mechanics, can adapt poses for persons with limited range of motion, and understands the function of pain and mental attitude in the practice of yoga.

Yoga is a wonderful practice for back pain sufferers allowing us to tune in and release pain in a positive way; teaching us proper alignment to relieve strain and re-balance our posture; helping us to use our breath to release stress, build self-confidence, and improving our overall health and well-being.

When I evaluate students in my classes and private sessions, I help them identify their muscular imbalances and recommend the right yoga moves to help create balance, pain relief and freedom of movement. For students seeking pain relief who can not attend an appropriate class, I recommend my two DVD’s; Yoga: Freedom from Back Pain, and Yoga: Relief from Neck and Shoulder Pain. Each DVD offers 12 simple yoga moves that are practical and accessible to most students, new and more experienced.

You may view clips from the DVD’s at http://www.lightenupyoga.com/DVDs/yoga_videos.htm The DVD’s have been recommended by Yoga Journal, Prevention Magazine, and Dr Andrew Weil, author of “Creating Optimal Health” and “Self-Healing” newsletter, and have been distributed Nationally in the U.S. and Canada.

Lillah Schwartz is a certified Iyengar Instructor with over 28 yrs experience. She is the founding director of Lighten Up Yoga and Teacher Training School in Asheville, NC.  For more information on Lillah her classes, personal training or teacher trainings please visit  http://www.lightenupyoga.com/DVDs/thera_yoga_lillah.htm or call 828-258-9401.