Resources

Q & A — How Can I Keep My Hips Comfortable During Pregnancy?

Posted on Updated on

Q: I’m in early pregnancy, and my hips fall asleep when I lie down. What can I do?

 

A: Pregnant bodies require special care and some creativity, acceptance, and wisdom.

 

First, employ some CREATIVITY. When you lie down to sleep or rest, try placing a pillow between your thighs to support your hips. Having that extra cushion there lifts your top hip to prevent strain on the hip joint. And to keep your muscles strong and flexible, regular asana practice is key. Think of your baby as your new workout buddy: someone who always arrives to class when you do!

 

Then comes the hard part: ACCEPTANCE. The last thing you want to hear right now is, “Well, you are pregnant.” Duh. Your pregnant body can take time to get used to, and once you do get used to it you are adding a new baby to the mix!

 

Your body is producing a hormone called relaxin that stays in your system from conception all the way to 18 months after birth. This hormone loosens the joints, tendons, and ligaments, giving a false sense of stretching. With all of this shifting around inside your body, it is possible that a nerve could be compressed, which can lead to the pins and needles.

 

Pregnancy is a wild ride, hang in there little mama!

 

To help you navigate this experience, turn to the WISDOM of other women. Start with the basics: keep yourself hydrated with at least 48 ounces of water daily, and keep a small snack in your yoga bag. Lauren Sacks of Whole Mama Yoga suggests a few poses before bed to open up some space around your sciatic nerve: try eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon), baddha konasana (bound angle pose), agnistambhasana (fire log pose) if it’s accessible, or try some seated twists. Also, many women find the Snoogle full body pillow to be a good investment, so you might try one of those.

 

img_3339

 

For tips on practicing yoga safely with a pregnant body, Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers, by Geeta S. Iyengar et al is your go-to resource.

 

Written by the eldest daughter of Ykogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, who founded the renowned Iyengar method, this book is for all women who seek a safe and steady yoga practice during pregnancy. One of the leading female yogis of our time, Iyengar explains not just the poses and sequences, but the underlying rationale and modifications that might be needed, offering the practicing yogi a deeper look at what is appropriate to do or avoid and when.

Save

This entry was posted in Q & A, Resources.

Can Yoga Be Defined?

Posted on Updated on

Ask a dozen yogis and you’ll get a dozen answers.

To paraphrase Richard Freeman, one of Jo’s yoga teachers and a top American yoga master, yoga can be difficult to pin down:

Yoga is relaxation and meditation, and it is this and that, and as we continue to describe the practice of yoga we quickly realize that we are describing just the edges of the practice, and we become tongue-tied. While it is a perfectly reasonable question to ask, yoga is so vast and unique to each practitioner that is seems impossible to answer. It simply must be experienced.

Richard Freeman teaches in locations all over the globe, but his home studio is in Boulder, Colorado. If traveling to Boulder Colorado to practice with Richard isn’t possible, here are the titles of audio workshops that Jo has studied and used for over a decade in her teaching and personal practice:

The Yoga Matrix: The Body as a Gateway to Freedom
Learn about the teachings that have informed many schools of yoga, and find out how your body can be the beginning site for spiritual growth.

79

Yoga Breathing: Guided Instructions on the Art of Pranayama
Learn the essentials of yogic breathwork.

322

The Astanga Yoga Collection: Explore the Depths of Ashtanga Yoga
Learn the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, as taught to Richard by master yogi K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India.

763

In addition to his classes and workshops, Richard offers a wealth of information on his website, Yoga Workshop. Explore his library of information and his food blog.

Tap this resource and grow your practice in new ways!

This entry was posted in Resources.

Yoga as a Superior Form of Weight-Bearing Exercise

Posted on Updated on

Yoga is a superior form of weight-bearing exercise that can help prevent osteoporosis and improve posture in both men and women. Weight-bearing exercise is any exercise in which your body is working against gravity, and yoga certainly meets that description!
 
But yoga offers so much more than physical movement.
 
The ancient Indian philosophy of yoga offers us a holistic approach to bone health having nothing to do with clinical trials or changing scientific opinions. This approach has everything to do with alignment, balance, harmony, and a life lived in accordance to natural laws.
 
According to Dr. Susan E. Brown with the Better Bones Foundation, our bone health depends on our understanding of the interconnectedness of our bodies within nature. Dr. Brown has been researching bone health for over 20 years.
 
Everything we do for bone health should be good for the entire body. Given that the body is one single interwoven, intelligent system, every action we take to strengthen our bones should also be good for our entire body and as such will increase our overall health and enjoyment of life. This is the Better Bones, Better Body philosophy.
 
~ Dr. Susan E. Brown
 
Jo recommends Linda Sparrowe’s book, Yoga for Healthy Bones: A Woman’s Guide. She says, “This book is 145 easy-to-read pages. Sparrowe packs this resource with lots of sequences and tried and true information. I get a laugh out of the subtitle. In my opinion, this is the perfect resource for anyone who has a body!”

yogforhealthybones

This entry was posted in Resources, Top Ten Reasons to Practice Yoga.

Explore Nostril Dominance

Posted on Updated on

According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, life radiates within us in streams of energy called nadis. The special branch of yoga that studies the upsurge (udaya) of flowing energy (svara) within these nadis is called svarodaya, or svara yoga. Through the practices of svara yoga, you can learn to be aware of the presence of these streams of energy, to discern how they shift and flow, and to observe their relationship with inner and outer life.

~ from “Self-Study: Nostril Dominance” by Rolf Sovik and Dick Ravizza

Click here for Self-Study link.

BalleyFoster_inspirationplease
Photo credit: Balley Foster (no changes made to original)

Save

This entry was posted in Resources.

Yoga to Slow Down the Aging Process

Posted on Updated on

According to Jo, after 30+ years of building her own personal practice, she’s learned that yoga addresses every injury—physical and emotional—that you have experienced in your life, and it will positively affect every aspect of your life if you allow it to! And if you’re just beginning to practice yoga, there are plenty of resources to help you build your practice and realize the abundance of benefits. Yoga classes are widely available in studios, YMCAs, churches, and senior resource centers.
wheat_LukasSchweizer_Liliasquote as Smart Object-1
As you continue to practice yoga, you will be doing something wonderful for body, mind, and spirit. A regular practice gives your wellness an ongoing boost:
  • Your balance will be increased.
  • Your joints will be stretched and strengthened.
  • You learn to breathe more deeply and mindfully.
  • You’ll learn how to pay attention to your body.
  • You’ll discover how to focus your thoughts on the present moment.

For bodies who come to the mat with stiffness and aches and pains, gentle guidance is available. Here’s your go-to resource for yogis in their 40s, 50s, and beyond: Lilias Folan’s book, Lilias! Yoga Gets Better with Age.

IMG_2778
The book highlights what she calls “yin” yoga, a special technique to adapt traditional asanas to maturing bodies. She says, “Yoga emphasizes the doing and the practice. It can be adapted to fit every body, no matter what size, shape, age or physical condition. ALL ARE WELCOME.”
Attending classes will help you learn the basic poses, and books—especially books with plenty of large photos like Folan’s book—can show you some new poses. Your practice will build over time as you learn different ways to move and stretch, and your body will teach you that each session is unique. The important thing is to get on the mat regularly.

Save

Save

This entry was posted in Resources, Top Ten Reasons to Practice Yoga.