Tag: posture

Yoga for YOU!

When I tell people I practice (and teach) yoga, I often hear someone tell me that they tried yoga once but quit because “I’m just not flexible.” I truly believe that yoga is for everyone. Yoga meets you where you are. Many people think that yoga is off the table for them because they can’t bend into the same shapes they see the instructor or other students achieve. Others come to yoga class and tough it out….trying to make their body go beyond its limits to get to what they believe yoga should look like. I’ve even had clients who have injured themselves in yoga classes by exceeding their body’s limits. This belief that we need to achieve a certain look, or go further into a posture is, in my opinion, simply not yoga. Yoga is not about looks, or doing what everyone else is doing. There is no way to be the “cool kid” in a yoga class. We are all cool, because we are all doing yoga.

Yoga is a strictly personal endeavor. True, the instructor guides us through a postures and gives cues to help with alignment and prevent injury. However, how your body and mind interact with a yoga posture is entirely individual. The best gauge of how successful yoga class is lies in how it makes you feel. Even when a posture is challenging, you should be able to feel stable and supported in it. Sometimes this requires realigning the feet or other body parts. Engaging the core muscles also helps with stability. Whatever posture you’re in, you should be able to find ease in your pose and breathe consciously and comfortably.

If you’ve taken yoga in the past and felt inflexible or uncomfortable, I encourage you to try again with an open mind. Try a virtual class at home, or step into a yoga studio, gym or rec center. Remember to make the class truly your own and approach the yoga postures the way your  body would want you to.

Whether you’re a new yoga student, or someone who’s been practicing for many years, ask yourself the following questions next time you take a yoga class.

“How does this make me feel?” and  “Can I find ease in this posture?”

If  you’re feeling discomfort or pain, The the next question should be, “What can be adjusted to alleviate the tension?” If you’re at an in person class, don’t be shy…ask the instructor for a variation. If you’re practicing with an online class or video, start by adjusting the feet (in a standing posture) and see what stance feels the best.

“What is my breath doing?” Breath tells us a lot. When we are stressed or anxious, our breath is rapid and our heartbeat is fast. When we are in pain, we may unconsciously hold our breath. Sometimes finding ease in a pose can be achieved by altering the breath. Breathing slowly lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. It helps the body release muscle tension that may be causing tension or interfering in relaxing into a yoga posture.

Listen to your body, but also listen to your heart and your mind. This can be the difference between an enjoyable experience (not just in yoga, but in general), and one of discomfort or pain.

If you’d like a personalized sequence or an individual session focused on your health goals, please drop me a line at lorie@wellnesswithlorie.com. You can also join me for one of my classes. See my offerings on my schedule page.

For more tips on pain relief and injury prevention through yoga and physical therapy, sign up for my newsletter here, or follow me on social media on FaceBook @yogalorie, Instagram Wellness_with_Lorie, or LinkedIn yogalorie

Is Sitting the “New Smoking”?

Skeleton at Desk

Perhaps you’ve heard this phrase designed to demonstrate the problems that sitting for long periods of time can cause to our bodies. Is this an exaggeration? Can sitting compete with smoking as far as causing permanent harm to your body? There’s no doubt that the more you sit, the less you move, and even moderate levels of movement contributes to good cardiovascular health. But what about the spine? Why are we so achy after a long day of work at a desk? More importantly….what can we do about it?

First lets talk ergonomics and body mechanics. Generally, when sitting at a desk the spine is misaligned. Often the pelvis tilts under and more pressure is put on the vertebral discs and the deep muscles of the back. These muscles then need to work against gravity to keep the spine erect all day long. No wonder they get tired and achy! Additionally, the shoulders and head may hunch forward. The muscles of the neck already do a lot to hold up our heads, so when we bring our heads forward to look at a computer screen for example, they have to work even harder and get tight. As if that’s not enough, sitting can also lead to tight hip muscles and weaken the gluteus muscles The glutes help support the low back and knees, and help us with balance.

So what do we do about this? Obviously if work involves a desk, sitting is just a part of life. Here are some suggestions:

  • Use a small, folded towel (think hand towel) under the sitting bones at the back of the chair to elevate your hips slightly. This can help you sit without rounding your spine and tucking your tailbone. Thus, taking a little pressure off the low back.
  • Take breaks during the day to move. Get up every now and then and do 10-20 heel raises. Going up and down on your tippy toes will increase blood flow and strengthen the calf muscles.
  • Stretch your outer hips with the Figure Four Stretch. Sit toward the edge of the chair and cross your ankle over the opposite thigh the lean forward (hinge at the hips) with a flat back.
  • Throughout the day squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times. This will help reverse when you hunch your shoulders forward.
  • Find a good Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, or Stretching class to help relieve pressure and strengthen muscles.

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