Chapel Hill News Articles

Release Stiffness at your Desk  6/14/06 Q: I work long hours at my desk and wonder if there are any yoga movements I could do to help relieve the stiffness? You and me both! Hovering over a keyboard seems to a universal problem in today’s technology driven world. The big problems we face with posture at our desk is shoulders hunching over, bent legs or crossed legs keeping the hamstrings short and pelvis tilted, and the belly relaxing not supporting the lower back. When you can, take a few minutes break at your desk to stretch out everyday. But for those on a deadline and in need of relief try these simple yoga postures to open up. Twists! The lower back’s best friend. So simple and if done every so often can wring out tension and stiffness from the whole spine. Start with feet on the floor, sitting up tall, and twist, think of twisting your belly button over your thigh, ribs revolve around higher lifting up through the heart, keeping the shoulders level and relaxed as they spin parallel to your thighs. You can use your hands against your thigh or your armrest, acting as a lever to twist you deeper, pulling the belly gently in to support the back. Bellows Breath. Sitting up straight, hands on knees, inhale as you arch your chest forward and up, heart rising towards the ceiling, with your shoulders pulling back, pelvis tilts back. (Think Titanic’s Leo and Kate “I’m the King of the world!”) Exhale as you pull the belly button in curling back into the opposite direction, hands hold on to knees to pull against creating more space between the ribs in your back. (As if you were skillfully avoiding a karate kick to the midsection.) Inhale and exhale arching forward and back to stretch open the spaces between the vertebrae. Rag Doll. This pose allows for reverse traction in the spine reliving compression from our ever-present friend gravity. Standing bend forward and hang like a rag doll bending the knees so much that your belly or chest rest on your thighs, letting the arms just hang loose. This can be done in the chair seated laying your upper body down on your thighs like you dropped a dime by your shoe and were trying to pick it up. Rest and breathe there as long as you can without someone calling 911. Hamstring Stretch Lift one leg at a time and prop up on a desk, another chair, or an open drawer and reach towards your toes flexing your feet. If you can’t reach your toes, try for your knee or shin. If you can reach your toes, pull in your belly and straighten out your back and bend forward until you feel the hamstrings signing to you. Stay there and breathe and unlock your knee by slightly bending it some. Donia Robinson Carrboro Yoga Company Breathe Your Way Through the Holidays!  12/11/05 Just breathe… it’s the holidays… we’re going to get through this…just take a moment and back away from the Christmas tree with that chainsaw. Why is it the most ”joyous time of year” is usually the most hectic, stressed out, and depressing time of year? Expectations? Obligations? Family? Traffic? Lord forbid, the Mall? Actually, my guess is all of the above. Life’s little pressures get ratcheted up ten fold and our job is to smile and be of good cheer. If you are struggling with all of this then let’s step back and take stock on what’s really happening and what we can do to make this a peaceful holiday. Breathe. As simple as this sounds it is the key to relaxation and getting centered. Just before you open the door for Aunt Edna, take a few deep breaths and watch how it settles you down. The body’s natural panic state has us breathing in a shallow rate high up in our chest. To counter act this, breathe deep filling your belly, lungs and whole chest several times slowly. This controlled breathing sends a message to the brain and body that you are in a peaceful state and your body and mind react immediately by relaxing. Go within. Excuse yourself from the world for a few minutes and sit still, eyes closed, and check in with yourself. Quiet your thoughts or think of something that makes you smile. Now stay there, don’t rush this, and just be by yourself for a minute. If people are counting on you, it is important to fill the well of your soul first so you have something to give back to others. Resentment and exhaustion can be avoided by simply taking a few minutes for you. Acceptance. Take yourself, situation, and holiday at face value. Expectations: Let ‘em go baby. You are not Martha Stewart and nor should you beat your brains out trying to be. The movies are fiction and the truth is what needs to be uncovered from the hype. Accepting yourself and your reality for what it is will help you to appreciate what you have and accept your true blessings. Take your hands to your heart and count to yourself three blessings you have, (health, home, relationships maybe), and then see if you can make it to ten. Pause and then see how you feel. Lighten up! It’s all perspective, and if the one you are riding on has you stressed out change it up. Try lying on you bed or on the floor and swing your legs up the wall. Let them hang up there and feel the tension melt down and out of your body This position is great for lowering blood pressure and calming the mind. Here’s wishing you a peaceful, joyous and fulfilling holiday season! Can Yoga Improve Your Posture?  8/13/05 Q People who do yoga seem to have great posture. Is there a simple trick I can learn to improve mine? A Yoga works to strengthens and lengthen the whole body making the person more aware of alignment and how their body functions holistically. That being said, yes, there is a simple thing you can do to pull yourself up into better posture, just like your mom used to say, “stand up straight!” A common theme in yoga is about hugging the “mid line” That is the central core of who you are following the spine from the top of the head down through the soles of your feet. Like standing at attention, you are pulling in the belly, lifting in the chest, and just by doing that you can feel yourself pulling into correct posture. It just takes practice and it all comes from the core, pulling in the belly to tighten the abdominal muscles keeps the strain off your lower back. One of the physical goals of yoga is to strengthen the body against the effects of gravity. Give it a try and see! Q I am 23, athletic, and have been practicing yoga for a few years now and am looking to take it to the next level. Do you recommend anything? A: The classic style of yoga, Ashtanga, is great for strength building, deep flexibility, and huge improvements in your overall well-being. Rhian Jaques our Ashtanga Instructor believes “that the discipline of an Ashtanga practice goes beyond the physical to the mental task of personal acceptance and the emotional challenge of finding serenity in everything you do. Even if you’re sweating like crazy while you are doing it!” Ashtanga is an energetic, flowing yoga that really emphasizes the idea of self awareness by learning your edges, taking care of yourself, and growing through the set series of movements. This style of yoga is not for everyone but like ice cream, yoga has many flavors. You just need to try them to see. The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga  9/24/05 Q: I’m pregnant and have heard so much about the benefits of prenatal yoga but am not sure if it’s safe and when I should start. Is there anything I shouldn’t do? A: What you have heard is right! Breathing exercises can you calm you during contractions. The gentle pelvic and abdominal exercises strengthen and prepare the body for birth and the restorative poses provide relief during those last hard months. Paula Huffman, Prenatal/Child Birthing Specialist at CYCo encourages women to “consult with your health care provider before beginning any type of new exercise program.” Paula was the prenatal yoga instructor at UNC for over 10 years and educates other yoga instructors how to teach prenatal yoga. “Women who are used to doing exercise should be fine but there are certain positions to avoid for the first trimester. Extreme stretches such as back bends and twists are a risk if the embryo has not be completely embedded in the uterine wall.” These are not usual in prenatal classes, which are designed for women who are beginners. Many women come to yoga for the first time through prenatal yoga and become fans for life. Q: Are there any yoga poses I can do to help relieve headaches? A.  Boy… I get them too and they can be brutal. My favorite yoga pose for headaches is the supported Bridge Pose. Grab some pillows and put them on the floor on top of each other. Lay on the pillows with your hips and back propped up but your shoulders are on resting easily on the floor. If you want more height place a few phone books under the pillows. In this pose you are gently lengthening the muscles of the neck relieving tension. Your heart is above your head and this should feel really good. Stay there for several minutes perhaps letting your head roll form side to side. Take in deep slow breaths to calm the mind. Drink an extra glass of water to flush tension and toxins away. Is Yoga for Kid's?   10/29/05 Q: I have children who have been exposed to yoga through their schools and they love it! Are there any other resources for me to bring it home and are there certain age appropriate postures we should work on? A: Children are natural born yogis! As adults we learn yoga to help us get back to that child like state of mind, body and spirit, and their natural abilities to move and express themselves in the world. Many schools have adopted yoga programs to help youngsters with relaxation, concentration and physical exercise. There are a multitude of books and videos on the market today geared for children to learn simple yoga but the key is to keep it age appropriate. Little ones, as soon as they start to walk, like to jump and play, have stories read to them and pretend to be the animals in our world. For the beginning years, say 3-7, yoga needs to be kept playful. Trying to make kid’s do adult yoga at this age can be stifling and the idea of “getting it right” is something that should not be introduced at such an early age (or in yoga at all, in my opinion). Imaginations need to be stimulated, bodies need to be run around and wiggled about, and the concepts of being quiet and listening to your breath can be explored. There are lots of poses that are in animal shapes, (lion- on hands and knees sticking out your tongue and roaring loud, jumping like a frog, flying like a bird, swimming like a fish). One of my favorite dog-eared books for little ones is Fly Like A Butterfly: Yoga for Children by Shakta Kaur Khalsa. Also the YogaKid’s video series is a favorite of many of the parents I know. Older children can take on bigger challenges, such as balancing in tree pose for a while, (standing on one foot with the other foot pressed into the thigh, knee out to the side.) Strengthening, flexibility and relaxation are all developmental skills that older kid’s (8-12) can gain benefit from. Teenagers can begin to tackle most any of the poses and concepts brought into adult classes. I was in a weekend workshop with a 16 year old who blew us all away with his understanding and abilities! The real key to teaching yoga to children is to keep it fun and light. It’s amazing how much they really pick up and how even the deepest most esoteric concepts of yoga click right away with children. As adults it takes awhile to remember to breathe, play, move our bodies, find quite time for ourselves…for children it just comes naturally.