WEEK SIX:
Creating Strength Without Losing Flexibility
Have you ever stood at the mirror, sucked in your stomach and thought, "I wish I could look like this all the time?" Most of us have, and Madison Avenue has done a good job at selling us the notion that rock-hard bellies are the ultimate sign of health.
Yoga is all about cultivating "flexible" strength. While there is nothing wrong with strength training, strength at the expense of flexibility equals rigidity. Muscles can actually shorten and cause constriction if you train in only one direction (i.e. abdominal crunches) because you limit the opposing range of motion.
As Couch also notes, "Yoga isn't an exercise system, it's an energetic system. It's not about the size of the muscles but about the quality of the circuitry of wind, blood, and nervous energy that flows throughout the body."
So think about this as you move forward with your wellness and exercise program. Consider adding Yoga as a way to maintain flexibility while you lose weight and gain strength.
Chair Pose
Here is a real user-friendly Yoga posture that builds abdominal connection while strengthening the lower body and elongating the spine. Be sure to tuck your tailbone strongly to protect the lower back, and gently contract the abdominals toward the back body as you lift the upper body.
Remember, your Chair doesn't have to be super low when you start. It is most important that you connect with the areas of the body I mention above and note how strength and flexibility develop over time with Chair Pose.
Just click on the image below to view Yoga Journal's video instruction
COME TO CLASS AND LEARN MORE
Thursday evening from 5-6:15p
My Thursday class is designed to stretch, release, calm and restore...nourishing your body and setting you up for a relaxed evening and great night's sleep.
Saturday morning from 9-10:15a
Saturday's class is a gentle yet invigorating way to stretch, focus and wake up the nervous system for your weekend ahead.
Private sessions available by appointment
WEEK FIVE:
Increase Body Awareness
As I mentioned in my section of the Friday email to the WTBH members, Yoga Journal recently wrote about a study done by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. In that study “researchers queried healthy men and women about their weight history and physical activity from the ages of 45 to 55.
It turned out that study subjects who were overweight and did yoga at least once a week had lost five pounds over the 10-year period, while their non-yogi counterparts had gained eight. (And yoga practitioners of normal weight did tend to gain weight over the years, but people who didn't practice gained more.)”
The fact is that yoga really doesn’t burn that many calories once a week to have this kind of long-term result. What yoga does do is build mindfulness.
"You learn to feel when you're full, and you don't like the feeling of overeating. You recognize anxiety and stress for what they are instead of trying to mask them with food," reports Alan Kristal, who is a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, yoga practitioner and lead researcher on the project.
Doing the right kind of yoga for your body at each phase of weight loss is very important.
COME TO CLASS AND LEARN MORE
Thursday evening from 5-6:15p
My Thursday class is designed to stretch, release, calm and restore...nourishing your body and setting you up for a relaxed evening and great night's sleep.
Saturday morning from 9-10:15a
Saturday's class is a gentle yet invigorating way to stretch, focus and wake up the nervous system for your weekend ahead.
Starting Thursday, February 16th, 9:15-10:15a
Lite Yoga Fitness
This is our most gentle, user-friendly yoga class. It allows
you to stay off the floor and use props to attain the deep stretch of yoga without stability problems.
Private sessions also available by appointment.
WEEK FOUR:
Becoming the Objective Observer
Have you ever looked at a photo of yourself from years ago and realized how great you looked back then.....even though at the time you thought your flaws were many and your charms few? That is a good example of how our perceptions shape our reality.
The mind has an amazing capacity to either work for us or against us, and what we perceive is the foundation on which we base our decisions and ultimately our actions.
Ghandi expressed it best when he said,
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Yoga not only trains us to be more in touch with our bodies, it also helps us step back from the misconceptions of the mind and simply observe ourselves with compassion and less judgement.
As you work toward getting lighter and healthier, consider the role your perceptions play in helping you to achieve your daily and long term goals. If what you believe forms your actions, habits and destiny, then working with your thinking is a very large part of changing whatever it is you seek to change in your life.
So consider yoga as part of your wellness program. It's much more than exercise!
COME TO CLASS AND LEARN MORE
Thursday evening from 5-6:15p
My Thursday class is designed to stretch, release, calm and restore...nourishing your body and setting you up for a relaxed evening and great night's sleep.
Saturday morning from 9-10:15a
Saturday's class is a gentle yet invigorating way to stretch, focus and wake up the nervous system for your weekend ahead.
Private sessions available by appointment
WEEK THREE:
Stop Bending Over Backwards for Better Results
We have all heard the phrase “bend over backwards” to indicate that someone has tried very hard to do something. Depending on your experience with yoga, it can also come to mind when you think of striking a yoga pose.
The truth is you don’t need to try very hard, or wrench yourself into a pretzel, to receive the deep benefits of Restorative Yoga. While it may seem counter to how you have approached weight loss in the past, the truth is cultivating a deep relaxation response to complement your aerobic exercise regimen increases the body's ability to let go of unhealthy patterns and excess pounds.
Here is a simple RY pose that you can try at home. It gently wakes the body up as it opens the chest and releases the shoulders.
GENTLE SUPPORTED BACKBEND
- FOLD BLANKET OVER SEVERAL TIMES TO CREATE A 4” ROLL AT BOTTOM, REMAINDER OF BLANKET EXTENDS PAST TOP OF MAT
- SIT ON MAT + PLACE BOLSTER, ROLLED BLANKET OR PILLOWS UNDER KNEES. IF FEET DON’T TOUCH FLOOR, REST THEM ON A BLOCK OR A PILLOW.
- LOWER + EXTEND BACK ONTO BLANKET WITH TOP OF ROLL AT ARMPIT, RIGHT BEHIND YOUR CHEST
- ROLL SHOULDERS BACK, ARMS OUT FROM SHOULDERS ABOVE ROLL
- PLACE EYE BAG OR FOLDED TOWEL OVER EYES + COVER BODY WITH A BLANKET
- BREATH LONG, FULL BREATHS AND LET YOUR BODY RELAX AND RELEASE INTO THE FLOOR. YOU CAN STAY IN THIS POSE FOR UP TO TEN MINUTES.
- IF YOU FEEL ANY DISCOMFORT AT ALL, CHECK THE LOCATION AND WIDTH OF YOUR BLANKET ROLL AND MAKE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS.
COME TO CLASS AND LEARN MORE
Thursday evening from 5-6:15p
My Thursday class is designed to stretch, release, calm and restore...nourishing your body and setting you up for a relaxed evening and great night's sleep.
Saturday morning from 9-10:15a
Saturday's class is a gentle yet invigorating way to stretch, focus and wake up the nervous system for your weekend ahead.
WEEK TWO:
The Benefits of Deep Breathing
The Benefits of Deep Breathing
As I frequently say in class, the most important part of our yoga practice is the breath. Deep breathing has so many benefits for our body and mind. Here are just a few things deep breathing can help us do:
- Detoxify and Release Toxins
- Release Tension
- Increase Digestion and Assimilation of Food
- Relax the Mind/Body and Bring Clarity
- Help to Relieve Pain
- Massage Your Organs
- Assist in Weight Control
- Strengthen the Immune System
- Improve Posture
- Improve Quality of the Blood
- Calm or Activate the Nervous System
- Strengthen the Lungs
- Make the Heart Stronger
- Improve Cellular Regeneration
- Boost Energy levels and Improves Stamina
- Relax the Mind/Body and Bring Clarity
- Help to Relieve Pain
- Massage Your Organs
- Assist in Weight Control
- Strengthen the Immune System
- Improve Posture
- Improve Quality of the Blood
- Calm or Activate the Nervous System
- Strengthen the Lungs
- Make the Heart Stronger
- Improve Cellular Regeneration
- Boost Energy levels and Improves Stamina
A User-Friendly Way to Shift Your Energy LevelBy simply choosing to breath deeply and fully through one nostril or the other for ten long and slow breaths, we can impact our state of mind and nervous system in the direction we want it to go.
Right Nostril Activates
Left Nostril Calms
Choose which nostril you will breath through based upon your mental and physical state.
If you are tired or experiencing difficulty motivating yourself, place a finger on your left nostril and breath slowly and deeply through the right nostril.
If you are anxious, busy-minded or restless, breath through the left nostril.
Why This Works
I know it may seem too simple to believe, but think about what sits right behind our nose....our brain! By directing the stimulation of a deep breath to a specific side of the brain, we enhance the activation of that hemisphere.
But don't take my word for it, give it a try. Normalizing your energy level and mood will typically quell cravings and help to motivate us in the right direction. So if your body and/or mood is not where you want it to be, use this technique to jump start a shift in the right direction.
