The Pragmatic Yogi

Ancient Chinese Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Today is Chinese New Year 2012, the year of the Dragon. To mark the occasion, I want to share a favorite story with you. This story is from ancient China (the days of Lao Tzu) but the moral is timeless. We often think that yoga and other spiritual pursuits teach us to 'live in the moment' but while it may be wise to avoid grasping to the past or fretting about the future, it is also important to understand that this moment in time is just that... a moment. It is only by understanding that every moment is a single thread in the fabric of our lives that we will achieve serenity in the midst of what may seem to be extreme highs or lows in life.

There was an old man in a village, very poor, but even kings were jealous of him because he had a beautiful white horse. Kings offered fabulous prices for the horse but the man would say, “This horse is not a horse to me, he is a person. And how can you sell a person, a friend?” The man was poor, but he never sold the horse. One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. The whole village gathered and they said, “You foolish old man! We knew that someday the horse would be stolen. It would’ve been better to sell it. What a misfortune!” The old man said, “Don’t go so far as to say that. Simply say that the horse is not in the stable. This is the fact; everything else is a judgement. Whether it is a misfortune or blessing I don’t know, because this is just a fragment. Who knows what is going to follow it?”

People laughed at the old man. They had always known he was a little crazy. But after fifteen days, suddenly one night the horse returned. He had not been stolen, he had escaped into the wild. And not only that, he brought a dozen horses with him. Again the people gathered and they said, “Old man, you were right. This was not a misfortune, it has indeed proved to be a blessing.” The old man said, “Again you are going too far. Just say that the horse is back... who knows whether it is a blessing or not? It is only a fragment. You read a single word in a sentence how can you judge the whole book?” This time the people could not say much, but inside they knew he was wrong. Twelve beautiful horses had come.

The old man had a son who started to train the wold horses. Just a week later he fell from a horse and his legs were broken. The people gathered again and again they judged. They said, “Again you proved right! It was a misfortune. Your only son has lost the use of his legs and in your old age he was your only support. Now you are poorer than ever.” The old many said, “You are obsessed with judgement. Don’t go that far. Say only that my son has broken his legs. Nobody knows whether this is a misfortune or a blessing. Life comes in fragments and more is never given to you.”

It happened that after a few weeks the country went to war and all the young men of the town were forcibly taken for the military. Only the old man’s son was left, because he was crippled. The whole town was crying and weeping, because it was a losing fight and they knew most of the young people would never come back. They came to the old man and said, “You were right, old man - this proved a blessing. Maybe your son is crippled but he is still with you. Our sons are gone forever.” The old man said again, “you go on and on judging. Nobody knows! Only say this, that your sons have been forced to enter the army and my son has not. But only God, the total, knows whether it is a blessing or a misfortune!”

Judith Lasater: A Teachers’ Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite teachers in the yoga world is Judith Hansen Lasater. In fact, the name of this blog is in part inspired by her. The first time I took a class with her, I was amazed by the no-nonsense and down-to-earth way she was able to communicate with each individual in class. She is an innovator and a rule breaker. (Down dog with a rounded spine?!!!) She is the queen of restorative yoga and is an advocate for bringing rest and renewal to the masses. She actually went to PT school to become a better yoga teacher. (How cool is that?!) She wrote an essay for a recent edition of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy in which she boiled down her teaching process into three simple steps:

Step 1: Connect to Myself
It is important to be aware of what is going on inside our own hearts and heads before beginning to teach. You may be feeling excited and happy or you may be feeling tired and irritable. Whatever you feel, just acknowledge it rather than try to “fix it” or change it in any way. Just being aware of your own emotions will allow you to connect to your students more easily.

Step 2: Connect to the Student
Always ask the name of the student, if you don’t already know, whenever answering their question, providing adjustments or giving individual feedback. When a student or client asks a question, consider what might be prompting that question. Rephrase it in your own words to be sure that you fully understand their question.

Step 3: Teach the Asana
Without the connection to yourself and to your student, a lot of the content and meaning of what you teach may be lost. When we teach yoga we teach people so much more than just how to move. Judith states that this approach to teaching has “created a more fertile ground for self-awareness and healing in both the client and myself.”

Judith is a yoga teacher who became a physical therapist. That is why she has an excellent grasp on anatomy and biomechanics. I am a physical therapist who became a yoga teacher. That is why it is easy for me to default to thinking of my students and clients with a one-dimensional, anatomical point of view. It is teachers like Judith who help me to remember that healing is about more than achieving biomechanical milestones. Healing is often about the need to be heard and it's impossible to really hear someone when you are not connected.

What about you? Who or what inspires you to treat the whole patient?

You can read more about Judith, her publications and teacher training schedule at her website,

http://www.judithlasater.com/

Asana Analysis: Flying Warrior Pose

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:27:00 +0000

Fly into the 2012 with this challenging and joyful pose. This is usually called Warrior III but I think it is such a fun pose that it deserves a fun name. The perfect Flying Warrior pose evokes a feeling of stability and power but at the same time should put a smile on your face. This is a challenging pose that requires much strength, flexibility and balance but there are several modifications available that make it accessible to almost any level of fitness. However there is a lot of room for error in this pose. When searching for images for this post, I saw a lot of pictures of people with hyper-extended knees and necks, sagging spines and shifted hips. So make sure to ask a teacher, therapist or experienced yogi friend for feedback about your alignment when working on the Flying Warrior.

Muscles Stretched: The hamstrings, gluteals and gastrocnemius of the standing leg.

Muscles Strengthened: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings and quadriceps of both legs. Gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae, and iliopsoas of the standing leg. Calf muscles and intrinsic foot muscles of the standing leg. Transvesus abdominis, obliques, errector spinae muscles. Deltoids, triceps.

Points of Body Awareness:
*Begin by establishing a strong high lunge pose.
*Pivot the torso forward as the front knee straitens and the rear leg lifts away from the ground.
*If your hamstrings are flexible, your torso and flying leg will be parallel to the floor.
*If your hamstrings are tight, your torso and flying leg will be angled to the floor but should form one continuous line.
*Is the pelvis level? Resist the urge to stack the hips or to shift the pelvis up on the flying side.
*What is the alignment of the standing foot? It should be in a neutral position with the toes pointing strait ahead, outer heel lined up with the pinky toe, the arch of the foot slightly lifted and the weight equally distributed among the ball of the big and little toes and the heel.
*Is the torso long and strait? Are you able to hold a neutral spine position?
*Is the flying leg strait and strong? Make sure that the knee cap points strait down toward the floor.
*The standing leg should also be strait and strong but be sure the the knee is not hyperextending.
*Attempt to hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths.
*When you are ready to come back down, lower the flying leg slowly as you bend the front knee to return to a high lunge pose.
*Step forward to mountain pose and enjoy the sensation of coming back down to earth.

To Modify:
I strongly recommend that when first learning this pose, that you chose an alternate position for the arms rather than the classic overhead position. You can reach the arms out to sides (like an airplane) or reach back with the hands alongside the hips. When the arms are overhead, it is much more difficult to hold a neutral position of the pelvis due to the increased forces through the standing hip. By choosing a modified arm position, you can focus your attention on achieving an ideal alignment of the legs and torso and build up strength, endurance and balance.

For tight hamstrings, the torso will not be parallel to the floor but at an angle. This will allow you to work on strength and balance without over-stretching the hamstring or compensating for tight hamstrings by rounding the back or externally rotating the hips. But the pelvis should still be level, and the flying leg in line with the torso with the knee pointing strait down.

For those who struggle with balance, try placing the fingertips on a wall in front of you, resting the forearms on the back of a chair or pivoting the torso forward only a few degrees, perhaps even keeping the big toe of the back leg in contact with the ground.

PT Notes:
This is an excellent pose for working on higher level pelvic girdle stabilization. It's great for increasing eccentric strength and endurance of the hamstrings and external rotators of the hip and is particularly useful for sports-related injuries such as patella femoral pain syndrome and ITB syndrome.

Use caution for those with significantly impaired balance and with muscle or tendon injuries that have not fully healed.

Images from Yoga.com and abc-of-Yoga.com.

For more detail here's a nice video clip from Yogaglo.com that shows how to do the pose:

Light the Yule Log

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000

I recently spent a few days in Stockholm, Sweden and gained a whole new appreciation for why we have deep seated customs involving food and light at this time of year. Unless you live near the equator, the short days of December are quite noticeable. But the darkness in Scandinavia is something else. The sun sets in Stockholm at about 2:30 in the afternoon this time of year. I spent 3 nights there and it was truly disorienting to be in the dark at such an early hour. The biological drive to eat comfort food and go to bed early was very strong. And Stockholm is in the south of the country. I can't imagine how strange it would feel to spend a winter in northern Sweden.

The pagan holiday of Yule, which has morphed into Christmas, "was an indigenous midwinter (winter solstice) festival celebrated by the pagan Scandinavian and other Germanic people." The ancient celebrations included burning the Yule log and feasting on a wild boar. (Ah, so that's where the traditional Christmas ham comes from.) The Scandinavians still wish one another "God Jul" or Good Yuletide this time of year instead of "Merry Christmas." Sweden also celebrates a lovely holiday on December 13th called St. Lucia's Day in which the eldest daughther of the family wears a crown of candles and serves traditional buns and coffee to her family.

Wishing you lots of love and light on this darkest day of the year!

The Practice of Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It is easy to be thankful when we sit around a table filled with our favorite comfort foods, surrounded by our beloved friends and family. It's not always so easy to practice gratitude the other 364 days of the year. But with practice, we will recognize that we have something to be grateful for everyday. Practice gratitude everyday and remember:

It is about more than just expressing words:
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

That we should practice gratitude even when life is hard:
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~Native American Saying

That it will shape our character and strengthen our moral fiber:
Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. ~Aesop

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Pose: Down Dog Prep Pose

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:37:00 +0000

This is not a classic pose but a therapeutic posture created by Ginger Garner of Professional Yoga therapy. This pose is great for beginners as well as experienced yogis to practice postural awareness and improve core strength. This pose is best done with a teacher or partner who can observe and give you feedback about your spinal alignment because even the most experienced yogis are often not fully aware of subtle shifts in posture. You can use a mirror for gauging your own alignment but this is limited because you can not observe your posture from different angles and because turning your head to look in the mirror may affect your alignment.

Muscles Strengthened: Serratus anterior, pectorals, triceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, transverse abdominus, errector spinae (including lumbar multifidi)

Points of Body Awareness:
*Is the spine in neutral position: small inner curve in the the small of the back, small outer curve between the shoulder blades, small inner curve at neck?
*Before lifting the knees, be sure the the hands and knees are in optimal alignment:
- The shoulders are aligned directly above the wrists.
- Elbows are strait but not locked out.
- Fingers actively spread, with the index finger pointing strait ahead.
- Hips are aligned directly above the knees.
- The toes are curled under, preparing to take weight onto the balls of the feet.

*Exhale and draw the navel in toward your spine to activate the transverse abdominis muscle. Inhale and maintain that activation. Exhale and lift the knees one inch off the mat.
*Is your spine still in neutral position after you lift the knees? Most people will lose the inward curve of the lumbar spine (lordosis). Many will also increase the curvature of the middle spine (thoracic kyphosis). Some people will collapse more in the middle spine.
*Can you hold neutral spine position with the knees hovering one inch off the mat for at least 3 deep, slow breaths? (TATD breath cycles)

To Challenge:
*Once you’ve mastered the ability move into the pose and hold neutral spine, work on endurance by holding longer and longer. Progress to 5 breath cycles, all the way up to 10 or even 15.
*Release any unnecessary tension especially gripping in the neck, jaw, or gluteal muscles.
*Once you feel confident with static stabilization, try adding some semi-dynamic work. One way to do this is to learn to transition to a bent-knee down dog without losing neutral spine position.
* Another way to work on semi-dynamic stability is to try isolating scapular protraction and retraction while maintaining neutral spine.
*You can also try doing pelvic tilts with the knees hovering while maintaining stability in the cervical/thoracic spine.

PT Notes:
This is a great exercise for balancing co-contraction of core muscle groups. It is also a good pose to use for assessment of how the muscles are functioning. If the superficial abdominals are overpowering the spinal extensors, you will see a loss of lordosis. This will happen to most people when they first try the pose but they should be able to correct this with minimal cueing. If they can not correct it, it might be an indication of weakness of the spinal extensors or an inability to inhibit the rectus abdominus.

If you observe loss of the normal kyphosis, this may also be due to weakness of the spinal extensors as well as weakness or inhibition of serratus anterior. Excessive tension in the neck and shoulders might be due to a pattern of accessory muscle breathing and a lack of diaphragmatic breathing.

Down Dog Prep Pose is safe for most people but is obviously be contraindicated for those with acute injuries of the spine and extremities or during exacerbation of chronic injuries.

Cultivating a Calm Mind in Rough Waters

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:30:00 +0000

“Peace comes from within” -Buddha

Yesterday I was invited to a special stand-up paddleboard (SUP) yoga class. CNN is doing a story on this latest yoga phenomenon so they contacted my teacher, Leigh Claxton. She agreed to teach a class to be filmed for their story and wanted students with a range of experience, age and gender to represent a typical class.

As I walked to class, I wondered how distracted I might be with the presence of a big camera and news crew around. It turns out that the camera and crew were the least significant distraction. When I arrived at class, the beach was empty but the wind was blowing. When we got on our boards to warm up with some paddling, the wind immediately blew us across the cove and the current threatened to suck us out to the bay. So we quickly anchored in the most protected part of the cove. But for a few of us, the anchors were not very effective so we kept drifting away slowly then had to make a mad dash and paddle back to class.

The camera crew was late and when they arrived they asked Leigh to come back to shore so they could set her up with a microphone. To my surprise, she asked me to take over teaching the class. On one hand, I was flattered and happy for the opportunity but on the other hand, I thought... “oh my gosh, I have never taught this before and I have no idea what I’m doing!!!” To make it even more of a challenge, my anchor was effectively useless at the time so as I was trying to teach on the fly... I was literally flying around on my board. I had to keep paddling back toward the class while thinking of things to teach that wouldn’t make anyone fall in. Yikes!

For the record, teaching a SUP yoga class is very different from teaching a regular yoga class. Not only are the poses sometimes completely reversed in the level of difficulty (lunges are difficult, upward facing wheel is easier than usual), but it’s impossible to use your normal, soothing "yoga voice," it’s impossible to make adjustments or provide manual cues, and it’s almost impossible to provide individual feedback.

At some point during class I was lying face down on the board feeling slightly disoriented from watching the rippled surface of the water moving underneath me at an impressive velocity. By the end of the class, my clothes were damp. My hair kept blowing into my eyes. The wind howled as it blew through the masts of the sailboats in the adjacent marina.

But despite the physical and mental discomfort of the day, I truly enjoyed the experience. In fact, I think it might have been the most yogic experience I’ve had so far during a SUP yoga class. It’s easy to relax and and find peace of mind when the sun is shines its warmth upon your face and you hear the water gently lapping all around. But yesterday’s class was a perfect opportunity for practicing pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) and dharana (concentration). And those are yoga skills we all need to practice off the mat.

Our Fabulous Fascia

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:46:00 +0000

Fascia is perhaps the least understood and appreciated tissue in the body. But healthy, well-functioning fascia is critical for normal function of our musculoskeletal systems. Patrick Ward, athletic conditioning specialist and massage therapist, wrote a nice article about the anatomy and function of the thoracolumbar fascia. What is truly fascinating to me is the fact that there are cells in fascia that are similar to smooth muscle cells and are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. As Patrick points out in his article, breathing and relaxation are key elements of keeping our fascia in a healthy state. He states, “Respiratory function is one aspect of the autonomic nervous system that we actually have direct control over. We can change our breathing and help to elicit a parasympathetic response to allow for greater relaxation and potentially less overall tissue tone/tension.”

I often refer to the thoracolumbar fascia while teaching. I most often talk about it when students are in Child’s Pose. In this posture the thoracolumbar fascia is stretched and it’s a bit easier to feel. Try to do the following exercise to practice mobilizing your own thoracolumbar fascia:

*In Child’s Pose, become aware of the back body.
*Visualize the thoracolumbar fascia, which is a thick sheet of connective tissue
that connects the back of the pelvis to the back of the ribcage.
*Inhale and feel the fascia stretch.
*Exhale and feel it release.
*Inhale, the back body expands and the fascia stretches.
*Exhale, the fascia releases as it slides between the between the skin and muscles.
*With each exhalation, feel it release more and more.
*Repeat for at least 10 breath cycles.

Asana Analysis: Seated Straddle/Upavistha Konasana

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:48:00 +0000

This pose is one that is commonly seen in yoga classes as well as on athletic fields. But as popular as it is, it’s one that is actually quite difficult to do properly. Most people have tight hamstrings, let alone adductors (inner thigh muscles) so it’s hard for most people to even get into a good starting position for this pose. But with proper instruction, appropriate modifications and adequate support seated straddle pose can be a great way to improve flexibility and prevent groin strains.

Muscles Stretched: adductor longus, adductor magnus, adductor brevis, gracilis, pectineus, hamstrings (especially semitendinosus and semimembranosis)

Muscles Strengthened: quadriceps, anterior tibialis, errector spinae of the lumbar spine, transversus abdominus

Points of Body Awareness:
*Make sure the toes and knee caps are pointing strait up toward the ceiling.
*Energize the legs by pressing the back of the knees down into the floor and flexing the ankles so the toes pull back towards the knees.
*Do not slouch. Do not bear weight on your tailbone. Roll your pelvis forward so the weight of your torso rests on the front of your sit bones.
*Are you in a neutral spine position? Is there a small, inward curve in the small of your back? Do you sense your spine lengthening up and out of your pelvis?
*Only once you have established this length, should you begin to fold forward.
*Start your forward fold from the lower belly in order to maintain some length in the lumbar spine.
*As you fold deeper into the pose your spine may begin to round a bit but make sure that you are not at the end of your range and that your weight has not rolled back onto the tailbone.
*Keep the navel gently lifting toward the spine. This will engage your transversus abdominius and support the lower back.
*Are your legs still grounded? Are the knee caps and toes still pointed up to the ceiling or have they rolled in or out?
*Feel your ribs lifting and spreading with each inhalation and releasing and returning to center with each exhalation.
*Hold for 5-10 slow, steady breaths.

To Modify:
If you are unable to sit up strait and find the inward curve of the lumbar spine, sit up on folded blankets or a bolster. If your hamstrings or inner thighs still feel so tight that you can’t get into the pose with proper posture, try to narrow the width of the legs a bit and/or bend the knees.

For many people the forward fold part of this pose is not necessary. Sometimes just sitting up strait is a more appropriate focus of upavistha konasana. Place the hands behind you on the floor or on blocks instead of in front. Use your arms to support the effort to lengthen the spine.

Other times a restorative or yin version of seated straddle pose is a more effective way to release tension and achieve the calming benefits of this pose. Fold forward onto a prop that can support your torso.
There are many ways to do this and the props will vary according to your flexibility. For a lot of support, use a Swiss Ball or the seat of a chair. For less support, use a combination of bolsters and blankets. Or you can rest your forehead on a block or blocks. Your back may be somewhat rounded with this variation but make sure that your weight is shifted forward, onto the front of your sitting bones (ischial tuberosities) rather than slumping back toward your tailbone.

To Challenge:
The traditional version of upavistha konasana involves grasping the big toes and bringing the chin and chest to the floor. This takes years of practice for most people so don’t attempt to work toward this end without the guidance of an experienced teacher.

A less risky variation is a core strength version of seated straddle. First lengthen up out of the pelvis, find neutral spine position then reach arms overhead. Keep spine long as you pivot forward from the hips. Your torso will start at 90 degrees to the legs and then tilt forward 10 to 30 degrees, depending on your strength and flexibility. This will only work if your back is strait and not at all rounded. It can be done sitting up on props. Hold for about 5 breath cycles.

PT Notes:
Seated Straddle is contraindicated for anyone with HNP, adductor strains or pelvic injuries. This pose could aggravate SIJ problems but variations of the pose can be therapeutic if done properly.

This is not a pose I teach often but it is a good pose to teach to certain groups.
*It is important for those with regular asana practice to learn to do properly, given it’s potential to cause or aggravate common injuries. This is especially important for those super-flexible and/or hypermobile yogis.
*It is good for athletes. This stretch is often part of stretching routines done pre- or post- workouts. Adductor strains are a common injury in many sports so it is important to keep the adductors flexible. This pose is not the only stretch athletes should do to prevent groin strains but it is one that can be beneficial when done properly.
*Those with adductor spasticity, from diagnoses including cerebral palsy and stroke might benefit from this pose. Given enough support, this pose can help to maintain or possibly even improve ROM of the hips. A more restorative or yin version may be more effective due to the prolonged holds and increased relaxation. Or theoretically a more active version could be more effective if the client’s spasticity responds to reciprocal inhibition.

Opening image comes from My Yoga Online.

The upright modification image is from Practice Notes.

The image of a restorative version is from Do Restorative Yoga.

All three websites provide good content on upavistha konasana so check them out!

PT for Mothers-To-Be

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:21:00 +0000

All physical therapists (PTs) should have some basic knowledge about women’s health including how to address general musculoskeletal complaints of pregnant women. But some physical therapists are experts in women’s health and are certified as clinical specialists in this area by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). In order to become certified they must pass an exam after having completed a clinical residency or 2000 hours of work in women’s health. PTs who are certified in women’s health have skills that most PTs do not. One of these skills is the ability to evaluate and directly treat the pelvic floor.

Much of women’s health is focused on urinary stress incontinence because this a problem that has been shown to respond extremely well to physical therapy treatment. Stress incontinence often develops during late pregnancy or after birth. PTs can use biofeedback to help patients remember how to use their pelvic floor muscles and can give them specific exercises to to improve strength and endurance of those muscles.

But women’s health PTs can help pre- and postnatal patients in many other ways too. If women have pain during pregnancy, PTs can evaluate the source of the pain and may be able to perform techniques such as myofascial stretching and trigger point release that help relieve the pain. They can use gentle techniques to restore pelvic alignment and they can teach patients effective body mechanics to minimize her symptoms. They can also treat postnatal problems such as pudendal nerve injury, incontinence, pelvic pain caused by scar tissue and back pain related to diastasis recti. San Francisco PT, Liz Miracle specializes in pre- and postnatal patients in San Francisco. She states that yoga and aquatic exercise are the most effective forms of exercise to complement the teaching and hands-on work she does in the clinic.

Some women’s health specialists, like Ms. Miracle, run cash-only clinics but physical therapy may be covered by insurance if your doctor refers you for evaluation and treatment of a specific problem. Unfortunately, many doctors are either not aware of the benefits of physical therapy for pregnant women or do not think it is necessary. There is often an attitude of, “You’re pregnant and so it’s normal to have aches and pains. You’ll feel better after your delivery.” Sadly this is an attitude that is all too common in the medical community as well as the general public.

Women’s health physical therapists also offer prevention strategies that minimize or completely prevent problems during pregnancy and childbirth. They can make sure that women are doing pelvic floor strengthening in an appropriate and effective way. This has been shown to decrease the incidence of incontinence.1 They can also teach women to do perineal stretching which has been shown to decrease tearing during childbirth.2 Unfortunately these services must be paid for out of pocket. Although it would likely save health care dollars in the long run, insurance does not support such preventative services.

Women who are interested in working with a PT certified in women’s health can find someone in their area by going to the APTA’s “Find a PT”. Ms. Miracle stresses that pregnant or post-partum women should look for a therapist that has training and experience with techniques such as myofascial release and skin rolling and also that they have a strong background in orthopedics in addition to competence in pelvic floor evaluation and treatment.

References:
1 Pelvic floor muscle training for prevention and treatment of urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Hay-Smith J.; Mørkved S.; Fairbrother K.A.; Herbison G.P.;Editorial Group: Cochrane Incontinence GroupPublished Online: 21 JAN 2009.

2 Preventing Perineal Trauma During Childbirth: A Systematic Review. Eason, E.; Labrecque, M.; Wells, G.; Feldman, P.; Obstetrics & Gynecology: February 2003 - Volume 101 - Issue 2 - p 313-319

Happy National Coffee Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Coffee often gets a bad rap for it's ability to rev us up and get us addicted to its magical powers of taste, aroma and energy enhancement. While it's true that it can be addictive, it can contribute to restless and insomnia and it is known to aggravate gastrointestinal problems, there are also many proven benefits of consumption of a daily cuppa joe:

*Decreased risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia
*Decreased risk of gallstones
*Decreased risk for Parkinson's disease
*Improved cognitive function
*Decreased risk of Type II Diabetes
*Protection the liver, heart and blood vessels
*Decreased risk of some cancers including oral and esophageal
*Helps keep us 'regular'
*Cavity prevention
*Reduced risk for gout

And the latest news, according to a report in the September 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, coffee consumption has been linked to a decreased risk of depression in women.

I admit it, I used to be addicted to the stuff and so I gave it up for a while. After many months of coffee free days, I now enjoy it more than ever. My new rules for consumption:
1) Never drink it first thing in the morning. Now I always have a cup of herbal tea when I first wake up and save the coffee as a mid-morning treat.
2) Never drink it every day. Daily = habit.
3) Only drink the good stuff.
4) Never imbibe after 2pm.

So that is how I practice brahmacharya/moderation when it comes to consuming this magical elixir. What is your take on coffee consumption? Do you abstain? Are you addicted? How does coffee fit into a yogic lifestyle?

Sources:
Wikipedia
Science Daily

Yoga for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:36:00 +0000

If you are a regular reader of Pragmatic Yogi, you’ve no doubt noticed that the frequency of my posts declined quite a bit over the summer. One of the reasons I wasn’t focused on my blog was that much of my attention was on prenatal yoga. I took a week-long course called "Teaching Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond” which was followed by two months of independent reading, writing, teaching and research required to complete the certification for the course. As a result, I have lots of information that I will pass along in the next few weeks.

For example, here are three ways a yoga teacher might modify poses for a pregnant student who came to a regular class:
1. Use cow pose (spinal extension in hands/knees position) in place of cobra/mini-cobra. This allows a pregnant woman to do a backbend without lying on her stomach.
2. Pregnant women, at any stage of their pregnancies, should not do parivrtta parsvakonasana or side angle twist (pictured on the left below). Instead, do an open variation by placing the same side elbow on front thigh and reaching the top arm up and back (below right). This is a mild twist that keeps the abdomen and and front torso open.

3. When the baby gets big enough (usually not until the 3rd trimester), they have the potential to compress the vena cava, the largest vein in the torso. This would cause her to feel breathless or dizzy. So when women get to the point of feeling uncomfortable lying on their backs, they can do side-lying savasana (opening image) or Queen's Pose instead of traditional savasana.

"Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond" also covered yoga for women who are not pregnant but may need extra care at other times in life. Here are some ways to adapt a regular yoga practice during menstruation:
1. Generally decrease intensity. For example, instead of plank->chaturanga/hover->updog sequence during sun salutations, do a more gentle sequence of hands/knees->8-point posen(chest down)->mini cobra.
2. Do viparita karani (legs-on-wall pose) instead of any other inversions (headstand, shoulderstand, forearm balance, etc.) to avoid retrograde blood flow into pelvic cavity and to encourage the downward flow of apana,.
3. Try face-down savasana instead of supine savasana. This may facilitate deeper relaxation help relieve cramping.

And speaking of women’s health did you know that Oprah.com recently published an in-depth article called ‘Physical Therapy for Your Lady Parts’? It states, "Women's heath physical therapists (WHPT) are often the problem solvers that gynecologists, obstetricians, urologists and other doctors call when confronted with a gender-specific medical mystery, like discomfort during sex, after childbirth or while going to the bathroom."

More about pre- and postnatal physical therapy next time!

Photo of side angle variation from Laurence Turner's Pregnancy Yoga.
Photo of side angle twist from J.Crew.

Asana Analysis: Queen's Pose

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:58:00 +0000

This is a restorative pose that I learned during my prenatal teacher training and it is one that is a very popular way to finish a prenatal class but you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy it. This pose is similar to Reclined Bound Angle but is more supportive and relaxing.

Muscles Stretched: No muscles should be stretched in this pose. Because pregnant women have large amounts of a hormone called relaxin, they are already naturally flexible so stretching is not usually a goal in prenatal yoga.

Points of Body Awareness:
*Be sure that you feel completely supported by your props. You should not feel any stretching or pulling in the shoulders, neck, inner thighs or anywhere else.
*Your hands can be resting on your belly or on blocks or cushions along your sides.
*Allow the belly to relax completely. If you are pregnant, this is a good time to be aware of your baby and your connection to him or her. If you are not pregnant just enjoy the sensation of your belly rising and falling with the breath.
*Stay in this pose for as long as you like. Ideally, you can spend at least 10 minutes here for the benefits of deep relaxation.

To Modify: This pose requires a lot of props so be creative with what you have. Wrapping a blanket around the tops of the feet, as pictured above, provides a surprising amount of support to the legs. You may not even need extra support under the thighs.

PT Notes: The torso is supported upright at an angle of 30-45 degrees. This prevents vena cava compression in women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters. It is also a good option for others who do not tolerate lying flat including those with vestibular problems, hiatal hernias or congestive heart failure. It is also an ideal pose to practice when fighting a cold or experiencing nasal or sinus congestion.

See Reclined Bound Angle for notes about using this posture for those with adductor strain or pelvic floor dysfunction.

Go for the Flow!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) yoga is the latest craze sweeping the country. I have the good fortune to live in Sausalito, CA where Sea Treks offers 3 classes a week. I tried it last week and I have to say that there is good reason for its popularity. It is FUN! Yoga purists will surely dismiss it as yet another way we’ve exploited the sacred form of yoga. But I say, go out and give it a try! (Provided you are injury-free and don’t have a strong aversion to water)

My experience showed me how SUP yoga provides unique benefits that traditional yoga can not offer. This particular form of yoga is great for improving balance. One aspect of balance is the ability to react effectively to an unpredicted perturbation. In other words, to be able to catch ourselves when we least expect it. In traditional yoga, we practice balance by decreasing our base of support, for example standing on one leg. Or sometimes we go upside down which might challenge our visual-vestibular system. But we are still on stable ground. It may be difficult but there is nothing unpredictable about it. The paddleboards used for yoga are actually very stable but they are in constant motion, which requires a higher level of proprioception in order to stay centered.

SUP yoga is an excellent core strengthening workout. The pointer dog pose (opposite arm and leg reach) was never so challenging. I was also amazed at how difficult standing lunges were, especially the transitions in and out. But oddly enough, upward-facing wheel never felt so good! Backbends are usually easy for me but often they don’t feel so good. I think that being on the paddleboard automatically ‘woke up’ the deep, stabilizing muscles in my spine and around my shoulders and helped me to do the pose without a bit of pain. My technical, physical therapist explanation is that the unstable surface helped to facilitate co-contraction which created better stability around my joints.

During my first class I noticed that sensation was enhanced. I noticed in the beginning of the class that I was very aware of the sensation of my feet on the board. I was also aware of feeling the breeze on my face and the sounds and scents all around. I have a teacher who is both a yoga teacher and an ayurvedic practitioner and she recently encouraged me to cultivate more apana vayu into my practice. Because I tend toward a hyper-flexible body and and hyperactive mind, her advice was to bring a more solid and grounded quality to my asana practice. It may seem counter-intuitive that I actually felt more grounded while standing on a wobbly board but I did. I think it had a lot to do with all of that increased proprioception which made me especially aware of my feet on the board.

And finally, probably the biggest reason that I appreciate this new craze of doing yoga on a paddleboard is that it hooked my husband! My husband, who sits at a desk all day, really needs yoga. I can sometimes drag him into a class or prod him into a session at home but after our first SUP yoga class, he took the initiative to sign us up for weekly classes. I’m sure that there are a lot of others out there, who are like my husband. People who have nothing against yoga and know that it’s good for them but don’t have a spark lit until they have a yoga experience that is outdoors, on the water, and with toys! SUP yoga is not a replacement for a traditional yoga practice at home or in a studio but it certainly can be a wonderful addition.

Read more about SUP Yoga in your area:
Key West
Seattle
Los Angeles
Sydney
Chattanooga

The Invisible Skeleton

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:19:00 +0000

Healing = Response to stress begins to normalize. Return of normal mechanisms of handling stress, like trabeculae in bone.

I came across this definition of healing while I was taking a course in Musculoskeletal Imaging this summer. I thought it was quite an interesting definition. It is an explanation that could be interpreted on a purely mechanical level. Trabeculae are little fibers of bone (or beams, according to the literal Latin translation) that can be seen on x-rays. They are the result of Wolff’s Law or the normal response of osteoblasts (bone-making cells) to mechanical stimulation such as weight-bearing or muscle tension.

But this definition can also be very important on a psychosocial or spiritual level. We can’t really visualize stress management skills or coping strategies but surely they are just as important for human health. If we don't have adequate emotional trabeculae or psychological beams to handle stress, we can be ‘broken’ by a spiritual crisis or a flare-up of a mental illness or a lack of social support. We say that people can “snap.” We say this when they are overwhelmed by stress and as a result do things like neglect personal health and hygiene or lose their tempers over little things or commit senseless acts of violence. Snap is also the sound a bone makes when it breaks. Snap is what happens when our mechanisms of handling stress, any kind of stress, are not adequate.

Physical therapists know all about how bones heal. But how often do we think about the invisible threads of healing? Sometimes a broken bone is just a broken bone. But sometimes broken bones come with emotional trauma or other stressors. Sometimes our patients might be slow to heal because their mechanisms for handling psychological, emotional or spiritual stresses are impaired and they simply don't have the energy to heal on a physical level. And now there is evidence* that cultivating such energy through a disciplined practice of breathing, meditation and chanting can actually help fractures to heal more quickly.

Yoga can help our patients cope with all the different types of stresses. By yoga, I certainly don’t mean send your patient with a delayed union fracture to the local yoga studio for a vinyasa classs. But I do mean help guide your patients to seek healing on whatever level they need. Maybe that means meditation or counseling. Perhaps they need a social outlet or cultivation of a new hobby. Combining physical therapy and yoga means helping patients to heal their bodies as well as strengthening their invisible skeletons.

*The effect of add-on yogic prana energization technique (YPET) on healing of fresh fractures: a randomized control study.Oswal P, Nagarathna R, Ebnezar J, Nagendra HR. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Mar;17(3):253-8. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

Image from National University of Singapore

Pride

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:46:00 +0000

“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”~Bible (Proverbs)

When I was a little girl in Catholic school, I never understood why pride was a sin. Not only were we instructed that it was a sin, but one of the Seven Deadly Sins! But at the same time, we encouraged to be proud of ourselves, our school and our country. I never understood this discrepancy and eventually just settled on the conclusion that pride wasn’t really a sin and the writers of the bible somehow got it wrong. It was a very different time and place when the bible was written after all.

On September 11, 2001 I was in Washington D.C. and it was the first time in my life that I felt truly threatened. The reality of imminent danger and friends dying was soul wrenching. I kept thinking, this must be what so much of the world feels like every day of their lives. They grow up with this sense on insecurity and danger. In the midst of all those thoughts, there was a very distinct moment when all the childhood religious lessons that I never understood suddenly made perfect sense. Yes, of course pride can be a sin.

Having a healthy dose of self-esteem is not a sin, nor is rooting for the home team. Pride in itself is not sinful but it becomes sinful when left unchecked by humility. The Catholic Church considers the Seven Deadly Sins to be capital sins, meaning that they are not necessarily major (mortal) or minor (venial) but that they are the root of all major and minor sins. So pride could become a minor sin if we insult a neighbor because of our bragging about a fancy new car. National pride becomes a mortal sin when it leads to violence, including war.

Dante's definition of pride was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbor." Sadly, since 9/11, there are some Americans who now openly show contempt for all Muslims, brown people or white people who dare to question America’s complicity in others’ disdain for us. These Americans are an embarrassment to me and probably anyone else who would bother to read this blog. But are we then not heading down that same path of having contempt for our neighbors? We may know that our attitudes are more loving and enlightened but we should pause before we assume that we are better than them. It’s not to say that we should let racist and xenophobic behavior go unchallenged but without humility in our own hearts, we are participants in an endless cycle of sinful pride.

Weather we have contempt in our hearts for racists or terrorists, recognizing that contempt is good jumping off point for the practice of loving your enemy. Loving an enemy is a lot easier said than done. But if you call yourself a Christian or if you consider yourself a spiritual person, it is a practice that we can not ignore. Where does the inability to love an enemy come from? I’m pretty sure it comes from pride.

This weekend when we feel pride, let it be the kind of pride that engenders gratitude. We might be grateful for friends and neighbors who came together to help one another. We should be proud that we live in a country where most of us still believe in “liberty and justice for all.” Let there be pride that we as human beings are ultimately good, caring and loving. And let us be humble with the knowledge that there are still so many suffering, in this county and on this planet.

Image from The Situationist. Check out the link for another take on pride from a psychologist's point of view.

Voluntouring

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:48:00 +0000

If you are keen on combining the adventure of foreign travel with the rewards of volunteerism, you might be interested in my friend’s new company, Always Outbound. According to Subir, the founder of the company, "Voluntouring makes it possible for people to travel in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. It is a simple idea with a profound impact on the places, communities and cultures you travel to." The next trip is in October to Andaman and Nicobar islands off the coast of Southeast India. Sounds amazing! If you have the chance to go, let me (and PY readers) know all about it.

If you are a physical therapist or other health care provider, another way to be of service in a foreign land is to volunteer with Health Volunteers Oversees (HVO). I went to Peru in 2006 and spent two weeks providing continuing education to physical therapists in Lima. I taught them all I know about exercise and aging, aquatic therapy and of course yoga therapy! And they taught me plenty of things too. (For example, if you are in a pinch to alleviate or prevent pressure sores on heels but don’t have the designated equipment on hand, a water-filled surgical glove can suffice.) HVO is a great organization that practices the "teach a man to fish" philosophy over "giving fish."

There really is no better way to get to know a country than by volunteering with its people.

Vacation Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:39:00 +0000

I spent a few days last week at the Chautauqua Institute and although I never made it to a yoga class, it certainly was a body/mind/spirit experience. Here’s a brief breakdown of some of the joys I encountered there:

Body: Walking and running around the beautiful grounds
The rush of adrenaline from a windy day of sailing
The sweat worked up from paddling a kayak
Bittersweet sensations of a chocolate tasting class

Mind: A morning lecture on the history, culture and politics of Iran
An evening with Dan Brown and his take on the coexistence of science and religion

Spirit: An interfaith service, combining Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
(Including a stunningly beautiful recitation of the Lord’s Prayer sung in Aramaic, Jesus’ language)
A meditative walk in the labrynth
Music that was always wafting through the air
Easy access to the Nature all around

Here are the words of a beautiful hymn that was sung during the interfaith service:
See not in distant, ancient hills the promised holy land
but where you live do what God wills and find it close to hand.

A single heaven wraps around this whirling, watered stone,
and ev’ry place is sacred ground where God is loved and known.

To climb the templed, footworn peak where pilgrims long have trod,
unlock the bolted soul and seek the present, living God.

In spirit and in truth you’ll find what human thought can’t frame:
the source of breath and pulse and mind, the primal watered flame.

If you ever get the chance to spend a few weeks, a few days, even one evening at the Chautauqua Institute, I highly recommend it. You’ll see what a unique, enriching and relaxing place it is.

Turning Shoulder Rehab on It’s Head

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +0000

A study published in 2006 in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy
showed that performing sirsasana or a yoga-style headstand improved range of motion and decreased pain in patients with a rotator cuff injury. The study was small, only 10 patients. There was no control group, there was an inherent selection bias and the data analysis was unsophisticated. However it is a fascinating paper and provides some evidence that headstand, as taught in the Iyengar tradition of yoga, can indeed result in improvement of the symptoms of rotator cuff tear.

All patients had full or partial thickness tears of thesupraspinatus, as confirmed by MRI. Some patients had additional pathology including teres minor atrophy, bursitis or labral tears. The average age of the subjects was 56 with a range of 42 to 81 years old. The average onset of symptoms was 27 months prior with a range of 1 to 120 months. All patients were instructed in a modified version of headstand with legs on a chair. Two subjects who had some experience with yoga eventually progressed to a fully upright headstand during the 6 week course of the study. The headstand was held for 30 seconds and repeated daily for 6 weeks.

Results:
*7/10 patients increased overhead active range of motion by at least 75%. (Two subjects started with normal ROM and little to
no pain. Their results were unchanged.)

*There was no significant change of internal rotation ROM.

*Pain levels were reduced 75%.

*Two years after the study, 8/10 patients had not had surgery. (The other two subjects were lost to follow-up so it is unknown whether or not they had surgery).

In an effort to understand the mechanics of this substantial improvement, a single subject study was done using EMG findings during headstand. The authors concluded that during the final phase of headstand in which the subjects were instructed to “widen and raise your shoulders further from the floor,” the activity of the anterior and lateral deltoid as well as the subscapularis increased substantially. The rhomboid major also increased slightly. Interestingly there was no change in the activity of the serratus anterior which I would have expected given this final aspect of headstand looks and feels like protraction. The subscapularis somehow automatically compensates for the supraspinatus in its action as a humeral head depressor (well, in this case elevator). This neuromuscular re-education occurs without any tactile or complex verbal cues. And it seems to have an automatic and lasting effect.

So is headstand the cure for rotator cuff tears? Can this one simple yoga posture eradicate the need for surgical repairs? Well, that is unlikely, but it would appear that it is an excellent option for improving glenohumeral mechanics and scapula stabilization. A few points of caution: inversions such as headstands are contraindicated for those with glaucoma, detached retina, orthostatic hypotension and any other condition exacerbated by positioning the head below the heart. In addition, patients with significant cervical pathology should not bear weight on the head.

Most physical therapists are not qualified to teach advanced yoga postures but I would encourage all PTs, especially those in outpatient orthopedics, to consider getting additional training in instructing asana. Not only is it useful for treating our patients but it’s also helpful to understand what patients may be doing in a community-based yoga class. Some patients get hurt in yoga classes. Others often want to try yoga as part of their rehabilitation. If you are a PT but are more comfortable referring your patient to a yoga teacher, make sure to find one who is well qualified. An Iyengar-certified teacher will most likely be a good choice but otherwise find someone who has at least a 200-hour certification validated by the Yoga Alliance, with specific training in yoga therapy.

So what do you think? Would you be willing to consider using headstand as a
treatment for rotator cuff tear? Would you be inclined to teach it yourself or
would you prefer to team up with a local yoga teacher? Have you ever used any
other yoga postures to treat a patient with an injured shoulder?

Reference:
Fishman, LM., Konnoth, C., Polesin, A. “Headstand for Rotator Cuff Tear:
Shirshasana or Surgery.” International Journal of Yoga Therapy. No. 16 (2006): 39-47.

Beware of Butt Gripping!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:17:00 +0000

Here's an interesting read from the Pelvic Floor Guruess, Leslie Howard. The article has some interesting descriptions of mula bandha from ancient yoga texts and Leslie makes her point with candor and ease. She asserts that ancient yoga practice could be causing pelvic problems and warns that mula bandha may be more trouble than its worth. I agree with her point that it can be very difficult to teach proper action of the pelvic floor in a regular yoga class setting but I also think it is important for yoga teachers to talk about the perineum and its association with our well being. Tell me what you think!

Could an ancient yoga practice be causing pelvic problems?

Related posts: A Healthy Pelvis and A Pain in the Pelvis

Photo from lululemon.com

And a Wii Bit of Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Last time I wrote about the pros and cons of WiiFit Yoga. I wore my yoga student and teacher hats but today I don my physical therapist hat. As a PT I felt compelled to experiment with WiiFit's Balance Games, just to see how they might be used by patients either during or after rehabilitation.

I first tried out Snowboard Slalom which required fast-paced anterior/posterior weight shifting. At first I performed horribly until I realized that the required change in center of gravity is much smaller than actual snowboarding. You have to keep your hips centered while shifting from toes to heels. Once I got this, I set the household record! This particular game wouldn’t go far enough to train high-level patients to actually return to snowboarding which requires a much greater level of balance, core strength, and endurance however I think it could be a great game for some older adults to practice balance. As we age, we tend to balance ourselves more and more proximally. In other words, we make fewer adjustments at the ankles and more by throwing our hips or torsos forward or back. This is associated with delayed responses and greater risk for falls. Snowboard Slalom might be a fun way for older adults with mild impairments to improve their ankle strategy for balance.

I also played Balance Bubble, a game in which you guide a bubble down a narrow river by walking in place on the balance board. It required weight-shifting in multiple directions, responding to random disturbances such as bees flying nearby threatening to burst your bubble and required alterations in pace and speed. It was a lot of fun but maddening because it couldn’t get past the fork in the river. One major drawback of this game and others is that they are quite challenging and can not be adjusted to accommodate a lower level of reaction and timing. So patients who have more significant impairments may simply get frustrated by the games especially when their avatar hangs his head after the score is produced.

Lotus Focus is an interesting game. You actually sit on the board and the object is to be still for as long as possible. I think the upper limit was only about 3 minutes. While that amount of time is nothing for experienced meditators, I was impressed that my 8 year old niece was able to do it. Never too early to learn stillness! Lotus Focus could possibly be useful for those with impaired sitting balance however it is unlikely that someone with that impairment would be able to sit on the floor. It would either require a lot of assistance to make the transfer or they would be too tight in the legs to sit comfortably or likely both. I don’t know if it is possible to elevate the balance board onto a bench but if it is, Lotus Focus could be a great way for people to practice sitting balance.

Overall, I think WiiFit balance has very limited application for physical therapy. I do think it is a fun way to motivate those without impairments to maintain balance however, those with impairments are likely to under-perform on these games resulting in frustration, diminished self-esteem and lack of motivation. Fortunately there are therapists out there who have gotten in the game-design business. I was recently on a focus panel for a company who is in the midst of developing games that can be used by PTs, OTs and speech therapists.

What is your experience with using video games in rehab, either as a patient or as a therapist? If you've never used it, is it something you would be interested in? What other ways do you think we can incorporate technology into therapy sessions?

A Wii Bit of Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Recently I was in suburban NJ visiting my in-laws. On Tuesday when my nieces and sister-in-law had to go back to school, I took advantage of the empty house to try out their Wii Fit, including Wii Yoga. It was a blast! Here’s a rundown of my experience with it:

When you first begin, Wii Fit weighs you, calculates your BMI, tests your balance, coordination and/or posture. You can input a goal for weight loss. It stores all this information for future reference.

The yoga exercises were not bad. Doing a yoga session with the the Wii is a far cry from the holistic, mind and mood-altering affect you may experience in an actual yoga class but it does offer some unique benefits. Most of the postures are performed while standing on a balance board and your center of gravity is calculated during the pose. You get continuous feedback on the screen and therefore are able to make very small and precise adjustments. This feature can be a little bit distracting. It requires a more external focus of the mind and it can distort the head and neck alignment of the some poses in order to look at the screen (forget about drishti!). However there are audible tones that correlate with the visual feedback so you don’t really have to look at the screen. While I found the external feedback to be a bit distracting, I think that it is probably an excellent pathway to postural awareness for some. Not everyone learns very well through verbal cueing which is often the only way many yoga classes are taught. Haven’t we all wondered at times what the heck a teacher means when they describe a certain subtle adjustment? For those of us who are teachers, haven’t you noticed how some people ‘get it’ right away but others need us to demonstrate, need hands-on cues or need to look in a mirror before they comprehend the pose? The Wii Fit offers one more tool for improving the mind-body connection.

After each pose, you get a summary of how you did and you are ranked among prior efforts of both yourself and other users. This competitive aspect strikes me as very un-yogic yet, the goal-driven Westerner in me found it kinda fun and rather rewarding. And the physical therapist in me appreciated the documentation of measurable progress.

I tried about a dozen postures, most of which were beneficial at some level. However there were two poses that I felt were not very good at all. Unfortunately they are the iconic foundations of the practice: breathing and down dog. For breathing, Wii Fit Yoga teaches relaxed diaphragmatic breathing while standing upright. I am all for teaching people diaphragmatic breathing but only in relaxed, supported postures! When standing and doing active yoga postures we need more support from our abdominal muscles (See Learning to Inhale.) For the Wii Fit down dog, you place your hands on the balance board and the graphics and audio cues signal when you have placed adequate weight through the arms. This was completely off for me. In order to be in the “proper” zone, I was in an awkward posture that was somewhere in between down dog and plank.

Overall, I would say that Wii Fit yoga is not for absolute beginners or for highly experienced yoginis. But it can be a useful and fun way for most people to practice asana at home. It is not adequate to really teach the postures but once you know the basics it can be a great tool for refining awareness of weight-bearing and alignment and encouraging people to stick to a home practice.

Later I’ll tell you about my thoughts on the Wii Fit Balance Games.

An Apple a Day Might Not Keep the Doctor Away

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:19:00 +0000

This week the public health advocacy group, Environmental Working Group came out with their updated lists of foods that are most (and least) infiltrated by pesticides. Apples shot to the top of the “Dirty Dozen” list. In this challenging economy, it is surely difficult to shop all organic, all the time but these lists are helpful guides to decide where to put our dollars. If you don’t have the budget for organic strawberries this summer, consider cantaloupe instead. Or maybe that traditional summertime favorite fruit, watermelon.

The benefits of conventional fruit and veggies likely outweigh the cost of avoiding them all together. We need lots of them in our diets to prevent heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancers. They also help us to look and feel our best. But excessive ingestion of pesticides can cause damage to the nervous system, disrupt the endocrine system and are associated with cancer. Children and pregnant woman are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticides.

Download and clip the lists of the best and worst produce. Carry it with you when you go grocery shopping. An informed consumer is a healthy consumer!
2011 Pesticide Guide

Read more on USAToday.com

Image from DailyMail.co.uk

Win a VIP Pass

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Here is a wonderful opportunity for readers in the Bay area or those looking for an excuse to come visit.

What: Seren-i-Tea in the Square, an interactive midday event featuring meditation, yoga, education and refreshments.

Who: Registration for this event is open to the public, but 9 of my readers get to attend as VIP guests! As the guests of a VIP blogger, you will receive a custom tote that contains a yoga mat, a designer scarf and other items, a total value of $80, plus a Whole Foods gift card for $50.

Featured Guests:
Mallika Chopra – The daughter of Deepak Chopra, Mallika Chopra is a mother, author, blogger and founder of Intent.com. She will serve as event keynote to guide participants in finding serenity in their daily lives.
Stephanie Snyder – Well known for her unique ability to infuse her challenging classes with strategic sequencing, yoga philosophy, technical alignment, and heart-felt humor, Stephanie has been featured on the cover of Yoga Journal Magazine, has been a contributing writer to Yoga Journals' "Home Practice" and was named San Francisco's most sought after yoga teacher by InStyle Magazine.

When: Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Where: Union Square, 333 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Why: Our hectic days are consumed with jobs, loved-ones, everyday pressures and obligations. Often the last obligation we think about is the one we have to ourselves. This event is aimed at providing a real-time “self-moment” for participants and will offer tools and techniques to make “me-time” a deliberate and important part of daily routines – helping us achieve balance from within.

How: Help spread the word about this event. You can become a fan of Sockenbicha Tea on Facebook, tweet it out (tag @sokenbicha and include the #SereniTea hashtag) or simply send an email to to all those in your life looking for a bit more peace, love and harmony in their lives (aren't we all?). Once you've done that, shoot me an email (lbminn@yahoo.com) and let me know how you have helped to spread the word. The fist 9 readers to get in touch with me will win.

Register for Seren-i-Tea at: http://bit.ly/SereniTea

Deadline for the VIP contest is this Friday!

About Seren-i-tea
· “Seren-i-Tea in the Square” is an interactive event featuring music, meditation, yoga, education, natural refreshment and inspiration – all aimed at encouraging people to take time out to achieve balance in their hectic lives.
· Sokenbicha will donate $5 for every person who attends Seren-i-Tea to nonprofit partners making a significant impact in San Francisco:
o Headstand brings stress reduction techniques and yoga to youth in economically-disadvantaged communities
o Off the Mat uses the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change in the world

About Sokenbicha
· Sokenbicha combines the refreshing taste of water with the flavor and goodness of all-natural, authentically brewed tea and botanicals.
· Each of the five varieties of Sokenbicha is unsweetened, zero calorie and made with natural botanicals sourced from around the globe.
· One of Japan’s largest tea brands, Sokenbicha is created in partnership with and endorsed by Japan’s revered natural health and wellness experts – Nihondo.
· From the packaging to the process of developing the beverage sold inside, Sokenbicha reflects a commitment to environmental sustainability.

Sokenbicha partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in the Seren-i-Tea event as a VIP attendee. As part of the program, I received compensation. Sokenbicha believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Sokenbicha’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

A Modern Spin on Meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa B. Minn) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:37:00 +0000

A funny take on how to stay connected to our inner experience in this world of technological hyper-connectivity:

Seen on AllThingsD.com