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Yoga Blog
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Laurie: Posted on Thursday, September 15, 2011 10:20 AM
 Why is the type of yoga mat so important to your practice? Why does it make a difference to you? There are many reason factoring into your mat choice, safety being a main concern. Let’s start with the term “sticky mat” — Sticky does not mean there is a substance like honey or jelly on the mat causing you to want to whip out the all purpose cleaner. It has to do with placing your hands , feet, etc in one spot and being confident that they will remain there ! Some mats have too smooth a texture or surface,so your feet and hands may slip as you are going through your poses. For obvious reasons, this can be dangerous. A ‘sticky mat” means the mat has a texture and surface that prevents slipping, thereby keeping your body parts where you intended. You can put the cleaner away! Next, let’s talk about really cushy mats (about an inch,give or take) You’ve seen mats which are so thick you could almost use them for a body pillow! This presents a problem to the yoga practitioner. A HUGE issue is that your hands, wrists, feet and ankles will wobble as you are trying to stabilize a pose. This is one of the most dangerous things that can happen. You are fighting to stay in position,using all kinds of muscles that have nothing to do with the pose. Strains and sprains on your joints happen very quickly on a too thick mat (example- aPilates mat- great for Pilates- not for yoga) If your mat is too thin- say 1/8’, you are working on a veryhard surface. The floor is just covered, but you are not protected. This puts undue stress on the joints and is felt by some yogis right away in knee or wrist problems. While you think it feels ok to practice on this, over time premature wear on the joints will begin to appear. Then there’s my all time favorite—the STRETCHY mat!!! This is the one where you believe you are standing in Warrior I, but pretty soon-you are doing the splits as the mat stretches out beneath you! You may not fall, but this causes you to use a different set of muscles to try to maintain the pose than what is intended. Then you are no longer doing the pose, you are doing something else! This brings us to the professionally endorsed ¼’ mat. While it may seem 1/4 isn’t that different from 1/8’- the moment you set foot and knees on the mat you can feel it. Not too, thin, not too thick allows for confident, stabilized poses with just enough cushion to make it comfortable and safe. No wobbling, no feeling like your bones are connecting with the floor, no unexpected splits. Going To My Happy Place has the option ofcarrying any mat made, and we choose to offer the best quality, ¼ inch pro mats. Safety and comfort are top priority. A variety of colors to compliment individual preferences make your Happy Place mat personal. Now you know why it’s a good idea to pay attention to the type of yoga mat you use. It is freeing to have your yoga mat in order and then be able focus your energy into your practice! If you have more mat questions,please contact us through the contact page or call 630-513-9554! Namaste! Laurie |
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Laurie: Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:16 PM
 This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of teaching in the most special of places- The Koi Whisperer Sanctuary in St Charles, owned by MaryEllen Malinowski.I met MaryEllen a while back and we both agreed holding the spiritual practice of yoga in the grounds of her beautiful zen garden and koi sanctuary would be a great combination. True to our expectations, it was. Pranayama (conscious breathing) began the practice with the exhilarating freshness of natural air flow. To breathe, and breathe deeply, took on a new meaning as the cleanliness of natures offerings were drawn deep into the body and soul. The warmth of the sun helped stiff muscles loosen, minds let go and a quiet , serene calm enter the mind and body and enhance the sequences. As I was leading the class to center, MaryEllen's puppy Akari, who was coming back from a walk, jumped right into my lap while in suppinasana (raised cross leg seated pose) and wanted to stay there! It is a common belief that dogs feel energy hundreds of times more clearly than humans and apparently - she felt drawn in the positive energy present when I am teaching a class!! After a few minutes when I tried to lift her away, she didn't want to go! I am honored to know that I was the lap of choice in this serene situation! I am looking forward to having Akari be my assistant in future classes/events at The Koi Whisperer Sanctuary--with Akari in yoga class, I feel a bit like the Dog Whisperer! Future summer events at The Koi Whisperer Sanctuary will be posted! Namaste!-Laurie |
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Laurie: Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:17 PM
Do you ever wish you could just get in a pose, hang out for a while, feel great while doing it and even better when you are through? This is what Viparita Karani can do for you! Viparita Karani , Legs Up The Wall pose is a restorative inversion asana. Who would think lying around with your legs up the wall would produce such peace, relaxation, balance and tranquility? It takes about 3 minutes for your blood to circulate throughout your entire body in reverse blood flow . Your heart, instead of working hard pumping all the way through your legs,, catches a break by having all the blood from the legs and lower body flowing toward it and easily available for circulation. Because of gravity, the blood flows feely into the face, feeding the skin and muscles producing a fresh glow- keeping your youthful appearance. Viparita Karani also relieves tired legs, leg cramps, gently stretches the spine, front torso and neck. It relieves mild back pain and calms the mind. It is a great pose to use on a regular basis and I even use it when taking a power nap. It is my pose of choice if my back is hurting.  What your need: A mat, bolster or block, strap and a wall! For The Beginner : Normally, Viparita Karani is done with the hips raised on a bolster or block, sometimes layered with a thick blanket to create a higher surface or to cushion a block. However, many students will start on the flat surface of the floor. Start by sitting sideways on the mat, close to the wall , with one hip touching the wall and resting the weight of the body on the hip not touching the wall. In a smooth motion , roll over onto your back with the legs straight up the wall. Press the back of the femur heads into the wall, or make sure your cheeks are touching the wall ( not the ones on your face)! To keep the legs from falling out during the relaxation part, or restorative part of the pose, place the strap over both legs, just above the knees or option at the ankles. This allows you to completely let go and not worry about your legs sliding out. Then internally rotate the legs, flex the feet back toward you , arms are resting on the floor about a foot away from the body, palms up. Close your eyes and restore 5- 15 minutes. For The Student Who Is Ready To Take It To The Next Step: Follow the same set up as a beginner- one hip touching the wall, weight resting on the other hip. Roll down onto the floor, legs up the wall, with glutes touching and femur heads pressing into the wall. Slide the feet down , pressing your feet into the wall, lift the hips and slide the bolster or block under the pelvis. This is a critical part of the placement of the prop. You want to make sure that the bolster or block is supporting the hip in the sacral area, not placed up too high into the waist, and not too low onto the tailbone. The sacrum is the flat part of the back, below the ilia crest (top of hip bone) and above the tail bone. You should feel completely comfortable and it fact, you should feel good about resting your pelvis on this prop. If you feel discomfort, adjust the prop. Once your hips are in place, you will feel the gentle stretch through the torso. The shoulders are rotated open and back, creating a dome effect on the chest. Arms out about a foot away from the body with the elbows bent, palms up to further encourage the opening of the front body. Strap is above the knees or at ankles to keep the legs from falling out and allowing you to completely let go in the pose. Internally rotate the legs, flex feet. Stay in pose 5-15 minutes or longer as you become acquainted with the results. Alternative: A variation would be to place the legs in baddha konasana---use the same set up , then while your legs are up the wall, place the soles of the feet together, let the feet slide down the wall toward your body, with the knees falling out to the side(similar to sitting on the floor, but lying down). You can see this variation demonstrated by the first student in the front part of the photo above. Stay in this pose – 15 minutes. To Get Out Of The Pose: If you are up on a prop, slide the feet down the wall, press feet into the wall, lift the hips and slide the prop out. Let your low back release down to the floor. Rest a moment and let your spine adjust. Roll over onto your side , rest a moment. Then press up to a seated position. Enjoy the sensation of peace, relaxation, balance and calm- take that with you on your journey throughout the day and truly feel your happy place! Namaste! Laurie Write your post here. |
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Laurie: Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:07 PM
A most often asked question- Why would you use a block? What are they for?- and my all time favorite comment--- “ I don’t need one!” Many think blocks are for people who aren’t up to “standard” in their yoga pose. First and most important point- yoga is NOT a competition- it is a path for each individual to follow and progress at their own pace, in their own time, for their own benefit. It’s about your journey, not the person next to you! Blocks not only assist in keeping alignment in a pose, they are an essential part of many poses. Today we’ll show how a block helps in alignment in Trikonasana (Triangle). There will be more on the use of blocks in future blogs.   In the first photo set, yoga student Cyndy Blunk is stretching to the max to get her hand to the floor, appearing as if she is really “doing the pose” However, the symmetry of the pose is lost, the moment she passes her personal limit in keeping the pose in alignment. Triangle pose is designed to keep the feet, hips, torso and shoulders all in the same line, while opening the front and side body and hip. The extension focuses on the spine…lengthening, opening the energy channels running up and down the body. Sure, she is stretching that hamstring and it probably feels great. Yet, once the body goes past the “edge” , the hip pops out the back, the front body collapses and faces the floor, thereby losing all of the extension on the top and bottoms sides of body. The only thing lengthening here is her hamstring and she has lost the entire benefit and purpose of the pose. She is in hamstring stretch, not Triangle!!   In the second photo set-Cyndy places the block behind her front leg. Behind the leg placement is the spot for the block, instead of in front of the shin. This guides the body to stay open, not forward. She extends as far as her body allows her before it would change position, placing her fingertips on the block. Notice how her feet, hips, shoulders, head are all on the same plane- this allows the body to be “in the pose” with extension in the hip, top side, front and underneath. The front body faces forward, not down, her hip does not pop out, all of her organs are able to receive the breath and benefit. Thanks for the Do this...Not that...demo Cyndy!Next time you think you have to throw yourself down to the floor just to look like you are really stretchy, remember--Triangle is an opening pose, so practice these tips to stay “in” alignment, use your block and enjoy the pose and all of the positive energies that come forth! Namaste! Laurie . |
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Laurie: Posted on Monday, April 04, 2011 1:23 PM
 Tibetan Singing Bowls are a type of bell, used to signal the beginning or end of meditation or Savasana. Developed in the Bronze Age over 4000 years ago, the bowls contain 7 sacred metals. These correspond to the 7 sacred planets . Gold(Sun), silver (Moon), mercury (Mercury), copper (Venus), iron (Mars), tin (Jupiter), antimony (Saturn).Tibetan Buddists use of singing bowls is well documented, but the is absolutely nothing written about it’s actual use! The bowls come in many different sizes and all produce their own unique sound. May are decorated with Om symbols. Singing bowls are played by the friction of running a wooden wand around the edge of a bowl to produce overtones and a continuous singing sound. It is pure and powerful in centering the mind and body. It imitates the sound of OM and is thought to carry the healing energy and vibrations of the individual person holding the bowl! If you haven’t heard a singing bowl, you will want to put that on your list of things to do ! Namaste! Laurie Write your post here. |
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Laurie : Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 8:18 AM
There are many reasons for wrists to hurt, but a few of the fastest fixes are relatively easy! Yoga is about alignment and a big cause of wrist pain is not having the hand position in alignment! Having the proper thickness of a mat is the first area to address. If your mat is too thick, it will cause your wrists to wobble thereby causing injury. Too thin and there is not enough padding to protect. The professional thickness to work with is ¼ inch. There is a big difference between 1/8,1/4 and ½. No point in wasting time on a mat that isn’t going to work for you.! Next-To get into alignment in any pose, you first have to identify what the base (foundation) of the pose is and start from there. In downward facing dog, the base of the pose would be the hands and the feet, because those are the body parts that are grounded to the floor. The pose (asana) is then built from there.   In these before and after pictures, Cathie and Liane are demonstrating hand placement that is out of alignment and then in alignment. Let me point out the key focus areas to keep the pressure off the wrists. First, the hands should be shoulder width apart-not wider than and not narrower than the shoulders. In the first photo, Cathie’s hands are too close and Liane’s hands are too far apart. This puts a tremendous pressure on the shoulders and wrists, both ways. Also, notice the alignment of the hand. The fingers are turned in toward each other and if you look closely, this causes the fold of skin, which everyone has, between the forearm and hand to be deeper toward the inside edge of the wrist. This means al the pressure is to the inside, which in turn, causes the pain.In the second photo, both women have first placed the hands directly in line with the shoulders. Now, for one of the most important things to know about this---The first finger is aligned straight forward , the thumbs extending toward each other, and the rest of the fingers spread out toward the direction of the pinkies. The weight of the body is balanced over the entire hand, and notice the fold of skin is now evenly dispersed—meaning –no points of pain!! Note- do not mistake “first finger” for your second , longer finger as many do! This is the first and foremost action to check while in any pose involving your hands on your ¼ “ mat . Alignment first, then comes the pose. There are other hand placements, depending on the pose, but this one covers many, including handstand, neutral, crow, down dog etc. Down dog also requires the weight of the body not to hover over the hands, but to be directed toward the back (of the room) as the chest is drawn toward the thighs. This is an entirely separate blog subject along with other specific injuries. One more tip- even if you do not feel pain now, you want to check your alignment so you do not go through years of practice with undue pressure on your wrists. Eventually it will catch up with you! Now that you have this handy info—check your hand placement next time! Adjust it as necessary and feel the freedom from pain, allowing you to enjoy your pose instead of gritting your teeth through it! Namaste! Laurie Write your post here. |
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Laurie: Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:13 PM
Om is always associated with yoga, everyone chants it, but what does it really mean?  Om is considered to be a sacred symbol, often referred to as a primordial mantra- the sound that all other sounds come from. It is believed to be the first sound in the universe, accompanying the vibration of creation. Most often spelled OM, the sound actually consists of 3 letters and 4 parts- A, U, M—In Sanskrit, the language of yoga, when A is followed by U, it makes a long O sound. I’ll break it down. The A(h), symbolizes the waking state of consciousness with the outer world. U is the dreaming state (our inner world) of thoughts, dreams, memories, etc. M is the dreamless state of deep sleep and the experience of ultimate unity. By contemplating the meaning and chanting through these first 3 states of ordinary consciousness, brings you to the fourth part---the after sound (Anusvara). The vibration of mmm slowly dissolves into silence, symbolizing the state of consciousness of transcendence. This silence has been described as ‘tranquil, soundless, fearless, sorrowless, blissful, satisfied, steadfast, immovable, immortal, unshaken, enduring, focused, centered.” In yoga, chanting Om also symbolizes uniting yourself, your creator and all energies in the universe. Om is truly a mantra worth practicing to quiet your mind and body- opening the gateway to receiving the immeasurable gifts of yoga.--Namaste-Ommmmm!---Laurie Write your post here. ( |
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Laurie: Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2011 10:00 PM
 The answer is -YES! The first and foremost goal is to find ways to practice yoga without pain. You may feel discomfort with yoga, but you should never feel pain. The old saying, ”no pain, no gain” went out the window at the beginning of yoga 5000 years ago. There would be no reason to think now would be the time to change such history! Let’s say you have bad knees-There are many ways to accommodate a knee situation. Criss crossing 2 mats is a good way to start. Lay the first mat down side to side. Take the second mat front to back over the top of the first mat, forming a cross. You want the working mat to be on top so your toes don’t trip over the edge when stepping through poses.(See photos with Heidi and Tina demonstrating) Now you can stand at the front of the mat for sequencing, step to the back of the mat for say, down dog with hands at the front. Or have one foot at the back, one at the front for standing poses. Now that your feet and hands are stable at the front and back, you can kneel on the double part of the mat—cushioning for the knees while keeping grounded with the feet and hands!! Easy to do and a relief for those who have a hard time kneeling. Use of props, modifying and adjusting poses are also ways to help out those knees. Depending on your knee issues, some poses may not be for you. If you encounter pain in a pose, back off of the pose, assess your alignment and use of props, modify as necessary (this is where your trained yoga professional can help pinpoint) then gently approach the pose again. Never push – go only as far as your body or knees want you to…and then breathe into the pose. Again, if a pose is painful, adjustments need to be made, which can include doing a different pose. Yoga is not a competition, so don’t worry if you think you are not going as far into a pose as someone next to you. Honor your own body and you will then receive the benefits of the pose. There are no benefits with pain!! Just because one body part is not 100%, does not mean you should chuck the whole idea out-Yoga is for the entire body, with special attention to accommodate parts that may be in less than perfect condition. Until the next time…Namaste!--Laurie Write your post here. |
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Laurie: Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2011 2:46 PM
I’m Not Flexible! I’m not flexible! …Sound familiar? It does to me…This is the number one reason I hear from prospective yoga students on why they think they can’t participate in yoga. If they only knew… Most people aren’t that flexible! That’s a relief to hear for those who are not accustomed to twisting into a pretzel. Gymnasts, athletes, ballerinas –yes, but everyday regular people tend to be a bit on the tight side! In addition to feeling they are the ONLY ones in the class who cannot touch their toes, there is a great sense of trepidation on how to begin or how to outdo the person next to them. I have encountered these types at different venues. I call them Type A, Type AA, Type AAA, and of course the coveted position of quadruple A! While you may think the “A” designation is referring to a personality, it usually goes hand in hand with the tightness level, unless the person has practiced at some form of stress reduction. Not all tight people are “A” personalities, of course, but they like to lead the pack! “B’s are quick to follow. Never Fear! Many new students feel all eyes are on them and their lack of stretching ability. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most people in class are so absorbed into what they are accomplishing for their own selves, they are not looking around to make assessments of others. This is a comforting thought to new students who feel they might not measure up. It is always stressed that yoga is NOT a competition, but an exploration of the processes of the mind, body and spirit. Let’s Sit In A Chair! Our society does a lot of sitting…at a desk, on the couch (i.e. couch potatoes), at meals, sporting events and my all time favorite- driving in cars. Have you ever noticed all of the cars have the seats in a “C” formation- just perfect for slouching for long periods of time. Let’s tighten up the front body and collapse the low back. Throw in the hamstrings while we’re at it. I want bench seats in my car! We Are Different  In many other countries, there are not so many chairs. People bend at the knees- deeply- and sit in a squatting position, balancing on their feet. They eat their meals like this. This creates a natural stretch each time they “sit”. We, on the other hand, want that chair. This is a huge cause of being tight in the low back, hips, and hammies, not to mention the front body (more about that in a later episode).Forget About It Those who say ‘I’m not flexible” are actually normal! Knowing this, each and every person who feels this way should now realize they are not alone. The likelihood that you will encounter many “non flexible” students is high. With regular practice comes flexibility. There is no other path but to practice. Not forcing a pose, but realizing, even though you may not be as far into the pose as someone else, YOU are still benefitting from that pose. Whether you feel the stretch with so called minimal extension, or you feel the stretch with grandiose extension- you are feeling the stretch and getting the benefit of the pose for yourself. That’s what yoga is about, your own path, including your own flexibility, it’s limitations and it’s possibilities. Forget about your perceived lack of flexibility, join in, put your fears of keeping up aside. You will find your Happy Place with your own practice, embracing your own flexibility, and allowing your own practice to evolve. Namaste!- Laurie Write your post here. |
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