 
As I sat in
the dentist’s chair last week having my teeth cleaned, I noticed
my whole body tensing up and pulling back into the chair.“Wow,
what a great time to practice shavasana,” I thought. So with
my mouth wide open and my dentist probing my mouth and scraping
the plaque off my teeth, I began to relax and deepen my breath,
releasing the tightness and tension from my body. It wasn’t
easy, especially when little sparks of pain shot through my mouth,
but I kept consciously relaxing and breathing deeply through it
all. When the cleaning was finished, I slowly sat up and was amazed
at how great I felt. I had a surge of energy flowing through my
body; I was calm, relaxed and happy. By practicing yoga off my mat,
I was able to completely change my experience at the dentist’s
office. Cool.
In peace,
 
Timothy Burgin
Founder & Executive Director
YogaBasics.com |
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Yoga and Pregnancy
Yoga
physically, mentally and emotionally prepares one for the birth
of a new child and supports both the mother and child throughout
the pregnancy.
Physically, yoga improves circulation, helping to lesson leg cramps
and varicose veins and nourishing the fetus. Yoga strengthens postural
muscles and can alleviate some of the minor discomforts of pregnancy
such as heartburn, backache, hip joint and ribcage aches.Pranayama
(breathing exercises) ensures a proper supply of oxygen, blood and
energy to both fetus and mom, and reduces fatigue.
A yoga practice of postures, breathing and meditation creates mental
focus, concentration, discipline and stillness, enabling a smooth
pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth.
Emotionally, yoga and meditation reduce and control stress, anxiety
and fear. Yoga also improves general mood and the ability to manage
pain. Meditation can also create a deeper awareness and connection
with the baby.
Although yoga is great to do during pregnancy, there are a few things
of which moms-to-be should be careful. Avoid prolonged poses on
your back after the first trimester. The weight of the fetus pressing
against the Aorta can restrict the blood flow to the lower body,
including the uterus.If you feel dizzy or lightheaded while on your
back, immediately bend your knees and slowly roll over to your side.
Avoid poses that stretch the muscles too much, particularly the
abdominal muscles. You are more apt to tear and strain muscles now
because the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which allows the uterus to
expand, also acts on all connective tissue. Avoid all postures that
put pressure on your abdomen, especially forward folds, twists and
belly down postures. Modify forward folding poses with the legs
apart so the belly comes between the legs, and bend from the hips,
not the back. Modify the position of the legs in twists so the legs
do not press against the belly, and twist more from the shoulders
and back. Listen carefully to your body. If you feel any discomfort,
stop. You will probably need to adapt most postures to your body's
physical changes.
A complete sequence of postures for pregnancy is now available in
our premium posture
sequences section. |
Music
Meditation: Unwind by Silvia Nakkach
This is the perfect CD to instantly transport you into a state of
meditative bliss. This is one of the few CDs where I feel a strong
effect consciously and energetically on my body and mind. Silvia
Nakkach’s voice is amazingly beautiful, resonant and melodic
and is gracefully supported with string and keyboard drones, gentle
percussion, soft horns and world instruments. Music
Meditation: Unwind will magically take you away from the troubles
of the world and transport you to a place of oneness with the divine.
To have a listen or to buy Music Meditation: Unwind, click
here.
Yoga
for Pregnancy by Rosalind Widdowson
This is a great beginner’s guide on using yoga during
pregnancy. Beautiful full color photographs illustrate all of the
exercises and techniques, including yoga postures, breathing exercises,
meditations and visualizations. The exercises and techniques in
Yoga
for Pregnancy are organized by trimester to take the guesswork
out of what you should be doing at what times. There is dietary
and lifestyle advice, including recommendations on how to naturally
treat common complaints. The only thing missing is a list of cautions
and contraindications to allow one to safely explore beyond the
pages of this book.
For more info or to buy Yoga for Pregnancy, click
here.
Crunch:
The Joy of Yoga by Sara Ivanhoe
This 35-minute flowing sequence of postures is great for a beginning
to intermediate, fitness-oriented student. The practice starts off
standing, warming up with some forward, back and side bends and
then moves into some sun salutation movements. The
Joy of Yoga has a great balance of standing, prone, supine and
twisting postures, as well as a good balance between building strength
and flexibility. Sara gracefully moves from one pose right into
the next and holds the postures long enough to give good alignment
cues while emphasizing enjoying the movement, not perfecting the
pose. The more challenging postures are shown with one student using
modifications.
For more info or to buy The Joy of Yoga, click
here for VHS and here
for DVD. |
Question:
In
your April newsletter I was surprised to read the following: “Yoga
is contraindicated for severe depression or other serious mental
disorders. A yoga practice should be used to supplement conventional
therapy, not replace it.”
Contraindicated?! I have the symptoms of chronic depression; I get
treatment from medical professionals but the Yoga is fabulous for
my symptoms. Where was this conclusion that Yoga is contraindicated
for severe depression drawn from?
Answer: Yoga can be very helpful for treating the symptoms
of mild to moderate depression, but can make the symptoms of severe
depression worse. A yoga practice encourages one to feel and experience
one's emotions, and it also creates a lot of energy that can stir
up old or current thoughts and feelings. Severe depression is a
very unstable condition, which, if not treated or treated incorrectly,
can lead to suicide. Someone with this disease who is unable to
integrate the powerful effects of yoga might actually aggravate
their condition and create more imbalance. Severe depression is
considered a serious condition and requires immediate medical treatment. |
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