To what do you aspire? What do you picture yourself doing you are 91?
Tao Porchon-Lynch teaches yoga. She's quite a dancer, too. See for yourself on this CNN video. The savasana she leads her students through is quite beautiful.
Options for natural pain relief with therapeutic exercises to address back pain and improve spine health. Please note some articles include affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through the link.
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Core Muscles of the Hips
Core muscles are the new focus in the fitness industry. They protect the low back. Pilates strengthens the core. Advertisements promise a strong, sexy core if we buy their products. The problem is that the core can be illusive for the average person to find. That’s because the body has more than one core.
The Hellerwork Client Handbook compares the core to the inside of an apple. Core muscles are deep inside the body, right next to the bones. These muscles have more leverage and, when working properly, also stabilize the skeleton. When the core does not stabilize, joints are more prone to injury, the body is weaker, and other muscles get confused about what to do.
All muscle groups have superficial muscles and core muscles. Let’s delve into the core of the torso and core of the hips. Follow up articles will explain the core of the shoulders and the core of the neck.
The core of the torso is like a cylinder around your midsection, comprised of four muscle groups: the pelvic floor, transverse abdominus, multifidi, and diaphragm. The pelvic floor (actually a group of six muscles) creates the bottom of the cylinder. The transverse abdominus
encompasses most of circumference as a girdle around the belly. The multifidi fibers, one to four inches long, fan out deep within the superstructure of the spine. The diaphragm caps the core; each breath turns this cylinder to an ever-changing, dynamic powerhouse.
When all parts of your torso core are strong and work together, you can lift more, bend over more, and do all kinds of movement with less risk of injury. The torso core is also an important base of support for your legs, arms, and neck.
The hip flexors lift your legs. If you rely on the rectus femoris, tensor fascia lata, and sartorius, you will be weaker and in less balance than if you use the core hip flexors, the psoas and iliacus, sometimes called the iliopsoas. These core muscles attach to the front and sides of the lumbar spine and deep inside the pelvic bowl. They have more leverage and bulk than the superficial muscles, but they also depend on stabilization from the torso core to work.
How do you know when you are accessing the deep hip flexors? One clue is that your pelvis does not rotate. Sitting in a chair, lift one leg. Does your low back shift or your hip lift up? If so, your iliacus and psoas are cheating and your low back is taking the brunt of the movement.
If you can hold your pelvis perfectly still and lift a leg, your torso and hip core are both getting stronger. It’s what makes a karate front kick so powerful. Even more challenging and strengthening is lifting both thighs with a stable pelvis, the action in the Pilates Teaser and yoga’s full boat pose (Navasana).
I gave readers an Easy Core Exercise in my previous post, Balance Between Abdominals and Back Muscles. Another way to wake up the core is with the Relax and Flow undulation. In both cases, the exercises use small, slow movements since the core is comprised of slow twitch muscle fibers. If you can do these exercises with complete pelvic stabilization, then you will be ready to take on more intermediate core exercises.
The Hellerwork Client Handbook compares the core to the inside of an apple. Core muscles are deep inside the body, right next to the bones. These muscles have more leverage and, when working properly, also stabilize the skeleton. When the core does not stabilize, joints are more prone to injury, the body is weaker, and other muscles get confused about what to do.All muscle groups have superficial muscles and core muscles. Let’s delve into the core of the torso and core of the hips. Follow up articles will explain the core of the shoulders and the core of the neck.
The core of the torso is like a cylinder around your midsection, comprised of four muscle groups: the pelvic floor, transverse abdominus, multifidi, and diaphragm. The pelvic floor (actually a group of six muscles) creates the bottom of the cylinder. The transverse abdominus
encompasses most of circumference as a girdle around the belly. The multifidi fibers, one to four inches long, fan out deep within the superstructure of the spine. The diaphragm caps the core; each breath turns this cylinder to an ever-changing, dynamic powerhouse.When all parts of your torso core are strong and work together, you can lift more, bend over more, and do all kinds of movement with less risk of injury. The torso core is also an important base of support for your legs, arms, and neck.
The hip flexors lift your legs. If you rely on the rectus femoris, tensor fascia lata, and sartorius, you will be weaker and in less balance than if you use the core hip flexors, the psoas and iliacus, sometimes called the iliopsoas. These core muscles attach to the front and sides of the lumbar spine and deep inside the pelvic bowl. They have more leverage and bulk than the superficial muscles, but they also depend on stabilization from the torso core to work.
How do you know when you are accessing the deep hip flexors? One clue is that your pelvis does not rotate. Sitting in a chair, lift one leg. Does your low back shift or your hip lift up? If so, your iliacus and psoas are cheating and your low back is taking the brunt of the movement.
If you can hold your pelvis perfectly still and lift a leg, your torso and hip core are both getting stronger. It’s what makes a karate front kick so powerful. Even more challenging and strengthening is lifting both thighs with a stable pelvis, the action in the Pilates Teaser and yoga’s full boat pose (Navasana).
I gave readers an Easy Core Exercise in my previous post, Balance Between Abdominals and Back Muscles. Another way to wake up the core is with the Relax and Flow undulation. In both cases, the exercises use small, slow movements since the core is comprised of slow twitch muscle fibers. If you can do these exercises with complete pelvic stabilization, then you will be ready to take on more intermediate core exercises.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Yoga Blaze Community Event
I'm pleased to be co-sponsoring an event for yoga professionals (teachers, teachers-in-training, therapists) together with the Yoga Barn and Yoga Blaze on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 2:00 to 4:30.
The Yoga Barn
660 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite C6, Issaquah, WA
Directions: http://www.yogabarn.com/issaquah.html
Enjoy an afternoon in the company of yoga teachers. Have fun. Share experiences. Hear how yoga was clinically proven to be effective for low back pain, more effective than physical therapy or home exercises in a recent scientific study.
You have the opportunity to participate in two free workshops and partake of refreshments and sangha. Come for all or drop in for any part that fits your schedule.
2:00 to 2:30 Undulation and Yoga led by Anita Boser
2:30 to 3:45 Social Time with light refreshments
3:45 to 4:30 Robin Rothenberg presents Safe Yoga Tips for the Low Back, including elements of the Essential Low Back Program, a yoga practice based on the National Institutes of Health study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 2005.
There are several comfy places for tea, coffee or dinner in Issaquah, so the socializing c
an continue afterwards, as well.
UNDULATION AND YOGA, with Anita
Undulation is the vital movement that nourishes joints and muscles. You’ll learn fun and easy movements to incorporate into Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), Vrksasana (tree pose), and Chakravakasana. You can also use this technique to create ease after strenuous poses, to warm up, or to encourage your students with injuries or chronic illness.
Anita is a Certified Hellerwork Practitioner and viniyoga student-teacher. http://www.undulationexercise.com/
SAFE YOGA TIPS FOR THE LOW BACK, with Robin
Learn some simple sequencing secrets to keep your students’ lower backs stable and pain-free. Easy to work into any style of yoga practice, these principles reduce risk, especially in vinyasa and other flow practices that emphasize mobility. Based on the scientific study that has established yoga as a therapeutically healing practice for the lower back.
Robin has presented on low back pain at SYTAR (Symposium for Yoga Therapy & Research) and at the 2007 NAMA conference on anxiety. She is on the advisory board for IAYT, (International Association of Yoga Therapy) and is an adjunct faculty member at Mt. Royal College in Calgary. http://www.essentialyogatherapy.com/
Enjoy an afternoon in the company of yoga teachers. Have fun. Share experiences. Hear how yoga was clinically proven to be effective for low back pain, more effective than physical therapy or home exercises in a recent scientific study.
You have the opportunity to participate in two free workshops and partake of refreshments and sangha. Come for all or drop in for any part that fits your schedule.
2:00 to 2:30 Undulation and Yoga led by Anita Boser
2:30 to 3:45 Social Time with light refreshments
3:45 to 4:30 Robin Rothenberg presents Safe Yoga Tips for the Low Back, including elements of the Essential Low Back Program, a yoga practice based on the National Institutes of Health study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 2005.
There are several comfy places for tea, coffee or dinner in Issaquah, so the socializing c
an continue afterwards, as well.UNDULATION AND YOGA, with Anita
Undulation is the vital movement that nourishes joints and muscles. You’ll learn fun and easy movements to incorporate into Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), Vrksasana (tree pose), and Chakravakasana. You can also use this technique to create ease after strenuous poses, to warm up, or to encourage your students with injuries or chronic illness.
Anita is a Certified Hellerwork Practitioner and viniyoga student-teacher. http://www.undulationexercise.com/
SAFE YOGA TIPS FOR THE LOW BACK, with Robin
Learn some simple sequencing secrets to keep your students’ lower backs stable and pain-free. Easy to work into any style of yoga practice, these principles reduce risk, especially in vinyasa and other flow practices that emphasize mobility. Based on the scientific study that has established yoga as a therapeutically healing practice for the lower back.
Robin has presented on low back pain at SYTAR (Symposium for Yoga Therapy & Research) and at the 2007 NAMA conference on anxiety. She is on the advisory board for IAYT, (International Association of Yoga Therapy) and is an adjunct faculty member at Mt. Royal College in Calgary. http://www.essentialyogatherapy.com/
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 425-765-2713.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Essential Low Back Program
Back pain is as common as weekend gardening and surfing the internet. Fortunately, there’s a new tool available to relieve and prevent low back pain: the Essential Low Back Program by Robin Rothenberg, a booklet and 5 audio CD set. The practice outlined in the program was developed for a National Institutes of Health study, and 78% of the participants who followed the program experienced significant reduction in their pain levels—and still had relief after six months.
The booklet is a pleasure to read with plenty of illustrations and photos. It gives background information that anyone with back pain needs: basic anatomy, posture, and the mind-body connection. One of my favorite lines from the book is: “It rarely occurs to us that the body may, in fact, be expressing the unspoken frustrations and needs of the heart.”
Each of the 5 CDs include a separate yoga practice which progress from entry level and builds up to a strong, dynamic sequence. They are easy to follow, as if you were receiving a private yoga session in your own living room, even if you’ve never done yoga before. This isn’t the twist-yourself-into-a-pretzel kind of yoga. This is a therapeutic practice that starts with beneficial breathing (good for anyone), moves on to a sequence of exercises that strengthen and stretch the back and hips (also good for anyone), and ends with much needed relaxation (that’s the essential part).
I highly recommend this program for anyone with chronic low back pain or who wants to improve spine health, or who just wants another good yoga practice. You can view excerpts at this link: http://www.piyogatherapy.com/downloads/book_excerpts.pdf.
The booklet is a pleasure to read with plenty of illustrations and photos. It gives background information that anyone with back pain needs: basic anatomy, posture, and the mind-body connection. One of my favorite lines from the book is: “It rarely occurs to us that the body may, in fact, be expressing the unspoken frustrations and needs of the heart.”
Each of the 5 CDs include a separate yoga practice which progress from entry level and builds up to a strong, dynamic sequence. They are easy to follow, as if you were receiving a private yoga session in your own living room, even if you’ve never done yoga before. This isn’t the twist-yourself-into-a-pretzel kind of yoga. This is a therapeutic practice that starts with beneficial breathing (good for anyone), moves on to a sequence of exercises that strengthen and stretch the back and hips (also good for anyone), and ends with much needed relaxation (that’s the essential part).
I highly recommend this program for anyone with chronic low back pain or who wants to improve spine health, or who just wants another good yoga practice. You can view excerpts at this link: http://www.piyogatherapy.com/downloads/book_excerpts.pdf.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
DIY Back Pain Relief
When back pain strikes, what’s your typical first reaction? Do you reach for ibuprofen? Apply ice or heat? Call your chiropractor, doctor, or massage therapist? Stretch?
Some pains require more than one resource, but Do It Yourself (DIY) strategies help in every case and sometimes are enough to resolve the issue completely. Self care includes ice and/or heat, self-massage, exercises including undulations and stretches, and rest. In addition to making treatment more convenient, DIY approaches put you—the person who is most knowledgeable about your body—in charge.
Of course, if your pain is intense or lasts for several days, see a doctor who knows about back injuries! But even if you need professional help to recover, intelligent self care will help you heal faster.
Ice or Heat?
Ice reduces inflammation and is part of the standard RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) treatment for sports injuries (http://blogs.webmd.com/busy-family-healthy-family/2006/02/sports-injuries-is-heat-or-cold.html). Heat aids in circulation and helps to relieve trigger points. Heat is generally recommended for long-term injuries and to warm up muscles before exercise (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tendinitis/AN01695).
When to use ice or heat can be tricky. Inflammation is part of the body’s healing mechanism (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00381) and too much ice can damage nerves, so it’s best to apply ice in increments, no longer than 20 minutes at a time (http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/low-back-pain-treatment-overview). Your pain is individual to you, so follow the general guidelines for heat and ice, but also see what works best for your body.
Another advantage of applying ice or heat is that it gives you time to rest. Rest is a vital part of healing, from anything.
Exercise
Exercise is best used to prevent back pain, but when you’re in the midst of an episode, staying still can cause more stiffness as much as moving too much can cause further damage (http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/overview/exercise/ex01.html). The key is to move as much as you can without discomfort, which will distribute nutrients into and remove waste products from the spine’s discs and joints. Try gentle exercises like these, but stop at any point if your pain increases.
Undulation (http://www.undulationexercise.com/undulation-view-undulations.htm) Note that the videos may take a minute to load.
Stretching (http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article3120.html)
Yoga (http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaandbackpain/ss/backpain01.htm)
If you have any questions about whether an exercise is good for you, check with your doctor or physical therapist.
Mindful exercise is like a self-created massage. It can help you learn what movements aggravate your condition, so you can avoid them, and what movements help you feel better. Empowerment—for present relief and future prevention—is the greatest benefit of DIY techniques.
Some pains require more than one resource, but Do It Yourself (DIY) strategies help in every case and sometimes are enough to resolve the issue completely. Self care includes ice and/or heat, self-massage, exercises including undulations and stretches, and rest. In addition to making treatment more convenient, DIY approaches put you—the person who is most knowledgeable about your body—in charge.
Of course, if your pain is intense or lasts for several days, see a doctor who knows about back injuries! But even if you need professional help to recover, intelligent self care will help you heal faster.
Ice or Heat?
Ice reduces inflammation and is part of the standard RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) treatment for sports injuries (http://blogs.webmd.com/busy-family-healthy-family/2006/02/sports-injuries-is-heat-or-cold.html). Heat aids in circulation and helps to relieve trigger points. Heat is generally recommended for long-term injuries and to warm up muscles before exercise (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tendinitis/AN01695).
When to use ice or heat can be tricky. Inflammation is part of the body’s healing mechanism (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00381) and too much ice can damage nerves, so it’s best to apply ice in increments, no longer than 20 minutes at a time (http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/low-back-pain-treatment-overview). Your pain is individual to you, so follow the general guidelines for heat and ice, but also see what works best for your body.
Another advantage of applying ice or heat is that it gives you time to rest. Rest is a vital part of healing, from anything.
Exercise
Exercise is best used to prevent back pain, but when you’re in the midst of an episode, staying still can cause more stiffness as much as moving too much can cause further damage (http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/overview/exercise/ex01.html). The key is to move as much as you can without discomfort, which will distribute nutrients into and remove waste products from the spine’s discs and joints. Try gentle exercises like these, but stop at any point if your pain increases.
Undulation (http://www.undulationexercise.com/undulation-view-undulations.htm) Note that the videos may take a minute to load.
Stretching (http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article3120.html)
Yoga (http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaandbackpain/ss/backpain01.htm)
If you have any questions about whether an exercise is good for you, check with your doctor or physical therapist.
Mindful exercise is like a self-created massage. It can help you learn what movements aggravate your condition, so you can avoid them, and what movements help you feel better. Empowerment—for present relief and future prevention—is the greatest benefit of DIY techniques.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
I Feel Good
I woke up this morning and my first thought was, “I feel Great!” Not Tony Tiger great, but the James Brown, “I Feel Good” singing type of great. I reached out to smack the snooze button, started to undulate, and noticed that my spine felt supple all the way up and down. What have I been doing to deserve this? I need to know so I can keep it up.
I can attribute my suppleness to a new combination of activity, and the fact that yesterday I previewed the first draft of my unduation audiobook, Undulation Exercises. Happening upon the right combination of exercise, just the right things and not too much and not too little, is a happy time.
I started a new yoga class at The Yoga Barn (http://www.yogabarn.com/) four weeks ago. An instructor who develops a well-balanced, complete practice does wonders for the body, mind, and spirit. The Yoga Barn has exceptional instructors. Because of my crazy schedule, I had classes from Lulu, Catherine, and Taran. Each instructor created a practice for that day—nothing off the shelf at The Yoga Barn—and I left each class feeling very refreshed. Variety keeps the “routine” from getting stale. With yoga classes, I’ve been injecting my being with freshness instead.
After a two-month break from belly dancing, due to working on the haunted house and studio time for my audiobook, I’ve returned to weekly classes with Aleili (http://www.aleili.com/). Not only is it lovely to spend two hours a week with ladies having fun, but I’m also revitalizing the muscles in my usually tight hips and challenging my brain by learning to count music. (I swear this is fending off Alzheimers. Counting a 6/8 rhythm makes my brain work.)
I’ve also started traditional Pilates on the Reformer and Cadillac with Carmela Ramaglia (http://www.powerwithinpilates.com/) and Kristy Guadalupe. This fun exercise is challenging, because it’s asking my body to work outside its normal pattern as I learn to use my core more effectively. During the workout, it feels like I might be sore afterwards, but I’m not. Kristy says this is because I’m lengthening the muscles while I’m working them. In addition, Pilates is helping my find some muscles that will help with my belly dance “freeze,” which has been impossible for me so far. That’s good synergy.
I’m enjoying all three activities, individually and in combination. They add variety, which is the key to a youthful body and antidote to stiffness. However, I’ve been doing them for the past three weeks. Why do I feel so good today? I can’t help but credit undulation.
Yesterday, I reviewed disc two of Undulation Exercises. I was listening to how the music and words flowed, and the spacing of everything. Of course, I couldn’t help but do the exercises as I listened. They are so fun! I only had time for ten undulations, but those exercises worked out many kinks in my spine.
No wonder I’m so excited about my undulation books, written and audio. No one is more excited to have the audio version than me! If you want to view some undulations, go to www.undulationexercise.com/undulation-view-undulations.htm.
I can attribute my suppleness to a new combination of activity, and the fact that yesterday I previewed the first draft of my unduation audiobook, Undulation Exercises. Happening upon the right combination of exercise, just the right things and not too much and not too little, is a happy time.
I started a new yoga class at The Yoga Barn (http://www.yogabarn.com/) four weeks ago. An instructor who develops a well-balanced, complete practice does wonders for the body, mind, and spirit. The Yoga Barn has exceptional instructors. Because of my crazy schedule, I had classes from Lulu, Catherine, and Taran. Each instructor created a practice for that day—nothing off the shelf at The Yoga Barn—and I left each class feeling very refreshed. Variety keeps the “routine” from getting stale. With yoga classes, I’ve been injecting my being with freshness instead.
After a two-month break from belly dancing, due to working on the haunted house and studio time for my audiobook, I’ve returned to weekly classes with Aleili (http://www.aleili.com/). Not only is it lovely to spend two hours a week with ladies having fun, but I’m also revitalizing the muscles in my usually tight hips and challenging my brain by learning to count music. (I swear this is fending off Alzheimers. Counting a 6/8 rhythm makes my brain work.)
I’ve also started traditional Pilates on the Reformer and Cadillac with Carmela Ramaglia (http://www.powerwithinpilates.com/) and Kristy Guadalupe. This fun exercise is challenging, because it’s asking my body to work outside its normal pattern as I learn to use my core more effectively. During the workout, it feels like I might be sore afterwards, but I’m not. Kristy says this is because I’m lengthening the muscles while I’m working them. In addition, Pilates is helping my find some muscles that will help with my belly dance “freeze,” which has been impossible for me so far. That’s good synergy.
I’m enjoying all three activities, individually and in combination. They add variety, which is the key to a youthful body and antidote to stiffness. However, I’ve been doing them for the past three weeks. Why do I feel so good today? I can’t help but credit undulation.
Yesterday, I reviewed disc two of Undulation Exercises. I was listening to how the music and words flowed, and the spacing of everything. Of course, I couldn’t help but do the exercises as I listened. They are so fun! I only had time for ten undulations, but those exercises worked out many kinks in my spine.
No wonder I’m so excited about my undulation books, written and audio. No one is more excited to have the audio version than me! If you want to view some undulations, go to www.undulationexercise.com/undulation-view-undulations.htm.
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