Keeping Allergies at Bay

Keeping Allergies at Bay

Breath Awareness

Budding dogwoods and weeping cherry trees burst open in April.  Hagerstown becomes a pastel canvas of pinks, whites and lavenders.  Along with these beautiful colors come pollen and spring allergies.  Utilizing yoga’s breathing techniques can ease sneezing and watery eyes this year.

Our breath, whether it is slow or fast, shapes the pattern of energy flowing within our body.  If energy is stuck or lacking in an area of our body, disease results.  For example, a last minute work request gets our blood pumping and breath racing.  We barely notice the breath, but feel the results in tight, slouchy shoulders, a collapsed chest, sore backs and hips, achy knees and ankles.  Without noticing the breath, we weaken our immune system, and open ourselves to colds and runny noses.  Sound familiar?

“Controlling the breath is a prerequisite to controlling the mind and the body,” states Swami Rama.  In gaining control of our breath, we take control of our health.

Step 1:  Become aware of your breath.  Breathing is a both a voluntary and involuntary physiological process (meaning you can control your breath or allow it to work by itself.) Are you holding your breath on the drive home?  Is it moving quickly as you usher your kids out the door to school? You can let your breath run wild or harness its power to create more energy within the body.  Building awareness takes time.  Every time you notice your breath, give yourself a high five.

Step 2: Practice diaphragmatic breathing.  Inhale, draw the breath into the nostrils and press the belly out.  Exhale, drawing the belly in pushing the breath out through the nose.  This is the most efficient type of breathing.  Chest breathing (breathing into the middle and upper chest) is the most common, but you actually have to work harder to achieve the same blood/gas mixture exchange than diaphragmatic thus resulting in more breaths.  Diaphragmatic breathing also presses the lungs against the abdominals gently massaging and improving circulation and digestion.  Anxiety is associated with chest breathing.

When we neglect to notice our bodies, minds or breath in stressful moments, our breath which runs all by itself will kick into a “fight or flight” response and the energy in the body will follow course.

Step 3: Keep the nasal passage clean.  Nasal mucus is normal and beneficial.  It lubricates the passages, warms the breath and keeps viruses away.  However, if we breathe through our mouth, we invite cooler air that the body has to warm up into the body and potentially allow harmful germs to enter.  A few ways to keep the nasal passage clean are nasal rinsing (neti pot), nasal oiling (if you already have more mucus, dry air will cake and crust the mucus in the nose causing discomfort and irritation), pranayama (breathing exercises) and keeping an eye on your diet refraining from too much dairy, refined and processed foods.

Pranayama (breathing) Practice:

Anuloma Viloma (forceful alternate nostril breathing). Practicing breathing just 5 minutes a day will change your entire outlook on your day.  You’ll immediately be more in tune with your body, feel more relaxed and focused, and overall improve your health.

Enjoy spring and all of its wonders by preparing the nose now.  Breathe freely!

Creating a Practice

Creating a Practice

Om Work

One of the most asked questions I receive is “how often should I practice yoga?”.   My answer: as often as you can.  Most students come to yoga for its physical aspect, but don’t realize the alignment, breath work, calmness and focus they practice on the mat actually moves with them off them mat, and intertwines into their everyday life.  It becomes a way of life.

Yoga is a great tool because it’s accessible to everyone.  You can take any pose and modify it to meet your needs on a particular day and time.  You can slow it down and speed it up depending on the time of year and your energy level.  You can practice it at a studio, home, basement, hotel room or even next to a pool.  The only thing you need is to listen to your body.

From racing pulse rates to achy muscles, our body tells us everyday what’s going on inside.  Utilizing yoga to slow the mind, breath and body allows us the opportunity to actually hear the voice within.  We can then begin to nurture and soothe our sore areas and slowly begin to develop healthy habits to prevent the aches from returning.

I encourage everyone to create a home yoga practice.  It gives you the flexibility to practice when the time is right.  But wait?!?  “I don’t know what to do at home,” says one student.  Here’s my step-by-step list to creating a home practice.

Take a yoga class.  Yep, spend the money and go to a class to learn the basics.  Books and videos are helpful, but a live teacher can answer your questions as well as offer modifications that are perfect for your body.

1.  Learn one sequence.  Teachers learn core sequences that have been practiced for thousands of years such as Sun Salutation and Moon Salutation.  Start with moving through this sequence 3-6x every day varying the speed (slower when your energy is lower and faster when you want to create some heat).  **Side note: You can learn Sun Salutation A on March 21 as part of the Rise to Shine yoga fund raiser for Girls Inc.  Several area yoga teachers will help modify and assist you making the 108 salutations accessible to everyone.
2. Sprinkle in a couple of poses.  After a yoga class, jot down how different poses made you feel.  For example, in today’s class, Warrior 1 felt strong and powerful while Downward Facing Dog was a nice release from my commute home.  Pick 3-5 poses to practice after your warm-up sequence depending on what your body is feeling.
3. Focus on your breath.  Take an inventory of your breath at the beginning and end of your practice.  Notice the way it changes as you move through each pose.  Try to maintain a calm, even breath even if that means it takes you 10 breaths to transition from Downward Facing Dog to a lunge.
4. Don’t judge.  Practice compassion and acceptance of where you are today.  Our needs and attitudes change like the wind.  Our bodies also change daily – some days we’ll feel more open in Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) while others even the simplest balance pose will challenge every cell in our body.
5. Don’t skip Savasana.  Our bodies need a moment to rest and restore after any workout.  Savasana is simply meditation lying on our backs.  It allows us to simply be, and gives us the opportunity to hear and notice what we typically ignore all day.
6. Commit to yourself.  A home practice may be 10 minutes in the morning one day and 60 minutes after work another.  Make a promise to at least step on the mat once a day.  No one has ever said she regrets taking a class so you won’t be disappointed with the time you put on the mat. 

As you begin your practice, feel free to visit Limber Llama Yoga for ideas and sequences.  You can also email me with any questions.  I would be more than happy to guide you on your own yoga journey.

Shine On

Limber Llama Yoga teacher, Jennifer Weiss teaching at Girls Inc. of Washington County.

Shine On

Confidence Sparkles

What would my childhood have been like if I had been exposed to yoga at age 10?  This very question is what led me to begin volunteering with pre-teens and teenagers in Hagerstown.

When I pose this question to my adult students, they sigh, and say life would have been so much easier.  “I would have more confidence in my body.”  “I could have taken more time to react to situations.” “I may have been a more authentic me.”  And the list goes on and on.

All the benefits adults enjoy as a regular yoga practice, teens can experience too.  From the ability to act consciously instead of reacting to a situation to redirecting negative thoughts into positive ones, yoga is a toolbox of movement, breath and mind practices.  This toolbox aids in building self-confidence, gaining greater depth of enjoyment of life, and giving courage to be the real you.

It may not seem like all of these benefits are possible, but let’s break it down.  When a student begins practicing yoga poses (asanas), she first has to let go of what’s happening outside her mat in order to do the pose correctly.  Once she gains some confidence in her Downward Facing Dog, she’ll start to connect her breath to each movement.   Then, she stops the movement, but continues to focus on the breath while calming the mind.

The student then begins to practice self-awareness (paying attention) off the mat.  She takes a breath before speaking.  She understands and communicates the feelings she’s experiencing.  She takes more time to make smart decisions.  She gains more confidence in herself as well as her support system.

Who wouldn’t want these benefits?  And who wouldn’t want to give them to their son or daughter?  During the month of March 2014, teens (ages 10-18) can practice for free when accompanied by a paying adult to any Limber Llama Yoga class.

Sleep is Beautiful

Sleep is Beautiful

A Daily Tune-Up

Ah, vacation.  Why is it when we’re on a vacation, we feel so refreshed and energized?  We have no responsibilities, no agendas, nowhere to be.  We are able to fully relax and enjoy the moment.  Falling asleep in Savasana?  It’s a sign that your body needs more sleep.

Numerous medical reports state adults need 7-8 hours of sleep every night.  Every night!  Kids and teens need even more.  Sleep is important to help restore the body.  While you drift off to Never Never Land, our bodies are focusing on other tasks like filing memories, restoring muscle tissues, resetting digestive functions and overall, rejuvenating the brain’s function.  Growth hormones are secreted during sleep aiding in growth for children and repair tissues in adults.

Restless nights begin to add up.  Lack of sleep is linked to increased cases of diabetes, heart problems, weight gain, depression among other illnesses. It affects our personality and sense of humor. We’re more irritable and less tolerant

How can you get more quality sleep? 

·             Establish a routine going to bed at the same time even on the weekends.

·             Tune out electronics an hour before bedtime.

·             Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime along with smoking.

·              Finish eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.

        Exercise regularly.

Make sleep a priority now, and avoid winter woes like a cold, the flu or added agitation with the holidays. Every night is an opportunity to take a mini-vacation.  Sweet dreams!