Featured Pose: Seated Cat-Cow Pose

by Baxter and Nina

This deceptively simple, gentle pose from our office yoga series brings mobility to your entire spine, allowing you to move your spine in two of the six important movement directions in which your spine can move, extension (back bending) and flexion (forward bending).  Mobility in the spine is important for maintaining the health of your spine, and for your entire body since your spinal cord, which communicates with your entire body, moves through your spine. Although most people don’t think of having arthritis of the spine, but it is a significant problem (see Arthritis of the Spine) and moving your spine is the best medicine for arthritis in this area. The gentle spinal movements can even help relieve back pain.

The pose also benefits your hip sockets because your sitting bones move back and forward with your spine, bringing movement into your hip sockets, which can get stiff from sitting from long periods of time. And because you move with your breath in this pose, inhaling into the backbend and exhaling into the forward bend, it’s a good way to learn breath awareness and beginning pranayama.

Accessible to everyone who can sit up, the pose is also so gentle that almost everyone, in any condition to do it. You can do it in any type of chair, even in the car! (In fact, Baxter did it just yesterday, while he was stuck in a !@#$%! traffic jam coming back to the East Bay from San Francisco.)

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• low back pain or stiffness
• arthritis or stiffness of the hips
• arthritis of the spine
• held tension anywhere from hips to neck
• beginner’s experience of pranayama
• general stress reliever while sitting at your desk
• warming up for office yoga or any other physical activity

Instructions: Start by sitting near the front of the chair seat, with your feet hip-distance apart and planted firmly under your knees. Straighten your arms, and place your hands on or near your knees. Before moving into the pose, establish the lift of your spine, from your sitting bones through the crown of your head.

As you inhale, start moving from your pelvis, rocking your hips forward so your weight comes more onto the front edge of your sitting bones. As you continue to inhale, gently lift your spine and lengthen into gentle backbend. Lift your breastbone forward and up and allow your head and neck to lengthen out and back, coming into the Cow backbend.

As you exhale, start moving from your pelvis, dropping your pelvis in the opposite direction, moving the back of your waist backward and rocking onto the back part of your sitting bones. As you continue to exhale, allow your middle back to move back as well and drop your chin toward your chest, coming into the Cat forward bend.

Repeat both the Cow and Cat positions, moving with your breath, allowing your inhalations and exhalations to be slightly longer than they are when you are taking a resting breath. Do the pose for a minimum of six rounds up to any number that feels good to you.

Cautions: Because these are mild, everyday movements, those pose is relatively safe. However, if you have been instructed by your doctor to avoid certain movements of your spine, for example, some people who have lumbar disk problems are warned about forward bending movements being potentially dangerous, you should try smaller movements at first and see what your body can handle. The same cautions apply to people who have significant injuries to their necks.

Note from Nina: Oopsie! I just realized we already wrote up this pose in April (see Chair Cat Pose). Naturally, that write up is different if you care to compare it with the new one. I think it's time for us to move onto an entirely new set of poses....

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Yoga Injuries — Fact or Fiction Telesummit

We’re pleased to announce that Yoga for Healthy Aging contributor Dr. Timothy McCall will be a featured speaker in a free “telesummit” this weekend that we think will be of interest to you:

Yoga Injuries – Facts and Fiction Telesummit
Saturday, August 25, 2012, 12 pm to 4 pm EDT; 9 am to 1 pm PDT

“Yoga is a wonderful, powerful practice, with the potential to change lives. It's our hope that this telesummit will not just help clear up misconceptions about yoga injuries, but also afford an opportunity for you to learn more about how to make the most of your own practice. And if you’re a yoga teacher, this is a great opportunity to study with leading national teachers and gain new insights into how you can ensure that your students get the best yoga experience—no matter what level or age.”

To register for the telesummit, go to http://yogauonline.com/yogaspirit/affiliate/9433/yoga-injuries-register.

In addition to Timothy’s session entitled “Yoga As Medicine – How to Get the Most Out of Your Yoga Practice No Matter What Your Age,” there will be seven other sessions from an outstanding lineup of teachers, including Roger Cole, Ph.D., Julie Gudmestad, P.T., Dr. Loren Fishman, and Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., among others.

During the summit, you’ll be able to listen in via your computer to get all this information.

Here is the lineup:

Saturday, August 25, 12 pm EDT to 4 pm EDT/9 am PDT to 1 pm PDT)
Session 1. Roger Cole, Ph.D.
Reporting or Narrative? Reflections on Yoga Injuries Facts and Fiction

Media debate on yoga injuries got you confused? Learn how to distinguish facts from fiction. In this talk, Roger Cole, an internationally recognized, Iyengar yoga teacher and a Stanford-educated scientist, takes an in-depth look at some of the more disturbing claims about yoga injuries. Roger evaluates the evidence, and clears up some of the most pervasive misinformation.

Roger Cole, Ph.D., is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, who has written extensively for Yoga Journal and numerous other yoga publications. Roger teaches yoga workshops internationally, and he has taught yoga as a healing art to physicians, physical therapists, and medical students. As a speaker on yoga safety to the American College of Sports Medicine, Roger was also quoted in the January 2012 New York Times article on yoga injuries. 

Session 2. Dr. Timothy McCall
Yoga As Medicine – How to Get the Most Out of Your Yoga Practice No Matter What Your Age

In this informative talk, Dr. Timothy McCall, author of Yoga As Medicine, takes a closer look at just why yoga is so good for us, and explores its benefits for various types of health conditions. He discusses how to maximize the transformative potential of your yoga practice, and shares the most important factor to pay attention to in order to protect ourselves from injury.

Dr. Timothy McCall is board-certified in internal medicine, an award-winning writer, and a medical editor of Yoga Journal. Dr. McCall has studiedyoga with Patricia Walden and other leading yoga teachers since 1995. He is the author of two books including the acclaimed, Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing, and has written numerous articles on the health benefits of yoga and yoga therapy.

Session 3. Ellen Saltonstall
Seven Keys to a Safe Yoga Practice

Are you working your intelligent edge in your yoga practice—or just plain pushing? In this talk, Ellen Saltonstall looks at the seven most important factors to ensure a safe yoga practice, no matter what your level of experience. She also gives an overview on the results of a survey of yoga injuries she and Dr. Loren Fishman conducted, and highlights the main conclusions from said survey.

Ellen Saltonstall has studied yoga for more than 30 years, and teaches workshops on yoga anatomy and the therapeutic applications of yoga both nationally and internationally.  She is well known for her clarity and depth, and lauded for her enthusiasm in encouraging students of all levels to find their inner joy and freedom through yoga. Ellen is the co-author with Dr. Loren Fishman of Yoga for Arthritis and Yoga for Osteoporosis. She and Dr. Fishman frequently offer online courses on YogaUOnline.com.

Session 4. Julie Gudmestad, P.T.
Yoga and the American Body: It’s Not One Size Fits All

The typical American body has tight legs, tight hips, a weak back and a weak rotator cuff. Yoga can be a great way to help overcome these conditions, but if you (or your yoga students) suffer from any of them, it could also predispose to injury. In this important talk, IYengar teacher and physical therapist Julie Gudmestad shares key insights into what to look out for, and which precautions to take to avoid injury.

Julie Gudmestad, P.T. has been certified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher since 1988, and also works as a physical therapist specializing in chronic pain, sports injuries, and stress-related problems. She is a frequent presenter at Yoga Journal conferences and is best known for her "Anatomy of a Yogi" column, which was featured in Yoga Journal for seven years. In her teaching of yoga, Julie Gudmestad aims to make the healing powers of yoga accessible to people of all levels and abilities. It is her belief that yoga encourages a mindful state that can help people heal emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Session 5. Dr. Loren Fishman
Pre-Existing Medical Condition? Yes, You Can Still Practice Yoga

Yes, you can still practice yoga if you have a pre-existing medical condition. There are no generalized contraindications, but certain yoga postures are contraindicated for certain medical conditions. In this talk, Dr. Fishman goes into what you need to ask your yoga teacher, and what your teacher should ask you, if you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition.

Dr. Loren Fishman is Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City. He lived in India for a year and studied yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar and has practiced yoga since 1973. Dr. Fishman is the author of 7 books, including Yoga for Arthritis and Yoga for Osteoporosis with Ellen Saltonstall. He is recognized as a pioneer in the treatment of piriformis syndrome and rotator cuff tear, and has developed several non-surgical interventions using simple yoga postures for these conditions.

Session 6. Peggy Cappy
Yoga for People Over 50 - Practicing Yoga Safely the Rest of Your Life

You don’t need to be thin, young or a contortionist to do yoga. In this talk, Yoga for the Rest of Us, author Peggy Cappy discusses how yoga can be practiced safely by everyone, whether you are slightly out of shape, very out of shape, or recovering from an injury. Peggy emphasizaes to never underestimate the effectiveness of any modified pose, just because it looks easy.

Peggy Cappy is the creator of the PBS series “Yoga for the Rest of Us” and the founder of Gentle Stretch Yoga for seniors and for others who need a gentle and modified approach to yoga. Peggy has helpled people ages 50 and older retain or improve their energy and their flexibility in more ways than they ever dreamed possible through yoga, helping them experience greater comfort and ease in their body, mind, and spirit.

Session 7. Tias Little
Yoga as Alchemy—The Art of Teaching Yoga

Becoming an effective yoga teacher is not a simple charge, because yoga touches not just the body, but the entire body-mind, says Tias Little, co-founder of Prajna Yoga. In this talk, Tias will explore the multi-faceted challenges yoga teachers face, and will offer his views on the limitations of the current standards for yoga teacher training. What does it take to offer students the full transformative potential of yoga? How can yoga teacher grow to master the anatomical nuances of yoga postures for students of different skill levels? How can yoga teachers gain a deep, experiential understanding of the mind and all the nuances of the emotional body, as it relates to the practice of yoga asanas? Join Tias as he explores the teaching of yoga as an internal art, and offers his perspective on how yoga teachers can continue to deepen the well they draw from in their teaching.

Session 8. Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T.
Practicing Yoga - The Whole Picture: Practicing Yoga Won’t Hurt You, But It Might Well Save Your Life

In this inspiring talk, Judith Hanson Lasater takes a step back to look at the bigger picture: Yoga is much more than just the physical poses, although that’s often where we start. The fundamental lesson of yoga is to create a habit of self-awareness, self-listening, self-observing. And therein lies the deepest, most intangible benefits.

Judith Hanson Lasater has been a yoga teacher for more than 40 years. She holds a doctorate in East West Psychology, is a physical therapist and the author of eight books including Relax and Renew, 30 Essential Yoga Poses, Living Your Yoga, and Yoga Body: Anatomy Kinesiology, and Asana. Judith has been a leading presence in shaping how yoga is taught and credentialed in the US, and she is much loved for the depth of knowledge she embodies.

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Diving Deeper into Prana

by Baxter

When I want to dive a little deeper into any yoga-related topic, I feel blessed to work with one of the smartest and well-studied yoga teachers in America today, Richard Rosen. Richard is the owner of the Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, CA, as well as author of two books on pranayama (a word I will let him define in a moment) and a Shambhala audio series on pranayama, as well as a new book on the earliest yoga poses Original Yoga (see here to read the introduction). To experience Richard’s writing firsthand, in addition to getting one of his books, you can sign up to receive Piedmont Yoga Studio’s monthly email newsletter (see piedmontyoga.com/). He always includes a fascinating article on some aspect of yoga, which I always learn a lot from!

When I asked Richard if he had written anything specifically on prana, or energy, he immediately sent me a twelve-page word document on pranayama that contained some intriguing kernels of information about prana that I thought would complement our initial look at prana last week (see May the Prana be with You). If you read that post, you'll see that I was not too far off in my definition of prana last week if we look at how Richard frames it:

“Prana is not specifically the breath, but rather the “life force,” a subtle energy that pervades the universe and manifests, in one important way, as breath and breathing”

He mentions breathing here, because he is ultimately interested in prana’s relationship to the yogic practice of pranayama. There are a lot of definitions of pranayama floating around out there. If you take a public class, you might think it refers to simply watching or observing your breath. Or you might think it refers to one particular way of breathing, namely taking a longer in breath and out breath. If you have been a student of Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga yoga, you might equate pranayama to the Darth Vadar-like breath technique known as ujjayi breath. And you’d be partially correct, as all of these things are part of the branch of yoga practice known as pranayama.

View from First Bridge by Brad Gibson

But let’s step back for a moment and take a look at Richard’s definition of the word. We have his take on prana, but what about the second half of the term, ayama?

“Ayama means both “extension” and “restraint.” I think of pranayama as the conscious, intelligent cultivation and refinement of the life force through the medium of the breath.”  

Because we in the west have such a love affair with yoga poses, that is, asana, we have come to equate yoga with asana. As Richard points out, “you might be surprised to learn that traditionally pranayama is considered the central practice of hatha yoga.”  So if pranayama is the central practice of yoga, what kind of boon does it promise if we actually start to practice it regularly? Richard points out many documented (meaning they are mentioned in the source books on hatha yoga we have available to us) benefits that come from regular, consistent practice, done over a long time, including such things as stoking the digestive fire, appeasing thirst and hunger, opening the sinuses, curing may diseases and conditions, and purifying both the gross and subtle energy systems of the body. In addition, prana and the practice of pranayama are said to destroy illness and increase longevity. The ancient yogis were interested in this because it gave them more time to achieve their yogic goals.

Richard  also points out some more benefits that we should eye with a bit of skepticism, such as making you look like you are sixteen, making you a second God of Love, and bestowing even more extraordinary mental and physical powers. For us regular “householders,” what can we realistically expect from a regular breath practice? This of course depends a bit on what you put into it!  Richard states:

“It’s likely that you’ll become more aware of, and gain greater control over, your everyday breath. Why is this a benefit? It’s already well known and widely accepted that your breath and your mental states are closely related, that the former reflects and can be used, to a certain extent, to influence the latter…. With the instrument of your breath then, you can monitor and modulate you psychic “temperature” throughout the day, cooling yourself down when the mercury rises, and heating yourself up when it drops off.”

Both Richard and I have heard from students who claim their work with prana via breath has resulted in a more relaxed and energized life on and off the mat. And, finally, Richard concludes: “all this to say that your breathing will become less effortful and more efficient.” Realistically, the more efficient and responsive your respiratory system is, the better you are able to handle stress. The lower your stress levels, the more beneficial the effect of yoga on the aging process. It all seems to come full circle once again. From my vantage point, I love the fact that so many different techniques are available to us under the large umbrella of yoga to assist us as we age!

Next time we look at pranayama, I’ll share with you my favorite summer breath technique, so until then, do what you can to stay cool!

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Frequently Asked Questions: Yoga and Aging

by Nina And Baxter

Recently Baxter and I helped Brad prep for an interview with More Magazine (we'll let you know when it comes out) about yoga and aging. The interviewer sent Brad a few very general questions, the kind that people who know little or nothing about yoga frequently ask. I thought you might be interested to hear our answers. 

Latch on Weathered Door by Nina Zolotow

Q: How is yoga good for aging bodies?

A: The physical postures help improve the following:

• strength
• balance
• flexibility
• agility
• circulation

In addition, by reducing stress, yoga helps improve both physical and emotional health. Chronic stress can overtax your body potentially causing:

• heart disease
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• insomnia and/or fatigue
• digestive disorders
• headaches
• chronic anxiety or depression
• weakened immune system

Several age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes are exacerbated by stress, so reducing stress can be helpful for these conditions. And some theories of aging propose stress as a factor in the aging process itself!

The National Institutes of Health has sponsored several studies on the yoga and age-related conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis as well as on cancer-related issues that point to definite benefits for influencing the aging process.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, yoga’s mindfulness practices and philosophy help you develop equanimity, enabling you to face life’s vicissitudes with grace and composure.

Q: Since we are all aging all the time, how can we define specifically when yoga is beneficial for aging bodies and minds?

A: It is never too early to start reducing stress and improving your physical health, so whatever age you are today is the right age to begin.

It is also never too late to start. At any age, in any condition, there is always something you can do, whether it is poses in some form or another, breath practices, meditation, and/or cultivating equanimity through yoga philosophy.

Q: Are there specific poses or aspects of yoga that are beneficial for aging?

A: Very briefly:

1. Stress management techniques, including meditation, breath practices, and relaxation poses and methods.
2. Standing poses for strength, balance, flexibility, and agility—all in one package! But all poses have their benefits.
3. Meditation and yoga philosophy for cultivating equanimity in the face of life’s vicissitudes.
4. Since everyone ages differently, yoga’s greatest strength is the wealth of possibilities it offers. Each person can do the practices that are most effective for him or her at a given time. A healthy 65 year old is going to be capable of doing a lot more challenging physical practices than someone of the same age with a chronic disease; however, in many traditions such as Iyengar and viniyoga, there are ways to adapt the practice for any condition by using props and modifications. Even people who cannot stand can get tremendous benefits from doing yoga from a chair.
5. For age-related conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis, as well cancer-related issues, different poses and practices are helpful for each of the conditions.

Q: Are there risks to yoga for aging bodies?

A: No more than other activities that have a physical component! But it is important to look for a well-trained teacher, preferably someone who has undergone months if not years of training and who has some knowledge of anatomy, who can help you adapt the practice to your particular body and concerns.

It is also important to listen to your body. If a pose causes pain (rather than just a stretching sensation), you should always back off, regardless of what the rest of your class might be doing.

As Baxter says, “Yoga is a system designed to optimize our lives, regardless of how old we are.”

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Friday Q&A: Morton's Neuroma

Q: I have a question about flat feet and Morton's toe. I'm a 57 YO man who walks a lot and I have both. I always have difficulty balancing on one foot—tree, eagle pose, etc., and have recently had a bout with Plantar Fasciitis showing up in my left heel. No fun. I was at a yoga class yesterday and some poses felt good, others hurt. When I left the class, I literally limped home and iced it for 1/2 hr. then heat, then rest. I had acupuncture at Quan Yin this morning for it and bought new, sturdy shoes and heel pads. It feels a little better today. Can you suggest any asana or other treatment I can do at home that may help speed the healing process and prevent future trouble?

A: This question from last week was really a three-parter, and I covered flat feet with you all last week (see Friday Q&A: Flat Feet), so let’s turn to the second issue that came up for our student last week, Morton’s neuroma. It turns out this particular condition can cause pain in the ball of the foot, as we shall see below. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Morton's neuroma is a painful condition that affects the ball of your foot, most commonly the area between your third and fourth toes. When it develops, it may feel as if you are standing on a pebble in your shoe or on a fold in your sock. Morton's neuroma involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the nerves leading to your toes. In some cases, Morton's neuroma causes a sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot. Your toes also may sting, burn or feel numb. Morton's neuroma may occur in response to irritation, injury or pressure. Common treatments for Morton's neuroma include changing footwear or using arch supports. Sometimes corticosteroid injections or surgery may be necessary.”

Interestingly, there's no outward sign of this condition, such as a lump or swelling on top or bottom of the foot. Instead, any of the following symptoms could appear: a feeling as if you're standing on a pebble in your shoe, a burning pain in the ball of your foot that may radiate into your toes, or tingling or numbness in your toes. We don’t know what causes this problem to develop, but it is theorized that irritation, pressure or injury to one of the nerves that lead to your toes may be the culprit. High-heel shoes, high-impact sports or sports with tight fitting shoes (can you say sport rock climbing?) or the presence of other foot deformities are all considered risk factors for developing a Morton’s neuroma. I could hypothesize that our student’s flat feet may have put him at risk for developing one of these buggers, but I don’t know about other activities that he was doing when it showed up. Obviously, the first two risk factors are addressable with lifestyle changes and choices.  Not so much the foot deformities.

If you go in for evaluation for foot pain on the ball of your foot, your doc will likely press around on the foot, especially between the third and fourth toes, to see if you are tender there or have a fullness that is not visible from the exterior. In addition, X-rays may be ordered to rule out a fracture as a cause for your pain, or an ultrasound may be used to look for the swelling of the nerve indicative of a neuroma. Typical western medical treatment usually starts with the least expensive and simplest approach. This could include over the counter arch supports and pads to take pressure off the neuroma. Your doc might go so far as to recommend you get special customized arch supports made for your shoes. Another fairly common treatment involves injection a steroid medication into the swollen area, as it is a strong anti-inflammatory medication. There are three other more extreme surgical approaches that are invasive and beyond the scope of this blog post. My hope is that you would not have to go to that extreme.

The folks at the Mayo Clinic do have some other ideas that could help, which are pretty common sense, too, like taking anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin or ibuprofen, as they can help with pain and swelling. Or try an ice massage. Regular ice massage may help reduce pain. If you have not already changed your footwear, what are you waiting for? Get rid of those heels and make sure the box of your shoes is wide enough!  Finally, they suggest you give your foot a break. For a few weeks, reduce activities such as jogging, aerobic exercise or dancing that subject your feet to high impact.

How might yoga fit into this healing process? Well, I, and many of my students, have noted that regular asana practice leads to a slight widening of the feet. This may be because the practice is done with bare feet (no shoes!). Regardless, this additional space might translate into enough space between your metatarsals to relieve the pressure on the nerve and allow healing to take place. We also often encourage students to spread their toes wide, which could travel upstream a few inches and also provide some much-needed space in the front foot. Finally, a modified practice, done with the buttocks supported on a chair for standing pose variations, as an example, could keep much of your body active while allowing your feet to have less pressure on them. And, of course, a regular practice of inverted poses could relieve all of the blood pressure effects of normal upright walking and standing, giving your feet a real rest. I’d recommend Legs Up the Wall as a “must do” on a daily basis for healing and recovery.

Next time, we’ll look at heal spurs in the mix of the other things our student has going on.  Until then, tread lightly!

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Featured Sequence: Standing Shoulder Stretches

by Baxter and Nina

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while will have noticed we’ve been slowly working our way through a series of office yoga poses. Our original plan was that after individually describing each of the poses in our complete sequence, we would, as our grand finale, write a post that links them all together into a full-length office yoga sequence. Eventually we realized two things: 1) the full-length sequence wouldn’t work well as an individual blog post (too long!) and 2) most people don’t even want to do, or have time for, a full, one-hour office yoga practice.

So with that in mind, we’re going to be creating some mini sequence using the poses we have introduced so far, and today we’re pleased to offer you our Standing Shoulder Stretches sequence. The Standing Shoulder Stretches sequence includes just five poses that move your shoulders through most of their range of motion, providing a wonderful antidote to sitting in front of a computer all day, working with your hands, or traveling, and releasing stress from areas where you hold tension while helping to keep your shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands flexible and healthy. Most of the poses provide benefits for your wrists and hands as well. You can do this sequence almost anywhere, in any attire, making it perfect for office or travel.

1. Dynamic Arm Circles (6 repetitions). This pose is great for preparing your shoulders for yoga practice, or for any task where you will be using your arms overhead (such as painting a house) or a sport that involves your arms, such as tennis. It’s also perfect for releasing tension after you’ve worked your arms or sat for hours at a desk or on a plane. And moving your arms within the complete range of motion is the best way to keep your shoulder joints healthy.

See Dynamic Arm Circles for complete information.

2. Upward Bound Hands (1 to 2 minutes per side). This simple pose allows you to stretch and strengthen your shoulders, arms, hands and wrists, providing the perfect antidote to working with your arms down by your sides all day. Raising your arms overhead with bound hands reverses the effect of gravity on your arms and reestablishes the full range of motion of your collar blades and shoulder blades.

See Upward Bound Hands for complete information.

3. Eagle pose Arms (90 seconds per side). This pose is a wonderful stretch for your middle and upper back and for your neck, which are areas where you may hold a lot of tension. Even thought some of us who are slumped over our computers appear to have wideness in the upper back, you may have noticed there is still quite a bit of tension there. The pose also increases mobility in your shoulders and releases tension from certain parts of your shoulder joint. It moves your shoulder blades on your rib cage into upward rotation, encouraging an important, functional movement for healthy shoulders and arms. It may also build strength in your pectoralis as well as some of the other chest muscles.

See Eagle Pose Arms for complete information.

4. Reverse Prayer pose (30 seconds to 2 minutes). This pose moves your shoulders into a position that you don’t take very often in your everyday life. Although this movement is not commonly needed, it’s still an important one because for the long-term health of your shoulders, you need to move them through their full range of motion. Unlike Prayer pose (Namaste) in front of your chest, Reverse Prayer pose (Paschima Namaskarana) takes your upper arms into internal rotation, creating an excellent stretch for your forearms that’s helpful for your elbows, wrists, and hands.

See Reverse Prayer Pose for complete information.

5. Standing Cow-Face pose (30 seconds to 2 minutes per side). This versatile pose uses just the arm positions from the full Cow-Face pose, which is typically done in a seated position. Because the pose works your two arms differently, it’s almost like two poses in one, taking your shoulders and arms through much of their range of motion. With your top arm, you reach up and overhead, spinning your upper arm bone outward and deeply bending your elbow joint. With your bottom arm, you reach down and back behind you, spinning your upper arm bone inward as you bend at the elbow joint. As it works your arms, this pose also stretches and strengthens your shoulder blades, upper back and neck.

See Standing Cow-Face Pose for complete information.

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Take Care of Yourself or Your Students: Yoga and Safety

by Shari

Navigating Through Icebergs by Michele Macartney-Filgate

I have been thinking a lot about the topic of safety when I teach these days, so I thought I might share some of my insights with you all, both students and fellow teachers.

So many people wander into a yoga class these days that it can be overwhelming for the teacher to juggle all the special needs that people may present. Let me give you some examples of my typical yoga students. I may have a student with glaucoma/cataracts who can’t do any poses where her head is lower that her heart, a student with a total knee replacement, hip replacement, hip fracture with surgical pinning, or students with osteotomies, acromioplasties, heart attacks, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, heart surgeries, strokes, vertigo, garden variety joint pain, spinal pain, herniated discs of the neck, back, sacroiliac issues, chronic pain of any body part, vertebral artery occlusion, carotid artery stenosis, etc. I think you are getting the point! And not all of these people are seniors or even over 55. In fact, some of my healthiest looking students have significant chronic illnesses and issues. How can I teach a class that has this variety? (I am not even talking about special needs yoga class here, but general classes.) Yes, it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed.
But I have learned over time to ask some very simple questions in two minutes or less to get a feel of the student:

1. Have you done any yoga before? Now this question is very challenging because sometimes an individual will answer yes, but you have to qualify how long ago this was and what type of yoga.
2. Do you have any conditions that I should be aware of? Now here is another question that may appear simple but isn’t. Sometimes when people live with chronic conditions it is so normal for them they don’t even think about it being a problem. So you may have to probe a little.

Then, most importantly, I tell my new students this: “You are responsible for yourself in this class. Please don’t think I have ESP and know when something is overtaxing for you or causing you pain. And please come out of any pose and let me know of the difficulty you are experiencing.” Yes, it is paramount that every student take the responsibility for his or her own actions and does not pass that responsibility onto the teacher.

After this, you have set the stage for having engaged students in your class, but you aren’t done with providing a safe environment for your students. Throughout every class, you need to observe every student to make sure that people aren’t becoming overly fatigued and distressed. Is someone looking paler than usual? Is a student sweating more than normal? Is a student more red-faced than usual? Looking for subtle changes in your familiar students is important. Also, give people (or yourself!) permission to stop and rest (see Resting Between Poses for information about resting). We are all so driven, whether it is internal competition in our own selves on how much we want to or need to do or external competition where we are looking around at our classmates and competing. Yes, yes, this isn’t supposed to be yoga, but it does happen to the best of us and when we compete even against ourselves, injuries can occur.

These are very general suggestions that both teachers and students can immediately apply to their personal practices as well as to yoga classes. In future posts we can all discuss particular strategies for keeping yoga students who live with various medical concerns safe while they practicing asana.

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