Yoga at Home with Laura, Self-taught Yogi!

Yoga at Home: Got Stiff Knees from Sitting? Yoga to the Rescue!

A few months ago, the publication of an article that posed the question "Can Yoga Wreck Your Body?" created a brouhaha and stirred up a lot of debate in the yoga world.  I found it all silly.  I agree with fitness expert Denise Austin who has often stated that SITTING too long is one of the greatest hazards to our body, our health, and feeling of well-being.  Sitting too long CAN wreck your body - or at least make it super stiff!

In the United States and much of the Western world that is dominated by an information society, we are much more likely to suffer ailments resulting from sedentary task jobs rather than from exercising too much (weekend warriors and type A people who push their bodies to perform to impress themselves or others aside).  The obesity epidemic in the United States is the result of both eating too much and moving too little. The other day, however, I was guilty of the latter.

I should know better but sometimes I forget to follow my own advice during the work day to take frequent (every 20 minutes or so) breaks and get up from my desk to move about for a minute or two. Particularly when I have a time-intensive project that I need to complete. Three days ago I worked at home on an extremely tedious task. I had to review documents with tiny print and input a lot of text and data.  I just wanted to get it over with and so I forgot to get up regularly and move around.  And when I work at home I don't have long hallways to walk down to go to the ladies' room as I do at work, so I move less.  

Well, I felt the results by early evening!  On this particular day I had only done half of my yoga regime in the morning because I had needed more sleep. So after finishing my work I rolled out my mat to complete my regime.  I did feel a bit stiff.  When I went into some of my usual poses like the Japanese sitting pose and the backward bend on the toes - whoa!  My knees and the muscles in my things felt like taut rubber bands - most uncomfortable!  I remembered that I had not gotten up from my desk often enough and now I was paying the price.

Fortunately, both the Japanese sitting pose, backward bend, and the bow (shown below) helped relieve the tension and stiffness in my knees and thighs. I re-learned an important lesson - never sit for more than 20-30 minutes at a time my desk!

Yours for doing yoga and moving around frequently to stay flexible,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Japanese Sitting Pose

 

 Yoga Backward Bend

 

The Bow

Yoga at Home Can Help Mesothelioma Patients

Laura Venecia Rodriguez in the child pose

GUEST POST

Today I am sharing a post written by Faith Franz, writer for the Mesothelioma Center at http://www.Asbestos.com.  Thank you, Faith!

Yoga Practice at Home for Someone with Mesothelioma 

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure. This cancer affects the thin, protective membrane surrounding the heart, lungs and abdominal cavity.  There are three locations that mesothelioma commonly originates, and these locations are used to classify the cancer into three subtypes:

• Pleural mesothelioma (develops in the lining of the lungs)
• Peritoneal mesothelioma (develops in the lining of the stomach)
• Pericardial mesothelioma (develops in the lining of the heart)

Yoga’s benefits are physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual for some practitioners who wish to connect with their personal faith during practice. Yoga can help patients sleep better and feel more energetic when treatments such as radiation therapy cause fatigue. Additionally it is a great way for individuals going through treatments to exercise and increase their appetite. 

While yoga can be practiced in a studio with a trained instructor, yoga can also be practiced in the comfort of a home.

For mesothelioma patients, at-home yoga may be more convenient. Instead of worrying about driving across town and meeting a studio’s schedule, patients can enjoy their practice on their own time, whenever they have a burst of energy. Practicing yoga at home is also cheaper than attending a studio. Individual yoga classes at a studio can cost between $10 and $20 each (depending on where you live), while materials to practice at home can be purchased once and reused as long as desired.

The only things required to set up an at-home yoga space are:

• A space at least two feet wide by six feet long (outside works well!)
• A yoga mat
• Optional: candles, instructional yoga DVDs and/or a CD of relaxing music

Once they have created a space for their practice, yoga students can flow through their favorite poses at their own pace or follow along with an instructional material. Countless yoga DVDs, podcasts, YouTube videos and instructional books are available for those wishing to take their practice to their home.

People who are just beginning their yoga practice may wish to take a few introductory classes at a yoga studio before practicing at home, or ask a yoga teacher for a private session at the patient’s home. This allows patients to learn some of the traditional poses and ensure they are practicing safely. After their initial sessions, patients may feel more comfortable flowing through the postures at home.

Simple Yoga Routine for an At-Home Yoga Practice

Several simple yoga postures can be practiced at home for a balanced practice. These include:

• Child’s pose
• Mountain pose
• Cat/Cow stretches
• Downward dog
• Forward bend
• Warrior I and II

Yogis can end their sessions with a few minutes in Savasana (lying down) for quiet reflection. Using this time for meditation can help mesothelioma patients leave their practice feeling less anxious and stressed about their medical condition.

Author bio: Faith Franz is a writer for the Mesothelioma Center. She combines her interests in whole-body health and medical research to educate the mesothelioma community about the newest developments in cancer care.

Yours for improving your health with yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach 

 

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Avoid Injury-Never Jerk or Strain Your Body!

AVOID YOGA INJURIES-NEVER JERK, STRAIN, OR FORCE YOUR BODY INTO A POSE!!

The other day a work colleague shared that he recently had been in touch with someone from our division who retired several years ago. This individual, a fairly active person (from what I recall), had apparently taken up yoga.  As is often the case when learning new yoga poses requiring balance, he was unable to keep his balance.  I don't know which yoga pose he was doing, but his impatience and frustration with not maintaining his balance got the better of him.  So - what did he do?  He jerked his leg up and attempted to force his body to balance.

Rip....!! Tear....!  Ouch!!!!  There went a major leg muscle.  Guess what?  He won't be able to balance at all in any pose for a while now!

Even if you do the type of slow, gentle yoga I practice daily - such as the ankle to forehead pose shown above, you MUST, you absolutely  MUST go slowly!  And, never jerk, strain, or force your body to do something new!  You never win and only increase your chance of injury tenfold!  (And, if you attend a yoga class and happen to have a yoga instructor who tries to persuade you to go farther that you feel comfortable, just say "no!")

When I began the ankle to forehead pose, I could only bring my ankle up about a third of the way.  And that was back in high school.  My body was not accustomed to moving into that pose.  If I had jerked my ankle up to my head, I could have torn a thigh muscle or put my hip out of whack. 

In my not always humble opinion, learning yoga is not just about learning how to place your body into a particular pose.  It's also about practicing patience, transcending frustration, and listening to your body.  If you do this, your risk of injury will be small.

Yours for practicing yoga with patience and caution,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

 

 

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Yoga Headstand - Trying it for the First Time!

During my last post, I shared the inspiring tale of Arthur, a disabled Gulf war paratrooper and veteran who returned home with limited mobility.  He could not walk without elbow crutches and his physicians advised him that this was his fate for the rest of his life (shame on them).  His sedentary life caused him to become morbidly obese.  Yet, he found one yoga instructor who was willing to take him on.  Arthur's video showed how he started as an absolute yoga beginner falling and tumbling over during several poses.  Yet, consistent practice over time enabled Arthur to master difficult poses including the headstand!

The yoga headstand is one pose that I never tried for more than a split second.  I tend to become discombobulated when I go upside down- I lose my balance. Despite swim lessons, as a child and teenager I could never do flip overs when reaching the end of a lap in a pool. Although I can lift myself into the shoulder stand, the head stand has intimidated me for years. However, Arthur's video so inspired me that I decided to start teaching myself the yoga headstand.  

Today I gave myself my first lesson.  I picked up one of my first yoga books -and you can tell it's a first, the pages are greatly yellowed and falling apart. But, I was able to find detailed instructions for the head stand.  I carefully read and re-read the instructions and studied the photographs.  (By the way, I haven't learned a new pose in some time - it was about time I did so!)  I clasped my hands around my head as you see above and formed a triangle with my elbows and stretched out my legs.  I had to try this though a few times.  I felt awkward - kind of like driving a stick shift for the first time.

And, I followed my own advice - taking baby steps and being very careful of how my body felt.  I noticed my head and neck felt a bit tight (I have been sleeping in an awkward position the past few days) so I was most cautious.  The neck can be very delicate. I went only as far as was comfortable - somewhere between illustrations 3 and 4 shown above.  And, that was that.  That is as far as I felt I should go!  I am going to continue to practicing a bit of this pose during the week and every weekend.  I will share my results. There are no guarantees that I will be able to do the headstand, but my intention is to at least try it so I can further expand my yoga regime.

Yours for trying new yoga poses with caution and patience,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

 

Yoga at Home: You Don't Do Yoga Because...XYZ? Think Again!

 

 

Of course, I am a biased person and think everyone should practice some yoga daily. But, I di recognize that it may not suit everyone's personality (but, I still can't imagine why!).  However, there are many people who have considered yoga but then come up with myriad reasons to justify why they cannot do it. The excuses include a lack of time (I offer many tips in my book and in other blog posts on how to overcome that hurdle), excess weight, a super lack of flexibility (that's WHY they should do it), an odd bone structure, old injuries, certain medical conditions, and so on.  Well, these excuses are pretty much groundless in my not so humble opinion.  The key is to take baby steps, listen to your body, and practice consistently.  

The other day I received an inspirational video via email from yoga instructor Lucas Rockwood. Every aspiring yogi should invest 5 minutes to watch this awe-inspiring story! Lucas emphasized that this video demonstrates the massive transformation that yoga can create in a person's life and that is true.  I also found that the video underscored:

1) the power of persistence;

2) the willingness to fail and fall over and over; and

3) the possibility of gaining tremendous results from practicing at home.

The video is the story of Arthur, a disabled Gulf War veteran who returned home with major injuries to his back and knees. Arthur's numerous jumps as a military paratrooper had taken their toll. Doctors told him he'd never be able to resume walking unassisted.  He gained more than 100 pounds of excess weight.  He was barely mobile.  For a while he accepted his fate.  But, then he checked into learning yoga and was turned down by all instructors except one.  And that one, it seems taught him yoga poses that he practiced on his own at home.

The video shows clips of the evolution of Arthur's yoga practice in his home. It is heart warming because at the beginning he would seem to be an unlikely candidate for doing yoga because of his weight and injuries.  But, he prevails despite falling on his face numerous times while attempting the headstand and other challenging poses.  Over time, he becomes more limber and the pounds start dropping off.  He loses 100 pounds in  6 months and more! I won't spoil his story for you.  Check it out now and roll out your yoga mat tomorrow.  Whatever excuses you have had - they're just no longer valid after you watch Arthur!   After watching this video, I am going to start trying to master the headstand - a pose that I have feared trying!

 

 

Yours for obliterating all excuses for not doing yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Yoga Breathing FOR Public Speaking

December 2009 - Spiritual talk in Silver Spring, MD

In July 2010, I wrote a blog post about the similarities between yoga and public speaking.  You can check it out in the archives. And, I was recently reminded about the link between yoga and public speaking by an article in the March 2012 issue of Yoga Journal which discussed the benefits of yoga to overcome anxiety and improve one's comfort with public speaking.

I have practiced yoga since 1970 and I have been practicing and honing my speaking skills since 1980, the year I joined Toastmasters International.  The key to improving and enhancing one's abilities in both yoga and public speaking are consistent practice and having a positive intention. In yoga, one's intention should include enjoying the practice in and of itself, expanding one's comfort zone, and achieving oneness of mind, body, and spirit.   In public speaking, hopefully your purpose is to deliver a meaningful message with comfort and power which in turn creates a connection and therefore oneness with your audience.

But, what if you haven't joined a Toastmasters club (which I highly recommend if you're serious about getting ongoing public speaking practice) and you have an upcoming eulogy or speaking requirement of some kind and you are feeling nervous?  What do you do?

In a pinch, try yoga breathing exercises!  The Alternate Nostril Breath is an excellent technique to practice in the days and the minutes before your speaking engagement.  It is a wonderful, calming tonic!  Try it! See the instructions below.  And, as you do this breathing technique, it is most helpful to focus on serving the audience.  Focusing on others is invaluable for overcoming public speaking fears.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Type of yoga pose:  Breathing technique that can be done seated or lying down 

Body parts targeted:  Lungs and nervous system

How to do the pose:

1. Sit in a comfortable position on your mat or in a chair with your spine erect (or lie down with your entire body flat on your mat).
2. You may choose to close your eyes. Closing your eyes enhances the relaxation and calming effects of this technique.
3. Place your right thumb gently on but not closing your right nostril; place your index finger and middle finger on your forehead in the space between your eyebrows; rest your ring finger and little finger gently on your left nostril without closing it.     
4. Press down upon your right nostril with your right thumb. Lift your ring and little finger from your left nostril and breathe in deeply expanding your abdomen and fill your lungs to the count of 8 (or to whatever count is comfortable for you).
5. Press your ring and little fingers down on your left nostril and hold your breath for a count of 4.
6. Raise your right thumb off your right nostril and exhale all the air in your lungs through your right nostril to the count of 8.
7. Without changing the position of your hand, immediately breathe in through your right nostril for a count of 8.
8. Press your right thumb down on your right nostril so that both nostrils are closed.  Hold your breath for a count of 4.
9. Lift your ring and little fingers from your nostril and exhale through your left nostril for a count of 8.

This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing.

Number of repetitions: 3 rounds or for 5 minutes alternating nostrils. Over time, build up the counts so you are inhaling, holding, and exhaling for a count of 8. Do at any time of the day when you need to relax, clear your mind, or slow down your pace.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1. Increases “prana” – i.e., the “life force” or energy in the body.
2. Helps clear air passages.
3. Relaxes and calms body, mind, and nerves.
4. Clears mind.
5. Balances opposite currents in your body and helps restore equilibrium.
6. Functions as an excellent beginning to your yoga session, as a prelude to meditation or for winding down after doing poses.
7. Quiets the mind and can help in overcoming insomnia.
8. Strengthens the nervous system and improves circulation.
9. Relieves sinus conditions by dissolving obstructions in the nasal passages and can increase immunity to colds.

10.Can alleviate headaches or stomach aches caused by anxiety.

11.Helps develop overall serenity.

12.  Can help you overcome the jitters you may experience with public speaking!!

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

Always inhale and exhale without strain in and out through the nose, not through the mouth.  When you begin this technique, you may notice, as I did, that one nostril is clearer than the other. I had trouble breathing through my right nostril. Don’t worry – over time both nostrils will clear and you will breathe in and out fully from both.

You can use this breathing technique to increase your energy during afternoon lulls or whenever you need to “pep” yourself up. I have used the alternate nostril breath technique to alleviate anxiety or stomach aches caused by stress by doing the breath while focusing on the words, “deep relaxation.”  Within 2-3 minutes, my stomach aches have subsided!

You can also use the alternate nostril breath technique to help you relax at night before sleep. At bedtime, lie down in your bed and do 5 to 7 rounds of the alternate breath technique to release all tensions and to dose off.

 Yours for calming down with yoga breathing,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Yoga at Home: Key Advantages of a Home Practice-A Review

 

 

I read Moving Toward Balance, the book shown above (which I recommend...) a few years ago as part of the research for my own book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, & Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day (published in May 2011 and available on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453898360).  Rodney Yee is a well-known yoga instructor with dozens of DVDS and yoga classes.  I was pleasantly surprised to read Yee's following statement:

"Home practice trains people to focus their minds on their bodies in a way that no amount of time in the classroom could." 

Now before droves of devoted yoga class attendess and fans start protesting, I would like to offer several reasons why I agree with Yee on why home yoga practice may be superior to yoga in the classroom- even with a top notch instructor.  And, I want to point out that I am NOT discouraging people from taking yoga classes!  Not in the least!  I feel, however, that it IS invaluable to become acquainted with the benefits of a home practice because it can make yoga accessible to people who simply don't have the time, money, or confidence to attend a class.  They are as follows:

1)  In a home practice, you determine your pace - not the instructor.  Granted, some instructors offers suggestions for yoga newbies on how to adapt their practice or how much they may want to limit themselves when they begin - but, there still tends to be some at least subconscious pressure to keep up with the instructor.

2)  At home you can spend more time on a given pose as you learn it or you can repeat poses as needed.  How often or readily can you do this in a class?  Not often - normally you have to follow the instructor's movements and timing.

3)  Assuming you can create your own dedicated and solitary practice space at home, you have fewer distractions when you practice yoga at home.  You don't have people on either side of you inches away on their mats.

4)  You compete only with yourself.  There are no super flexible and "bendy" yoga jocks around you to make you feel "less than...!"

5)  You usually can better control the ambiance and your surroundings in your home studio and with greater focus and relfection. you have more opportunities to listen to your body as you are not distracted by other bodies all around you.

6)  You choose your music (or lack thereof) or silence - you can customize and change your home practice every single day to fit your moods and needs.

All of these benefits and factors are what have motivated me to practice yoga at home for more than 4 decades.  Check them out for yourself and report back to me - soon!

Yours for doing yoga at home,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the beginners' yoga at thome coach

 

Yoga at Home: Motivations Differ-It's Daily Practice that Counts

I love what yogi Peg Mulqueen says in the column, "Om" in the March 2012 issue of Yoga Journal:  
"So don't let anyone tell you what your yoga should or shouldn't be.  It doesn' matter what you seek when you come to the mat-a cure for back pain, a quiet mind, Madonna's arm muscles.  The important thing is that you're there every day."

I began yoga at age 15 because I was a hopeless and hapless non-athlete!  I saw my future as a couch potato looming on the horizon and I simply could not accept that!  I always had an innate interest in maximizing my good health.  And, it happened that yoga was just starting to spread across the United States. My original motivation was to get and stay in shape-pure and simple.  I was already fairly calm and serene so I wasn't motivated to do yoga to get into a calm zone.  (Although, nowadays as the single mother of a challenging 15-year old son, getting into a calm zone has become one of the curent motivations for my daily practice!) Yet, because yoga is such a holistic practice with benefits to the mind, body, and spirit, over time I could not help but appreciate what I was gaining in addition to staying in shape by toning my body and increasing my flexibility.

Some people may be drawn to yoga to increase their flexibility or strength. Others may want to regain youthful vitality or get the proverbial "yoga butt." And, there are people who just want to increase their patience and discipline.  It doesn't matter if your motivation is mundane and seemingly frivolous (like chiseled arms or a "yoga butt") or if it's more sublime - such as gaining oneness in your mind, body, and spirit.  What happens is that daily practice will reward you with what you seek and much more.  

Mulqueen clearly states, "The important thing is that you're there every day."  I could not agree more. Attending 60 or 90-minute classes two or more times a week can be wonderful.  But, a 20-30 minute practice each day makes yoga part of your lifestyle and outlook toward life.  It's not a class that you attend - it's an empowering, comprehensive perspective that you incorporate into your life.  Therein lies the true power and benefit of a daily yoga practice.

Yours for doing yoga daily for reaping maximum benefits,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga Coach

 

Yoga at Home: Yoga Practice: Approach It This Way...

(Photo above from a lovely, peaceful vacation with my daughter and son in Cozumel, Mexico, August 2009)

Controversy about the possibility of "wrecking your body" with yoga and the recent sex scandal surrounding John Friend, founder of Anusara yoga, can distract us from the beauty and inherent value of a gentle yoga practice.

I subscribe to an small spiritual magazine that features daily inspirational messages that are relevant to virtually anyone regardless of your chosen religious denomination (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh) or absence thereof. And, last week one of the messaages leaped out at me. It epitomized the type of attidue that can benefit us tremendously when we roll out our yoga mat to do our practice (daily I hope!).

The core elements from the message (that I am paraphrasing and adapting) that you can apply to your yoga practice are as follows:

1.  Relax and be present in the moment.  Drop all past troubles and concerns about what you have to do after your practice for the moment - let them be (now really!).

2.  Too many people are speeding around like chickens without their heads from place to place and task to task.  Give yourself the gift of a short period of time (20-30 minutes) in which you just focus on  your mind, body, and spirit.  

3.  Notice the rhythym of your breath and allow it to revitalize you.  "Be quiet.  Be still,  Be at peace."

4.  Give thanks for your body temple and all its magnificent mechanisms.  Be grateful for the gift of peace, quiet, and renewal.

5. Embrace each pose with enthusiasm.  

6. Approach your yoga practice with this attiude and notice how much more you gain.  "Rinse and repeat" daily!

Pretty simple, eh?

Yours for a relaxed yoga practice,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Yoga at Home for Beginners: NPR Feature on Yoga and Its Hindu Roots

I will never forget my complete SHOCK when just two years ago a work colleague told me about how a medical technician responded to her question about her improved EKG and other medical tests results.  She asked him if he didn't think that perhaps her yoga and meditation practices were responsible for the improvement. A second later he dryly replied that he wouldn't know because he was -  "a Christian."  As they used to say back in the 70s or was it the 80s, "SAY WHAT????"    

I could not believe he wasn't joking.  My stunned colleague could not even reply.  Here she was in a medical facility in the cosmopolitan metro area of Washington, DC, our nation's capital where yoga studios abound! Yet,this person feared that yoga was not something he could delve into probably (I am only speculating) because its Hindu roots would clash with his Christian faith.

And speaking of yoga's Hindu roots, NPR's morning edition today had a special feature on yoga and recent complaints by some Hindus that yoga's Hindu roots were being ignored or glossed over to make the practice more "acceptable" to a wider American/Western audience. They decry the emphasis on the physical side of yoga in this country and some say that yoga is much more than a few asanas (yoga poses) done a mat.  I certainly agree!

I found NPR's feature to be thought-provoking and informative. It includes some fascinating historical facts. Yoga is not only about opening and expanding your body - it's about opening your mind and spirit. Listen to the NPR feature - it takes less than 5 minutes.  Check out it below!

Yours for honoring and appreciating yoga's authentic roots and incorporating a vital ancient practice into a modern lifestyle,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach