Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Yoga at Home: Yoga IS Good for Your Bones!

 

In September 2010, I wrote a blog post explaining that yoga IS a weight-bearing regime.  My intention was to counter misinformation that appeared in a 2007 Time Magazine about yoga's limitations.  The author of the article had the ignorance and audacity to claim that yoga was not weight-bearing nor could it help alleviate osteoporis!

Well, research presented in the article, "Good to the Bone" by Catherine Guthrie in the May 2011 issue of the Yoga Journal (alas - I admit, somehow I didn't read all my issues from a year ago!) further reinforces and provides more support for yoga's value in helping to build strong bones and even to reverse bone loss in people suffering from osteoporosis. Aah - vindicated once again from silly misinformation promulgated in the mass media!

I expanded my knowledge of yoga and our bones by reading this informative article.  Some of the key points Ms. Guthrie made included:

1) "Yoga is a weight-bearing exercise because you hold the weight of your body up against gravity.  Resisting gravity puts a mild stress on the bones.  That stress forces bones into laying down new growth.  In this way, yoga is no different from jogging, walking, or playing tennis."

2) However, yoga's advantage over other weight-bearing exercise is that it doesn't "damage cartilage or stress the joints.  Instead, it lengthens muscles and holds them there, creating tension in the bone." 

3) In standing poses like Warrior II, "you're also adding force to the shoulder joint.  Because you're holding your arms out away from your body, you're putting a lot more stress on the head of your humeras (that's the long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow) than you would if they were hanging at your sides."

From Ms. Guthrie's article I also learned the results of a small pilot study conducted by Dr. Loren Fishman on the effect of yoga on building bone density.  He gathered a group of 18 people with osteoporosis or osteopina and an average age of 68 years. Everyone received a baseline bone density test and two groups were created - a control group of 7 individuals and a test group of the remaining 11 individuals.  The people in the test group learned a sequence of 10 yoga poses (including upward and downward facing dog, bridge pose, triangle pose, etc.), each of which were each held for 20-30 seconds.  The daily (hey - note that it was d-a-i-l-y ! ) yoga routine lasted about 10 minutes.

After two years of charting the groups' progress, Dr. Fishman had everyone get a new bone scan. The members of the control group either maintained or lost bone.  However. Fishman was shocked to observe that nearly every individual who had practiced yoga gained bone in the spine and the hip.  Dr. Fishman admitted his surprise and stated, "By putting tremendous pressure on the bones without harming the joings, yoga may be the answer to osteoporosis."

Granted, I am a bit late in sharing these wonderful results- but, better late than never in discovering more evidence that yoga does a body good, especially your bones!

One other important point the article made is that good nutrition , a diet RICH in fresh fruits, veggies - especially broccoli, cabbage, kale, and zucchini and LOW in cheese, meat, eggs, fish) goes hand in hand with yoga for building strong bones. Despite the propaganda and conventional "wisdom" in the media, you don't need to eat a lot (or any) dairy to build strong bones.

Yours for building strong bones with daily yoga!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Doing the Eagle puts weight on the knees and ankles

Doing the Bow places weight on the bones in the hips and thighs

Yoga at Home Quick Tip: Move Like a Swan - With Grace and Ease!

Swans are such elegant birds, aren't they?  And what does this have to do with doing yoga at home? Well, swans always seem to glide across water with grace and ease.  In fact, if you look at the above drawing, the curves of a swan's shape almost resembles how your body looks in certain yoga poses.  And consider how quietly and peacefully a swan propels itself across a lake.  It doesn't splash or thrash about.  It just flows....

Emulate the swan when you do your yoga poses.  Focus on entering and exiting each pose in a quiet, gentle, fluid movement.  Never push or strain and do not pull, tug or twist abruptly.  Contemplate "peace," "serenity," "tranquilty" as you execute every single movement of a pose or a hold.  

It doesn't matter if you are an absolute beginner and can't reach far.  Keep the image of a beautiful, elegant, tranquil swan in mind and you will notice that you may gain flexibility more quickly than you would have done otherwise.  Imagery done with feeling accelerates your progress.

Not that we're aiming to master yoga poses quickly - you never should hurry to attain mastery.  However, thinking of and moving and feeling like a swan should enable you to achieve greater flexibility in a shorter time.

Yours for doing yoga with the grace and ease of a swan,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Home Yoga Coach

 

Yoga at Home: Yoga Practice Tip-Why Slo' Mo' is the Way to Go

Laura Venecia Rodriguez -ankle to forehead stretch

"There is mounting evidence that slow movement, with body sense awareness, has astounding health benefits by itself and in combination with regular exercise routines," said writer Alan Fogel in a July 6, 2010 Body Sense column in Psychology Today.  I could not agree more!  

I know, though, that some type A personalities find gentle and restorative yoga too slow and too boring for their intense, fast-paced personalities.  Well, I like to move quickly, too. On work days I walk fast from my home to the metro and back and up and down the carpeted hallways at work. I want to get many things done on a given day.

However, I believe that a magnificent life requires that you have balance in everything. Although I jump daily on my mini-trampoline to rapid-fire Zumba music or the quick-paced hip-hop/ballet combo tunes of John Tesh from his energizing "Alive" album, I still advise at-home yogis to move in slow motion when they do their home yoga practice.

Why?  Because you experience powerful self-observation when  you do yoga in "slo mo." Super slow movements allow you to fully tune into and feel every sensation in your body, mind, and spirit.  You do a powerful "work on" rather than a "workout."  You also avoid injuries.

About 18 months ago, I gave a mini-introduction to yoga for beginners at an Hispanic women's conference.  I advised everyone to move slowly as if in a dream (this was the way I was taught way back at age 15).  After the class, several participants commented that so doing added a welcome sensual touch to the practice.  And so it does!  You will find yourself in a VERY sensual mood if you move extra slowly while doing a cobra/bow/half-locust/and full-locust sequence.  I'd call it a natural aphrodisiac!

Yesterday morning, I intuitively felt I needed to slow my yoga practice down even more than usual.  I paused longer between poses and entered and exited each pose super slowly. As a result, I became much more aware of the various sensations in my body - in my muscles, nerves, and tendons.  I noticed, for example, a tense, tight spot in my lower back - probably the result of sleeping in a awkward position.  I therefore adjusted my hold times and moved more carefully as well to ensure that I would be able to release the tension in that spot and not injure myself.

Although it might bore some people, the value of a slow motion, gentle yoga practice, is incontrovertible in my not so humble opinion.  Try it, reap the rewards, and report back to me- please!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Home Yoga Coach

 

Yoga at Home: How to Do the Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Want to eliminate tension from and increase the flexibility of your thighs and groin area?  Well the "knee and thigh stretch,"more commonly known as the "bound angle pose" is designed to do just that. I do this pose every other day, alternating it with the "tailor pose."  Read the instructions from my book for how to do this pose.  You can also watch a demonstration of it in the video that follows the instructions.

Knee and Thigh Stretch or Bound Angle Pose (Sanskrit name is Baddha Konasana; baddha means bound; kona means angle)
Type of yoga pose:  Active, seated
Body parts targeted:  Thighs and legs
How to do the pose: 

Sit      erect on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you, knees      straight, toes and heels together.
Bend      both legs at the knees and slowly bring your feet toward you, heels      together, until the soles of your feet are as close to your groin as is      comfortable.
Intertwine      your fingers and grasp both feet with your hands. Continue to sit tall. 

 

 
    4.  Sitting      erect and continuing to hold your feet with your hands, slowly press down      as far as you          can toward the floor without straining or experiencing pain.
 
 

 
      5.  Hold      the pose motionless for 10 seconds. 

      6.  Slowly      and gently ease the pressure from your legs and allow them to rise and      return to their              original, relaxed position.
      7.  Inhale and exhale slowly for up to 5 seconds and repeat the pose if desired.

Special hints and my experience with this pose:

Always sit tall and erect; avoid slumping or you won’t reap the maximum benefits!  Do not bob your legs up and down to try to maximize your stretch. Never push or strain.

When I began this pose my legs stuck almost straight up in the air! Being able to reach the floor with my legs bent seemed impossible.  Nevertheless, patience and persistence prevail.  It may take you a few weeks or even a couple of months before your legs can reach the floor.  Don’t be discouraged. Your thighs benefit even if you can stretch your legs only a bit in the beginning. Over time, gravity and daily downward gentle pressure on your legs will do the trick!

 

VIDEO DEMO OF THE BOUND ANGLE POSE

Below is a brief video from the August 2012 Yoga Journal that demonstrates how to do the Bound Angle Pose.  The quality is okay but, it lacks sufficient details.  I would also prefer to see both a frontal and side view.  However, it does give you some useful additional tips.

 

 

Yours for gaining the benefits of doing yoga at home,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Coach

 

Yoga at Home: How to Do the Half-Locust (Salabhasana)

In my last post I talked about how the half-locust is not my favorite pose - but, I do it anyway because of its significant benefits.  Well, below are instructions for how to do the half-locust from my book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day on page 88. Try it yourself...!

Half-Locust (Sanskrit name for locust is salabhasana) 

Type of yoga pose:  Prone

Body parts targeted:  Hips, buttocks, thighs

How to do the pose: 

1. Lie on your mat with your chin and abdomen face down, arms at your sides.
2. Bring your heels and toes together so that your toes are extended outward away from your body.

 

     3.  Clench your hands into firm fists and place your thumbs down close to your sides. 

     4.  Rest your chin and lower lip on the mat.  

     5.  Inhale and using your fists as firm levers that are pushing down, slowly and gently (taking at least               3- 5 seconds) lift your left leg as high in the air as you can. Make sure that you leg is straight as                   possible.

 

     6.  Hold this pose for 5 seconds, inhaling and exhaling as needed. 

     7.  Slowly lower your left leg taking at least 3-5 seconds.

     8.  When both legs are on the ground, let your body relax into a limp position and inhale and exhale at             least one full, deep breath.  

     9.  Repeat the same movements using the right leg.

Practice time: Hold the pose for 5 seconds during the first week; add a few seconds each week until you can hold the pose for 15-20 seconds. 

Number of repetitions:  1-2

Key benefits from this pose:

     1.  Slims and firms the hips, buttocks, and thighs.  

     2.  Stimulates circulation through important organs—the liver, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive                 organs and glands (it can boost your libido within minutes!)

     3.  Strengthens the abdomen and muscles of the lower back.  

     4.  Works out and tones neglected muscles in the pelvic area.

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

This pose is intense—especially for the beginner. You may feel a slight burn in your buttocks and upper thighs.  If you can hold your leg up in the air for only 2-3 seconds, that is fine. Consistency is what counts. Take your time to work your way up to hold the pose longer. Because this pose is intense and requires lifting some of my body weight, I have to catch my breath and inhale and exhale deeply after I complete it.

Much success to you with the half-locust,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Yoga at Home: Half-Locust Pose- Not "Fun" But Worth It...

Laura Venecia Rodriguez doing the "half-locust" pose

I do the above "half-locust" (sanskrit name is salabhasana) pose daily and, as I was executing it the other morning, I thought, "wow, this pose is one of my least favorite.." It's strenuous and requires much focus and effort to stay in place during the 20 or so seconds that I extend and hold each leg up in the air.

At times, this "asana" (pose in sanskrit) can feel more challenging than the "locust" pose in which you raise both legs up in the air from the same downward facing position. Despite my difficulty with it, I still do it daily.  "Why?" you ask? Because the benefits far outweigh the momentary effort.

I have a sedentary desk job. I research and write and thus sit on my butt ALL DAY LONG.  It's easy for "derrieres" parked in desk chairs for 8 hours o get soft, flabby, and utterly out of shape. That's where the half-locust comes to the rescue. However, its benefits extend beyond firming the butt. Equally important, It also:

1. Slims and firms the hips and thighs.
2. Stimulates circulation through important organs—the liver, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive organs and glands (it can boost your libido within minutes!)
3. Strengthens the abdomen and muscles of the lower back.
4. Works out and tones neglected muscles in the pelvic area.

Not every yoga pose I do is fun. But each has specific, documented benefits.  The effort is worth it!

Yours for doing yoga poses at home, even when they're not fun,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners" Home Yoga Coach

 

Yoga at Home: How Does Home Yoga Relate to July 4? - Freedom!

Tomorrow is July 4, the day that we in the United States celebrate our country's gaining independence more than 200 years ago.  It's a time of fireworks and barbecues for many Americans.  It should also be a day to do yoga and celebrate the freedoms you gain from a home yoga home practice! 

Just as the United States gained its freedom and status as an independent nation over two centuries ago, a home yoga practice also makes you independent and free in many ways. Here's how:

*  Consistent (especially daily) yoga practice gives you "freedom of movement" through enhanced flexibility

*  A home yoga practice gives you the "freedom" to practice yoga at the time that best suits YOUR schedule, not the instructor's or studio's schedule

*  Doing yoga at home gives you the freedom to take as long as YOU need to do a pose or to repeat poses  on any given day

*  Doing yoga at home frees you from the financial cost of taking a yoga class at a gym or a yoga studio

*  Doing yoga at home frees you from the burden of commuting to and from a yoga class - so you have more free time!

*  Doing yoga at home gives you the freedom to focus totally on yourself - no distractions from fellow classmates

So, if you are an American, have fun tomorrow.  And, as you do your home yoga practice, remember all the freedoms you are gaining from it!

Yours for practicing yoga freely in the privacy and comfort of your home,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' at Home Yoga Coach