Sharing Practical Tools for Joyous Living
During the quarantine, we need to find new ways to feel complete. I really wanted breakfast sausage! But our normal Sunday morning “out for breakfast” is no longer an option. Years ago, at Kripalu, I had some really yummy tofu based ones but couldn’t find a recipe online at this time. So it was time to get creative!
For more recipes like this, try peanut citrus stir fry or this satisfying vegan casserole with a quinoa crust.
“June” (name has been changed to protect her privacy) has always been active. She skied, skated, cycled and played racquet sports until her 70th birthday. A right knee injury in her 30’s occasionally flared up but it was only since that birthday that walking became troublesome. Eventually there was talk of a hip replacement due to the chronic pain that kept her up nights.
By the time June came to yoga therapy, she had tried most other pain remedies and was understandably frustrated. Most people who come into therapy have tried many things and are fed up.
The first order of business, after getting to know each other, was to give June something hopeful on which to focus. She pictured herself chair bound and her life closing in on her. The exercises that she had received from her chiropractor and/or physiotherapist weren’t holding her attention – so they weren’t getting done. June needed something easy on the joints but interesting enough to motivate her to practice every day. She needed a routine that would help her deal with all the side effects of that arthritic hip.
Chronic joint pain is about more than a knee or hip. As you can imagine in June’s case, her worries and frustrations about her narrowing activity opportunities were causing as much pain as the actual arthritis. Having pain causes us to adjust our socializing so we can become isolated and at risk for depression. Having pain and getting yet another round of tests makes us feel like we are at the mercy of others, holding no power ourselves to heal. Having pain can create a feeling of hopelessness that causes other areas of self-care to fall away. It’s very difficult to focus on a healthy diet if it hurts too much to stand to cook or grocery shop, for example.
Client after client, time and time again, I find that the Joint Freeing Series is just the ticket. This simple series of uni-joint movements done in a specific order helps in so many ways.
The Joint Freeing Series of yoga movements was helpful for June and can be utilized by anyone who is breathing. I use it before my yoga poses and athletes can use it before their workouts. Tired office workers can refresh before dinner with this series and kids can use it to build coordination and learn healthy body awareness.
The videos available here show four different versions. The first is using a chair, which means June didn’t have to get up and down from the floor. If the floor is no problem for you, try the second version or the standing series. There is even a video to show how to do the series completely lying down, even in bed. All sequences will bring energy to every cell of your body, helping you feel vibrant and mobile.
To learn how to teach others to do the Joint Freeing Series, and to understand the science and research behind it, please consider our Professional Training Course in July 2020. Yoga Teachers, other movement professionals such as kinesiologists, physiotherapists, nurses and fitness instructors will all find this additional tool kit helpful in their work.
We all have them and these limitations hold us back from feeling free to enjoy our lives. It’s common to seek a doctor’s advice, perhaps get further testing or try physiotherapy. Here’s a new option available.
You have probably heard that yoga stretching can get helpful but large, fast paced classes can leave you confused, exhausted and maybe even make your pains worse.
Many research studies have confirmed that a yoga program can be very effective for back pain (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/20/533505211/study-finds-yoga-can-help-back-pain-but-keep-it-gentle-with-these-poses), the side effects of cancer treatment (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769195/) and anxiety (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression) to name a few common conditions.
The new option just becoming available now is small group yoga therapy sessions. In this format, you can access the evidence based practices that lead to positive results without the higher fees associated with private therapy.
How does this work? This service will usually be accessed through a yoga studio (sessions are now being organized in Thorold at the Yoga Centre of Niagara), but also your health care provider may be able to make a referral. You’ll be asked to fill out an intake form that covers your general health history and specific goals for your condition.
The commitment is usually for 4 – 6 weeks, one meeting per week. There will be 2 – 5 people in your group, probably with similar concerns. Each person receives an individualized assessment and personalized treatment plan. When you attend each session, you’ll do some group learning and exercises then go into your own program. The facilitator will watch you, guide you and modify the program as necessary. The expectation is that you will work on your program at home, every day. The consistency is extremely important to the success of the exercises. Cost will probably range from $30 – $40 per session. Some health or insurance plans may cover the expense.
Is it safe for you to try Small Group Yoga Therapy? It should be. Consult your doctor before trying any new movement program. The therapist facilitating the program should be open to sharing with your health care providers any plans being offered to you to insure that the therapy is coordinating with your other care. Plans will consider your fitness level, age, type of goals and lifestyle. For example, if you have mobility restrictions, movements can be arranged using a chair so transfer to the floor is unnecessary.
What makes this different than, say, physiotherapy? Yoga therapy considers the whole person. Rather than looking at simply muscle strength, for example, yoga factors in the function of the nervous system in the understanding that this is where strength originates. So there will be a lot of talk about breathing and relaxation techniques, as well as strength exercises, to improve the whole system from its root. There is also the slow, gentle but consistent at home program. You are actually doing the therapy, not the therapist. You take control of your own body, mind and spirit. It becomes an intriguing journey of self knowledge, not boring at all!
To submit an intake form, and learn more about the Small Group Yoga Therapy Program, please contact Cheryl to obtain an intake form and begin your journey to joy!
Try this quick 20 minute practice every day for the next 21 days. It is designed to mobilize your joints, bring cleansing circulation to your organs and energize your thinking. It is recommended to keep a notebook or journal handy and record your impressions post practice each day. These quick notes are for you alone and will help you see the changes in real time.
2. Sun Salutations – one round of this classical combination of postures will create some heat to begin the transformation. Choose the type that best suits you physical needs (there’s even one that uses a chair so no pressure on knees!) from here.
3. Spinal Balance – from hands and knees (place hands on chair if knees on floor doesn’t work), lift one leg up and back, parallel to floor. Keep hips square to floor (this is very important!). Hug muscles into the center of your body to stabilize core. Slowly lift opposite arm alongside ear. Hold for five breaths each side. Repeat once.
4. Bridge Pose – Do the posture five times dynamically, inhaling as you lift hips and exhaling as you lower. Then hold posture five breaths. Keep knees pointing straight ahead and isometrically magnetize heels back toward your body to engage the hamstrings. Imagine lifting the hips from the back of the buttocks where it meets the legs. How high you lift the hips isn’t that important but keeping your low back spacious and comfortable is very important.
5. Wide Legged Supine Twist – lie on back. Place feet mat width apart, or wider. Inhale with knees center and exhale, drop knees to one side. Repeat to each side five times, then hold on one side for five breaths. Slide arms out away from body to open chest to deep breaths. Support legs with pillows or blankets so you don’t have a big stretch sensation anywhere but feel the earth is hugging you from underneath. This video shows the set up ( it’s the third video down – hip flexor release).
6. Alternate Nostril Breathing – this breathing technique creates a nimbleness in the frontal lobes of the brain. When we want to get creative to solve life’s challenges, or bring our “A” game, fire on all cylinders with 5 – 10 rounds of this breath. This video shows how (it’s the third video down on the page, “practice 1/6 : alternate nostril breathing”).
7. Take a few minutes to jot in your journal. These questions may inspire you:
How does my body feel right now?
What word, principle or mantra would I like to take into my day?
How may I be of service today?
This practice guideline is intended to inspire you to embrace yoga as a tool for positive change. It is very general. If you would like a personalized plan, consider Small Group Yoga Therapy. There are new sessions starting soon.
Namaste.
Please note: if you have no stress, this article will not be of interest.
But if you live in modern society, your system experiences stress just due to the level of stimulation (noise, visual messaging, abundance of choice, etc.). Imagine life 100, or 1000, years ago. It gets dark in early evening. It’s perhaps cold outside. Maybe you huddle by the fire or work by candlelight for a bit, but then you cocoon for long stretches. There’s no television, cell phone or central heat. You can go days or even weeks seeing just the same few faces. You have very little concept of what life is like on the other side of the world so you don’t worry about the wars or starvation there. Your nervous system today is wired for that level of stimulation. It’s very new in human development that we have access to 24 hour news, shopping, visiting, gambling, etc. We no longer have a long, open spaces in our lifestyle to nap, dream, work at quiet, repetitive tasks and generally be bored to tears.
Even if you have a perfect marriage, no money concerns, a benevolent boss and consistent access to the best parking spots, your system is chronically and cumulatively deprived of restoration time. What we commonly believe to be symptoms of aging are actually the result of this deficit.
Most of us wouldn’t sign up to go back in time. There are ways, however, to adjust to the rest needs of your system without such drastic steps. One way is Restorative Yoga.
You might consider yoga stretching or exercise, which it can be. Restorative Yoga is a different approach that also improves performance, concentration and alleviates pain…. without stretching or straining.
That’s why Restorative Yoga rocked my world.
Restorative Yoga means taking time to arrange your body over pillows, blankets, chairs, etc. in such ways that all curves are supported gently. Properly propped, you feel no actual “stretch” sensation. The position should be neutral and as comfortable as possible.
Restorative Yoga helps us discover where we are holding tension.
The actual effort involved in restorative yoga is the willingness to look at how and where we are holding tension, and to relax our body on the ground, allowing the breath to come in more, so the tension that we find can be softened or less gripping.
Restorative Yoga creates the conditions for the relaxation response to kick in.
The grounding; complete, full breathing; and quietness of Restorative Yoga help us elicit the relaxation response, a neurological response that tells us we are safe, pulls us out of “flight or fight” mode and initiates the body’s self-healing process.
Restorative Yoga helps us face what we are avoiding about ourselves.
Our habit of running around, conquering our to-do lists, and fueling ourselves with coffee and ambition can often be a way we avoid deep discomforts and unwelcome feelings in the body and mind. Restorative yoga asks us to stop engaging in all the doing and face what we really need to look at about ourselves. To learn about, befriend, and care for the whole of ourselves in a way we are not used to. This is an essential step for health and healing, for true renewal.
Previously, I only took Restorative Yoga seriously when I was injured or had already put in a good workout. Now it’s become the first priority in my self care protocol.
Try Legs up the Chair pose after work. Try the position pictured above when you’re fighting off a cold. In our “Learn to Rest” section of the resources page, there are many different options.
Energy is a resource for which we control the budget. Investing wisely to achieve maximum return is important here as it is with finance. Learn the science behind therapeutic rest in order to boost your focus, strength and resiliency.
As the holidays creep closer, the pressure to jam more into each day increases. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, doing less will actually help you get more done. Here’s how.
A tremendous amount of mental and physical activity takes place in the background of our awareness. Experts suggest up to 90% of our reactions, thoughts and behaviours are initiated from the subconscious mind. All of these electrical impulses, or thoughts, require energy. Many of these automatic decisions may not be in congruence with your current priorities, but you keep doing them anyway as reflexes and habits. For example, you may have a willful commitment to eating healthier, but late night cravings for ice cream when you can’t sleep derail you regularly. Sometimes, you can’t even recall eating it at all! This conflict can cause stress on the system about which we are oblivious.
Most of us think of stress as really tragic events or other big ticket changes in your life. Most people, because they function quite capably in their life’s work, don’t even feel stressed. By the time we report stress to our doctor or other caregiver, the symptoms of imbalance have deeply impacted our physical and emotional health.
Stress is an inherent part of being human. All of us experience stress or we couldn’t get out of bed each day. Stress is a normal and healthy set of physiological markers (such as increased heart rate, tension in large muscle groups, increased adrenalin, etc.) that allow us to get things done and feel alert. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the relaxation response. Again, this is a specific set of physiological markers that create an environment in the body for repair, digestion and reorganizing. Ideally, the human animal is equally balanced in the course of a day between activity and rest. The flow between the two states of activity and rest is a continuum and we constantly float along that spectrum. Even in the course of one breath, there is a little movement between activity and rest.
As stress has become more and more associated with negative health outcomes, intensive research has shown that stress response happens in modern life far more often than we realize. Stress, or activity, is generated in the sympathetic nervous system any time we feel the mildest of a survival threat. An update on your computer platform; searching for a parking spot; worrying that that last joke was well received – these common occurrences generate the biochemical changes in your body that take your away from the reparative and restorative rest we so desperately need. Add in a few bigger ticket stressors such as financial or family concerns and our system is drawn chronically into sympathetic nervous system activation too often and for too long.
Choosing to invest your energy in the chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system prematurely wears you out. It contributes to sleep disturbances, skin rashes, arthritic pain, sharp tempers and a lack of creativity to name a few symptoms. Remember – modern life inherently pushes you to this imbalance. Perhaps most compelling is that the holidays are potentially a time for connection, family and celebrating what is wonderful in our lives. When we are depleted, the fatigue prevents us from being truly present and enjoying the season as much as we could.
What we think of as “relaxing”, really isn’t.
Relaxation is an activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. There are separate nerves that enervate your organs and tissues for this branch of the autonomic nervous system. Remember, we flow along the continuum throughout the day and can feel relatively ‘relaxed’ when we are not actually in the relaxation response. To create the flow of neurotransmitters and biochemical markers that will truly help us heal, we need to take rest seriously.
Modern society is the most complex ever recorded so your lives probably reflect that. Besides the obvious advice to edit activities and eat healthy, here are a couple interventions that can help you “power rest”. Introducing regular and repeated therapeutic relaxation into your daily routine recalibrates your brain giving you greater focus and strength.
An instructional video for the following practices can be found here.
Strategy #1: Alternate Nostril Breathing
This ancient breathing technique alternately stimulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to help you create a better flow along the continuum. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Sit in a chair with an upright and alert posture. (Instructional video here.) Feel free to play some uplifting and relaxing music in the background (try https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z8lIU9fKjk&list=PLNxTjx73TgkdaxeYhQQvIEYbSm-RqLeOm). Using your right hand, place the thumb over the right nostril. Place the ring finger over the left nostril. The index and middle finger can curl down into the palm, or lightly rest them between the eye brows. Inhale only through the left side then adjust fingers so exhale is only through the right. Stay on the right side to inhale, then adjust fingers to exhale on the left. This is one round. Relax shoulders, align head over the rest of the spine. Repeat until the time goes off. This breathing pattern may help you feel more balanced and prepare for deeper stages of relaxation.
Strategy #2: Legs Up the Chair Pose
This restorative yoga posture inverts the play of gravity on the body, inducing a physical sense of relaxation. It alleviates lower leg swelling, sore feet, aching hips, backs and knees (all symptoms of marathon holiday parties and shopping). To do, (instructional video here) utilize a kitchen or living room chair or couch. Align the legs so that the calves are supported by the seat with the edge of the seat in the crooks of your knees. Place a pillow or folded blanket under your sacrum to elevate your hips slightly. A pillow might feel nice under your neck. Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. As little as five minutes can bring new energy but continuing for up to 20 is recommended. Adding an eye pillow or cool cloth will reduce lines and swelling around eyes.
With the fall harvest underway, markets are abundant with eggplants and tomatoes. I was searching for a hearty vegetarian, make ahead meal that was different. This Barley Crust Eggplant Lasagna is high fibre and packed with seasonal flavor.
Pot barley (not pearl – those grains have been polished to remove much of the healthy fibre and vitamins) is a wonderful grain to have in your pantry. When cooked, it is toothsome, chewy and almost meat like. In this recipe, we used cooked barley as a base for a rich ricotta layer topped with fall vegetables and, of course, more cheese!
Make ahead. This will keep in the fridge for 3 – 4 days before baking. And leftovers can be enjoyed for the rest of the week. This recipe makes an 8″ square baking pan, and serves at least four people. To make it in a traditional lasagna pan, double ingredients.
Recipe:
For the crust: Bring 3 cups vegetable stock to a boil. Add one cup pot barley. Reduce heat and simmer, lid on, for about 20 – 30 minutes. Drain well. Combine cooled barley with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 egg and chopped fresh parsley and chives (other herbs are fine – about 1/4 cup in total). Press mixture into bottom of well oiled 8″ square bake pan.
For eggplant layer: Slice eggplant into 1/4″ thick rings and place on sheet pan. I use parchment paper to cover the pan first so the pan stays clean. Salt generously. Place in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. When eggplant is browned and tender, place slices over crust.
For the ricotta layer: In a mixing bowl, combine one package ricotta with one egg, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Spread evenly over eggplant layer.
For the tomato layer: Slice heirloom tomatoes in 1/4″ thick pieces. Place over the ricotta layer.
For the topping: Top casserole with 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.
To bake: Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Keep casserole covered. When vegetables are tender and hot throughout, remove foil or cover and broil to brown cheese.
This is the amazing comforting fall meal that awaits you after the casserole has a few minutes to rest. Check out other unusual recipes such as Carrot Top Pesto and freezing your own Roasted Red Peppers.
“Our breath is constantly rising and falling, ebbing and flowing, entering and leaving our bodies. Full body breathing is an extraordinary symphony of both powerful and subtle movements that massage our internal organs, oscillate our joints and alternately tone and release all the muscles in the body. It is a full participation with life.” Donna Farhi, “The Breathing Book” (Holt Publishing, 1996)
On your last visit to the doctor, he/she may have asked you to take a deep breath. Here’s what I commonly see in my yoga therapy practice when I observe someone instructed to deep breathe.
They inhale. Their nostrils pinch a bit and it makes quite a sound on the intake of breath. Their arms and shoulders hug into the body. The shoulders and collar bones lift up. Neck muscles tighten. And often their bellies pull in. Try a deep breath in this manner. Does it feel liberating or joyous to you? It feels like a lot of work to me.
Our breathing automatically adjusts to whatever external circumstances require. It’s brilliant really. Because we spend more and more time in sedentary activities, during which our brains are concentrating on reading or talking but not movement, our breath just goes into a shallow holding pattern that just keeps the basics going. No point in investing a lot of energy in breathing deeply when the muscles are relatively stagnant. Every once in a while, however, the tissues of the body send out an SOS. FEED US! And you are prompted to sigh or inhale as described above.
Breath is literally your life. As oxygen is brought into the lungs and permeates through the alveoli to the blood stream, hemoglobin molecules shuttle the oxygen to all the cells of the body. During shallow breathing, not a lot of volume of oxygen is being delivered. This translates to sluggishness, mental fog and increased stiffness.
One of the more efficient ways your body can breathe is shown in this illustration. As the lungs fill with air, the diaphragm descends down toward the abdomen to make more room for that balloon like action. As you exhale, the lungs deflate and pull all the other bits back into place.
Maybe you notice that this natural breathing pattern involves letting your belly muscles relax on inhale. That can be a barrier for many of us who try to look skinny (by sucking in our gut) or think that tight “abs” will keep our backs happier. Breathing is a whole body experience. Relaxed breathing means that muscles need to relax as well as contract. That is a definition of strong muscles – ones that can lengthen and shorten as needed.
Program for Restoring Your Life by Breathing Better
Take 2 – 20 minutes here. Use a pillow if necessary and blanket to keep warm. Observe your natural breathing. Where do you feel movement? No movement? A lot of movement? Do you hold your breath? Is your breath ragged or irregular? Are there pauses? Where and how long? There is no right way to breathe right now. You are just familiarizing yourself with what you are experiencing today.
2. Cat/Cow Stretch: Inhale, sit up erect, lifting the chest toward the ceiling. Exhale, hug the belly muscles in and let the back body stretch. Repeat 5 – 10 slow breaths, breathing in and out through the nose.
3. Side Stretch
Lean to one side on exhales. Lift back upright on inhales. If your arm gets tired up in the air, tuck it behind your back. Repeat 5 times to each side.
4. Seated twist
Inhale, sit up tall, facing forward. Exhale gently twist to one side. Repeat 5 times to each side.
5. Down dog with Chair
Keep knees a little bent, or a lot bent. Lift buttocks up and backward to length the entire spine. Take 3 – 5 long, patient breaths.
6. Relaxing Chest Stretch
This could be done in bed if getting to the floor is too difficult. Place a rolled blanket along the length of the spine. Buttocks is on the ground. An additional pillow can support the head if needed. Knees are dropped out to the sides and supported by more blankets or pillows so hips are comfortable. There should be a pleasant stretch along the inner thighs but no pain in joints. Let arms drape out to sides, palms up. More blankets could support the arms if this stretch is too much for tight shoulder or chest muscles. Rest here up to 15 minutes.
Making these movements part of your daily routine will bring more life to your life!
Living in Niagara during August and September is one big harvest of yumminess. Yesterday I decided to process a bushel of red shepherd peppers (sweet). They are easy to roast using the barbecue and freeze wonderfully.
The whole process takes about 1.5 hours. To organize your workstation, you’ll need a cutting board, a pail for the peelings (to the compost of course!), a large sheet pan for the prepared peppers and a hot barbecue. This can be done in your oven, but it is messy.
Once the peppers are sliced in half and the seeds removed, place them skin side down on the grill. Cover and cook about 10 – 15 minutes until the skins are blistered and blackened.
Take the charred peppers and place on sheet pan. Allow to cool and the steam will loosen the skins. I needed to do about 4 batches of peppers to do the whole bushel but you can do smaller amounts.
The skins will just slide off after about 20 minutes. If some parts didn’t cook evenly, or are blackened, just leave them. It all adds to the smokey flavour.
Pack peppers in freezer bags. They store well for at least a year.
To bring a wonderful sunshiney taste to winter, use the red peppers on pizzas, sandwiches or in pasta sauces. Here’s a quick sauce that I use on cooked vegetables.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
In a powerful blender, like a Vitamix or Ninja, blend 1 cup roasted red peppers with 2 T olive oil, 1 small clove garlic, 1 T balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper to taste. Keeps in the fridge for one week.