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The reality for many of us is that we are staying home and working from home. A lot. I’ve never fussed much about my office. It’s the spare bedroom and my yoga practice space. I don’t even have a proper chair! This one in the photo is an antique from my grama’s kitchen (circa the last great depression!). But these days, there is no studio or outside gigs to take me away. Natalie loves it.

So how are you doing in isolation? And if you are an essential worker, who is still travelling to your work, has it changed a lot? My quick forays into the commercial world are much more stressful now and I admit that generalized fear takes my breath away.

Here are some resources that may help you cope:

Movement.

You may be spending a lot more time looking at screens. This creates a stiffness and tension throughout the body, and the mind. Try a general stretch in a Joint Freeing Series. For specific neck/shoulder pain, try this quick release.

Get Outside.

We are children of nature, created from the same elements as nature. There are physiological connections that occur when we are outside that predate all modern habits. Even if it’s just from your balcony, breathe fresh air and look at the emerging green.

Rest.

The general levels of stress in society have increased dramatically in this crisis. Take deliberate time to unplug from news, gossiping with friends and busy work. Try these videos to inspire regular daily periods of restoration.

Join our free live yoga classes via Zoom. More information here.

In a video a few years ago, “The Importance of Rest“, I tried to explain how essential it is for the human animal to build in daily therapeutic rest. One of the analogies was imagine a world that was at war, heaven forbid. A world that needed all resources for weapons or manpower would have little left to invest in food production, education, bridge building, etc.

And here we are… in a world in crisis. Education is shut down, roads are deserted, grocery shelves are empty. Most of us in North America never imagined to experience this. It’s been over 200 years since we saw this scale of turmoil on our soil.

Isn’t it interesting that the outside world is in chaos. All resources shunted to disaster management. And yet the human animal is being offered an unprecedented opportunity to rest?

It’s like nature, or universal intelligence, or God, finally lost patience with us gifted humans for not treasuring our abilities and exploiting anywhere we could. We’re being shown in the macro sense what our bodies have been trying to communicate for decades.

As I explain in the aforementioned video, our systems are hard wired to be in active or rest mode. The system is set up along a continuum and is very fluid but ideally, one has equal hours each daily cycle. Most modern humans push very hard into the active side of things, chronically depriving our restorative functions of the energy they require to keep us healthy.

Now nature has hammered us so universally, she is mandating the rest we all so desperately need. Especially rest for her! Every time I get a cold, I recognize I need better balance in my life but a few weeks later, there I am pushing the envelope again. This time it’s one heck of a cold.

I would invite you to take this enforced social isolation time to take back your life. I know we can’t do all the fabulous, exciting things that we planned. But maybe that’s the point. The outside distractions … travel, shopping, concerts, meetings, parties … these kept us very busy. But were we really living?

It’s been interesting as I enter week two of quarantine to observe how content I actually am. The world is the scariest place right now … beyond any imagining for me … and yet, I feel ok. I’m working harder to stay in touch with my family. We’re being more flamboyant to show our support and caring for each other. I am nestled in quarantine with my honey and he jokingly refers to this as our second honeymoon (apologize in advance to the young readers who find it impossible to imagine grandparents being romantic). I’m trying new things career-wise that I wanted to do but was too busy being busy to focus on. So the enforced rest is feeling therapeutic. Just like the research said it would.

But what about the chaos out there?

Here’s where yoga comes in. The three final limbs of the 8 limbed yoga “tree” discuss the powers of concentration and meditation. This discernment as to what you focus on is a daily practice. Now the fruits of your labour become apparent. Learn what you need to know about the crisis and follow public health guidelines. Then refocus. Shift attention – just as we shift attention on purpose from right to left or posture to posture on the mat – to your life. Take this time to soulfully reflect on how you are spending this precious gift of life in your hands. Were you just busy? How might you better serve going forward?

As the crocus blooming in the rain said, this too shall pass and it will be time for you to bloom too.

                “June” (name has been changed to protect her privacy) has always been active.  She skied, skated, cycled and played racquet sports until her 70^th 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.

1. The movements distribute lubrication in the joint, helping to reduce inflammatory compounds and to bring healing fluids to the tissues.
2. The movements stretch tight places and strengthen weaker places gently.
3. The movements remind the brain how to fire muscles in an efficient and safe way.
4. The breath pattern is soothing to the nervous system and can alleviate our impression of pain.
5. The practice is ordered in such a way as to engage the brain, like a meditation, which helps to wire new ways of thinking less focused on the pain.

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!