A Walk on the Wild Side-Workshop; A message from Lisa our Master Herbalist

Greetings,

This Sunday is our Walk on the Wild Side adventure. I am looking forward to Fortunata's amazing yoga leadership under the willows and later introducing our guests to the plants. Thank goodness we have had a bit of rain to liven up fields and forest! I would like to invite all participants to add a stone or two the healing labyrinth that is being built on the property. At present, the creation is in its beginning stages of design and already has stones from 7 different countries. This labyrinth will always be open for those who need its wisdom and peace. If you would like to add your energy and love to this project, stones may be up to 8" in diameter of any shape form and colour.

Green Blessings,

Lisa

Raw Food Yogini

Hi Gang,

I started a new blog on my adventures with transitioning to raw food.  If you are interested go to rawfoodyogini.blogspot.com to read what I'm up to.  You can also follow me on twitter @rawfoodyogini as well.

A Walk on the Wild Side-August 7 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

We are getting so excited about this workshop.  Lisa and I are currently planning a great assortment of edible wild and raw foods that you will have an opportunity to try. 

To register or find out more about A Walk on the Wild Side, email me at info@dragonflyyoga.ca

A Walk on the Wild Side-Workshop

Come on out and spend a few hours with Master herbalist Lisa Yates and discover the wonderful wild edible and medicinal plants growing in your own back yard and in our forests.   

When: August 7, 2011; 10 a.m.-2p.m. Cost: $50 p.p.

Where: Mono Centre Road on Lisa's beautiful country property   

What is in it for me? 

A gentle yoga class to start you on your journey of discovery, a great learning experience of what plants are surrounding you that we have put aside and forgotten as being edible or medicinal, a wonderful sampling of the wild and organic plants that we have seen all while sitting on a beautiful open covered veranda with great conversation and company.  

To register email me at:  

info@dragonflyyoga.ca

Day 6-Therapeutic Yoga Certification

Ahhh  a beautiful sunny morning here in Calgary.  So looking forward to my morning coffee (decaf of course) and to our walk.  I think if we all had the time to go for a morning walk, the world would be a better place.  We seem to discuss and solve all our problems on that walk.

Well, yesterday was Day 6.  A very interesting day after a terrible nights sleep.  Had a two hour restorative session given to me by one of my colleagues Alana.  I can't tell you how good I felt after that session.  I felt so rested and clear minded and didn't feel that I hadn't slept the night before. 

The afternoon, we spent at Linda's home.  Linda is one of our mentors and has a lovely home in the burbs.  There we discussed disease states and how to work therapeutically with those with illness. 

After a wonderful diner at Linda's where we celebrated Susi's up and coming birthday, Patricia and I headed home for a quiet evening.  Since it was very nice out and we were home early we headed for a walk along the Bow river.  The rest of the evening was filled with some t.v. and reading. 

Now on to Day 7 for a day of learning.  Just loving it!

Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5 of the Therapeutic Yoga Certification

It has been a very interesting 3 days here in Calgary.  The days have flown by because of the amazing stuff we are learning. 

Day 3-diving deeper into the subtle body and breath.
Day 4-posture analysis and practice teaching
Day 5-practice teaching and exploring tight hip flexors in seated position.

Did you know that in most cases what is perceived as being tight hip flexors in seated are not really tight hip flexors at all.  What you are actually feeling is the compression of the spine.  Have I sparked some interest and you would like to learn more or would like to resolve this in your body?  If I have, come see me and I'll show you what's really going on in your body and how you can sit without pain or discomfort in an office chair, on the couch or even on the floor. 

Day 2-Therapeutic Yoga Certification-

Day 2 began with a cold and wet morning.   Although the rain had stopped there was a cool mist in the air, but the dreary morning came to a hault as we stopped in our favourite Starbucks to pick up a hot beverage to have as we weaved our way up and down hills of Calgary to our destination.

Today we studied the movement of breath from pelvic floor to solar plexus and it's effects on pure movement in the body and vise-versa.  The breath like the mind is a powerful tool to use as a barometer as to how purely we are functioning. 

Puts the phrase "listen to your breath" much more meaning!

Day 1- Core stability, pelvic floor, compensatory patterns

It was a beautiful day here in Calgary yestderday.  We set out on our walk up and down the streets of Calgary weaving our way to our course discussing our experiences in yoga therapy.  Our training was all about rediscovering the core, the pelvic floor, and compensatory lines in the body.  It's amazing what the body does to compensate for lack of functional movement in our bodies and we don't even have a clue that this is happening. 

What is core stability and how do you know you have it? It is ease, length, space and freedom.

Can't wait to see what today will bring.

Day 1 of the 3rd installment of Therapeutic Yoga Training in Calgary

I headed out yesterday morning for my 3rd training session in Calgary.  3 of my other teacher colleagues were scheduled to be on the flight as well so I knew I would be with good company.   The flight was very nice until we hit some pretty nasty turbulence about 2.5 hours into the flight.  Sitting just in the front end of the wing I could see how the plane was bumping around.  We were bumping around as well.  Remaining focused on the movie I was watching but yet being very conscious of how the plane was being tossed around I could here the engines kick in as the pilot took us to a higher elivation.  Yeah...back to a smooth plane ride into Calgary.

Now on to a new adventure as we leave our temperary home to start our 3rd and last installment of our teacher training.

Namaste,
Fortunata

The Mighty Psoas (So-az)

The psoas muscles are located on each side of our body, originate on the lower lumbar vertebrae and attach to the top of the femurs (thigh bones).  In unison with the illacus, which originate on the pelvis crest and also attaches to the femur, it is considered the major flexor the hip.  Flexion of the hip can occur in two different ways.  1) bringing the knee into the chest as in knee lifts and 2) by bringing the chest towards the thighs as in crunches.

Back pain, could be the cause of tight psoas muscles.  When psoas muscles are shortened they create an anterior tilt of the pelvis.  If the pelvis remains in this position it affects the lower vertebrae and thus creates back pain.  The lower back pain is diffuse, it can radiate to the outer hip and gluteal areas and as high as the lower thoracic.  

If you are experiencing lower back pain upon standing up from being seated for an extended period of time and that pain dissipates shortly after standing and moving about, then you might have tight psoas muscles that need some stretching.  Being in supine (laying down), walking and standing do not effect the muscle and actually relieve some of the discomfort in the lower back.  However, extending the leg in a seated position as in driving your car, twisting at the waist in standing with feet fixed on the floor, and doing too many sit ups can definitely aggravate the condition.

Tight psoas muscles can alter your gate while walking which in turn can lead to hip, knee and foot pain in addition to lower back pain.

Exercises:

Runner’s lunge,   right knee bent and foot on the mat, extend your left leg back resting the left knee on the mat approximately 6 inches or so behind the left hip.  Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths and repeat on opposite side. 

In yoga, lengthening the spine in poses such as back bends, the psoas needs to be relaxed allowing the extension of the spine.   

Join me on the mat and let’s explore “The Mighty Psaos”!

A royal pain in the butt? It can be!

The Piriformis

A pear shaped muscle which originates at the anterior surface of the sacrum and inserts into the greater trochanter of the femur (the thigh bone).   

This small muscle lays parallel with the posterior edge of the gluteus medius and when this muscle becomes aggravated or becomes spastic it can literally be a royal pain the butt.  This is due largely to its close proximity to the sciatic nerve.   

The sciatic nerve runs below the piriformis in 85% of people, and in the remaining 15%, the sciatic nerve passes directly through the piriforms, predisposing this 15% of the population to piriformis syndrome.  Piriformis syndrome is what is commonly known as Sciatica.  Sciatica or piriformis syndrome can be described as a pain, tingling or numbness deep in the buttock and can radiate anywhere along the sciatic nerve, usually down the back of the thigh but sometimes all the way down to the foot as well. 

What does the piriformis do?

The piriformis aids in the outer (external) rotation of the thigh bone when the thigh is extended in the hip socket.   If the thigh is flexed at the hip the piriformis aids in the abduction of the thigh from the medial line (moving leg away) of the body.

Exercises :

Seated at the edge of a chair, feet flat on the floor, legs at approximately 90 degrees of flexion from the hips, stretch the right piriformis by placing your right ankle to the outside of the left knee, supporting the right leg by interlacing your fingers around the right shin.  Stretch by bringing your right knee towards the left shoulder; do not come to pain, but a gentle easeful stretch.

Same stretch can be achieved in supine.  Place outside of right shin onto left thigh above the knee, interlacing the fingers behind the left thigh and bringing the left knee to left shoulder.   Do not come to pain, but to a gentle easeful stretch.

Have fun exploring your periformis and the yoga poses that relieve or prevent the pain in your butt!

See you on the mat!

A Statement from Albert Einstein

"A hundred times a day
I remind myself
that my inner and outer life
depend on the labors of other people,
living and dead,
and that I must exert myself
in order to give
in the full measure I have received
and am still receiving".
Albert Einstein

New Classes at Dragonfly Yoga in Shelburne Studio

New! Getting out of Pain, Group Therapeutic Yoga Class
10:30-11:30 am
Starts Monday Feb. 28, 2011
Pre-registration and payment required prior to start date.
4 sessions, $80
Class size is limited to 4 Students
Reserve your spot today!
Bring a blanket. 

New! Gentle Hatha Class
5-6 p.m. Every Monday for 10 weeks, $100
Starts Monday Feb. 21, 2011
Class size is limited to 8 Students
Currently 4 spots left

To register contact Fortunata
info@dragonflyyoga.ca or visit http://www.dragonflyyoga.ca/ website for more information.

Private Therapeutic Yoga Classes
Looking at your body's biomechanics, holding and default patterns the one hour sessions are designed specifically for you to get you out of pain quickly and effectively.  At the end of each session you leave with your own easy to follow home program to complement the session and build stability, strength and flexibility to keep you moving in a pain free range of motion.  You ready to move pain free?

By appointment only
Mondays 7-8 p.m and 8-9 p.m.
Wednesdays 1-2 p.m., 2-3 p.m and 3-4 p.m.
For pricing information contact Fortunata, info@dragonflyyoga.ca

Testimonials:

I have benefitted physically and emotionally from the therapeutic yoga sessions feeling stronger in not only body but also mind and spirit. KM, Orangeville, ON

I just wanted to thank you for all the care, patience and time you have given me since my hip surgery.  I really appreciate your extra guidance in class when I struggled with poses.  Now that I am getting instruction with you in private for therapeutic yoga, the results have been amazing!  I did have physical therapy after surgery with no relief of pain or with correcting my alignment.  After my first therapeutic yoga session, you helped me understand the dynamics of my core strength and gave me exercises that actually made sense.   I now am walking without a noticeable limp and my pain has decreased approximately 50%!   Amazing!   I look forward to our next session. LY, Mono Township

See you on the mat and remember....
When there is ease in your body, you will find ease in your mind and breath.  What is totally amazing is that everything you do will be easy. Pure and simple!

Happy Feet, Happy You...Continued

Now that you have had some time to explore with some of the exercises in my last post,  let’s try some more and see what we find.

Toe stretches:

Exercise 1A

If you have yoga toes or the spacers that go between your toes for polishing your toe nails try inserting them between the toes.  If your toes don’t like it there is an indication of lack of flexibility in your toes.  So you are probably saying to yourself “so what”.  This lack of flexibility can be the reason why you are experiencing pain in other parts of your foot.  It could interfere with balance and in the way you walk.

If you do not have yoga toes, don’t worry you can use your own fingers.   Insert  the fingers of your right hand through the toes of your right foot from the bottom side up.  Spread your toes gently and do not force them too much.  Your thumb will be free and the finger placement will be like this:

Index finger between big toe and middle toe.

Middle finger between middle toe and forth toe

Ring finger between forth toe and baby toe.

Hang out here and breathe whether you are using yoga toes or your own fingers to separate the toes isn’t important here its the actual stretch between the toes.  Try to resist pulling the yoga toes or the fingers out and take 10-15 long steady breaths.   Repeat on opposite foot if yoga toes are not available.

Exercise 1B

You can use yoga toes for this but try it with your fingers through your toes this time from the top down.  This will give you more flexibility in moving your toes around.

Thread your fingers from the top down through your toes.  Right hand Right foot for example.

Then holding the middle of your foot with your opposite hand begin to make little circles with your toes keeping the rest of the foot stable.  Take note as to how this feels.  5-10 circles in one direction and 5-10 circles in the opposite direction.

Repeat on the opposite foot.

Exercise 2

With toes flexed massage the inner arch, outer arch, arch between the big toe ball and baby toe ball of each foot.  Then give the fleshy part of your foot a good massage.  Notice where tension lies in your feet and could you relate this to any pain that you may have been experiencing in the past?

Don’t forget to do the same on the opposite foot.

Once the exercises are completed take time to feel

Come to standing on your yoga mat, or anywhere you choose,  close your eyes and notice how you feel. 

How do your feet feel now compared to before?

How do they make contact with the floor?

What does your stance feel like?  How is it different?

Go for a short walk around your home and explore how your walk has changed?

I would love to hear what you have discovered...just like an experiment on the lab bench the results are always a surprise!

Have fun exploring and taking care of your feet! 

Remember....Happy Feet, Happy You!

Happy Feet, Happy You!

How many of you think about what you are actually doing to your feet?   

It’s not until we experience foot pain that we start to take care of our feet.  Apparently 80% of us experience foot pain in one form of another. 

What are the causes of foot pain?

Improper foot wear can cause an array of foot problems and is one of the major causes.

Health issues such as Diabetes,  Hanson’s Disease and gout all effect the feet

Foot anatomy:

The foot is composed of 26 bones

 33 joints

 More than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments

(Tendons: are fibrous tissues that connect the muscles to bones)

(Ligaments: are fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones)

A network of blood vessels, nerves, soft tissue and skin

In our lifetimes we will endure tons of pressure on our feet from the number of kilometres we cover in walking, running, playing sports etc.  Therefore it is important to give your feet some love and care on a regular basis. 

When there is pain in your feet, your body reacts by changing the way it functionally moves.  This change in biomechanics can lead to other problems in the body effecting the knee and hip for example. 

It should also be noted that changes of body biomechanics and alignment form acute or repeated trauma elsewhere in the body and/or disease can also effect the functional movement in the foot causing pain.

Ways to take care of your feet:

Roll away tension:  place a tennis ball or golf ball or even a large dowel l under your feet while seated or one foot at a time in standing and roll it under your foot.  It may be a bit painful at times especially when rolling on the more tense areas of your foot but the overall effect in the foot and up the back side of your body will be fantastic.

Walk barefoot once in awhile, especially if you always were shoes in your home as well. 

Stretch:

The calf stretch:  Stand on a step, hold onto a wall or handrail and drop your heels. Gently hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat a few more times.

The sole of the feet:  Kneel onto a pad or a folded blanket.  Tuck your toes under and place the ball of the foot on the floor behind you.  Make sure that you are not resting on the toes themselves for this will hurt your toes, especially if you already have issues with the joints of your toes.  If this is already causing a great stretch into the sole of the foot remain here.  If more stretch is required then begin to sit your sit bones down toward your heels, provided you are not creating pain anywhere else such as in your knees for example.  Stop and breathe where you are feeling the stretch.  Support yourself with your hands on your thighs.

The top of your feet:  In kneeling, point your toes back behind you resting the tops of your feet down and sit towards your heels.  If you suffer from knee issues place a rolled up blanket behind your thighs and sit down toward it resting the back of your legs onto the blanket. 

In all these exercises pay attention to your body’s signals and do not come to pain.  Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.  Pay attention to that signal and ease up. 

Have fun exploring and taking care of your feet! 

Remember....Happy Feet, Happy You!

Wow, my first Blog

So here it is the site of my new blog.  Can't wait to share with you my experiences on the yoga mat and how they relate to working at the lab bench.  Research on and off the mat...how cool is that?

Come along for the ride and join me on my yoga journey!

Fortunata