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!