Seattle Yogini

Yoga Tips for Gardeners & Their Teachers

I am expanding my topics here, in order to reach out more to fellow teachers and teachers-in-training.  Once a week (or so) I'll write advice for new teachers, give asana or sequence suggestions, share how-to tips (like my "How to Create a Yoga Workshop" post, answer students' questions or something else along those lines.

I'll start off by sharing the background regarding the following interaction.  I am part of a great on-line community of knitters/crocheters called Ravelry.  Within Ravelry there are numerous smaller communities, many of which have their own forums.  I am a member of the "Namaste Knitters" group, founded by fellow blogger, knitter and yogini, Lauren.  We have an extensive forum, and I recently got more involved in posting there.

As an experienced yoga teacher and yoga therapist I particularly enjoy the Poses/Anatomy Questions/Injuries section.  It's great to see the questions that people have and to join in the solution brainstorming.  As a teacher I also find it helpful to develop my communication skills.  It's one thing to show someone a pose modification, and another to explain it to someone with neither photos nor a demonstration.

Over the weekend, a member of the group posted the following question (and has given me permission to share it as well as her response to my suggestions):

The question:  "...I have a question about aching legs: Whenever I do a lot of gardening, that evening, my legs really ache. It feels like it is in the muscles. I’m pretty sure it is not a back problem. I do yoga beforehand, and it does not seem to help. I was thinking perhaps doing some poses afterwards might be better, but I am not sure which poses are the best to try. My guess is that I am squatting/kneeling too much and that might be causing the problem. Any thoughts?"

My response:  "Hello _____.  Physical aches and pains from gardening are not unusual. As you pointed out, it is likely due to the squatting and kneeling that are involved. Doing some yoga beforehand is helpful, but may not be enough for your needs at this time. I feel that the best strategy is:

(1) Prepare your body before you garden by stretching the areas that get the most uncomfortable.
(2) Take “body breaks” during your gardening so that you give your body a chance to rest. If you were running for three hours straight, you would likely take at least a little break at some point. Gardening is also a physically demanding activity; your body needs to change positions or else it will complain.
(3) Just as you put your tools away carefully, take the time to thank your body for its work by giving it some more yoga when you’re done.

Each body break can be targeted and short…with just a nine-breath lunge for each leg you can ease a lot of the tightness that settles in while squatting. I recommend targeting your work on the hip flexors (front of hip), hamstrings (back of thigh) and outer hips in particular. The easiest way to do that without taking your yoga mat into the garden with you is to take advantage of a retaining wall or fencepost for support.

For the hip flexors: Do a simple lunge with your hands on the wall for support (if needed). Start with feet together, then step the right foot back about three feet, keeping both legs and all ten toes facing forward. Bend your left knee until it is directly over the ankle (for safety, do not bend the knee past the ankle). It’s okay (though less effective) if you don’t bend your knee that far, but make sure not to bend it further than that. Press the inner right heel into the earth while lifting the bottom of your belly up away from the left thigh. Breathe deeply and enjoy. Change sides.

For the hamstrings: Do a half forward bend with your hands on the wall, knees slightly bent so that you can really lift your sitting bones, and moving hands and bum away from each other to lengthen the spine. Stay for nine breaths.

For the outer hips: There are many ways to stretch the outer hip, but one that is convenient (considering what I’ve suggested above) is to stay in the half forward bend. Exhaling, press your right hand very strongly into the wall while bending your right knee and moving the left outer hip away from the wall. Inhale there. Exhaling, press the left hand into the wall while bending the left knee and moving the right outer hip away from the wall. Etc., etc.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Enjoy your garden!"

Member's Response:  "That is so helpful! Thank you so much! I will certainly do everything you suggest and let you know how it goes. There is so much to do in the garden this time of the year that it is easy to get carried away. And I forget I cannot do as much as I used to do when I would spend the entire day in the garden (I’m 61)....[added in a later post]... I worked outside for several hours yesterday and took breaks to do the stretches you suggested and I am delighted to say that I had no hip pain or myalgias yesterday or this morning. I also did the stretches and down dog when I was finished gardening too. Thanks so much!"

So, teachers, here's my thought-process for the suggestions I made:

• From the initial information shared, all I knew was that this gardener has some yoga experience (which doesn't tell me a whole lot, because there are numerous styles - each with a different emphasis on the physical practice and its application).  I knew that there were aches and pains in the legs, but no specifics such as knee, hip or back pain issues or conditions.
• As the primary rule of teaching is "Do no harm", and since I didn't have enough details to get into any kind of lengthy trouble-shooting, I decided to keep my recommendations as short, gentle and approachable as possible.  I also didn't want it to be such a fussy ordeal that the gardener wouldn't make the time for it (hence, no mat dragged into the back forty).
• I fixed my focus upon the main positions the gardener uses - squatting and kneeling, and applied my knowledge of anatomy, physiology and asana.  I narrowed down the likely culprits (as you read above) and opted for one simple-yet-effective pose/action for each.

This was an excellent training exercise for me.  I had to ensure that my directions were as clear and precise as I could get them.  I wanted to leave no room for "creative interpretation", so that the gardener would be safe AND would get the desired results.  It is easy to get long-winded in our explanations of things, particularly when its a topic about which we are enthusiastic and knowledgeable.  Here, I absolutely had to keep it short and sweet, something I plan on practicing more often!

During our yoga teacher training weekend this past weekend I used this example during our anatomy class.  It isn't enough to simply memorize some body parts; an asana teacher must be able to apply that knowledge to the practice in order to maximize efficacy and minimize the potential for injury.  The teachers-in-training gave great feedback about this learning exercise (and they had great answers, too!).

My colleague, Monette MacPherson, will be offering a Yoga Workshop for Home and Garden Maintenance (a.k.a. "Yoga for Gardeners") workshop at Maple Leaf Community Yoga this May.  Click here to learn more!

Monday Quotes

"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest [is] details."

                                                                                       ~ Albert Einstein

We know him for his impact on science.  Let us remember him also for his acknowledgment and acceptance of the inexplicable and mysterious aspects of the universe.

Applying Yoga Philosophy in your life: Seva (Selfless Service)

"Applied Philosophy" is an important practice in Purna Yoga.  Knowledge that is not actually put to use is...well...pretty useless.  It just adds to the clutter of the mind.  Putting knowledge to use, however, is a practice that can enhance one's life through better understanding, healthier habits and more joyful attitudes.  I have found that learning to apply yogic philosophy in my daily life is an invaluable practice.

In new Maple Leaf Community Yoga Studio & Community Newsletter I wrote about Seva (selfless service):

"The principle of selfless service is common among all spiritual traditions.  Indeed, spiritual or not, a community functions more harmoniously when its members willingly give - of their time, energy, and other resources - in acknowledgment of the many gifts that being part of the community gives them.  In essence, Seva is a practice of non-attachment and of being in the present.  It offers us the opportunity to let go of the "what ifs" associated with the potential outcomes of giving.

An offering is selfless when the giver relinquishes concerns regarding reciprocation.  The giving is done without a sense of burden, but rather with a sense of joy and gratitude for having the opportunity to be of service...to share one's gifts and talents.  An act of Seva may be as simple as sending a card of appreciation to someone, sharing food or flowers from your garden, or donating time or money to organizations you wish to support.  We are each blessed with numerous ways in which we can serve our community, whether it is our neighborhood, our yoga community, our church family or another "tribe".

Take a moment to reflect on your day or week, noting the many ways in which you have engaged in Seva.  Appreciate the opportunities you have had to be of service.  Make a commitment to consciously practice Seva and...without getting hung up on the results...observe the way that giving selflessly enhances your life."

If you would like to receive the Maple Leaf Community Yoga Studio & Community Newsletter, please click on this link to view the first edition and sign up for future mailings!

Susan Boyle's Got Talent!

Susan Boyle Sings on Britain's Got Talent

I was shown this video (it's about 7 minutes long, and worth every single second!!!) last night.  Just now I showed it to Rob.  I cried both times I saw it; the whole experience is beautiful.  It isn't just her voice, but the opportunity she gave all of us to assess our tendencies to pre-qualify or otherwise judge people.

Just watch and feel.  I'd love to hear your responses to it!

Letting go...in order to grow

Growth requires a willingness to let go.  As we change, we learn that certain habits no longer serve our dharma (life's purpose), relationships must change or dissolve, the very definition by which we have lived our lives may need to be rewritten.  In the case of the latter I recommend invisible ink, that way you don't get too attached to the new definition!  In order for any of the above to happen, however, we must let go of the past, along with any attachments to outcomes or results in the future, and simply be here now...in as true a state of harmony as we can.  That state requires a lot of letting go, as well:  of stress, of the roller coaster ride of emotions, of the "monkey mind", etc.

In class last night, Aadil said something that really stuck with me:

"Let go of your willingness to accept stress."

My mind hiccuped at first in indignation (it cracks me up when my mind is indignant).  "'Willingness'?"  It scoffed, sounding oh-so pitiable and crossing its arms defensively.  "I beg your pardon!  I am not stressed because I am 'willing' to be."  Then my wiser part chuckled and smiled softly at my mind, shaking its head.  My mind uncrossed its arms as understanding dawned:  "Oh, well, waitaminute.  I just now got kind of stressed out about that, didn't I?  Hhhmmm.  I can see that there's something to this."

By the way, all of that happened in about .36829 seconds.  It wasn't a long scenario or anything.  Also - as a side note - I didn't really imagine my brain having arms at the time...it just makes for good reading.

One of the most beautiful (and potentially frustrating) aspects of yoga is that it empowers us to be fully accountable for our lives.  How we feel, live, think, act, speak, etc. at each moment is the result of all of our choices up to now.  We can, at any time, choose to change.  That is an amazing potential as well as responsibility.  The fact of the matter is, we do choose to allow stress by continuing to live fast-paced lives, over-scheduling ourselves, not sleeping enough, eating poorly for our constitution, denying our spiritual lives, exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals, etc., etc.  It's just that while we make those choices, we blame the results of them on other people or forces "outside of our control".

We have the power, however, to choose differently...at any moment.  I trust that, eventually, my mind will really understand.

Mother Theresa Quote

"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations.  I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."

                                                 ~Mother Theresa

I recently came across this quote in Fire of Love:  For Students of Life, For Teachers of Yoga by Aadil Palkhivala (my teacher, mentor, and friend).

I am considering sharing powerful quotes for the first work-day of the week.  I figure that since time is scarce (for readers and writers of blogs) and there's a lot of catching up to do in blogland on Mondays, I'd endeavor to write but keep it short and simple.  Enjoy!

Spring Cleaning with a Parasite Cleanse

I'm spring cleaning my innards.

I'll bet that got your attention!  Call it spring cleaning gone inward, but last week I started a cleanse (with chelation), and this week bumped it up a notch (to parasite cleansing).  There is a lot of information available about cleansing, but much of it seems to be weight-loss or "general health" focused rather than parasite focused, so I'll add to the clamor and let you discern for yourself what might work for you and your health needs.

First of all, let me state plainly that I am in great health, so I wasn't feeling the need to cleanse in order to beat a chronic illness, lay waste to allergies, re-align my digestion, improve my sleep or one of the other wonderful results of a proper cleanse.  I am, however, interested in being as healthy as I can be, and the transition between seasons is the perfect time to do a cleanse.  If you are living with a chronic issue I highly recommend you work with a naturopath or ayurvedic practitioner who can design a cleanse tailored to your needs.  Please don't take my regimen as a "prescription", because it isn't!  Only you and/or your health care provider can determine what will serve you best.

With this cleanse, my main focus is on parasites.  I'll talk about the chelation another time.  What parasites, you ask?  We are exposed to parasites from many everyday sources, and living in a "developed country" does not put us out of risk of infestation.  I have lived in two foreign countries for extended periods of time (South Korea and Saudi Arabia) where I ate a number of foods that were prepared at a...different standard...than my usual fare.  While I have not had any antibiotics in a number of years, I have been treated with a chemotherapy drug which certainly affected my body long-term.  Heck, just sharing my home with a dog means I am quite likely often exposed to parasites.  This article has a really great description of the reasons to do a parasite cleanse.  Different parasites gravitate toward different parts of the body (some especially like the spine, others are content in the intestines, for example), and different cleansing regimes/products address these different parasites.

I have chosen to use two products from Young Living Essential Oils:  ParaFree and ComforTone.  It is essential that the efficiency of the colon be maintained when cleansing parasites, lest their waste and detritus remain stuck in your body, making you sick(er).  We have to move out the buggies that are dying off, and ComforTone facilitates that.  It isn't a fiber supplement, but rather a formula of herbs and essential oils that support colon function.  The ParaFree is the formula (again, of herbs and essential oils) that actually kills the parasites.  The company recommends the following cycle:  21 days on, 7 days off, repeat for a total of 3 cycles.  This is to ensure that you get all of the parasites at their various stages of growth (including recently hatched eggs - ew).

So, we started on Sunday evening (4/5) and are on day six as of tonight.  Many of my colleagues have used these products for their own cleansing, so I have heard reactions ranging from "It makes me feel tired", to the tell-tale headaches caused by die-off, to "I love cleansing, I always feel so clear-headed and light afterward".  After taking the single Parafree capsule Sunday night, I awoke Monday morning sort of expecting a headache, at the very least.  So far, so good.  I haven't had any flu-like symptoms and don't feel any more tired than before.  Rob has had a little more difficulty, what with full-blown hay fever and helping our friend the contractor with work this week.  He is definitely feeling fatigued.

One of the most over-looked aspects of a proper cleanse is the importance of high-quality nutrition during (and after, of course) the cleanse.  The body is working hard to process out all of this stuff you're sloughing, which can be quite tiring.  Also, on an esoteric level, parasites hold negative thought patterns and dark energy, so as that moves out of the body it can bring up a lot of "stuff" - emotional, psychic, etc.  Cleansing can be tiring, so rest is very important.  Hydration must be increased, along with highly nutritious foods high in fiber.  We have doubled our intake of Sunrider's NuPlus as well as the cleansing beverages Calli Tea and Fortune Delight Tea.  We're also eating plenty of ghee and other healthy fats, Chyawanprash and lots of raw veggies (smoothies are my new favorite thing).

I'll post about this process on Fridays, trying to be thorough but not graphic.  Next week I'll talk about chelation, and why it's so important to our health!

Wisdom on the Mat

Last night in yoga class, Aadil said:

"Let go of self-importance.  You could determine the fate of the universe...[pause]...or not."

We were in the midst of a standing pose class.  This type of strenuous class can easily tip toward aggressive, pushing, forcing (rather than feeling) attitudes.  Aadil has a wonderful way of interweaving timely wisdom, such as the phrase above, in a light-hearted manner.  He'll be teaching "at home" all month.  If you're in the area, come and join us!

Opting Out of the Recession

I decided to opt out of the recession and am writing today to encourage you to do the same.  There are many ways in which to do this, and you certainly don't need a facebook account in order to participate.  I'll share some ideas with you:

• Refrain from asking people how their business/job outlook/etc. is going "in light of the economic crisis"...especially if you do it with the tell-tale "worried face".
  
  • Instead - Ask people if their tulips are up yet, what they think about the new yard waste protocols, or if they've tried any good recipes lately.  Use the precious moment you have with someone else to focus on the wonders of life, not the fears.
• Resist the urge to focus on theoretical hardships, those "what if" traps laid by negative thinking.
  • Instead - Spend quiet time every day being grateful for all that you have, are, do, feel, etc.  Notice the positives and practice gratitude!
• Reduce negativity in your thinking, actions and words.  Much of the way in which we approach our lives comes from without - the tendency to compare ourselves to others, to media, to convention.  When all the news is bad news - and you choose to consume it - all life will eventually seem bad.
  • Instead - Choose to be internally referential.  Go within - through meditation, self-study, reflection, or whatever technique works for you - in order to determine who and what you truly are (rather than what the world says you should be).  Once you see your glory, and that of the world around you, negative thinking will feel absurd.
• Redirect your money.  When things feel tight because of outside influences (whether they have actually tightened for you or not) and you begin to horde your income, things will become tight in your local (or larger-scale) economy.
  • Instead - Spend wisely, but spend, nonetheless.  I'm not talking about frivolities here, I'm talking about using your money as a way in which to vote for services you appreciate and want to see stay in business.  I'm talking about letting money come into your life and leave again in order to go into someone else's life.  Consciously direct where your money flows and own the results of your spending...not just on your bank account, but the results on other people's lives, as well.  Support your local economy!
• Share the idea!  Tell the businesses you frequent, your friends and family about the reality of this "option".  We can choose to shift the gunk out of our relationship with money.  We can choose to allow the flow of money (which is merely a representation of energy, which must flow freely for an organism - or organization - to thrive) in our lives and in the economy.

Opting out of the recession may be the best stimulus package around.  It isn't at taxpayer expense, and it supports everyone who chooses to participate!

Please share your ideas for more ways in which we can Opt Out of the Recession.

Stuff Comes Up

The 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course that I am teaching is in the midst of a week-long intensive.  I planned the schedule that way, knowing that the week would be...well, intense, and fruitful, educational, even life-changing for the teachers-in-training.  It is during a yoga intensive that practitioners get the opportunity to immerse themselves in the full effects of a yoga (not merely asana) practice.  It is mentally tiring - they're learning how to teach alignment-based yoga, after all.  It requires training in anatomy, a detailed understanding of the instructions for, benefits of, contraindications to, and how to modify each pose I'm teaching.

More than the mental stimulation, however, they're getting a lot of practice in.  They are learning more about their bodies and minds as they go through this process of learning to "see" and teach others' bodies than their previous years of classes/home practice combined have offered.  They're meditating for half an hour everyday.  We have philosophy discussions, teaching methodology, and lots of "go practice teaching this to each other".  They get to follow me around the room as I teach a class, seeing what it's like from the teacher's perspective.

Add all of that up, and the result is an amazing opportunity for one's stuff to come up.  This can manifest as moodiness, emotional/mental/physical fatigues, physical aches and pain, and increased sensitivity.  By sensitivity I don't mean "Oooo, you hurt my feelings!", which is merely the ego at play, but rather an increased ability to perceive - with all six senses.  They are much more aware of their surroundings, their inner environment, other people's energy, messages in media, etc., because they are doing this work (yoga) which is designed to hone the nervous system and nurture the human body, mind and spirit complex.

This can be a tough realization to go through.  One typically enters a teacher training, or a "yoga retreat"/intensive with ideas of blissful self-discovery.  While a path of true self-discovery does lead to bliss as one discovers one's true nature - that of the Divine energy within - the process itself requires the removal of a bunch of weeds, felled trees, the occasional dog poo, etc. etc.  We have to clear the gunk out of our bodies, minds, and lives, in order to get to that bliss that is our birthright.  We put the gunk there, and we're the ones who have to see it, decide if it's serving us or not, and shovel it off our path!  It takes a great deal of work, dedication, compassion and LOVE to do this work.  When one is in the middle of an intense period of shoveling, however, and covered in metaphorical sweat, dirt, and insect bites, one may begin to wonder if it was "supposed to be this hard".

There is no answer to that question.  How "hard" it is depends upon all the choices one has made (and continues to make) in one's life.  How much stuff comes up depends upon how much is in there and how much one "gets out of the way" so that it can make its way out.  Yoga helps us get out of our own way, and direct our energies toward the union of spirit in matter (the body).

I am so humbled and honored to be witness to (and the trailguide for) these students' discoveries.  I remember feeling just the kinds of things they're feeling (heck, sometimes I still feel like that).  I am thankful to be of service as a reassurance that - while nobody can promise it will be easy - there is a Light at the end of the tunnel.  Stay focused on that Light, let it shine more broadly within you, and all will be as it should.