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Olga Kabel - Yoga for Back Pain: The Risks of Forward Head Posture & How Yoga Can Help

Thanks to our not-so-smart smart phone habits, forward head posture has become nearly ubiquitous in modern society, notes yoga therapist Olga Kabel in this free download. And while this may not seem like a big deal, forward head posture can wreak havoc on the structural balance of the body and lay the foundation for shoulder and neck tension, headaches, jaw and back pain.

The further forward the head gets displaced, the bigger load on the muscles of the neck. In other words, our posture doesn’t just affect how we are perceived by others, but how our bodies function in the day to day life, and how they feel as well.

Research shows that the way we carry our body affects our mood, how we perceive ourselves, and how we perceive life in general. If you’re walking with your head held high, Olga explains, you usually would be more inclined to have a more optimistic outlook on life. But if you’re constantly slouching or looking down, then you’re more likely to feel vulnerable and have a more pessimistic outlook.

Olga also shares insights from ancient yogic wisdom into the importance of our habitual posture, as e.g. stated in the model of the Koshas and emphasis on facilitating the free movement of Kundalini energy along the spine.

For energy to flow properly in the body, Olga explains, the spinal curves need to be properly aligned—i.e. stacked on top of each other. Otherwise, Olga notes, the effect on our energy is similar to what happens when you step on the garden hose: the water stops flowing. And, from a purely physical standpoint, spinal alignment in postures can impact our sympathetic/parasympathetic responses as well (the fight or flight and the rest and digest modes of the nervous system).

Olga outlines common postural compensation/over-correction patterns, and explains which key yoga poses she employs the most in helping practitioners create a balanced, supported elongation of the spine. She explores why so many of us get shorter as we age, and how to counteract the process of disk dehydration and other contributing factors in order to cultivate a strong, long spine.

Leila Stuart: Experiential Anatomy - Keys to Connecting with Your Body Wisdom

Anatomy is a useful tool, but it becomes truly powerful when we begin to use it not just mentally, but experientially. Experiential anatomy, Leila Stuart explains in this talk, is a non-intellectual “felt” experience processed by different parts of the brain. With experiential anatomy as a guide, yoga becomes a therapeutic practice: People understand the limitations of their individual structure and they know how to work with their abilities.

Experiential anatomy has numerous applications off the mat as well. In our modern society, Leila points out, we tend to be divorced from our body and all the important signals it is constantly sending us. Learning experiential anatomy offers a pathway to learn to tune into the body and our inner somatic wisdom.

Every part of the body, Leila notes, is associated with some particular aspect of being human. The arms and the shoulders, for example, are about giving and receiving. They tie into the experience of reaching out, or not being able to reach out; of wanting to punch someone and not doing that so that impulse gets frozen. The legs and feet have to do with grounding, our sense of support in life, and our ability to be present.

The way that we meet the ground is through feet patterns, which determine what happens in the rest of our body, Leila explains. If there’s a lack of support from below, the body has to go through all sorts of compensations in order to keep the eyes level with the horizon. This in turn often will distort the body (the spine, the pelvis, all different parts) in numerous ways.

Leila also discusses the fundamentals of good foot alignment, and how the weight of the upper body is transferred into the ground through three points in the foot, i.e. the “foot triangle.”  She notes that the “foot triangles” are powerful centers to help us anchor our psychological footing and gain the ability to remain present and vital in the face of challenges.

Dr. Baxter Bell: Yoga for High Blood Pressure- Principles for Prevention & Practice

High blood pressure is often known as ‘the silent killer,’ says Dr. Baxter Bell in this free download. There are no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, so many people don’t even know they have it. However, when left unaddressed, high blood pressure leads to numerous serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, kidney issues, eye problems, and more.

Many people hesitate to take blood pressure medication, and wonder if yoga can help either prevent or regulate high blood pressure. Increasingly, doctors are trying out lifestyle recommendations, including yoga, before resorting to medications, Baxter notes.

Some of the causative factors for high blood pressure include chronic stress and chronic anxiety, both of which are known to be positively affected by yoga. Yoga also leads to more effective self-regulation, another factor that has been shown to be helpful in making positive lifestyle choices.

He finally talks about what to pay attention to when practicing yoga with high blood pressure. Yoga is generally safe, but there are special considerations for people with Stage I or Stage II high blood pressure.

Baxter talks about specific yoga poses to avoid if you have high blood pressure and which poses can be practiced safely be everyone.

Loren Fishman & Ellen Saltonstall: Yoga for Arthritis—New Light on Progression, Prevention and Treatment

Osteoarthritis affects some 30 million people in the US alone, many of whom are forced to live with chronic pain and limited mobility.

Is osteoarthritis an inevitable part of aging, or do we have options for preventing it, or at least control over its progression? And, can yoga help prevent osteoarthritis, or are there situations where it can be a risk factor for arthritis?

In this free download, Dr. Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall discuss these questions and offer insights into the progression of arthritis. Osteoarthritis used to be thought of as a condition caused by ‘wear and tear’ on the joints, but there is much more at play, Loren and Ellen says.

We now know that inflammatory processes play a large role in the gradual deterioration of joints. And this is one area where movement in general and yoga in particular can make a big difference. They discuss the mechanics of joint health and the factors that could potentially slow deterioration of cartilage.

Yoga, they note, induces some of the body's most powerful natural anti-inflammatory substances and enhances its natural means of repairing and rejuvenating tissues affected by arthritic processes.

They further discuss the issue of hypermobility and why that may at times predispose a person to arthritis. Finally, Dr. Fishman shares his experience with the different types of stem cell therapy now increasingly used as a form of regenerative medicine as an alternative to joint replacement.

Julie Gudmestad- Dealing with Common Yoga Teaching Challenges: Keys to Healthy Shoulders

One of the common problems facing yoga teachers, says Julie Gudmestad in this free download, are students coming to class with health issues that require individual attention. This is especially the case now that the health benefits of yoga are becoming more widely known.

However, while yoga has numerous health benefits, incorrectly practiced yoga can lead to muscle strain or injuries. Even for students without health issues, beginners often push themselves inappropriately and attempt to do poses beyond their ability.

A main area of concern, Julie notes, are women who come to yoga with low upper body strength. The shoulder is very mobile, which allows us to do a variety of yoga poses with the arms in a variety of positions. However, because the shoulder is so mobile, it sacrifices stability.

As a consequence, the shoulder is very dependent on soft tissue to stabilize the ball in the socket and to stabilize the shoulder blade, which forms the socket.

Julie discusses the best ways to build up the strength to safely practice common weight- bearing yoga poses on the arms. She further talks about the rotator cuff and why rotator cuff injuries are so common. According to Julie, keeping the rotator cuff strong, whatever your age, is the best way to avoid rotator cuff injuries, and this is where yoga has much to offer. Certain poses in the right alignment can do an excellent job of working the rotator cuff.

Olga Kabel- The Origin of Misalignment in Yoga: Common Compensations in Backbends and How to Avoid Them

Perfect alignment in yoga poses used to be the Holy Grail of yoga practice. Today, however, the concept of alignment has come under fire in the yoga community for attempting to fit people into “one size fits all” expressions of the pose.

There’s more to the concept of alignment than that, however, says yoga therapist Olga Kabel, founder of Sequence Wiz.

We all come to yoga with baggage of past experiences and habits, which influence how we sit, how we stand, how we walk, and so on. So, when we practice yoga, our body will assume it’s usual movement patterns. This will cause us to avoid working in certain areas that are weak, and instead transfer the demands of the pose into another area of the body.

This is what is often referred to as release valves, or movement compensations, and it is the origin of most common misalignments in yoga poses.

For each directional movement of the spine, Olga explains, there is a list of pretty typical release valves. It’s important for yoga teachers and students to learn these, so you will know what can potentially happen with your neck or lower back, so you can check yourself or your students to make sure that you’re not falling into those habitual movement patterns. Hear Olga explain how we can self-identify these release valves and correct them so you can enjoy all the benefits of backbending while avoiding the drawbacks.

Olga Kabel is a founder and managing director of Sequence Wiz - a web-based yoga sequence builder that assists yoga teachers and yoga therapists in creating and organizing yoga practices. 

 

Yoga After 60+ - Do's and Don'ts for Practice and Teaching

An in interview with the yoga therapist behind the yoga program at Duke Integrative Medicine

Tom Myers - Fascia and the Power of Movement in Mind-Body Transformation

It is now increasingly recognized that the fundamental connective biological matrix of the body, the fascia, is far more than the inert wrapping material, it was previously believed to be. In fact, says Anatomy Trains author Tom Myers in this interview, fascia is now recognized as an independent regulatory system in the body.

And while the nervous system performs its regulatory function via neurons and connecting nerves, the language of the fascia is movement. New discoveries highlight how the tensional patterns within the fascial matrix communicates instantly and effortless what happens throughout the whole system. 

Tom discusses how new discoveries in fascia research holds tremendous implications for changing not just human form but also behavior and emotional patterns. He also discusses why the emerging understanding of the central role played by the fascia in bodily health puts new emphasis on the role of movement therapies in healing. He predicts a medicine of the future in which the emphasis on movement as therapy will play a central role. He also discusses why new discoveries in fascia research imply that traditional approaches to exercise are counter-productive, and why more holistic movement forms like yoga is far more useful for training the fascia.

Tom Myers is the originator of the concept of Anatomy Trains, which maps the body as an interconnected network of whole-body fascial and myofascial linkages. 

The Yoga Aging Antidote: The Importance of Backbends for Posture Improvement and Healthy Aging

Backbends are an extremely important group of yoga postures, says Judith Hanson Lasater in this free download. In order to maintain a balanced orchestra of movement and keep the spine healthy, we need to be able to move in all directions.

However, backbends get increasingly important as people get older. With age, the spine tends to gradually curve into a forward stoop—a phenomenon that is also becoming common in younger populations in today’s sedentary society.

This causes a number of problem, Judith notes. If the pectoralis muscles and the intercostal muscles between the ribs are tight, it will impede the movement of the ribcage and therefore respiration. But we know that being able to breathe well and fully is tantamount to being able to live well and fully.

Backbends are incredibly important to stop this tendency. They stretch the pectoralis muscles, the shoulder girdle, the abdomen and the chest, and help create opening and lengthening in the front line of the body. There are even studies that indicate the backbends can help slow the progression of osteoporosis.

At the same time, for many people, backbends are the group of postures we most love to hate. Being beautiful and attention-grabbing poses, backbends are often used in photos around yoga to depict the beauty of the yoga asana. As a result, people think of backbends as too difficult and too extreme. Judith discussed the mechanics of healthy backbends and how and why backbends really can be accessible to anybody. 

Also be sure to check out Judith's upcoming course on YogaUOnline: 

Bending Over Backwards: The Why and How of Practicing and Teaching Backbends

Dr. Baxter Bell on Yoga for Metabolic Syndrome - Can Yoga Help Prevent Three Leading Killer Diseases?

In this free download, Dr. Baxter Bell discusses metabolic syndrome, which is the leading precursor of three of the top 7 killers of our time: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

What is metabolic syndrome? And can you determine if you might have it? And, most importantly, can it be reversed and can yoga help play a role in preventing the clusters of symptoms that make up metabolic syndrome? In this free talk, Dr. Baxter Bell answers these questions and more. Also check out Baxter's course on YogaUOnline: 

Yoga and Metabolic Syndrome: The Positive Possibilities!