Welcome to Yogi Sticks!

Do you know your Gomukasana from your Adho Mukha Svanasana? Is your Vrksasana all it can be? And how do you feel about Supta Baddha Konasana? Do you know what I'm even talking about?

Sometimes the Sanskrit - however beautiful it sounds - is not very helpful. So, to encourage my students to expand their yoga practice into their home, I sketch the poses we practice during class on a chart and add the Sanskrit and common name. Hopefully, this is a useful tool to help them along in their yogic journey. I also troll the internet, books, and journals to find interesting articles about yoga and the yogic lifestyle.

3-30 Bone Strength and 4-4 Evening Routine

I wanted to share some information I've gathered regarding yoga and bone health. As we know, weight bearing activities promote bone growth. The work of resisting gravity puts a mild stress on bones which forces them into laying down new growth. Yoga is an excellent weight bearing activity which is extra beneficial because it won't damage cartilagee or stress the joints (like jogging or aerobics might).Yoga also works to lengthen muscles and hold them in a position to increase tension on the bone. Again, the pull of muscle on bone increases bone strength. Holding a pose for merely 10 seconds triggers new bone growth. And in a study, participants were asked to either practice yoga (holding poses up to 30 seconds) or continue with their "normal" exercise. 85% of the yoga practitioners gained bone in their hips and spines!

Quote: "Do you have patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?/ Can you remain unmoving/till the right action arises by itself?"-Lao Tzu

A request for "Yoga for Insomnia" prompted this evening practice. According to Chinese medicine, an uneven distribution of energy ("chi" or "qi") can cause insomnia. Insomnia has been called "mental indigestion", in that our brain continues to digest information long after we need it to shut down. There are three main causes of insomnia (other than general pain) and there are some yoga poses designed to help with each type. Emotional insomnia requires chest openers and backbends. Hormonal insomnia can be improved with folds, inversions, twists, and other poses that massage and release our reproductive areas in the lower abdomen. Stress insomnia requires a fairly active practice, with particular attention paid to hip openers (I like to call our hips "junk drawers" because we just stash away anything we don't want to deal with in our hips).

Another bonus for practicing yoga: it has been claimed that for every minute of a yoga practice, you need one minute less sleep. So hit your mat!

Quote for class: "Just throw away all thoughts of imaginary things,/and stand firm in that which you are." -Kabir

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