The Health Benefits of Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)

            We at CNY Healing Arts are proud to present you with this invigorating inversion. A good warm-up or closer to your yoga sequence, Uttana Shishosana is one of those feel-good poses, like Child’s Pose or Happy Baby: simple, sensory, and stretchable.

            A beginner’s tip: to activate the leg and hip muscles, place a bolster lengthwise from the knees to the ankles and squeeze. This will, also, help protect your lower back and perfect your posture while in Extended Puppy.

 Click here to view a yoga class schedule for each branch of CNY Healing Arts (located in Syracuse, Rochester, and Albany). 

Getting Into Extended Puppy Pose:

            Begin on all fours: shoulders over wrists, hips over knees, tops of feet on the floor. Slowly walk your hands out as you drop your chest towards the floor (keeping hips over knees and arms shoulder-width apart).

            If you are having trouble with your form, try drawing your navel up and your hips back as you extend the hands forward, in order to keep your hips over your knees. Now drop your forehead to the floor and let your neck relax. You may want to place a bolster under your forehead to support your weight.

            Like other inversion poses, Uttana Shishosana changes the direction of blood flow, which can cause headaches or discomfort (especially for people with high blood pressure). If this is the case, the few inches of elevation from a bolster should correct the problem.

Now, press down through the hands and stretch the arms while pulling your hips back toward the heels (keeping a slight curve in your lower back). Make sure your elbows are not touching the ground, but keep your arms active.

            You should feel a rather intense inner-shoulder stretch. If you aren’t feeling the stretch, check your form. If all is in order, extend your arms out further and lay your chest on the floor. You should feel a nice long stretch in your spine.

            Hold this posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute. When you are ready, exhale and walk your hands in, lifting your body up to a kneeling position. Remember that a sudden change in blood flow can cause dizziness, so take your time when coming out of an inversion pose such as Extended Puppy. 

Benefits of Extended Puppy Pose: 

• Stretches the spine and shoulders
• Calms the mind and invigorates the body
• Improves flexibility, especially in the spine
• Relieves symptoms of chronic stress, tension, and insomnia
•  Strengthens and stretches the arms, hips, and upper back

Nutrition and Fertility: Foods to Increase and to Avoid

When it comes to diet and fertility it is a good rule of thumb to not eat in excess. It is however important to listen to your cravings. We often crave for the nourishment that our body is missing. As seen in new vegetarians a meat protein is craved. Listen to your body and keep in mind that moderation is the best choice.

There are many reasons why women experience infertility.  What is most important is that we treat the cause at its root level. One of the most productive ways is through the diet. By eating specific foods and or eliminating foods it is possible to improve the body’s constitution to a point of harmony.  Symptoms causing infertility such as stress, anxiety, endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, delayed ovulation and low follicle production will dissipate given enough time.  It is important to keep in mind that change through diet takes time. Nutrition in its nature is gentle and accumulative.

FOODS TO AVOID

1. All fried foods (fried foods create a mucous accumulating environment in the body that makes digestion difficult). Moderate hot sauces!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Cut back on all refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.

3.    Avoid all intoxicants such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee and recreational drugs.

Bringing the body back into harmony takes time and patience. The sooner you start to make the appropriate adjustments in your diet the better.

FOODS TO INCREASE

1.    Go Organic! It is possible that some of the infertility problem is diet based. With all of the insecticides, herbicides, pesticides hormones and antibiotics in our food it is no wonder our fertility levels are lower. When switching to organic consider switching your soaps and toothpaste first.  These are the substances we come in contact every day. Dish, body and laundry soaps are the most used products. Next consider changing all cleaning products. Industrial cleaning products are toxic and we are usually exposed to them in small unventilated areas.

2.    Eat Seasonally: Try to eat seasonally. Foods grow at particular times of the year for specific reasons.

• Summer Foods: In the heat of the summer months you will find fruits and vegetables that naturally remove heat from the body. Examples of this are watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes.  Since these fruits have such high water content they are natural diuretics. Naturally cooling summer foods include lemon, lime, and celery. Stay away from heavy foods. The heavy rich foods can cause sluggishness in the summer heat. Avoid too many meats, eggs and nuts.
• Fall Foods: It is at this time of the year we need to prepare for the upcoming winter. It is time to leave the cooling summer foods behind and focus on moistening our bodies to adapt to the dryness of fall. Pear, apple, honey and dairy products help moisten the body.
• Winter Foods: Winter is a time to go inside yourself. A time to concentrate on energy, vitality and strength. Energy exercises such as meditation, yoga and tai chi are good ways to stay healthy over the dark months. Potatoes, squash, root vegetables are all good foods to help adjust to the darkness and cold of winter. Try to add sour and salty foods. Use salt sparingly. Examples of sour foods are turnips, brussel sprouts, rye and cabbage. Meals in the winter months should be cooked or steamed.
• Spring Foods: Spring is a time to rise up. The  best foods are leafy greens that are raw or slightly steamed. Fresh herbs, kale, onions, garlic and rice.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS:

Polycystic Ovaries, Ovarian Cysts, Endometriosis and Fibroids:
Cyst formation can be a sign that the body is unable to process damp accumulation in the body. Damp accumulation can occur from several factors. First being too many dairy products are being consumed and or a side affect of fertility medication is damp accumulation. Dampness in the body should not be seen as a liquid but as a substance. When too much dampness accumulates a cyst can form.  Some simple dietary changes can help remove or prevent dampness. The most important dietary change should be a reduction in dairy products, fried foods and sugar. When dealing with cysts a low carbohydrate diet is recommended. 100% whole grain breads, corn, radish, lean protein such as fish and a good multi-mineral and vitamin all help prevent and dissolve cysts. Another factor leading to cysts as well as endometriosis is blood stagnation. When blood fails to circulate properly in and around the uterus existing blood begins to stagnate. The lack of proper blood flow with a damp accumulation greatly increase’s the chances of abnormal uterine or ovarian growths. Foods to increase blood flow are:  Eggplant, sweet rice, ginger, basil, chives, vinegar and turmeric.

Donald Clarke, L.Ac.
CNY Healing Arts – Syracuse
315.671.5755
dclarke@cnyhealingarts.com

The Health Benefits of Plank Pose

Ever done a push-up? If so, then you have also done plank pose. Instead of lowering yourself to the ground as when doing a push-up, the goal of plank pose is basically to hold that starting position when your arms are extended and your body is in a straight line. This is a great way to prepare you in both mind and body for more challenging poses, especially those requiring balance and/or arm strength.

A tip to keep you on the right track: if you move back and forth between Downward Facing Dog and Plank, the distance between your hands and feet should not change.

Getting into Plank Pose:

Begin this pose in Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Inhale and draw your upper body forward until the arms are perpendicular to the floor, shoulders over wrists.

Press the outer arms inward and firm the bases of your index fingers into the floor. Keep the neck in like with the spine. Flex the shoulder blades against your back, then broaden them away from the spine.

Firm your thighs and press them up toward the sky. Resist this movement by lengthening your tailbone toward the heels. Hold Plank for 30 seconds to 1 minute, keeping your eyes and throat soft.

Benefits of Plank Pose:

• Strengthens your arms and wrists
• Tones your abdominal muscles
• Stretches and strengthens your spine
• Provides a sense of balance and stability

The Health Benefits of Virasana (Hero Pose)

            A basic, seated posture, Virasana is excellent for meditation. Although it is also a wonderful pose for keeping your knees mobile and healthy, you should avoid Virasana if you have had a knee or ankle injury. In Sanskrit, “vira” means man, hero, or chief and “asana” means pose, thus the English Hero Pose.

A tip for beginners: often, when in this posture, the inner tops of your feet naturally press more into the floor than the outer tops. To correct this, firm the pinky-toe sides of the feet to the floor. To practice Hero Pose with the aid of a licensed yoga practitioner, check out our yoga class schedule for each branch of CNY Healing Arts. 

Getting into Hero Pose: 

            Start by kneeling on your yoga mat or the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Pad your knees, shins, and/or feet with a folded blanket or towel if necessary. If you experience any strain in your knees at any time while in Virasana, come out and prop yourself up further before attempting it again.

Making sure the tops of your feet stay flat and even on the floor, bring your inner knees together, then slide your feet apart (a little wider than your hips). Point the feet in line with the shins.

Gently pull back the flesh of your calf muscles, exhale, and sit down between your feet. Evenly support your sitting bones by adjustment, allowing a thumb’s width space between your heels and hips. If your buttocks don’t rest comfortably on the floor, raise them by placing a yoga block or thick book between your feet before you sit down.

            Counteract the tendency to slump by adjusting the muscles of your buttocks sideways and back with your hands. Your pelvis should be at a ninety-degree angle with your thighs. Rest your hands in your lap, on your thighs, or on your ankles. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum.

Widen the collarbones and release your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lengthen the tailbone toward the floor. Sit in silence for at least 1 minute. 

Benefits of Hero Pose: 

• Stretches the hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet
• Improves circulation and relieves tired legs
• Strengthens foot arches, relieving flat feet
• Improves digestion and relieves gas
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Improves posture
• Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
• Therapeutic for asthma and high blood pressure

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE – Back for Valentine’s Day!

CNY Healing Arts Center has locations in Syracuse, Rochester and Albany.

315.671.5755 (Syracuse)
585.244.1280 (Rochester)
518.724.5750 (Albany)

Health Benefits of Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)

Also known as Inverted Lake, this mild inversion is known for a wide range of health benefits as well as its anti-aging effects. Old Hindu scriptures claim that Viparita Karani hides wrinkles in addition to banishing old age and death.

The restorative nature of this posture gets blood flowing to parts of the body that need it, making it good for most any ailment including arthritis, high or low blood pressure, respiratory ailments, and menopause. To practice this pose with a specialist at CNY Healing Arts, check out our yoga class schedule for each location.

Getting Into Legs Up the Wall Pose:

Start by collecting the items your will need for this session, which ideally includes a yoga mat, yoga block, and two small towels. Lie on the floor near a wall and practice deep, steady breathing. Exhale and swing your legs up onto the wall so that your heels and sitting bones are supported against it. If you have any discomfort in your lower back, adjust your body slightly back from the wall so that your sitting bones are not touching it. Rest your head on the mat or floor, keeping your spine straight, and bend your knees a little so your kneecaps won’t lock.

When using support: If you have any lower back pain, support your body by placing a yoga block or folded blankets on the ground beneath your back. When positioning your support, you must consider its height and its distance from the wall. Be honest with yourself to avoid straining any muscles! If you are not very flexible, your support should be lower to the ground and farther from the wall. If you are flexible, keep your support higher and closer to the wall. Your sitting bones do not need to be against the wall, rather “dripping” down into the space between the wall and your support. Keep a gentle arc in your torso from the pubis to the top of the shoulders.

If your neck feels strained, place a small, rolled-up towel under it. Cover your eyes with the other towel and keep your them closed for 5 – 15 minutes as you soften and release. Rest your arms out to your sides. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine, relaxing your hands and wrists. Keep your legs held vertically in place, but only partially flexed.

Release the weight of your belly toward the back of the pelvis, deeply into the torso. Soften the eyes and turn them down towards your heart. After you come out of this restorative pose, be sure to lie on your side for a few breaths before sitting upright with your back against the wall, then slowly rising to your feet.

Benefits of Legs Up the Wall Pose:

• Regulates blood flow
• Alleviates menstrual cramps
• Relieves swollen ankles and varicose veins
• Helps testicular, semen, and ovarian problems in men and women respectively
• Improves digestion
• Restores tired feet or legs
• Stretches the back of the neck, front torso, and back of the legs
• Improves problems of the eyes and ears
• Relieves mild backache
• Provides migraine and headache relief, especially when done with a bandage wrapped tightly around the forehead and back of the skull
• Helps keep you young and vital
• Calms anxiety
• Relieves symptoms of mild depression and insomnia

Couples Yoga: Break Boundaries and Strengthen Bonds

In any relationship, there’s going to be a little give-and-take. If you know anything about healthy relationships, you know that communication is the foundation of a positive partnership. This includes everything from what you talk about to how you look at each other to what you wear when you go out. Nonverbal communication is often just as, if not more, significant as talking and sharing your ideas/feelings with each other.

Couples yoga is a unique form of nonverbal communication. Instead of dinner and a movie, try locking arms back-to-back to feel one another’s breathing. Try bending and twisting, curling into a ball, and crawling on top of one another. As you use special techniques of supporting and caring for your partner, couples yoga will help exchange energies between you and yours. It will elevate your relationship from the physical to the spiritual level, encouraging harmony and keeping you more in tune with each other on a daily basis.

            In couples yoga, postures can be developed and extended by using the support and guidance of a partner, especially when there are restrictions because of injury or individual capability. When enjoying yoga with your loved one, you can also benefit from an atmosphere of greater relaxation by: 

• Not overanalyzing the situation – if you begin a couples yoga class with an existing partner. Talk to your partner prior to the start of the class (in a comfortable setting to discourage any negative energy). You should not be expecting the class to remedy any specific relationship problems you are facing. Rather, approach couples yoga with an open heart and mind to learn and grow by connecting through yoga.
• Treating your partner as you would like to be treated. Sound familiar? Don’t forget your role as a supportive partner: to listen and share openly. On the contrary, don’t be so worried that your partner isn’t having a good time that you forget to enjoy yourself. If you can achieve this, you will surely feel the rewards.
• Cherishing the experience. There are not many other forms of couples exercise like this. Yoga provides such an atmosphere to connect and strengthen bonds in a relationship. Be present and focused on each other during couples yoga. Relax and laugh together. 

At each CNY Healing Arts Center (Syracuse, Rochester, Albany), we will be hosting a couples yoga class on February 12, 2011. These workshops will serve as a great Valentine’s Day celebration for couples that will be busy on the actual day (since Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year). Contact us for more information or to RSVP.

Featured Tonic of the Month for February: Traveler’s Tonic

Traveler’s Tonic: If you are planning on taking any trips this Winter or Spring, especially out of the United States, this is a great tonic to take along with you.

Traveler’s Tonic is for diarrhea, food or salmonella poisoning, intestinal parasites, gastric distress, and vomiting.  It can be used as a preventative measure (one dropper full once daily and increase to two or three droppers full if you are worried about the water or food) and for acute conditions (one dropper full hourly).

One of the ingredients in the tonic, Guava Leaf, has been studied for its medicinal properties since the 1940’s.  These studies have found that it is very effective in treating GI disorders, stopping vomiting and diarrhea.  Guava Leaf is rich in flavonoids which have demonstrated anti-bacterial activity.  Another ingredient, Jackass Bitters is an anti-viral and anti-fungal herb.  Putting these two herbs together makes for a very powerful and effective tonic.

Contraindications include pregnancy, breastfeeding and infants up to 3 years old.  This tonic is not meant for prolonged use (longer than four weeks).  Taking a dosage for more than fourteen days may result in a photosensitivity rash on the skin when exposed to sunlight.  This rash will clear up within days of discontinued use.

Traveler’s Tonic is our featured tonic of the month and is 10% off for the month of February.  Please feel free to contact a Maya Abdominal Therapy practioner at any of our CNY Healing Arts locations for further information.

Click here for contact information at all locations. Click here to learn about all of our Rainforest Remedy Tonics.