Head of the Knee Pose. Practice this pose to promote flexibility in the hip joints and relief from mental turmoil.

Medical Uses:

Practice Head of The Knee Pose (along with the other forward bends) to bring high blood pressure under control. Acidity, bronchitis, colitis, leg deformity, diabetes, kidney problems and prostate problems, can also be tackled by working intelligently and regularly in this pose.

1. Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose). Bend your left knee to the side and place your right foot against your inner right thigh. Raise your arms.
2. Reach forward and hold your right foot. Curve your spine in and up.
3. Fold forward over your right leg. Place your head on your shin.

Practice Note:

If you are flexible turn your hands out and clasp the left wrist.

If you cannot clasp your feet hold a strap. To enable a quiet mental release, either support your head on a bolster placed across the legs, or rest your head on a chair.

“Shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first”

Why do we dance? We dance because it’s the fastest, most direct route to the truth — not some big truth that belongs to everybody, but the get down and personal kind, the what’s-happening-in-me- right-now kind of truth. This is not always easy for us to access — we have to navigate some very deep past, as well as the probable futures we drum up to feed the fear that drives us round the same circles, day in and day out. We dance to hook up to the true genius lurking behind all that bullshit — to seek refuge in our originality and our power to reinvent ourselves; to shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first. You remember being fifteen, possessed by the beat, by the thrill of music pumping loud enough to drown out everything you’d ever known. Of course you do.

We dance to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear in something bigger, something safe, a space without a critic or a judge or an analyst. The beat is a lover that never disappoints and, like all lovers, it demands 100% surrender. It has the power to seduce moves we couldn’t dream. It grabs us by the belly, turns us inside out and leaves us abruptly begging for more. The beat is bad, wicked, sick –whatever the word is now.

“Dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things”

We dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things, to wipe out memory or transform it into moves that nobody else can make because they didn’t live it. It’s a sacred thing, the beat. We love beats that move faster than we can think, beats that drive us ever deeper inside, that rock our worlds, break down walls and make us sweat our prayers.

We dance to survive and the beat offers a yellow brick road to make it through the chaos that is the tempo of our times. Chaos is the way of the mind when it is free-styling , winging its way back to an instinctive, intuitive intelligence, the kind we need to survive — not only the real shit going down, but the massive amount of stuff we insist on making up to insure our suffering. God provides, and god don’t need no help. God is the dance and the dance is the way to freedom and freedom is our holy work.

So get down and find out what your hands, your shoulders, your elbows, knees and, most importantly, your hips and feet have to say about it. There is a dance only you can do, that exists only in you, here and now, always changing, always true. Are you willing to listen with fascination? If you are, it will deliver you unto the self you have always dreamed you could be. This is a promise.

Gabrielle Roth
Manhattan on a hot muggy day in July
www.gabrielleroth.com

MYTH Strenuous exercise outdoors is the best way to cleanse toxins out of your body.
FACT- Environmental Toxins (pollution) are a major consideration when you exercise outside. As your workout becomes more strenuous you breathe deeper and faster, this magnifies the negative effects of the toxins and increases your exposure.

MYTH - In the city, a sunny, windless day is sure to be low in toxic emissions.
FACT- Sunny afternoons without wind are actually the worst for toxic ozone emissions. The action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons from car emissions creates high concentrations of ozone. If you live in the city, it’s best to avoid strenuous outdoor exercise in these conditions.

MYTH – When you detox you should exercise heavily to clean out your body.
FACT- During a formal detox program, it is best to limit exercise while the body rejuvenates. Over exercising is to be avoided at all times, always balance exercise with recovery.

MYTH - It takes a large time commitment to develop strong muscles
FACT – It takes literally minutes. The body enhances it’s muscles because of a high effort, not long duration. Muscle cells experience damage. This happens as muscles lengthen under a heavy load. This stimulates the repair and growth process. It is quite similar to the way skin can be rejuvenated as a result of exfoliation.

MYTH – Building muscles is unimportant to overall health.
FACT – Building and maintaining muscles is essential to overall health. Muscles are our largest storage depot for glycogen. Glycogen is the way we store carbohydrates for use as energy. We are always confronted with the temptation of eating too many carbs. When we eat, especially starches and sweets, we require the hormone insulin to help us store these energy foods. Maintaining our sensitivity to the hormone insulin is imperative to good health. Increased muscle mass provides us with greater storage capacity, this means fewer carbs are converted to fat! Also, it has been shown as we become stronger, we spontaneously move more and therefore an upward spiral of health is created.

I believe a lack of flexibility is the root cause or major contributing factor of many injuries and stretching is the solution to this lack of flexibility. It counters the gradual tightening and constriction we all develop from both under- and over-use of our body. It is the perfect antidote for long periods of inactivity and holding still and is just about the simplest of all physical activities.

Regular stretching will:

1. Decrease muscle tension, which is the most common cause of back and neck pains and headaches.
2. Decrease the incidence of all types of injuries, from joint sprains to tendonitis to muscle strains and spasms.
3. Speed up the recovery rate from injuries.
4. Increase physical and mental relaxation.
5. Improve performance of any skilled movement.
6. Improve and increase body awareness.
7. Slow the aging process.
8. Enhance the neurological system.
9. Improve circulation.
10. Support the detox system.

Precautions

Don’t stretch an area if you:

• Recently broke a bone.
• Have an infection or inflammation in or around a joint involved with the stretch.
• Experience sharp or acute pain with stretching or joint movements.
• Recently had a sprain or strain in the area being stretched.
• Have an unstable joint in the area.
• Have osteoporosis.
• Have any disease that needs medical approval before undertaking any new activity.

Chapter 11: “Facing the Truth” Excerpt from feature documentary, Addiction, Recovery and Yoga.

Shoulderstand. This pose brings about inner peace and tranquility.

Medical Uses:

This pose strengthens the spine: Problems such as arthritis of the lower back, dorsal region and shoulder joints, general backache and displaced spinal discs, can all be dealt with if this pose is practiced regularly and correctly.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of this pose is that it can help relieve the problems that beset many of us each winter such as, bronchitis, chest, chill, cold, cough and nasal catarrh. Learn this pose and stay away from antibiotics as much as possible. Asthma, tonsillitis, and (after medical treatment and rest) pleurisy and pneumonia, can also be brought under control with a practice that includes this pose.

Shoulderstand calms the brain like no other pose. For instance, this pose can be a wonderful tool for women going through menopause. Practice it along with Sirsasana to deal with memory loss, nervous debility and anxiety. It also helps to bring heart palpitations under control.

Other conditions that can be addressed by a balanced practice that contains
Shoulderstand: Acidity, anemia, appendicitis, low blood pressure, breathlessness, colic, colitis, constipation, diabetes, displacement of uterus, epilepsy, giddiness, (umbilical) hernia, (inguinal) hernia, impotency, indigestion, insomnia, kidney problems, swollen knees, lumbago, menstrual disorders, hemorrhoids, prostate problems, sciatica, duodenal ulcer and varicose veins.

1. Stack three blankets neatly, one on top of the other. Lay back over the blankets with your head on the floor and your shoulders two or three inches in from the (folded) edge. Bend your knees. Press your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
2. Roll your knees up over your chest.
3. Raise your hips. Support your back with your hands and place the tips of your toes on the floor above your head.
4. Clasp your hands behind your back and stretch your arms away from you. Come onto the tops of your shoulders.
5. Lift your spine. Hold for a few minutes at first

Practice Note:

Beginners should begin with the feet supported on a chair. When the pelvis can be held in line with the shoulders, and the back becomes strong, the feet can be lowered.

“Yoga is a process of self exploration and healing”

Yoga is the original mind-body workout, meditation in action. Although most people perceive yoga as a nice way to stretch, it is way more profound than that. It is a process of self exploration and healing. The postures, or asanas, help align and strengthen muscles and bones, but also can be a way of improving the functioning of the nervous, hormonal, digestive, cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune systems. It can boost your energy and relax you. It promotes a sense of unity and balance. And when your body feels balanced, so does your mind. Some of the less tangible effects I have noticed from doing yoga myself have been more patience, serenity and resilience, a capacity to cope better with the stresses of life. In this day and age, I feel all of us can do with a little bit of all those qualities.

“A unique aspect of yoga is its adaptability”

The unique aspect of yoga is its adaptability. What I mean by that, is when you are tired there are poses to restore you, when stressed out, poses to relax you, when depressed, poses to elevate your mood, or when you can’t sleep, poses to help the insomnia. And you can do it anywhere, a hotel room, in your home or at the office.

“Yoga is a way of optimizing physical, emotional and mental functions”

Yoga was developed as a way of optimizing physical well being as a necessary first step to optimizing emotional and mental functions. So there is an emphasis in yoga, not on competition and winning, but on learning a practice that is defined as “good” to the extent that it induces physical strength, organic health, emotional stability, mental lucidity and joy of being. In fact delivering most of the benefits that most people want from any practice.

As I get older, it has been yoga, more than anything else I do, that has kept me feeling healthy and vital. I have also observed this in my patients that do yoga. It is a process of self exploration and healing.

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Relieve the pain in your neck

Did you know that when your body slumps, the weight of your arms, shoulders and scapulae are forced to hang off of your already overstressed neck muscles? Your shoulder girdle weighs 14% of your total body weight, so even if you only weigh 130lbs, your poor neck is now holding up more than 18lbs of extra weight every minute of every day. In the ideal postural alignment all of that weight should rest on top of your ribcage, thus taking the stress out of the neck and shoulders. When this ‘drop front panel’ is preset, however, it also makes simple things like turning your head difficult, as these muscles and the fascia enveloping them become chronically tense and stiff.

Try this

Allow your upper body to slump, even just slightly. Now notice how far you can turn your head to each side, and how it feels to do so. Next, imagine a string attached to the top of your head, lengthening and lifting you up towards the sky. Notice how your posture improves just by consciously doing this. Then, turn your head side to side again. Feel the ease of movement and increased range you gained in your neck just by straightening up. Use this string visual any time gravity is getting the best of you, and to ensure your ideal alignment as you move throughout your day.

Cause of stress

Chronic stress comes from many places. It can be the result of bad posture as described above; our thoughts -that stinkin’ thinkin’ we are all sometimes guilty of; the S.A.D. Standard American Diet – filled with sugar, caffeine, refined carbohydrates, etc.; the numerous toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis; and many other factors. All of this contributes to the rigidity in our bodies.

Get moving

In order to get moving again and rehydrate stiff tissue, use the simple tennis ball tricks shown in the video clip. The release at the base of the skull, the suboccipitals, is particularly useful for countering the tension created by forward head posture, relieving eye fatigue and strain, tension headaches, and sinus congestion. Enjoy the freedom you can create for yourself in just a few quick minutes at home or even during your travels!

The Swiss Ball has been used by physiotherapists for many years as part of their routine therapeutic and conditioning programs. Now they are in most gyms because their benefits are becoming so apparent. It provides an unstable platform and therefore challenges your muscles in new ways, helping to strengthen and build up the “core” muscles in the body, (e.g. abdominals, back, buttocks & thighs), which play a major role in maintaining good posture. This becomes extremely important if we are spending much of our working life in a sitting position, which can weaken postural muscles.

Performing exercises on a Swiss Ball will lead to greater recruitment of stabilizing muscles allowing you to reap more benefits from each exercise. A recent study showed that training on the physio ball (a challenged environment) is superior to traditional floor exercises.

Benefits of Using a Swiss Ball

• Encourages awareness and helps you get to know your body.
• Wonderful for the development of balance, coordination and strength.
• Strengthens postural and core muscles — difficult to achieve with machines.
• Gives you an excellent range of motion for abdominal exercises.
• Supports joint stability and helps to activate the nervous system.
• Fun to use!

I use mine as a chair when I sit at my computer. When seated on the ball, your thigh (femur) should be parallel with the floor. Remember it takes some time getting used to, so hang in there. Like any other piece of exercise equipment, when used correctly, a Swiss Ball can help you achieve positive results. Used incorrectly, it may cause injury. Anyone wishing to incorporate a Swiss Ball into an exercise program should seek instruction from a professional who’s been trained in Swiss Ball techniques.

Exercising is probably the most important thing you can do to stay physically and mentally healthy and slow down the aging process. But staying motivated is one of the biggest problems for almost anyone starting or maintaining an exercise program.

Here are some tips that may help:

• Find a good reason — e.g. to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, reduce stress or best to take responsibility for your health.
• Make it fun. It is about moving your body, so do whatever you can to move that turns you on….hiking in the woods, dancing around your living room or playing with your kids.
• Change your routine often to avoid boredom. Variety keeps it interesting and fun, and also stresses different muscles, making for a well-rounded workout.
• Get rid of the “all or nothing” mentality. A small workout is better than no workout.
• Exercise with a partner to motivate and keep each other going.
• Try classes — the group may be helpful and social.
• Use an ipod and exercise to music you enjoy.
• Work out with a trainer if feasible.
• Make achievable goals and update them when they’re reached.
• Reward yourself when goals are achieved.
• Keep performance records to keep striving forward.
• View your progress realistically — for instance, if weight training, 2 lbs. more resistance doesn’t sound like much, but done every week is over 100 lbs. a year!