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Science says: 6 reasons to yoga in the AMs

9/22/2021

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As a mom of two (and 2 businesses too!) I know my day may not always (understatement alert!) go exactly as planned.

That's why I'm a big proponent of "gettin it while ya can" -- which often means being up before the sun (and the son) in order to squeeze in my daily practice. 

Did you know that traditionally yoga was practiced in the morning?

Maybe it had something to do with avoiding the hot sun of Indian afternoons, but really it just makes sense. Your mind is at its most relaxed in those wee hours, and the rest of the world hasn’t sent you any emails yet.

There are fewer distractions and there just seems to be more... peace. Physically, stretching is a body's natural urge in the morning, helping loosen up your joints in preparation for movement as you start your day.

It turns out modern science is also a huge fan of movement in the morn!

Here are just a few of the reasons (and the research that supports them!) to wake up early with us and yoga:
Science backed reasons to do early morning yoga
  1. Feel less "bleh." Yoga improves blood flow, oxygenating the body-- which increases energy levels and reduces fatigue. Plus, the release of exercise-induced hormones dopamine and seratonin will mean you start the day feeling high on life. Especially good if you don't identify as a "morning person." ​
  2. Wake up your brain. Morning workouts have been shown to improve cognitive function including decision-making, throughout the day.
  3. Eat better. Sweating it out in the morning results in reduced food cravings and helps curb emotional eating. Yummmm.
  4. Burn more fat. Overweight men in this study who exercised before breakfast burned 2x the amount of fat than those who exercised after. This had ‘profound and positive’ effects on their health because of improved insulin response, which keeps blood sugar levels under control and potentially lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
  5. Be happier! Yoga has been found to have even more mood-boosting power than other forms of exercise. Participants who practiced yoga for 12 weeks in this study experienced greater improvements in mood and anxiety, as compared to the participants who followed a walking regimen. 
  6. Avoid diabetes. This study found that early morning exercise on an empty stomach resulted improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (translation: reduced risk of diabetes, yay!) to a greater extent than doing the same exercise after eating.

You deserve all of the above in your life. 

So sign up for an early Zoom class today, or pick a recording from our library.
And if you're not a member yet (wha??) click here to join. See you in the morning!!
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Why is nasal breathing a thing?

12/2/2020

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“If we could master breath, everything after that is going to be handled a bit better.”

That's a quote from James Newbury, an athlete who completed the entire 5-hour bike ride and 4-hour run of an Ironman race, breathing only through his nose.

​“We’re going to live at a higher level.”

Living at a higher level sounds good.

​Here is my nose:
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Maybe you’ve been here:

Huffing and puffing through the first few poses in one of your first hot yoga classes, your face turning bright beet-red. The more you try to breathe, sucking air in through your mouth- the harder it seems to get.

From somewhere in the distance, you hear the instructor’s calm, encouraging voice:
“Close your mouth, breathe through your nose.”

You try it.

It works!

Nose breathing is the way

Many people have been taught or just naturally start breathing through their mouths while exercising, especially when it gets intense. But emerging research suggests nasal breathing (like we do for about 80 out of the 90 minutes in a Bikram Yoga class) is actually where it’s at.

That’s no big surprise for yoga practitioners, who have been harnessing the power of breath for centuries! (But we always love when science backs up what we do!)
 
Breathing by the nose helps athletes perform better

For example, this recent study looked at runners who used nasal breathing and found their maximum rate of oxygen consumption was unchanged compared to mouth breathing.

At the same time, their respiratory rates (breaths per minute) and ratios of oxygen intake to carbon dioxide output decreased, which means they didn’t have to work as hard to get the same amount of oxygen! 


Researchers believe the lower breath rate caused by breathing through your nose (a much smaller opening for air than your gaping maw) allows more time for oxygen to get to the bloodstream.

That means you get more oxygen to your cells from each breath, which allows you to breathe less.

Wait a sec? Is breathing LESS a good thing?

Don’t worry: no one is telling you not to breathe. It’s about being efficient.

By breathing through your nose "you actually can perform your big physical tasks – running, cycling, things like that, you can perform them using less oxygen because you're not having to breathe as much to perform them,” says researcher George Dallam. “Which turns this not just into a health thing, but also into a performance thing too.”
 
Nose breathing helps with daily wellbeing too
 
I recently read a fascinating book called Breath, by James Nestor. In it Nestor “explores the million-year-long history of how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly and why we’re suffering from a laundry list of maladies—snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, autoimmune disease, allergies—because of it.”

One thing Nestor did as part of this book was an experiment where he plugged his nose completely for 10 days, forcing himself to breathe only through his mouth. Spoiler alert: the results were disastrous!

Other spoiler alert: everything got better when he began breathing through his nose again.

Among other things, it turns out people who breathe primarily through their noses have:
  • Better posture
  • Straighter teeth and better facial bone structure
  • Less sleep apnea and snoring
  • Less stress and anxiety
  • Lower rates of heart disease and diabetes
  • Less asthma
  • Less ADHD
 
Nasal breathing calms ya down
 
Breathing slowly through the nose is associated with the parasympathetic aspect of your nervous system, known as the “rest, digest and reproduce” state. (You probably know that one from yoga class!)

Breathing fast, through the mouth, or too much (hyperventilation) activates the sympathetic nervous system, putting you into a state of “fight, flight or freeze.” (You know that one from if you’ve ever been stressed out.)

That’s because nasal breathing activates the lower part of the lungs, which is associated with the parasympathetic nerves.


Oh hey, we made a video about that!

“You’re dealing with what is called a vagal response,” Dallam says. “You’re actually activating your vagal nerve to do the action of the lung itself when you breathe that way. That’s why a relaxation breath is a deeper breath. If you breathe deeply and activate the diaphragm well, and activate the lower portion of the lung, then you create some immediate relaxation.”
​

It ain't always easy, but it's worth it

As James Nestor and James Newbury found, breathing by the nose during physical exertion isn't necessarily easy.

The key, whether in a Bikram Yoga class or training for a triathlon, is to only challenge yourself as much as you can while maintaining nasal breathing. This means you may need to back off on intensity at first and be patient with the process.

(Helloooo, psychological benefits!)

When you breathe calmly through your nose, you take charge of your own nervous system

The more you practice, the better you'll get at nasal breathing and the more your health will improve as a result. 

Don't take my word for it though! Try it in class today ;)
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Video: St. Johns Boosters Association interviews Kay

11/29/2020

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This week I was interviewed!

Liz asked me about the birth story of Home Hot Yoga, why I love St. Johns, what it's like to be a shut-down business during a global pandemic- and how the heck I expect people to do hot yoga in their bathrooms!

Check it out:
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by St. Johns Boosters (@stjohnsboosters)

That sale I mentioned?
CLICK HERE to buy!

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Benefits of Bringing the Heat

10/15/2020

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Did you know that using heat for healing is old-school?

Far from being a fad, heat therapy has been used in many cultures (as far back as ancient Egypt) as a medical treatment for a variety of aches and pains? Makes sense if you think about it, since an increase in temperature to an area of the body promotes circulation and blood flow there. And blood is how each part of your amazing body receives the nutrients it craves, and removes the waste it needs gone
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What heat does:

Heat relaxes tense muscles and (by improving circulation) helps heal damaged tissue, ease soreness and relieve joint pain caused by arthritis or just being a stiff dude. Heat therapy can be "dry heat" like using a heating pad or sitting in a sauna, or "moist heat" like soaking in a hot spring or applying steamed towels. At 105 degrees and 40% humidity (your clothes basically become steamed towels!) our hot room environment here at Home is kind of... both.

Heat has even been found to be an effective treatment for depression!

This area of research is relatively new, but already this study has even looked specifically at using heated yoga to treat depression and anxiety and (surprise surprise!) it works. Bonus: no crummy side effects like other anti-depressants.


There's lots of evidence exposure to warm temperatures can elevate your mood. Scientists have observed that brain areas which process pleasant stimulation activate when the skin is warmed. Activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex for example is low in depression, but it’s increased by warm stimulation. 

While being in the heat helps us feel happier, doing yoga poses in the heat also provides an added challenge to the mind, and through that challenge hot yogis cultivate the oh-so-practical mental qualities of Faith, Self Discipline, Concentration, Determination and Patience!
​
Athletes use heat training for improved endurance.

A rapid increase in the volume of blood's plasma when it's hot seems to boost performance in athletes! It does so by 
helping move excess heat out to the skin and cool you off, among other things. The jury's still out on whether heat training helps improve endurance in regular temperatures, but... concentration and determination definitely do.

Heat may also keep you saf(er) 

Check out this blog post here for what science has found about the effects of heat and humidity on COVID-19 transmission rates. (Hint: it's good news for Bikram yogis!) 


Bottom line:


A blacksmith doesn't try to take a piece of iron and change its shape by just pounding away at it cold. You have to heat it up first! In the same way, we're trying to change (improve!) both both body and mind when we practice yoga. Keeping toasty helps you do it!

Ready to try? Book your next heat therapy- I mean, hot yoga- sesh here.
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VIDEO: Why Judy & Alex love Bikram Yoga online

8/26/2020

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Whether you need more "zen" in your life, or just feel kinda lazy... joining an online class can be just the motivation you need, to keep doing the yoga you need!

Don't take our word for it though, here are our Homies Judy and Alex on how and WHY they have kept up their Bikram Yoga practice during a pandemic:
Why Judy & Alex do yoga at Home (online!)

"And then I go to yoga, and it feels like magic!"

Posted by Home Hot Yoga on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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The important work you are doing inside yourself.

6/21/2020

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Today is International Yoga Day! (Of course, every day is “yoga day” around here.)

Too many people see yoga as a luxury item -- something to be disposed of when finances or schedules are tight. If there’s one thing I want you to know today, it’s this: 

Practicing some form of yoga is not only essential to having a meaningful life, it’s absolutely necessary for a large number of us to practice if we’re going to create and maintain a peaceful, just society.

Practicing yoga is not like other forms of “self care” it tends to get lumped in with. Yoga is not like getting your nails done, taking a bubble bath or even having a massage (though I’m not knocking those things!)

Yoga is not about yoga postures.
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When you practice yoga (raja yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga, mantra yoga and hatha yoga-- which Bikram Yoga is one style of-- are the 6 main types of yoga) you cultivate Faith, Self-disicipline, Determination, Concentration and Patience within yourself. 

If you’re doing hatha yoga, you’ll get pain relief, increased flexibility and strength and a litany of other physical health benefits too. You’ll improve the quality of your life. Which is amazing! But that’s not all you do.

The ultimate goal of any yoga practice is Self-Realization.

That’s Self with a capital “S.” Your highest Self, the greatest version of who you are. 
The word realize (v.) means "bring into existence," from French réaliser "make real" (16c.), from Middle French real "actual.")  

Self-Realization means then, bringing your highest Self into existence.


When you practice yoga, you become able to pull the BEST version of yourself out of your pocket when you need it most:
  • So you don’t yell at your kids when you’re frustrated with them
  • So you can hold space for your loved ones, both in their grief and in their joy
  • So when you witness injustice, you speak out against it
  • So when you observe wrong thinking in yourself, you seek to improve it

If you keep practicing yoga, that Best Version of You appears more and more frequently. Eventually, the way you live begins to align itself with your full potential. You behave like your Self more often than not. Your Self is the part of you most in tune with nature. It’s the part of you which is connected to all other parts of you, which feels connected to all of humanity and even all of the cosmos. 

Yoga comes from the word “yuj” meaning “to yoke together.”

When you access a place inside yourself where everything is united: mind, body and the rest of the world, that is Self. Because you become aware of the connection between you and all of humanity, Self is where your compassion for others lives. 


If you still think that yoga is something to do:
  • in your spare time
  • when you can afford LuLuLemon leggings
  • when conditions are perfect
  • when the kids back to school
  • when you lose 10 lbs 
  • when you’re not so busy anymore

Ask yourself: 

How would this Father’s Day have been different for George Floyd’s family, if Derek Chauvin had been able to access the Best Version of himself for 8 minutes?

Yoga is not about yoga postures. 

When you step on your mat today-- remember that the important work you are doing inside yourself has the power to change the world.
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4 Reasons You Should Do Yoga When Social Distancing

4/20/2020

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Your exercise routine has most likely been turned on its head in the last few weeks. Gyms and yoga studios around the world have shut their doors indefinitely, and even many parks and trails are closed.

​So, is it time to collapse on the couch with a bag of Cheesy Poofs and mope about not having an ab-roller?

Nah. It's time to do yoga.

Starting a yoga routine at this time will not only help you stay in shape-- it will also help you cope better with stress and keep your anxiety levels under control. The best part is, there's no equipment required for yoga! You can do it at home. All you need is a spine and your breath. (Some expert instruction is highly recommended though!)

In a recent American Psychiatric Association poll, 36% of Americans said the current pandemic has already had a serious impact on their mental health. The rate of coronavirus infection is still much lower than 36% of us, and we're taking that pretty seriously now. We need to take our mental health seriously, too. It is not going to get better on its own, and social distancing itself poses a threat to your mental health. 
​

Look. Keeping your physical body healthy is important for sure. But taking care of your emotional stability and mental clarity is often put on the back burner during times of crisis-- which is actually when we need to keep our wits about us, the most!

Here are 4 major reasons you need yoga now more than ever:

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE YOGA CLASSES 

When you practice yoga, you:

  1. Alleviate anxiety. Studies have shown that practicing yoga can reduce anxiety and lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Check out this blog post for the story of one student who has stopped taking anxiety meds since starting her yoga practice! 
  2. Decrease depression. There is a large body of research finding yoga to be an effective intervention for the treatment of depression. Bikram Yoga specifically has been found beneficial in improving depression and several other mental health symptoms.
  3. Sleep better. Studies have found practices like yoga and meditation have positive effects on melatonin and helps alleviate common causes of sleep problems like stress and anxiety. This is super relevant right now because many of us need better Zs! According to a PiplSay poll, 31% of Americans say they’re sleeping less due to coronavirus-related anxiety. And you know it's hard to be your best self when you're tired.
  4. Reduce inflammation. You've probably heard a lot about the popular physical benefits of yoga: flexibility, strength and balance. Of course, there are other activities you can do to keep your muscles strong, your joints healthy, and even be able to stand on one foot. Hatha yoga (practice of physical yoga postures) is unique in that it improves the function of every single system of your body, from the bones to the skin. One of the main ways hatha yoga helps all your organs function better is by helping to reduce inflammation, which researchers are finding more and more to be the root of all kinds of trouble. Know what increases inflammation? Chronic stress and anxiety. Lack of sleep and lack of movement. Poor nutrition.

There is no time like today to start creating benefits like these for your mind and body. And thanks to technology, accessing yoga instruction from the comfort of your home is easy. There are many options out there, many levels and many styles.

Home Hot Yoga's online classes are open to everyone, no experience necessary. Heat is not even necessary (though it helps!)

Are you ready to start a yoga practice? Join any of our online classes here. 

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What if I just can't take the heat?

1/15/2020

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So, you took your first Bikram Yoga class. You were proud of the achievement, but... later that day, you felt awful!
​

Here's what you thought right away: maybe you should never do Bikram Yoga again. Maybe you just can't take the heat. 
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Not so fast.

The thing is: after one class, you can not really know whether the heat- or anything about what you did in yoga- was the cause of how you felt later. Think of it this way: no scientist would ever perform an experiment one time and say they have conclusive evidence to support a claim!

It could be that you had a virus, or you ate something that didn't sit well. It could be that you were not as well-hydrated as you thought. (Most of us don't drink enough water throughout the day.) Or maybe how you deal with stress in your life has been affecting your body in some way you were not aware of- until you put your body in the heat.

​We can feel ill for so many reasons!

So, if Bikram Yoga doesn't make you sick, why am I even writing this blog post?

Unless you have a very specific medical condition like being allergic to your own sweat, Bikram Yoga is most likely not going to make you sick. (And it may just help you solve a whole slurry of medical problems.)

​But the heat 
will make you uncomfortable. Which makes it an easy scapegoat for all kinds of sensations.

I'm writing this blog post because: I get it. Those first few classes can leave you feeling a whole mess of feelings, and not all of those feelings are always pleasant. But nothing you do which is transformative will be pleasant all the time.

The body is wired to seek comfort, and the mind is wired to seek bliss.

The hot environment of Bikram Yoga is meant to be stressful on your body. By putting your body under stress, you create change in your body. (Note: stressful does not mean dangerous. 105 degrees is not a dangerous temperature for a person to be in for 90 minutes.)

Doing yoga in a hot room is like looking in a mirror through a magnifying glass: your experience in the hot room shows you (in BIG size) what you have been doing- or not doing- to care for yourself throughout the previous hours, days, weeks or even years.

For example: if you are a smoker, you may have trouble with breathing in class. Guess what? That does not mean Bikram Yoga is bad for breathing. Bikram Yoga is just showing you the effects of you being a smoker. (For this reason, many of our regulars credit Bikram Yoga with helping them quit smoking.)

After your first class, I'll bet you'd never done anything like it before! (You might have even exclaimed exactly that to your teacher or a friend: "I've never done anything like that before!")

Like anything new, you have to give your body time to adjust. 

It is perfectly normal to have a headache or feel tired after your first or even first few classes, especially if you had been dehydrated when you came in! Did you know that if you felt thirsty during class, it probably means you were already dehydrated?

Feeling depleted can be due to irregular breathing or holding your breath, which can definitely be a thing among first-time Bikram yogis. (When we concentrate on learning a new routine, a common tendency is to hold our breath while we focus hard on what we're doing.) Involuntary breath-holding puts strain on the muscles and nervous system. 

The good news is, by practicing awareness of breath and conscious breathing exercises (as we do in Bikram Yoga) you can regain control of your breathing and normalize your breathing patterns. And because we do the same sequence of poses every time, you will quickly learn how to pace yourself during the class. While the yoga never gets "easy," you will get better at handling it. 


Tension headaches or migraines can be triggered or made worse by dehydration. If you experienced one of these following your first class, it is likely that poor hydration is to blame. You're not used to sweating this much! Not yet, anyway.

To handle headaches or migraines
, up your water intake throughout the day by several cups, even on days you are not practicing.
 
To handle feeling tired, rest and breathe.
These are good rules for life, and great rules for your next class too.

By the way, did you rest during your class? 

Maybe you didn't know it was ok to take breaks. (It is.) Now you know! I'll bet that if you take more breaks during your second class, you will feel a million times better afterward.

But it's SO hot...

Our yoga room is heated to 105 degrees, a temperature which many humans in the world live in for weeks or months at a time. There is nothing "unnatural" or "extreme" about this temperature for the human body.

The difference, people who live in hot climates are 
acclimated, and we in Portland are not.

But your body has not 
evolved so incredibly much since your ancestors who used to tough it out through all kinds of weather with no air conditioning! While it may take a bit of practice, you can definitely handle 90 minutes in heat equivalent to a summer's day. 

And if you think you can't, you should definitely try. How else will you find out how truly badass you are?


When you first begin doing Bikram Yoga, it does take time to acclimate to the heat. This is why we recommend practicing often as possible when you first start. At least 3 times your first week is the best, but do more if you can. The more often you come at the beginning, the quicker you will acclimate. 

Clothing matters.

Another factor in feeling awful after yoga could be the clothes you wore to class. Check out this video we made about which clothes are just plain wrong for Bikram Yoga.

If you felt so, SO hot in your sweatpants, try wearing shorts next time. Trapping your body heat in layers of baggy clothes is just a totally bad idea in 105 degrees. You wouldn't wear a bikini out snowshoeing, would you?

Students often tell me when I say this, "oh, I know I will feel cooler- but I don't like to see my [thighs/ cankles/ gut) in the mirror.") I get it. I was that girl in a sports bra, tank top, tee shirt AND a long-sleeved shirt in class.

I thought I was fat and ugly, and I thought I could hide.

Over time I learned I was wrong about all those things. It turns out I was not fat, I was not ugly- and I could not hide under the bright lights of Bikram Yoga class. Little by little, I shed my layers. I began to feel cooler and better. More importantly, I began to love and appreciate the body I saw in the mirror.

Self-loathing is not a good excuse for making your body suffer.

What I want to leave you with is this: give this life-saving yoga system an honest try. Try to do 10 classes in 1 month.  (The studiowide yoga challenge starts on Monday!!) 

Or if that even seems like too far in advance to plan, just make up your mind to do 3 classes this week. If after that you totally hate it and don't see any reason to continue? Don't continue. At least you really gave it a shot.

Use the tips from this post: hydrate, dress in small close-fiting clothing, and make sure you are breathing calmly through your nose throughout the class. I bet you will feel so much better, and I bet you will start loving your life more too. Let us know if you do!
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Marcela practices Bikram yoga for a peaceful pregnancy

5/6/2019

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I started practicing at BYSJ in fall of 2016 because I felt like my body and I were at odds. I needed a practice that allowed me to reconnect with myself. Since December 2015, I've been pregnant 4 times. The first three pregnancies have all ended with miscarriages. I was grieving the loss of those babies in unhealthy ways and I sought out yoga as a way to find my way back to peace. ​

Since practicing, I appreciate my body in a different way. 

Like I mentioned, when I began practicing I felt at odds with myself. I was really self conscious and critical of my physical appearance, being overly critical of every lump and bump.

There's something a bit magical that happens when you stare at yourself for 90 minutes. Over the course of practicing I began to marvel at all the ways my body could move and how it carried me through the poses. ​

Even when it was hard, I learned that I could do hard things. This belief has carried over into my life.

I am proud of my consistency in practice. The yoga is hard, but I continue to come back because of the benefits. The best thing I receive from my practice is peace. My husband, Filip, has noticed a big change in my temperament. I used to have big, dramatic reactions to small things. I was filled with anger and would lose my temper quickly. I've always had a difficult time managing anger. Since practicing Bikram's I am much calmer, my reactions are less immediate and intense, and I am overall happier/ more optimistic.  

My mantra in the room is just breathe. It's the only thing I tell myself I have to do. When it feels challenging to get to a class I just say, "show up and breathe." It makes it feel so manageable. 

The effects of the yoga practice:

Physically, my posture has improved dramatically. I used to have a bit of a hunch, which I don't have anymore.

I have always suffered from pain in my right shoulder. This practice has really opened/loosened those muscles that were always so tight. Eagle pose works wonders.
​

But really, I practice for the mental benefits. It's the most important thing I do that keeps my mind peaceful; reduces my anxiety. I used to have crazy anxiety, I would need medication at times to manage it. ​

Since practicing Bikram's I haven't needed any anxiety medicine.

I practiced through my miscarriages. I would set up my mat in the back of the room and cry through most of the class. I was able to grieve my losses and let go of the pain through the yoga. It helped me get to a place where I could accept that perhaps motherhood was not going to be a part of my journey. Like I said, I could do hard things. 

When I found out I was pregnant for the fourth time, I didn't want to live in the fear. I also didn't want to live in the hope. I just wanted to live in every moment. Fear represented the past. Hope represented the future. I really didn't want to place any of my energy in either of those places. I thought a lot about the impermanence of a situation. The only experience I wanted was the one I was currently in.

When I practice the yoga, the only thing I can think about is the current moment. Breathing through the pose, living through the pose. That's what I wanted for this pregnancy. 

I am very forgiving with myself when I practice the prenatal series. I really listen to my own cues about how much I can do and what I need in the moment to take care of myself and baby.

Moving forward, postpartum, I want to continue to treat myself this way. 
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POTM: Standing Separate Leg Stretching

10/30/2018

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Dandayamana bibhaktapada paschimottanasana! This posture is not only the most fun posture to say the name in Sanskrit, but also a phenomenal stretch for your hamstrings, hips and spine.

Because of the upside-down position, this pose provides increased circulation to the brain, nasal cavities and adrenal glands. It decompresses the spine, relieving pressure on the intervertebral discs and the spinal nerves (including the sciatic nerve) as well as having a pretty incredible effect on your cardiovascular system (see below...) 

Check out our video about how adjusting the size of your step can help you get the most out of this one:
Have you heard of a baroreflex? "Baro" comes from the Greek baros, meaning pressure or weight. So the baroreflex is one of your body's mechanisms which helps maintain blood pressure at nearly constant levels. When you hang upside down in Standing Separate Leg Stretching, baroreceptors in your arteries sense that blood pressure to the head is elevated, and this starts a rapid feedback loop which causes the heart rate to lower and blood pressure to decrease to a more normal level.

Lower heart rate and lower blood pressure is associated with a calming sensation in the body, amirite? Which, if you think about it, means the placement of this pose in our series is simply genius! I mean, you just completed Balancing Stick pose, which got your heart beating out of your chest. And you're just about to do Triangle pose... But first, you get to do Standing Separate Leg Stretching, to bring your blood pressure and heart rate down, so by the time you hit Triangle you're operating on a much more even keel. Wow!

What if you have sciatica?
​

In this pose, a special consideration for those with active sciatica is that the feet should not be "slightly pigeon-toed." They should be parallel to one another, or even a little turned out. This takes pressure off the sciatic nerve during the pose.
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    HHY Founder, Yoga Business Coach, yoga-doer and life-lover, Kay Afif!

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