Colds, Allergies, and Yoga Practice

Generally, I try to avoid injecting "myself" into my blog, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one in town who is experiencing allergy/cold symptoms. Whatever the season, upper respiratory discomfort is a nuisance at best, and the more extreme the discomfort the more the misery. What is to be done when you are feeling less-than-optimal from cold and allergy symptoms. Here's some advice from Dr. Timothy McCall's article in Yoga Journal:

Check in with your body before you attempt your regular yoga practice. If you feel drained or "wiped out," pushing through the usual heat-producing sun salutations might send you back to bed. Try a gentle or restorative practice (legs up the wall, for example). Avoid vigorous breathing techniques. And it stands to reason that if your nose is congested, alternate nostril breathing is out of the question. Once your energy improves, you can gradually return to a more active and vigorous practice, even if you still have a cough or your nose is a bit stuffy.

Antibiotics won't do a thing for viral infections nor will they help allergies. (During summer, determining if you have caught an upper-respiratory viral infection or if your allergies are kicking up becomes rather problematic. A virus lasts ten days to two weeks; an allergic reaction may persist longer.) There are over-the-counter (OTC) remedies that might alleviate your symptoms and make you more comfortable, but keep in mind that many OTC medications have lots of compounds to treat multiple symptoms and you might not need all that much. Pamper yourself with slippery elm lozenges for a sore throat, or acetaminophen for achiness.

Feeling stuffed up? Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to boiling water and breathing in the vapors can help nasal congestion. The brave souls who have mastered the use of a neti pot swear by this technique for clearing out sinus congestion. Another less tricky technique for loosening phlegm is the pranayama practice of Bhramar ( or Bumblebee breathing)i: press your lips together and make the sound of a buzzing bee. The humming vibrations open the sinuses and help drainage. To manage sinus pressure and headaches, don't practice any asanas that involve inverting your head.

Support yourself. Even restful poses such as Savasana (Final Relaxation) aren't easy when you are congested. Instead of lying flat on your back, support your back along the length of your spine with a large cushion (get one from the couch). Put another cushion or folded blanket under your head and neck. Then you can breath easier and get the most from the asana. Supta Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) is also restful with back support and helps ease digestion. 

Dr. Timothy McCall is considered an authority on how yoga can be integrated into keeping yourself healthy and balanced. Check out his book Yoga as Medicine for poses and recommendation that might be helpful to your specific concerns.

Until next week, namaste,
Nancy

Good Intentions--Beginning your practice with Sankalpa

Creating a sankalpa (or positive intention) at the outset of your practice brings deeper focus and power, especially if you can keep your intention active throughout the session. Effective intentions are short, affirming, and precise statements (or even a single word) of what you hope to receive from your practice time. Your intention can be self-directed (acceptance, patience, or humility, as three examples) or for the benefit of others (non-violence, gratitude, or awareness, as examples).


Of course, you can practice yoga without setting an intention; sankalpa is not necessary for moving into any of the poses. Nevertheless, as you begin to explore the mind/body connections that are part of yoga's power, setting an intention can benefit your practice in several ways.

First of all, setting an intention helps to focus your mind. You give yourself a goal (even if for only a minute or two) that isn't necessarily directed toward doing, but toward "being" (as in being accepting of self [acceptance], of being patient with yourself [patience], or recognizing that you aren't the most important being in the universe [humility]). 


Your intention, or purpose, can set the tone of your entire practice. An empowering intention can make the difference between moving through class with calm and confidence or struggling through in the hope that the class will soon be over.


Setting an intention is something that we do frequently, it's not a high-powered transcendental principle. But that doesn't mean that positive intentions are not without power. We've all heard about the "power of positive thinking;" it's hardly a new concept. We set intentions every day, whether we are aware of them or not. If you left your home today, you had an intention. When you put the keys into your car's ignition, you had an intention and/or a destination. If you boiled water in the kettle, you had an intention. Interpersonal relationships are empowered and improved by affirming what is best in the other. Making an intention to "see the good" in others can transform a negative, or even toxic, interaction into a pleasant one.

Life being as it is, there are occasions when intentions and outcomes don't follow. We cannot control life's circumstances. In regard to an intention to drive to a destination, a flat tire can hinder our intended trip. The intent of putting a teakettle on the stove--a lovely cup of tea--might have turned into a cup of cold, bitter tea when an urgent phone call took precedence and attention. Presenting what is best of yourself and discovering what is best in others isn't always a guarantee of harmony. But that doesn't mean that the original intention wasn't valuable.


When we unroll our mats and settle into our practice, our private and personal intentions may or may not happen. Notwithstanding the outcome, our intentions give us opportunities to create something positive from the time we spend during our practice. Pushing through a physical challenge is a bit easy if we can focus on a motivating and inspiring reason. While we cannot control outcomes, we can control our way of being and how we react to outcomes.


The beauty and power of mind/body classes such as yoga is that we slowly work on our alignment. We align our bodies by the asanas, or poses. We balance our nervous system through pranayam, or breathing. And we can also recenter our emotional selves by sankalpa, or setting positive intentions. We don't have to perform the breathing exercises perfectly to benefit; our alignment doesn't have to be perfect when we do asanas to begin to feel our bodies get stronger and more flexible; so, to, we don't have to become perfectly serene beings to feel the positive effects of setting an intention for our practice.

Here are some intentions that I set for you when we practice together. That you 
          Stay present in the moment,
          Practice without competition or self-criticism, 
          Relax and have fun,
          Find a measure of sanctuary during practice, and
          Do what works best for your practice.
At the end of our session, I revisit those intentions, often with gratitude, for our time together. Yoga is a powerful discipline for transforming our bodies and our selves.


Until next week, namaste
Nancy
          

Alternate Nostril Breathing--Clearing the Channels

After class yesterday, a fellow yogini shared the improvements that she has experienced in her breathing since practicing this effective and essential pranayama, or breathing exercise. While there is no cure for a chronic ailment such as asthma, alternate nostril breathing can improve lung function by regulating respiration with deep, measured breaths. The holistic aspect of this pranayama not only aids breathing, but calms and centers the nervous system. We often begin our practice together with this technique, for breath control, for balance, but to help us all "reset" our mental state to gain the most from our practice. Read more about alternate nostril breathing, nadi sodhana:

The name alternate nostril breathing is due to the fact that we alternate between the two nostrils when we do the breathing. Yogis believe that this exercise will clean and rejuvenate your vital channels of energy, thus the name nadi sodhana (purification of nadis or channels).

With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day. In a healthy person the breath will alternate between nostrils about every two hours, as our brain's hemispheres alternate in dominance; every two hours or so, the right will dominate, then the left will take the shift. Because most of us are not in optimum health, this time period varies considerably between people and further reduces our vitality. According to the yogis, when the breath continues to flow in one nostril for more than two hours, as it does with most of us, it will have an adverse effect on our health. If the right nostril is involved, the result is mental and nervous disturbance. If the left nostril is involved, the result is chronic fatigue and reduced brain function. The longer the flow of breath in one nostril, the more serious the illness will be.

Benefits of Nadi Sodhana

• Relaxation and stress relief.
• Helps to balance and harness our energy.
• Improves brain function: increases oxygen to both hemispheres of the brain, thus clarifying our thought processes. Enhances focus and improves concentration.
• Balances: Restores equilibrium between the two nadis (energy channels), ida and pingala.
• Unblocks the flow of prana and purifies subtle energy channels.
• Boosts immunity.
• Prepares body and mind for meditation.
• Good for allergies as it helps to clean and clear out the sinuses.

The Scientific Confirmation of Alternate Nostril Breathing

Medical science has recently discovered the nasal cycle, something that was known by the yogis thousands of years ago. Scientists have recently found that we don't breathe equally with both nostrils, that one nostril is much easier to breathe through than the other at any particular time and that this alternates about every two to three hours. The yogis claim that the natural period is every two hours, but we must remember these studies were done on people who do not have an optimum health level.

Scientists also discovered that the nasal cycle corresponds with brain function. The electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on the side opposite the less congested nostril. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. The research showed that when the left nostril was less obstructed, the right side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects were indeed found to do better on creative tests. Similarly when the right nostril was less obstructed the left side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects did better on verbal skills. No wonder we don't perform well when we have a upper respiratory ailment such as the flu or a cold!

Medical science has not quite caught up with the ancient yogis yet. For the purposes of this blog post, I am including this paragraph purely for your information--I make ABSOLUTELY no claims for the medical, moral, spiritual, physical, emotional, or ethical truth of the assertions. The yogis went one step further (and here is where I, personally, make no medical claims). They observed that a lot of disease was due to the nasal cycle being disturbed; that is, if a person breathed for too long through one nostril. To prevent and correct this condition, they developed the alternate nostril breathing technique. This clears any blockage to air flow in the nostrils and reestablishes the natural nasal cycle. For example, the yogis have known for a long time that prolonged breathing through the left nostril only (over a period of years) will produce asthma. They also know that this so-called incurable disease can be easily eliminated by teaching the patient to breathe through the right nostril until the asthma is cured, and then to prevent it recurring by doing the alternate nostril breathing technique. The yogis also believe that diabetes is caused to a large extent by breathing mainly through the right nostril. 

Technique

1. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Do this to the count of four seconds.
2. Immediately close the left nostril with your right ring finger and little finger, and at the same time remove your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale through this nostril. Do this to the count of eight seconds. This completes a half round.
3. Inhale through the right nostril to the count of four seconds. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left nostril to the count of eight seconds. This completes one full round.

Start by doing three rounds, adding one per week until you are doing seven rounds.

Alternate nostril breathing should not be practiced if you have a cold or if your nasal passages are blocked in any way. Forced breathing through the nose may lead to complications. In pranayama it is important to follow this rule: under no circumstances should anything be forced. If you use the nostrils for breath control they must be unobstructed. If they are not, you must practice throat breathing.

When we practice the pranayama of alternate nostril breathing, we do a number of cycles with the use of our hand. Then, we do a few cycles "hands free" to concentrate on how the technique might be used during our daily lives outside the practice room. I can tell you that nadi sodhana has served me well during many stressful situations be they medical procedures or emotional crises. It's great knowing that a fellow practitioner has found the technique helpful as well. That's what makes our time together beneficial--we gain emotional as well as physical balance.

Until next week, namaste

Nancy

Your lumbar curve: keeping it healthy.

I once attended a day's seminar taught by Paul and Suzee Grilley. The day's topic: spinal alignment. Yup, we just couldn't spend too much time on the spine. If you've ever suffered from back pain, you'll certainly understand why. Because there were so many questions regarding spinal alignment today, I'd like to take some time out to share some of Paul and Suzee's teachings about how your spine works (and doesn't work) while practicing yoga.

Let's begin with the basic of everyone's spine, or "backbones." The many, many bones that comprise the spinal column protect the spinal cord, the central nervous system's most valuable component. The upper portion, around the neck (or cervix) are the cervical vertebrae.  There is a natural curve in this portion of your spine--the neck. Below that are the twelve vertebrae that support your internal organs such as the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, etc. From the time before you were born, this part of your spinal column has been curved (and to a much greater degree!). Below the thoracic vertebrae are the five large and heavy lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae are large because they carry a greater load transmitted from the top of the head down to the lower spine. Another reason why the lumbar vertebrae are larger is that they must be big and strong to support the muscles and bones during movement. The lumbar area of the spine is the physical center of the body. This forms the hub for basic activities, including balance and locomotion. The demands on the lumbar area are great. Because of the demands, strong abdominal muscles form a tight band around the lumbar curvature, joining with smaller muscles in the lower back. Finally, the spine ends with vertebrae that are fused, or joined together with no mobility, the sacrum and the coccyx (tailbone).

The general rule for twisting the spine (as when you reach into the back seat of your car to grab something), is this: the lower the vertebrae, the less mobility. We can move our necks almost 180 degrees from the extreme left to the extreme right. We can rotate our shoulders a bit less. We can't twist our lumbar region much at all. And the sacrum? Forget it! The sacrum and coccyx are fused, that is to say, a single and inflexible unit. We all, to some degree or another, have natural curves in our spinal column, forming a gentle S-curve. When the spinal curvature becomes too pronounced, in one direction or another, we can feel the strain (and it's not a gentle feeling!). Yoga can be beneficial in strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, to pull the vertebrae gently into alignment and eventually alleviate back strain. 

Which asanas can gently ease back strain and strengthen the muscles around the lumbar region? Child's pose allows the lumbar curve to slowly release. Trikonasana (triangle pose) strengthens the obliques that encircle the lumbar spine. Dadasana (staff pose) with the legs outstretched and the toes pointing toward the sky, gives a natural stretch to the lumbar region. Up Dog or Bhujangasana (cobra) move the lumbar spine in a gentle bend. When you do asanas specific to the lumbar spine, be sure to include asanas in both extension and flexion (in other words, balance the Up Dog with Staff). Or, slowly and mindly, move your lumbar spine through Cat and Cow poses.

Now, to Paul and Suzee Grilley's words of advice regarding lumbar spinal alignment: 

"Yoga Journal Magazine has photos of young women in deep back bends. This is the opposite movement to a tucked pelvis. The poses look beautiful and one can’t help but admire the ease and range of motion of the models. But I doubt if anyone would think it healthy for someone to constantly arch their lower spines this way. If anyone attempted to do so they would degenerate the discs in their back and cause a lot of damage.

"Constantly arching the spine is unhealthy. Constantly tucking the spine is unhealthy. So should we live our lives in a timid neutrality of spine position; neither tucking nor tilting the pelvis? The answer to this is an emphatic “NO!” The neutral spine position is how office workers live their lives and statistics show that 80% of them will suffer serious back problems.

"To have a healthy spine we must systematically move it through its full range of motion. This means sometimes we tuck the pelvis to flatten the spine, sometimes we tilt the pelvis to arch the spine, and sometimes we keep the spine neutral. This is the Taoist view of life, a constant alternation from one opposite to another. The contraction and expansion of the heart are opposites but by alternating they are the Tao of circulation. The expansion and contraction of the lungs are opposites but by alternating they are the Tao of breathing. Tucking and tilting the pelvis have opposite effects on the curve of the spine but by alternating they are the Tao of posture.

Don’t fight against the intended effects of your yoga poses.

"When practicing backbends such as the Cobra or the Camel let the spine arch, don’t try to tuck the pelvis. When practicing forward bends let the spine round, don’t try to tilt the pelvis. These are normal ranges of motion for the lumbar spine and to fight against them is to nullify the effects of the poses. Of course there are instances of injury and overstrain where the spine should be protected. Over stretching an already injured spine could make it worse. But sooner or later the goal of all physical rehabilitation is to regain the natural range of motion. Yoga practice helps us retain our full range of motion so that we can alternate from a straight to an arched spine as needed."

What ever shape your back curves are in--respect them. Strengthen the muscles around your lumbar region with asanas that gently challenge your abdominals and back. Gaining and retaining the full range of appropriate motion throughout the spinal column will keep your back (and you) healthy for many, many years.

Until next week, namaste,

Nancy

The "Exercise Tax," Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) + Yoga

I am confident that there isn't a single individual who has NOT experienced aches, soreness, and muscle fatigue after a tough workout. The symptoms of slight swelling in the muscle, stiffness, and achy-ness are what is called in the exercise physiology world, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. Some trainers call this phenomena the "exercise tax." Whether you are new to an exercise routine, or trying a new form of exercise, or "stepping up" your routine, chances are you've felt the effects of DOMS. And DOMS is not the result of being "out of shape;" pro athletes and "gym rats" alike deal with DOMS as well.

DOMS is not the "burn" that you might feel when working out. That muscle fatigue and the accompanying lactic acid buildup in the muscle are what causes discomfort and trembling muscles while you are working. That type of discomfort is relatively short-term and dissipates quickly as fresh oxygenated blood gets into the muscle and flushes away the lactic acid and other waste products. About nine years ago, medical journals debunked the idea that lactic acid was responsible for DOMS. Studies performed in 2003 have demonstrated that, within 60 minutes after vigorous exercise, blood lactate levels return to normal. So the discomfort of DOMS is not related to lactic acid.

Okay, we know what DOMS is not, but what is it really?

Here's an excerpt from the University of New Mexico's medical journal: "Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a phenomenon that has long been associated with increased physical exertion. DOMS is typically experienced by all individuals regardless of fitness level, and is a normal physiological response to increased exertion, and the introduction of unfamiliar physical activities. Due to the sensation of pain and discomfort, which can impair physical training and performance, prevention and treatment of DOMS is of great concern to coaches, trainers, and therapists. In a recent review, Szymanski (2001) provides an extensive evaluation of the mechanisms and treatments for DOMS. Although science has not established a sound and consistent treatment for DOMS, previous interventions include pharmaceuticals, pre-exercise warm-up, stretching, massage, and nutritional supplements, just to name a few. The pain and discomfort associated with DOMS typically peaks 24-48 hours after an exercise bout, and resolves within 96 hours. Generally, an increased perception of soreness occurs with greater intensity and a higher degree of unfamiliar activities. Other factors, which play a role in DOMS, are muscle stiffness, contraction velocity, fatigue, and angle of contraction."

Say what? What types of exercise appear to demand the most in exercise tax (DOMS)? And what exactly is going on during eccentric exercise? (Examples of eccentric exercise are going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups.)

Here's what the publication explains: "DOMS is often precipitated predominantly by eccentric exercise, such as downhill running, plyometrics, and resistance training. In their review, Connolly et al. (2003) explain that the injury itself is a result of eccentric exercise, causing damage to the muscle cell membrane, which sets off an inflammatory response. This inflammatory response leads to the formation of metabolic waste products, which act as a chemical stimulus to the nerve endings that directly cause a sensation of pain. These metabolic waste products also increase vascular permeability and attract neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) to the site of injury. Once at the site of injury, neutrophils generate free radicals (molecules with unshared electrons), which can further damage the cell membrane. Swelling is also a common occurrence at the site of membrane injury, and can lead to additional sensations of pain. Connolly et al. also note the importance of differentiating DOMS from other injuries such as muscle strains. This difference is important to appreciate because when muscle strain is sustained from vigorous exercise, particularly eccentric exercise, it can severely worsen the injury. In contrast, in a muscle that is experiencing DOMS, continued eccentric exercise is still possible without further muscle damage. When dealing with DOMS it is important to differentiate it from muscle strains, recognizing that continued exercise is still possible with DOMS, but not with muscle strain."

Just like death and taxes, DOMS is pretty much unavoidable. But, there are ways to lessen its effects. Read on:

In November 2004, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a study entitled, "The Effects of Yoga Training and a Single Bout of Yoga on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in the Lower Extremity." In this study, 12 yoga-trained women and 12 non yoga-trained women participated in bench stepping activity along with a matching "control group" to induce DOMS. Then all 24 women practiced one hour of yoga, while the matching control group did not. All 48 women in the study were evaluated immediately after the step exercise, then 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours later. While the yoga-trained women demonstrated greater flexibility (in a sit and reach test), all women who participated in the post-exercise yoga class experienced less DOMS. 


The study concludes with this: "Yoga training and a single bout of yoga appear to attenuate peak muscle soreness in women following a bout of eccentric exercise. These findings have significant implication for coaches, athletes, and the exercising public who may want to implement yoga training as a preseason regimen or supplemental activity of less the symptoms associated with muscle soreness."

Want to keep DOMS under control? You have plenty of options: rest, a massage, pain medication, and yoga. Making yoga part of your regular routine will help out when (not if!) the exercise tax comes due! And keep in mind, DOMS, while not pleasant, is evidence that you are working your muscles and they are getting stronger. The discomfort usually leaves with three, at the most four, days. If not, see your doctor to check for something more serious than DOMS.


Until next week, namaste,
Nancy

Barefoot Yoga

My grandmother, who stood for long hours working in as a cook in a cafeteria, would return home and say, "My dogs are barking." My mother would say, "When your feet hurt, you hurt all over." When I spent many hours of my feet teaching school (and wearing heels, no less), my legs and feet would ache through the night. Maybe you can relate to one of these examples. Feet are neglected parts of our bodies. We shove them into ill-fitting (but cute!) shoes. We cover them up with socks. We spent cash on pedicures to make the toes look more attractive, and to slough off rough skin and calluses. But, still, few of us have "pretty feet." There are hammer toes, bunions, corns, fallen arches, blisters, and ingrown toenails. One out of every six Americans will develop foot problems that require medical attention. I can understand why many of us are reluctant to go shoeless or even barefoot when practicing yoga.

Let's get this clear, yoga is not about pretty feet. Yoga is about much more than looking glamorous. Yoga is about connecting with our bodies and respecting the connections. Your feet are the foundation of your connection to the earth, your means of locomotion, and reflect much about your state of health and overall muscle development. I'm not anti-shoe, but I am for letting feet hang out in their natural state while we practice yoga.

Pam Werner of Sun & Moon Yoga Studio has this to say about why feet matter during our practice:

"Our feet are our connection to the Earth; they are our roots to the Earth. A solid connection with the earth helps to keep us grounded which helps to balance the whole body. It is important to pay close attention to our feet and care for them properly to keep our connection to the earth clear and strong.

"As our feet are our connection to the Earth, they are also our body's foundation. Just as a foundation of a building must be level and stable to support the structure above, the feet must be balanced and sturdy to support the legs, spine, arms and head. If your base is tilted or collapsed, a reflection of this will appear up through the body as misalignments. It is also important to note that our feet are not static as a foundation of a building. Our feet have the added complexity of being mobile with the necessity of being flexible and strong.

"The first chakra (muladhara chakra) represents our grounding and connection with the Earth. The feet and legs play a vital role in balancing the first chakra because first chakra nadis flow from the tailbone down the legs into the feet.

"Not only do our feet create our foundation, our feet and toes are essential elements in body movement. They bear and propel weight of the body during walking and running. They help maintain balance during changes of body positions. The function of the toes, especially the big toe, is to help us balance and to propel us forward during movement. Feet create mobility and supply us with direction.

"The body lines up over the feet, when a foot goes out of alignment the ankle, knee, pelvis and back follow. Analyzing the way we stand, walk, run and sit helps determine the cause of misalignment, which is most likely the culprit of pain. Finding and correcting the misalignment usually relieves the pain.

"Our feet are often neglected and abused by wearing uncomfortable or improperly fitted shoes and rarely walking barefoot. Walking barefoot utilizes the foot muscles, which strengthens them as well as helps recreate and maintain healthy arches. It also allows the feet to be free, spread, and get fresh air.

"Our body reflects everything we do with our feet. If our feet are tight and clenched, our whole body mirrors this tension. When our feet are tired, our whole body is tired. When our feet are out of alignment, our whole body is out of alignment. Our feet are also mirrors of our general health. Signs of diabetes, arthritis, circulatory, and neurological diseases often appear first in the feet.

"Many foot problems are due to the fact that our society tends not to maintain muscle tone in the feet. By wearing shoes most of our lives our feet cannot move freely. By not allowing the feet to move freely or walk barefoot, the muscles and connective tissue of the feet weaken, the feet flatten (arches fall), ankles weaken, and other foot problems occur such as bunions, hammer toes, and claw toes. Bad shoes and lack of exercise weaken our feet which not only affects our bodies health it also weakens our connection to the earth.

"The alignment of our feet and the distribution of weight through them will affect the position, function and flow of energy through our knees, hips, back and shoulders. Constrictive footwear limits the blood flowing in and out of the feet and cramps the bones of the feet together, resulting in compacted and clenched musculature not just in the foot, but also in the entire body. Confining footwear includes high heels, cowboy boots, ski boots, cleats, ballet point shoes, rock-climbing shoes and other poorly designed shoes."

When we practice with bare feet, we give our feet (and all their sweat glands) an opportunity to breathe, to develop muscles that might have atrophied from neglect, and to literally get in touch with the earth. Tadasana grounds all four corners of the feet (the big toe mound, the baby toe mound, the inner heel and the outer heel) to align our entire body. Lifting the toes while standing helps to activate foot muscles, to lift arches, and to work all the tiny bones in each foot. Standing asanas and proper foot alignment during other asanas increase our feet's muscle tone and stretch muscles and connective tissue. Any asana that strengthens lower leg muscles and feet improves posture, increases circulation, reduces leg cramps, and creates stability.

Here are some poses that we practice frequently that benefit our feet:

Virasana (Hero Pose) stretches the top of the foot and ankle while toning the sole of the foot. If you have arches that aren't high, or if you pronate (roll inward) when you walk, this pose will strengthen the arches. The pressure on the top of the foot can, with patience and time, realign the tarsal bones and spread the toes.

Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose), like Hero Pose, can rehabilitate or maintain healthy arches, make ankles flexible, and give the tarsal bones some stretching room.

Baddha Konasana (Cobbler Pose) is wonderful for your feet. When all four corners of the feet press together and the toes are lifted away from each other, foot muscles and arches become stronger and more toned.

Squat with Toe Stretch (knees on floor) requires kneeling with the toes tucked under to stretch the bottom of the feet. It's an intense stretch and needn't be held for minutes at a time; nevertheless, just a few seconds will break up tension and tightness in the soles of the feet.

Malasana (Garland Pose), a wide squat with the heels on the floor, builds up the muscles of the feet, toes, and lower legs while improving circulation throughout the entire lower body.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) is a classic pose which lifts arches, stretches the soles of the feet, lengthens plantar muscles and fascia while stretching the Achilles tendon.

Any/All Standing Poses are opportunities to get grounded and in alignments. Feet are the literal basis for all standing work. A firm base of support keep you relaxed, light, and free. Distribute your weight evenly across the entire foot, and use your toes to spread and grip into the mat or floor.

Vipartia Karani (Legs up the wall Pose) is a great pose when you've been on your feet too long and want a break. This pose restores energy and oxygen to the legs and feet while allowing blood and lymph fluid to drain from your feet and ankles.

Until you feel comfortable practicing in bare feet, please don't feel self-conscious. You might need the extra support for injuries that you are healing, you might have a medical issue that keeps you from exposing your bare feet, and that's okay. But, if (and when) you can join us in bare feet, you'll discover a whole new dimension to your strength and practice.

Until next week, namaste,

Nancy

P.S. I'll be subbing for Lois this Friday, June 11th at her 9:30 class in Glendora. Hope to see you then!