What is Yin Yoga?

                                  

                                           
Yin Yoga is a slow-passive practice focusing of stretching the deeper connective tissues (fascia, tendons, ligaments, even our bones.)

During this meditative practice, you will focus on holding postures for longer periods of time (about 3-5 minutes.)  It will be different for everyone, if you are just starting out with this yin practice you may want to start with 1-3 minutes to hold.  If you are a more experienced student you may want to hold longer (3-7 minutes.) Everybody's body is different and everyone's practice will be different.

Listen to your body
In a yin practice you want to activate your edge.  Since we are holding these asanas (postures) for longer periods of time we want to feel a stretch, but you don't want it to be so deep that you can't breathe while in the pose.

Don't go past your edge
Yin poses can feel intense at times and you will begin to feel uncomfortable sensations and that is okay, but you don't want to feel pain.

What's the difference between pain and uncomfortable sensations?
After about 10 breaths or so of being in the pose you will begin to feel the sensation decrease.  If you feel it's getting more uncomfortable then you want to either back off or come out of the pose completely. You never want to feel sharp, shooting or electrical sensation during a yin practice. What you are looking for is more of a dull, throbbing sensation and it will feel like a bit of a stretch.

Finding Stillness
You want to try to remain still without shifting too much. Every time we move, we engage our muscles. Moving also requires energy, which affects the breath. Learning to calm your breath and remain still will allow your muscles to relax as you begin to experience the effects of a deep stretch. Which will lead to greater circulation in your body. Sometimes the mind will wander, that's normal.  Notice if you are having thoughts about the future or past and remind yourself to come back to the present. Allow yourself to focus on taking deep breaths in and long breaths out to calm the breath. Once the breath becomes calm, stillness will arise.

What are the benefits of yin yoga? 

• Improves flexibility
• Improves joint mobility
• Increase fluidity in tissues
• Increase energy
• Releases fascia 
• Stress reduction
• Greater states of presence 
• Calms the nervous system 
• Better organ function 
• Emotional healing

After a yin practice you will begin to feel more open and relaxed, almost like you just received a massage. 

CHANGE, FOR THE BETTER

          Change is inevitable, the more we fight it the harder it will be to transition into whatever is next to come into your life.  It's normal to be stagnant, the feeling of stability may keep you content, but are you really living to your true potential? Ask yourself what is you holding back- because of this "security" that you may be feeling?  Plunge out of your comfort zone and take a look at what is going on in your life.
            Where do you want to be?
           Are you loving what you do every day?
            If you don't then change it.  

         You may be asking me how the fuck do I do that?  You may want to be somewhere that is completely different from the life you're living right now- and you want it, but you don't know how to get there.  It seems like a you are standing on a side of a cliff-- and where you want to be is far.....far......far away, on the other side of that cliff is all your hopes and dreams, but you feel you can never get to that other side.  So how do you get there, you ask? 

           Step 1: Find out what you want 
                     Step 2:  Make a list of how to get there 

           Step 3: Follow through, work at it EVERYDAY!!
...and one day you will get there.  You will slowly fade away from that stationary life that what once lived. Something you only could only imagine being, not living.

GO WITH THE FLOW, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT AND WATCH IT APPEAR

         When something doesn't work out the way you want, the way you hoped it would --allow yourself to go with the flow, and enjoy the next test in life.  It may be time for some kind of change and all for the better.
         Learning to flow with the current of the ocean rather than fighting it will bring better opportunities into your life.  So the first step to do is accept it and get ready for this new challenge.   As we constantly continue to grow, the more observant we become about life and accepting change the faster and easier our next lessons will become.
         Release any anger, distress or anxiety about the future, and find out what you really want in life.  What is your next goal, what do you really want to do?  Once you have established what you want, like really made a decision--Trust in the magic of the universe, and watch as all the things you want and deserve will appear into your life. 

So it's your first massage... What to expect and how to prepare

Before your massage
-Drink water
-Drink tea
-Have a light snack
-Don't have a big meal before your session
-Avoid alcohol
-Stretching before your session can be beneficial it will loosen up tight muscles, which can help those area's be less painful

Arrive early
-About 5-10 minutes to fill out paperwork
-Use the bathroom

Tell your therapist
-Any recent injury's, medical or health conditions you may have
-If you have any sensitivity to lotions or oils
-Any question's you may have
-Discuss any particular goal you have for your session; relaxation, focus to a certain area
-Any area's you don't want massaged, or maybe sensitive


How to get ready
-The therapist will leave the room, then you will undress to whatever you feel most comfortable
You don't have to be entirely naked, but the less clothing you have on the easier your therapist can work to give you the best massage
-Take off any jewelry
-If you have longer hair it's best to put in a pony tail or bun
-Get under the sheets

During the session
-The therapist will uncover only the area being worked on
-Tell your therapist if the music is to loud, the table warmer is to hot, or not hot enough 
-Remember to breathe this will allow your muscles to relax and release tension
-If you need more or less pressure during the session at any time
-Be as open as you can to the process, allow yourself to completely relax

After your massage 
-Take your time getting up
-Drink water

-Schedule your next session!

A couple months ago it hurt to practice side plank, never would I imagine accomplishing this pose without having wrist pain. I've learned that "The more I push myself, the easier it becomes next time." Push yourself, but know your limits, listen to your body, build your confidence and know that you can do anything you set your mind to. I look at this picture and it amazes me that I can lift my leg in this pose.  This has been a long term goal of mine, so happy to share my experience with you, now go do something you always wanted to try! Take your time, enjoy your experience, be apart of your own journey. 

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? 
When someone uses a muscle over and over again, the muscle begins to tighten and decreases circulation.  The muscle becomes weak, not being able to go back to complete resting length.  As a result this leads to inflammation (redness, heat, swelling)  and nerve entrapment. As the inflammation increases the symptoms begin to intensify as well.
Symptoms:
-Frequent numbness, burning, throbbing, aching, and tingling on the palm side of the fingers.
-Pain may shoot up the arm when you stretch your wrists.
-Some people say their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is present.
-Pain may wake you up at night or be worse in the morning.
-You may have trouble making a fist, or lose coordination in your fingers.
-Some people are unaware to tell the difference between hot and cold. 
Treatment:
Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome should begin as soon as possible, under a doctor’s guidance.  If there are any underlying conditions such as arthritis or diabetes should be treated first. Initial treatment generally includes resting the affected hand and wrist for at least two weeks, avoiding activities that may irritate or worsen symptoms, and immobilizing the wrist in a splint to avoid further damage from bending or twisting.  Is there is inflammation applying ice or a cool pack can help reduce swelling.


Drugs:
 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers may ease symptoms that have been present for a short time or have been caused by strenuous activities. Water pills can decrease swelling  Many people have turned to steroid (cortisone) injections to help treat carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, which instead of healing the problem, have only masked the pain.  Some individuals may return back to their “normal” engaging activities that they shouldn’t be doing. They may no longer feel the pain, leading to a relapse.  Cortisone injections maybe a temporary fix, but overtime it can worsen the effects.
Steroid (Cortisone) Injection Statistic:  Failure rate (Including “partial success” as failure) is 72.6% after 1-year follow up. Source: Irwin, et al. J Hand Surgery.

 Surgery:
Others may turn to surgery to help relieve pain in carpal tunnel syndrome.  During open carpal tunnel release surgery, the transverse carpal ligament is cut, which releases the pressure on the median nerve. This may or may not help, due to the facts that the source of the pain can be from anywhere to the wrist, arm, all the way up to the shoulder/and or neck area.
“Carpal tunnel surgery has about a 57% failure rate following patients from 1-day to 6-years. At least one of the following symptoms re-occurred during this time: Pain, Numbness, Tingling sensations.” Source: Nancollas, et al, 1995. J. Hand Surgery. 
How can massage and yoga help? As I stated above mainly the problem is not only in the wrist, but in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, upper arm  all the way up the neck.  It's important to have work done to these areas to help release pain and tension in the wrist and numbness and tingling to the fingers.  In The Whartons' Stretch Book, by Jim and Phil Wharton (1996), the authors write: "There is a big difference between a strong muscle and a tight one. A tight muscle can be very weak. Tightness doesn't help, in fact it hurts....To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, concentrate your flexibility work on arms, elbows, wrists and hands."
Some studies have shown that yoga and massage has similar effect to antidepressants and psychotherapy, by boosting serotonin and influencing neurotransmitters.  Yoga and massage has also been found to decrease levels of inflammation, oxidation stress, and improve grip stretch among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

                                     Yoga stretches: 

                              Extend arms out to side, palm and fingers facing up-then down
                                       - Gently stretches the wrist, arm and shoulders 
  

    Finger pull back in sukhasana (easy pose)
   - Individually stretches the fingers and palm of the hand

    Pyramid shoulder stretch in virasana (hero pose)
          - Opens up the rotator cuff muscles  

        Parsva Balasana (threading the needle)- Opens the upper and outer muscles of your shoulder, and gently compresses the muscles of your upper chest 

Hand stretch on the floor- gently stretches the wrist and arm

                                         

Change your mindset, change your lifestyle

Do you find yourself stuck, stuck in a situation that is extremely frustrating, annoying and discouraging!? Ask yourself, what are you doing to help the situation? By continuing this journey of anger, by thinking negative thoughts you will only attract more anger.  So think to yourself, how can I make this better?  I am there right now, I am angry.  My health insurance decided to go up $60 and I am pissed, frustrated and I want to throw things.  The whole process last year brought anxiety, anger, rage, and fear.  It took me forever to find a plan that I didn’t want, that doesn’t do shit for me.  And now they want to raise the price not 10, 20, 30, but 60 fucking dollars, like fuck you, go fuck yourself, and shove it up your ass…bitch.  Yeah, that’s how I fucking feel.  BUT, I am changing the process, why you ask? Well, I know like I said before thinking negative, attracts negative.  So here I go, I will start to say some positive affirmations instead like...

-I release my fear, worry and anger towards health insurance, and find peace and serenity instead
-I will find the perfect plan for my health insurance
-Looking for health insurance is easy and fun
-I will find the perfect plan, with everything I need
-I love looking for health insurance
-I can afford health insurance
-The perfect plan is looking for me, and we will find each other soon

So ask yourself, are you in a situation like this? What can you do to change your mind set for the better.  What positive affirmations can you tell yourself to get a different outcome, one that will make you happy. 
--Change your mindset, change your lifestyle--