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Strengthen Bones with Yoga & Diet

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Good to the Bone  is a Yoga Journal article about using yoga and diet to help with the prevention and treatment of bone loss (osteopenia – osteoporosis).  The article describes the yoga postures listed in the table below that increased bone strength in 85% of the study participants with a 10-minute sequence that was practiced for a 2-year period.  Each posture was held for only 20-30 seconds each. The article, Good to the Bone, is worth the read.  Here is the pilot study detailed in the article.

The Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Bone Loss  is the full study that was published in Topics of Geriatric Rehabilitation, a peer-reviewed journal.  It followed 741 patients over a 10 year period.  It showed that yoga improved bone mineral density (BMD) in every-two-year follow-up study that followed.  Impressive, eh?  Watch the video below to get instructions on what to do along with more info on Dr Fishman’s book and CD.

The posture sequence below flows nicely and incorporates the recommended postures in the pilot study. It’s very important to practice a  combination of balancing postures and ones to strengthen bones and muscles.  The sequence can also be done in reverse order, beginning with the standing poses, ending lying down in the supine poses and Shavasana.    As always, remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e fully and completely, slowly and deeply.  Get all the details here. 

PDF Downloads

English Name Sanskrit Name Purpose
Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Bone strength
Cobra Bhujangasana Bone and muscle strength
Locust Salabhasana
 Bone and muscle strength
Sunbird

Alternate and hold arm and leg lifts from the Table Pose

 Surya Bakāsanasana Bone strength and balance
 

Plank Pose (or variation)

Kumbhakasana

 Bone strength and balance
Downward Facing Dog

 

 Adho Mukha Svanasana Bone and muscle strength
Mountain Pose Tadasana Bone strength and balance
Chair Pose Utkatasana Bone strength
Tree Pose Vrksasana Bone strength and balance
Warrior Pose I

Virabhadrasana I

 Muscle strength
Warrior Pose II Virabhadrasana II

 Muscle strength
Relaxation Pose Savasana Strengthen bones, muscles, balance, and focus.

As usual, please consult your health care provider and a qualified yoga educator for their recommendations for your needs.  This is not intended to be a substitute for appropriate medical care.

Have fun and good luck!

Friendship Blessing

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I’m still on Cloud 9 from our recent Yoga Women’s Retreat & Slumber party.  What a joy to be surrounded by friends – soul friends!  They are the people, whether known a long time or briefly, that have shaped and supported you into being who you are today, and who you’re growing into.

The Celtic tradition calls one’s soul-friend the Anam Cara. John O’Donohue explains “With the anam cara, you could share your innermost self, your mind, and your heart.  This friendship is an act of recognition and belonging that did not set limitations of space or time on the soul.  It cuts across all convention, morality and category.   In it, you are understood as you are without mask or pretension.”

A Friendship Blessing by John O’Donohue
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where
there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessing, challenges, truth,
and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.

Please tell us about your anam cara by sharing under comments.  

Give Yourself Some Space

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Out for a walk the other night, I was stunned to see how groups of people were all looking at their phones instead of talking with each other, let alone noticing the brilliant sunset.  Even the bikers were glued to their devices while riding their bikes.  I was surprised that people weren’t crashing into one another. More folks were glued to their screens at the restaurant too.  We all know that too many people text while driving – another recipe for disaster.

Living in a fast-paced 24/7 world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  We’re pushed to work harder, take care of our family, and keep up with current events along with a constant social media stream. clockExpectations are high all the way around.

Pico Iyer, a lifelong travel writer says ““In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. And in an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.”

His Ted Talk video is well worth watching.  It will inspire you with ways to take back your time in ways that will replenish your body, mind and soul.

Why not take a few moments out right now?  Here’s how …

  1.  Turn your phone, TV, radio and other electronic devices off for a while.
  2.  Focus your attention on the moment by breathing fully and mindfully.  It is calming and refreshing for your nerves and it will light up your energy.  Try out yoga’s ocean-sounding breath (ujjaya breath).
  3. Blink your eyes a bunch of times till they water.  The moisture will help your vision.
  4. Yawn.  It cools the brain, gives you a burst of oxygen, and refreshes your eyesight and hearing.  If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some flies.
  5. Take a “2-hour nap in less than 1o minutes.“
  6. Give “The Inner Eye of Awareness Meditation” a shot.
  7. Add your own ___________________________.
  8. Bone up on mindfulness.  It’s easy with this “Stop ~~ Look ~~ Listen”  meditation.
  9. You guessed it, practice yoga nidra – yogic sleep. It’s totally replenishing. Experience yoga nidra at a virtual class with Julie Lusk, author of Yoga Nidra Meditations and 5 more books and dozens of recordings.

4 Ways to Stop Freaking Out

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I don’t know about you, but nearly everyone I know is freaking out.  Watching the daily news is enough to shake anyone up.  Plus, nearly all of us have everyday pressures at work and home that never seem to let up.

Here’s 4 ways to stop freaking out and refresh yourself  …

Refresh your mind

a. Take a news fast. Turn off the tube and shut down the smartphone for a while. You’ll be amazed by it.Asheville creek meditation

b. Practice mindfulness. Why jump into a future of doom and gloom.  Instead anchor yourself in this moment and enjoy the outdoors, cuddle your pet, have a good laugh.

c. Listen to Guided Mindfulness Meditations: Practicing Presence & Finding Peace. The net effect is calmer nerves, a brighter outlook, stronger memory, sharper focus, and a more balanced perspective. Or get Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief as a book and audio set (New Harbinger, 2015)

Take charge  – Chaos or calmness is up to you

a. Quickly reset your nervous system and brighten yourself up with breathing better.  It makes a world of difference

b. Completely relax yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and more.  Experience bliss with yoga nidra.  See a list of yoga nidra benefits here.

Practice self-care

a. Get some sleep – Oh, can’t sleep?  Practice yoga nidra. (1 hour = 4 hours sleep).  Listen to Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditations for Relaxation and Renewal  It will help you get to sleep too.

b. Eat and drink with good nutrition in mind (mindfully of course).  Avoid excessive food, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.

c. Treat yourself to beauty – outside in nature, museums, get a treatment at the spa

d. Do something you enjoy – exercise, color, sports, see a movie, call a friend, hobbies, etc.

Ask for Help

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Talk with a trusted relative, friend or spiritual adviser. If you want professional help, obtain a referral for services from your local Mental Health Association or the National Mental Health Association.

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