Yin & Somatics: Stress Support

30 Minute Class, Chest, Low Intensity, Pain Care Yoga, Podcast, Shoulder, Yin & Somatics | 0 comments

Yin & Somatics

Stress Support

Chronic stress is linked to many of the most pernicious chronic diseases that plague modern humans. Managing stress is of critical importance for health, memory, learning and quality of life. We can’t change the stressful times that we live in. But there are simple, evidence informed strategies that you can use to reduce your stress in the moment, and with practice, manage your responses to stressors in the long term. In this practice we actually explore three of these strategies.

I’ve also focused our movement on the areas in which most of us hold our stress; the shoulders, neck and adductors (inner thighs).

This practice is a go to in your stress management plan.

Props: a blanket, maybe two blocks

As I am Meant to Be

Hamstrings, Hips, Meditation, Yin & Meditation | 0 comments

Yin & Meditation

As I am meant to be

At the start of the new year. Most of us are looking forward and hoping to make some postive changes for the future. I offer this practice as a framework for moving forward with compassion. With kindness for where you have been and hope for where you are going. Evidence shows that we are actually more effective at meeting our goals when we start with self compassion.

Props: Bolster, 2 blocks and a blanket.

Photo gallery credit: Thanks to my model Rachel H.

Chair Yin for Travel Aches and Pains

30 Minute Class, Chair Practice, Hips, Low Intensity, Yin Yoga | 0 comments

Chair Yin

For Travel Aches and Pains

Many of my clients experience a pain flare after travel. Pain is so complex and multifaceted, so there is never any one reason that it rears it’s ugly head. This practice is a quick and accessible practice that you can do just about anywhere in a chair. I’ve chosen the stretches we all crave when we’ve been sitting in a car or airplane as well as regulation practices to help you calm your nervous systems to get some perspective or even relief. Often, when pain is flaring in a travel situation, it’s because we have some anxiety and we aren’t moving very much. This practice addresses both issues.

Props needed: a chair 🙂

Yin& Meditation: Your Shoulder Without Agenda

Low Intensity, Meditation, Pain Care Yoga, Podcast, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine, Yin & Meditation | 0 comments

Yin & Meditation

Your Shoulder without Agenda

This gentle but powerful practice explores a concept as well as the shoulder through movement and mindfulness. Your practice will be supported by a simple task, moving from a place of curiosity rather than agenda. You will have an opportunity to explore how your beliefs shape your impressions of your shoulder as well as your movments. This is a very deep and satisfying practice that may just transform how you experience your shoulder and even the world itself.

Props needed: A blanket

Yin & Meditation for Acceptance

45 Minutes Class, Back, Chest, Compassion, Meditation, Podcast, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine, Yin & Meditation | 0 comments

Yin & Meditation

for Acceptance

When most of us hear the word acceptance, we think of giving up or giving in. Our culture makes a virtue of resisting, fighting, wriggling out of difficult circumstances. But there is enormous value in the practice of accepting first. Acknowledging is the first step in self compassion.

This pod-practice is about moving forward with compassion, rather than squashing our feelings or disappointment or grief. We will explore poses that focus on the shoulders, chest and upper back as we progress through a gentle meditation. Our meditation is loosely based on the Tonglen or Lions’ Roar practice from the Tibetan Buddhism.

Props needed: Soft block, thick blanket and maybe a bolster or pillow if your shoulders are a bit stiffer.

Thank you to my model Rachel for demonstrating these poses!

The information on this podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this podcast is for general information purposes only. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS podcast.

Yin & Somatics: How to Stretch Your Neck

45 Minutes Class, Neck, Podcast | 0 comments

Yin & Somatics

How to Stretch Your Neck

I’m sort of amazed, and appalled, about how much misinformation there is about neck pain. One really irksome myth is that if your neck is tight, some stretching will help bring relief and over time, this stretching will fix the tightness and the pain it is “causing”. Total horse$%I$. Sorry to all of those influencers who are peddling this myth. There are ways that we can use stretches as part of a pain care plan however, and this is what you will practice here. I’ve combined somatics, stretches some resistance and of course, breathing to facilitate a bit of relief in the short term. But I’ve also provided some education to help you understand how these strategies can help you over come this discomfort or pain in the long term.

Props needed: A sturdy Yoga mat, a bolster or very firm and supportive pillow.

The information on this podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this podcast is for general information purposes only.NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS podcast.