Teaching seniors taught me how to deal with arthritis in the joints. When two or more bones meet they form a joint and with age, joints tend to degenerate. That leads to arthritis which can cause inflammation and pain. The good news is that there are plenty of ways for you to manage and mitigate arthritis: Physical therapy Plenty of sleep Low impact exercise routine such as mild yoga and pilates Managing your bodyweight Healthy diet Avoiding smoking Here is a video for you in farsi if you are looking for a dedicated video to manage your pain caused by arthritis.
5 minutes daily practice for a healthy spine
Your spine plays a vital role in your body, as it holds your body together, transfers loads and allows you to move about and live your life. It is subdivided into 3 sections: upper back (cervical spine), middle back (thoracic spine) and lower back (lumbar spine). The thoracic spine (mid back) is composed of 12 vertebrae and is the section of the spine that affects your posture the most. I noticed in my 10 years of teaching, that the thoracic spine is often neglected and not taken care of properly. Some senior teachers call it the dark spot. The reality is that, whether you're a 90-year old grandma or an elite athlete, it is critical not only for your posture, but to your overall health to pay attention to this spot. If you have ever slouched at a desk and struggled to keep a good posture while working or you are pregnant or you feel back pain after spending the day painting walls or carrying your toddler around or your busy schedule doesn't allow you to take a yoga of pilates class, then the video below is for you. Required props: 2 blocks PS - Don't forget to share the video with someone who might benefit from it.
20 minutes to powerfully start your day
A few years ago, I noticed how differently my days would go based on changes in my morning routine. Some routines made a huge difference in my mood and energy throughout the whole day. Others not so much, even the opposite sometimes. Most of us start our day rushing to get everything done in shortest time possible. Do you ever do the following: Pay attention to your breath? Pay attention to your body? Ask yourself how you actually feel? By now, you may be asking: "How can I have better mornings and better days, weeks and months?" One way to do so is to start the day with a short mediation or yoga session. I promise you that you will have a whole new day with a fresh mindset and healthy body. "What if I don’t have time to practice in the mornings?" Can you go to bed a bit earlier the night before to make sure you get enough sleep? If you take this step you will be able to wake up earlier to have time for some self-care time before anything else. I also noticed that if you strive to make small changes and take baby steps, instead of thinking the 150 steps ahead, you can achieve your goals faster without feeling overwhelmed. Allowing yourself to have 10 to 20 minutes of self care in the morning will enable you to work on your nervous system and eventually, you will see a big difference in your mood, mindset that will lead to a better and higher quality life. Here is a short video for your home practice to start your day. Please share with someone who might benefit from and don't forget to leave your requests for videos in the comments.
A short hip opener sequence for pain and trauma relief
I’ve been wondering for a long time why the most requested pose - by far -in my yoga classes is the hip opener. I think I finally figured out why.There are physical, mental and spiritual reasons behind it. For example, we are more sedentary than ever and many people sit all day at work. Taking care of a baby or toddler can also be a cause of back pain. Aging has no mercy on our bodies either, and once seniors experience arthritis and their muscles become atrophied, it can cause tightness in the hips and weakness in the muscles that will lead to new pain.It also seems that we store emotions and trauma in our bodies especially in our hips. That’s why when we practice healing modalities such as yoga and meditation we feel lighter after the session.Knowing all this, I had two questions in my head:1. Why do we store emotions and trauma in the hip area, especially in the psoas?2. What’s the relations between back pain, trauma and tightness in the hips?The psoas muscle connects the torso to the legs and brings stability to your body. It helps you walk, sit, stand up, fold forward, take the stairs and bike. It is also connected to your diaphragm which is the main breathing muscle. It is also connected to your reptilian brain, via the spine, that is primitive and the oldest part of the brain. This is where the amygdala is located and it is responsible for our fight or flight response and decision making.It is also connected to our sympathetic nervous system and spinal cord. We depend on it to survive. Hence when we get stressed out, our sympathetic nervous system gets activated and this specific muscle gets tight and contracted as a defence mechanism. Tightness in this muscle can lead to some pain in your shoulders, in your spine including upper, middle or lower back. Now that you know what’s happening behind the scenes, I hope you understand theimportance of working on your hips. Try it and if you feel the difference, share the video with one person you think might benefit from it.
Yoga For Grandmas in Farsi
My own grandmother, who is well into her 80s, has traveled all around the world, to spend time with her newborn great grandchildren. The problem is that at that age, being on a plane and transiting through airports, sometimes for more than 24 hours straight, is not easy on the body. Mine - and other - dedicated elders often suffer for it, complaining about back and knee pain after long flights, and nowhere to properly rest between them. I recorded this video in Farsi for my own grandma, after she came to see my newborn son a couple summers ago and decided to share it with all the Persian grandmas for whom travel is a challenge, as I’ve received many requests for a slow and gentle yoga class in Farsi for seniors. English version to come soon. Enjoy.
Shoulder, Neck & Hip Mobility Sequence
At the beginning of the class, I always ask the participants how they feel in their bodies, to see if they are experiencing any pain or muscle tightness. Asking targeted questions and continuous observation always helps yoga instructors teach better and allow them to address students’ requests more effectively. Repeatedly asking that very question at the beginning of every class in my 11 years of teaching led me to create this video in high park on a summer day. It focuses on neck, shoulder and hip mobility because everyone asks for it. These areas of our bodies need lots of attention due to prolonged hours of being seated, chronic tightness and mild pain. Here is a little bit of information about the anatomy of your neck: The cervical spine (neck) consists of 7 vertebrae. It protects your spine and supports your head. It brings rotation, flexion and extension to your head. It’s important to take care of the neck by bringing attention to our posture during the day as well as sleeping on an appropriate pillow. In future videos we’ll be working on your abs, because once your abs get stronger your neck will feel much better. This is a longer video comparing to the previous ones. Feel free to practice with it whenever you have 45 minutes or so and as always, don’t forget to send me your questions and comments..
How To Alleviate Back Pain At The Office, In Under 5 Minutes.
In the course of teaching many corporate classes for office workers, I noticed that a lot of people who sit at work for long periods of time often suffer from back pain. Back pain, particularly in the lumbar spine (lower back), is extremely common in desk jobs. If taking a hour-long yoga class isn’t possible for you, there are some simple stretches that you can do in your office without using a mat. You just need to stretch your Lats, QL and Gluteus and hold the stretches up to 5 to 10 breaths. It’s as simple as that! Try this short video, your back will thank you :) And don’t forget to leave all your questions in the comments.
Shoulder Release
Do you sit for long periods of time? Are you slouching through the spine? Do your shoulders need a little bit of attention? If you answered yes to any of the above, read on. Shoulder (or glenohumeral) joints are the most flexible and have the largest range of motion of all the joints in the human body, and include the following movements: abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, internal and external rotation. Your shoulders’ health is critical, because without them you wouldn’t be able to perform actions as simple as washing and brushing your hair, throwing a ball, playing tennis, practicing yoga, reaching for something in the cabinet, etc. Making shoulders a very important joint for a life well lived, free of impediments. Taking good care of your shoulders now will pay dividends later in life, as you’ll be able to maintain flexibility, range of motion and avoid many of the aches and pains related to aging or injuries. The most important muscle around the shoulder joint is the rotator cuff. You need to warm it up before your workout routine or your yoga practice by mobilizing them. Once warmed up, be sure to stretch and strengthen it during your workout or exercise routine. There are very simple exercises that you can do if your shoulders are tired or sore, which will help you find proper alignment. The exercises in this video will teach you to be aware of your shoulders, you will also learn how to mobilize and strengthen them. Try it and let me know if you have any questions.
How to strengthen your Hip flexors and Quadriceps in 10 minutes
What are the hip flexors, and more important, what do we need them for? There are two important muscles in your hip flexors: one that runs from the spine to the thigh bone that is called the Psoas (pronounced “so-as”) and the other that runs from the pelvic bone to the thigh bone, called the Iliacus. Your hip flexors are critical to perform movements like bending the knee, bringing it close to the chest or stepping forward and walking. They play an important role in your daily activities and that’s why it's important to strengthen and stretch them so you can move uninhibited, pain free and smoothly. Furthermore, because the Psoas is connected to our lumbar spine (lower back), it is common for it to be the source of lower back pain, when it is too weak. In this short video (10m), you will learn how to strengthen your hip flexors and get rid of the pain in your lumbar spine
Back pain? Here is how to fix it in 12 minutes
One of the best ways to manage your back pain is to strengthen your abs and gluteus. But the problem is sometimes you get so busy with life, family and work that you forget to take care of it.
When your six pack/rectus abdominis muscles are weak or separated, it can cause lower back pain because they are not able to support the spine very well. Also weakness in the gluteus muscles can lead to a bad posture, slouching, less hip mobility and back pain. Once the pain appears, it reminds us to take care of it.
Remember that your body is your temple, without a healthy body you won’t be able to live life fully.
Here is a short 12 minute video based on the requests I received from my readers!
Try it and let me know in the comments if it helps or send me requests for future videos.