Why does Camel bother me so much?

I know I’m not supposed to be “bothered” by things in yoga, but sometimes I’m really uncomfortable in camel or any back bend really. Some days are better, others aren’t. Luckily I’m not alone in this, and there are plenty of poses I really enjoy. There are no two bodies the same, everyone has a different bone structure and it’s totally unique to you. Everyone is going to feel differently about specific poses and that is okay!

The reasons for the bodily responses to back bends are often as numerous as the responses themselves:

Backbends open the heart center and this has different effects on different people. Some people cry or feel sad, some become energized to the point of restlessness and others may find themselves feeling irritable or just plain mad. Still others can feel strung-out or wobbly.

Some people have stored emotion in their heart center that is released and accessed through postures that open the heart. Other may have experienced physical trauma in this area, not like a broken heart, but perhaps a latent injury from a sports career or car accident. Tightness through the chest and back of the body can be a protective response.

Back bends are physically and emotionally complex. They require trust and faith, because you’re bending backwards into the unknown. They also require a lot of muscle work and breath control. Back bends stimulate the endocrine system at the back of the body, the kidneys and more specifically, the glands on the top of the kidneys called the adrenals. The adrenal glands are instrumental in activating our “fight or flight response”. They release hormones that have an impact on our heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.

So, it appears as though I’m too much of a control freak or emotionally closed to enjoy back bends! Here is the advice I’m taking, because I really want to love them someday:

• Don’t give up back bends. If you are having a strong reaction to them, chances are you need them! Work through your reaction to them.
• Avoid caffeine and sugar before practicing (might be my other problem).
• Don’t back bend when taking antihistamines, diet pills, energy-boosting supplements, or after using inhalers, or other medication that can raise your blood pressure and speed your pulse.
• You might want to consider avoiding a deep back bend if you are grouchy already. Take it easy on yourself it you are already feeling pushed; you don’t have to go deep into the pose every day. Do what feels best in the moment.
• Extend savasana – so important! Take more time in savasana and allow yourself to feel whatever comes to you. Honor this pose.

Not enjoying a specific pose is just a reminder that we have more work to do. There is room for improvement in every pose, and there are no two days that are going to be the same. It’s a nice reminder to humble yourself and honor the moment you are in, as there is never going to be one just like it again.

Asana of the Month

Welcome to Hot House Yoga’s Asana of the Month. It’s important to Hot House to deepen our understanding of yoga and the human experience everyday. With the Asana of the Month we extend our knowledge and help you build poses correctly and build your technique. Everytime you step onto your mat, your practice can be challenging in different ways and it’s the same for instructors as well. Here is the space where we walk through a pose step-by-step.

We are making the Asana of the Month fun and local by filming in different locations around our locations. Simply hit play and guess the location and be the first to name it in the blog comments and you win a prize. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

 

5 Things to Remember

1. No one is perfect. This seems so simple, but most often we forget that everything is relative. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you fall out of a standing pose (in life or on the mat) honor that moment, learn and move forward.

2. Don’t forget you. Often it’s easy to not take time for yourself or schedule yourself to the brink of exhaustion. You aren’t doing ANYONE any favors. Take some time for yourself – the people around you will thank you for it. Most importantly you will thank you for it. Remember it IS possible to care for other people’s needs and yours at the same time.

3. Tell yourself you will have a great day. Research shows that although we think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact we often feel because of the way we act. A great attitude always leads to great experiences.

4. Spend time with like-minded people. Who are the people who truly support you? Hang with people you look up to and respect; people who do good things and make your life brighter.

5. Stand tall. The straighter you stand, the more open your heart is. You’ll feel more alert and capable.

Mind vs. Body?

Firstly, let us say that we don’t care why you come to yoga. We are just glad you practice yoga!

Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about what brings people to their mats. Often you’ll hear “bathing suit season” or “I want to support my workouts with stretching”, etc. Honestly, we really don’t mind any of those reasons, because you are doing yoga. You will reap all the same benefits as the person who is practicing for spiritual reasons. In the yoga industry, some look at the physical reasons to practice yoga as “not as important” or somehow “less” of a reason to practice. We simply disagree, because ultimately yoga is for everyone, and anyone.

The practice of yoga is yours alone. Don’t allow people or places to tell you what it should or shouldn’t be. The word yoga has the literal meaning of “yoke” – to join, to unite, or to attach. Let’s unite as people who practice yoga. Forget the reasons, because ultimately it doesn’t matter. We are all practicing yoga together and that is what is important.

“Even the most exalted states and the most exceptional spiritual accomplishments are unimportant if we cannot be happy in the most basic and ordinary ways, if we cannot touch one another and the life we have been given with our hearts”. – Jack Kornfield

What Yoga Means to Your Overall Health

Three Part Series – Part 2: Sleep

Approximately one third of all adults have trouble sleeping through the night, whether your insomnia is related to stress (covered in part 1 of this series), or too much stimulation (foods, activities), it’s important to give your body the rest and time to heal it deserves during sleep. Adding yoga into your routine can help ease stress and help you fall asleep at night.

Our bodies are designed for sleep to come effortlessly. Here are some tips to help you get there before we jump into the yoga part:

Create an Environment that Will Help You Sleep – your bedroom should be tranquil and inviting. Make it comfortable and conducive to sleep. Eliminate ambient light and any noise that could disturb your sleep. If possible, conduct other activities like reading, work-related material, TV and bill paying outside of the bedroom. In time, this will create the body’s expectation that the bedroom is where it goes to relax and rest.

End the Day with a Calming Routine – Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and create a routine that prepares you for sleep. A pre-bed routine helps communicate to your subconscious that it’s time to sleep. Be sure your routine is relaxing rather than stimulating. The point of setting a routine is to calm your mind and quiet your nerves prior to bed-time.

Do a Relaxation Exercise – Taking some time to do a short relaxation exercise just before getting into bed is an excellent way of letting go of stressors. It doesn’t have to be hard or elaborate. Simply lying on your back in corpse pose (savasana) with your eyes closed – breathing, moving your breath through the body start at your scalp and move toward your toes. Soften your forehead, eyes, face and jaw. Continue relaxing each area of your body until you reach your toes. Surrender to gravity.

Stay in this relaxed state for a few minutes, letting the floor support you. Focus on your breathing, releasing all other concerns. Let your breath come from deep in your abdomen, and let it flow smoothly, slowly and evenly. This simple exercise is a way of telling your body it is okay to stop thinking, stressing and working.

Enter the yoga part. Exercise is essential to a well-rested body. Much of our day is spent working our brains, not our bodies. To balance this, it is important to also work your body. Doing yoga not only prepares your body for sleep, but it helps achieve the balance that our bodies crave to sleep well.

Stepping on the mat helps clear the clutter in our heads, unwinding your mind and calming the nervous system (all attributes of a yoga class) will help you sleep better.

Self-reflect on the mat during class rather than before bed time. This will help create the habit in the body that bed time is not for self-reflection and to do lists, rather it’s for restorative sleep. Learning to quiet your mind comes with a consistent yoga practice, and can be useful to you in many other aspects of life. Think of your time on the mat as balance. There is a time to practice, a time to think and a time to rest.