Well-meaning friends, acquaintances and even strangers are quick to give all kinds of advice to a new mother. Before she knows it, a new mother is likely to be given the following advice from a variety of people. “When the baby sleeps … meditate, do yoga, clean the house, pay the bills, make your phone calls, take a bath, take … Read More
Anyone can receive many benefits from meditation during pregnancy, and all of those benefits—calmness, communion, centeredness and more—are especially important at this special time in life. Meditation practice can help you get through, not only the challenges of pregnancy, but also those of delivery. However, meditating while pregnant can have its challenges. Here are some tips on how to work … Read More
Have you ever heard Raffi’s rousing rendition of the children’s song “Knees Up, Mother Brown”? It goes something like this: Knees up, Mother Brown, Knees up, Mother Brown, Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up, Knees up, Mother Brown. Hopping on one foot, hopping on one foot, Hopping, hopping, never stopping, Hopping on one foot, Hopping on the … Read More
Hyperextension When the leg is straight, the knee is said to be in extension. When the leg bends at the knee it is said to be in flexion. When the knee goes backward beyond its straight position, it is said to be in hyperextension. Extension and flexion are part of normal, healthy range of motion, but hyperextension can potentially destabilize … Read More
Once again I was “burning the candle at both ends,” but now I was asking the Divine to flow through me instead of trying to do everything by the power of my own will. I was acting as a channel for God’s will, not my own.
Rather than be resentful of what appears to be more than my fair share of injuries and illnesses, I choose to be thankful for what I have learned and for the blessing of being able to help others reach for optimal health—physically, mentally and spiritually.
Start by sitting against a wall with legs extended in front, and with a blanket or sticky mat rolled up under the knees. The roll under the knees is very important as it prevents hyper-extension while contracting the quadriceps muscles, and is helpful in initially locating the vastus medialis (VM). Place your fingertips about one inch above your knee caps, … Read More
Imagine you are drifting into a state of deep relaxation and then WHAM! a loud piercing sound jolts you back into your body, now tensed for flight or fight!
In Part 1 of this article Nicole discussed how to handle three “prenatal situations” that you might encounter in your teaching: (1) a new, pregnant student drops into your general yoga class, (2) a pregnant student and her pregnant friends ask you to teach a prenatal yoga class, and (3) an advanced student of yours becomes pregnant. We’ll pick up … Read More
Read Part 2. It’s in the news: prenatal yoga is a great choice for mothers-to-be. Researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Gunasheela Surgical and Maternity Hospital in Bangalore, India collaborated on a research project (published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, April 2005) that showed that practicing prenatal yoga helped to improve birth weight, reduce … Read More
