Babywearing & Yoga, Part 2

Better late than never! I had a busier week than expected and didn't have much time to be at my computer. Without further ado, as promised- baby wearing yoga sequence. It took a little longer than I expected to get all of the photos, but we did have fun taking them all!

Begin in Mountain Pose- Tadasana- standing evenly between left and right feet.

Standing backbend.

Goddess Pose, Deviasana, with arm stretches.

 Extended Side Angle. Be sure to use your arm to support baby as you lean to the side.

Especially if you have an escape artist like I do

 Warrior II Pose, Virabhadrasana II.

Warrior I.

Tree Pose, Vrksasana.

Garland Pose, Malasana

Baby kisses are an important part of this asana

Cow Face Pose, Gomukhasana

Wide-legged stretch, Upavista Konasana

Staff Pose, Dandasana

 Bound Angle Pose, Baddha Konasana

Legs up the wall, Viparita Karani.

(You can unwrap your baby for this pose and just let him lie on your chest if you like.)

Relax for a moment of savasana before returning to your regularly scheduled hectic life! 

Babywearing & Yoga, Part 1

Did you know that today is the first day of International Babywearing Week? It is October 5-11. So, in celebrating IBW, I think it is only appropriate to write a post featuring two of my favorite things- babywearing and yoga!

First things first though- what is babywearing, you ask? Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling, woven wrap, or other carrier. It has been practiced for centuries throughout the world, but has become more popular in Western countries in the past few decades. Babywearing is convenient especially when you have more than one child, a high-needs child, or when you just need to have two hands free. 

1. Babywearing is an excellent way to promote bonding. This can mean parent-child bonding, or can be useful for bonding with any caregiver- babysitter, grandparents, etc. It's particularly special for fathers, who do not experience the same bonding through actual gestation or breastfeeding that mothers do. 
2. Studies done on indigenous tribes who practice babywearing have shown that babies who are worn for 3 hours a day cry less. 1 When a mother wears her child, the child's immediate needs of security, closeness to food source, warmth, and protection from overstimulation are easily met. It can also be a godsend for a colicky baby, because the pressure of the wearer's body against baby's stomach is soothing and can help release gas. 
3. Kangaroo care is no joke. In hospital, premature babies are often placed skin-to-skin to help them develop and adjust to life outside the womb. Our bodies are truly amazing- when a baby is placed skin-to-skin on its mother's chest, the breasts actually change temperature in order to regulate the body temperature of the infant. The child also connects with the beating heart, inherently comforting because it is a reminder of being in utero. This connection also acts to regulate breathing in infants, because they match their breath pattern to the pattern of their mother.
4. Babywearing is not just for infants- toddlers often have epic meltdowns in public when they become overstimulated, and being worn allows them to shut out the outside world and to feel safe and secure with their caregiver. And although toddlers can walk, they get tired much more quickly than older children and adults- and we can't always hold them in our arms for extended periods of time. Strollers are very helpful sometimes, but I personally find them to be more trouble than they're worth more often than not. Plus, there are some places you just cannot bring a stroller- for example, when hiking, or somewhere with lots of stairs and no readily accessible elevator. Babywearing allows you to include your toddler in family activities that they could not participate in otherwise. 
5. Babywearing makes breastfeeding much easier and convenient. Baby can be held in place comfortably nursing while Mom does whatever she needs to do. It also allows for discreet nursing in public without too much fuss.
6. It helps prevent and lessen the symptoms of Postpartum depression by helping mothers gain confidence in their parenting ability. 2 Successfully picking up on a child's cues- hunger, thirst, wet/ uncomfortable, tired- allows parents to gain confidence in their parenting skills, and allows babies to be confident that their caregiver will attend to their needs. Parents are more able to pick up on small cues like movements, sounds, and facial expressions when the child is close. 
7. Finally, for all the aforementioned reasons and many others, babywearing is convenient. It makes navigating crowded areas with a small child easier, and it allows for a caregiver to attend to the needs of more than one child at once or accomplish tasks around the house while attending to the needs of a little one. I, for one, can attest that babywearing has made my life much easier!

1. Hunziker, U.A. and R.G. Barr (1986). "Increased carrying reduces infant crying: A randomized controlled trial". Pediatrics. 7:641-648.

2. Pelaez-Nogueras M, Field TM, Hossain Z, Pickens J. (1996). Depressed mothers’ touching increases infants’ positive affect and attention in still-face interactions. Child Development, 67, 1780-92.

And now, this is where the yoga comes in! For all the reasons listed above, it is great to find baby-friendly exercises, and yoga is definitely one that fits the bill. Babywearing allows parents to not stress about fitting in time to exercise based on baby's sleep schedule, because baby can simply sleep in the carrier. Childcare expenses can be significant, and at certain developmental stages it can be difficult to leave a child with a babysitter to sneak in some me-time. Plus, wearing the baby adds weight and makes the workout overall more effective. Here's a sneak preview of some poses you can try- check back later this week for a full babywearing yoga sequence!

Have you ever practiced yoga with your baby? What poses should Yoga Baby and I try out next? Tune in this week for Part 2! 

Making the Case for Inversions

Inversions are as poses where your heart (or the bottom half of your body) is above your head. Even outside of yoga, inversions have been used for their therapeutic benefits for many years- like the inversion tables used by chiropractors, and gravity boots. Inversions can be a little intimating and overwhelming to a beginner, but don't worry. As with most things- in life in general as well as in yoga- it just takes patience and practice.

The benefits of inversions definitely make all that patience and practice worthwhile! Going upside-down effectively reverses the action of gravity on your body. Your skin, blood, and internal organs are usually being pulled down towards your feet- flipping upside down can help reverse the effects of age (less wrinkles? OKAY) and give your organs a fresh supply of oxygenated blood.

Anytime, anywhere! With the aid of my trusty sidekick of course.

Inverting is also an excellent way to replenish and stimulate the lymphatic system, which plays a big role in keeping us healthy. Lymphs move through the body and collect harmful toxins, which are then eliminated through the lymph nodes. Lymphs are moved by muscle contractions and by gravity- so turning upside down makes their job easier. If you're looking for a way to strengthen your immune system- this is a great place to start, as the lymphatic system definitely plays a key role in the immune response.

Feeling a little lackluster, or scattered? Inversions cause blood to rush to your brain which energizes not only your body, but also your mind. And honestly, sometimes you just need to flip your perspective- literally- to get some clarity on a particular situation.

"Cooling" inversions, like Viparita Karani (legs up the wall pose) can actually have a relaxing effect. Having just your legs (not your heart) raised above your head activates the parasympathetic nervous system- the body's relaxation response.

Physically, inversions are great for building core strength and upper body strength in general. But the mental and spiritual benefits are amazing, too- the practice and patience that I mentioned earlier which are essential in order to master inversion poses are a really excellent way to keep us coming back to the mat. It also builds self-confidence when you start to feel the pose (which seemed so daunting at first) "clicking" for you- like anything is possible!

Of course, all poses have contraindications, and it's important to be sure that incorporating any new pose into your practice will be safe and beneficial to you on an individual level. High blood pressure, detached retina, some neck injuries, epilepsy, glaucoma, and heart conditions all warrant a discussion with your doctor and an experienced teacher before being attempted on your own.

Heating inversions are the ones that we're the most familiar with- handstand, headstand, forearm stand. Cooling inversions absolutely have a place in yoga practice too, and can be much more approachable for a beginner- standing forward fold, downward facing dog, shoulder stand, and Viparita Karani.

Inversions (in any form) are a great addition to your asana practice. Now stop reading, and go get upside down!

Beginning The Day The Best Way

Picture this scenario: you wake up, and realize that you've hit the snooze button on your alarm one too many times, and you're running late. You get up, rush around in a blur trying to brush your teeth, get dressed, gather all of your necessary items, and dash out the door. You get in your car, pull out of the driveway, and find that you get stuck behind the slowest car on the road.

Frustrated, grumbling, perhaps suffering from a small bout of road rage, you arrive at your destination flustered and certainly not in a very good state of mind. Is this the ideal way to begin a day? Certainly not. But what can you do instead?

Ah, I'm glad you asked. The thing(s) you are missing, are morning rituals.

In this day and age, life is hectic. We are all busy people in our own ways, some of whom even pride ourselves on our "busy-ness." We've got places to go, people to see, things to do!

Can you relate? 

The best way to begin a day is to establish a morning routine. First of all, let's address the issue of the snooze button. Pressing it a bunch of times and then rushing is really doing us no good- we do not end up feeling more rested because of the 4 ten-minute intervals between the alarm going off again and again. The best bet is to set your alarm for the time that you actually need to get up, without giving yourself "wiggle room" for the snooze button. And when the alarm goes off, get up. Swing your legs over the edge of the bed and give yourself a moment to get your bearings, yes. But definitely get up right away so you don't have a chance to change your mind and dive back under the covers- no matter how tempting it may be!

The next step? Expose yourself to natural light. Give yourself 5 or 10 minutes to sit outside or by an open window. Our bodies are designed to respond to the cycles of darkness and light, which is why as we wind down for bed at night, it's helpful to slowly decrease the amount of light around us until our brains get the hint that it's time to sleep. In the morning, it's the opposite. The best way to wake up is naturally, with the sun, but sometimes that's just not practical because of timing. If I don't need to wake up until 8 o'clock, but the sun rises at 6:00, you better believe I'll be using the curtains to shield my eyes from the morning sun until I need to wake up. But when you do want to wake up, the exposure to natural light will be very helpful.

As a yogi, my morning routine absolutely has to include yoga. Some days it is the only time I have to practice, and it is essential for me to start the day on the right track. This is my space to check in with myself, to set an intention for the day, to gain some clarity to prepare myself for whatever the day holds, and to stretch my muscles. Some days, I find that all I want is to rest in child's pose and do some restorative supine leg stretches. Some days, I find that Sun Salutations give my body the vigor it craves. Whatever it is that I need from my practice, this is MY time. Sometimes I need hip-opening poses; sometimes heart-opening; sometimes inversions; oftentimes a jumbled up mixture of many different things. This is particularly great for the beginning of the day because it sets the stage for me to trust my inner voice. I listen to my body, I notice how I'm feeling, and I adjust my practice to suit my own needs. When I start the day like this, I find that it is easier to continue this practice of figuring out what I need- throughout whatever the day throws my way- and trusting my intuition.

Now, I'll let you in on a couple of Ayurvedic health practices that are a great addition to any morning routine. Firstly though- what is Ayurveda? Put simply, Ayurvedic medicine is a holistic health system, developed thousands of years ago in India. It is based on the theory that our overall health and well-being are based on a balance between mind, body, and spirit.

So now that that's out of the way, on to the health practices. Drinking warm water with lemon is the best bet for getting your body on the right track first thing in the morning. The lemon is excellent for balancing pH in the blood, improving digestion, giving the immune system a boost, and cleansing the liver. It is important that the water be at least room temperature, not cold, because cold water shocks our bodies and prevents or slows down all of the helpful processes that the lemon water is intended for.

Another great practice is oil-pulling. Ever heard of it? It's an Ayurvedic dental technique, also known as "kavala" or "gundusha." The practice is pretty simple- take a tablespoon or so of oil (I use coconut oil, both for the taste and for its antibacterial properties) and gently swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes. Ideally, this should be done on an empty stomach, which is why it's a great addition to a morning routine! Benefits of oil pulling are whiter, stronger teeth; better breath; and overall reduction of toxins and harmful bacteria in the mouth. It can also have a detoxing effect, which is helpful for hangovers, sinus pressure, or headaches. My advice is to aim for working up to 20 minutes (it can be really strange to get used to) and also to not treat the oil like mouthwash- to keep it in your mouth for that long and NOT get a stiff jaw, you need to just gently push the oil around your teeth and gums. Also, be sure to spit the oil out into the trash, not in the sink, because it can clog your drain.

My final health practice suggestion is dry brushing. You'll need a dry brush with stiff (but not TOO stiff!) bristles made from natural fibers. To practice, simply brush your skin, pressing down gently and moving from your feet up to your arms, back, chest, and stomach. You want to brush towards your heart. Avoid brushing your face, genitals, or any other areas where your skin is more delicate and sensitive. The benefits of this practice are incredible- it stimulates the lymphatic system, increases circulation, exfoliates skin, increases kidney function, and can even act as a stress reliever!

So there you have it, my suggestions for starting your day on the right note. Do you have any morning rituals, or anything you think I should add to my list?

Yoga Joes

I am a huge proponent of yoga for soldiers. For those of you who don't remember, I became certified as a Yoga Warriors International teacher in 2012 and it was truly an amazing experience. This year, I found a home for my weekly Yoga Warriors classes and it has been really rewarding to teach to the fantastic group of veterans who attend regularly. On a more personal note, my husband is a veteran and I have definitely seen firsthand the effect that yoga has had in his life.

So, when I found out about this Kickstarter campaign, I was beyond excited. First of all, anything that encourages more men in general, but ESPECIALLY veterans and military personnel, to give yoga a shot is aces in my book. And secondly...just look for yourself! These are so great!

I love how accessible these "Yoga Joes" make yoga appear. The little green army man, typically a gun-toting symbol of war, is transformed into something completely different. And frankly, I think they are totally awesome.

I'm not usually one for promoting a product. But these are not yet technically a product- they will only be made if the campaign goal is met by October 10. I would love to be able to give these out to my yoga students! If you are interested, follow the link about and watch the video to hear more about this campaign.

Namaste!
Rebecca

The Yoga Sutras, Part 2

Today I'd like to continue my series on some of the philosophy of yoga. Practicing only the physical part of yoga (asana) leaves out so much of the good stuff, so it's important to occasionally take a step back and reexamine yoga as a whole. Luckily, there is quite a bit of literature and ancient texts that do just that.

So in my last post on the Sutras, I began going through the Yamas, which are the basic moral guidelines for relating to others. Next up is Satya, which roughly translates as "truthfulness." Seems pretty self-explanatory, right? Being truthful with others seems like a fairly obvious guideline to practice. However, there are some nuances worth examining.

Firstly, it is importance to recognize that Satya refers to truth as it relates to our highest selves. So what that DOESN'T mean is brutal honestly. It is essential to use our understanding of Ahimsa (non-violence; do no harm) into our interpretation of Satya. We must be conscious of the impact of our words and truth-telling.

As my yoga practice has grown over the years, I have come to the understanding that being authentic and entirely genuine in my interactions with others is essential to my feelings of happiness and fulfillment. It is so important to truly understand our own deepest needs and desires and be able to communicate those needs; being truthful with ourselves first paves the way for greater honestly in our interactions with others. Listening for the whispers of TRUE SELF that we can hear sometimes, when we are still and quiet or in meditation, becomes easier when we act in a way that is an authentic representation of the true self.

In physical practice, Satya is essential in understanding what we need from asana on any given day. Recognizing and being honest with ourselves when we need more of a gentle, restorative practice- rather than just pushing through intense asanas anyway- will yield a much greater satisfaction and fulfillment from the practice.

"It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our everyday existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands, knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts."
-K.T. Jong

Live every day as your most authentic Self. Speak your truth. Practice radical honesty with yourself and others- see what happens!
Xx Rebecca

Pranayama in Practice, 3

Today I'm going to share with you one of the best methods of Pranayama for relaxation and stress release. (For more about Pranayama, click here and here) Nadi Shodhan Pranayama, or Alternate Nostril Breathing, is a really fantastic way to de-clutter your mind and help you relax. It's so good for relaxation, in fact, that it's particularly good to practice in bed if you're having trouble sleeping. It helps to clear the energetic channels to allow the mind to be at peace- it even says so right in the name! Nadi- subtle energy channel; Shodhan- purification; Pranayama - breath control, breath work.

To practice Nadi Shodhan Pranayama- come to sit comfortably with your spine straight. Relax the muscles in your face and especially your jaw. Take your right hand, and bring the thumb to your right nostril, your ring finger to your left nostril. The index finger and middle finger can just rest comfortably in the middle or you can bring them to rest on your third eye, at your brow point. Use your thumb to block the right nostril, and inhale deeply through your left nostril. Use your ring finger to close off the left nostril, and exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril, close it off with your thumb, and exhale through the left nostril. Continue to cycle your breaths in this way, remembering to keep your breaths deep and smooth. You can continue to practice this Pranayama for as long as you would like, and then simply allow your breath to return to its normal pattern.

As I mentioned before, this is a really wonderful way to still the mind. It gives your mind a small task to focus on to keep you firmly in the present, and keeps you in the meditative state of watching your breath. It can also be really helpful for clearing the physical channels of the nostrils, ensuring that both sides are open and even- wonderfully therapeutic for the stuffiness that sometimes comes along with the changing seasons.

On that note, I think I'll be practicing some Alternate Nostril Breathing before it's lights out for this yogi mama. Sweet dreams and namaste y'all!