Theresa Franklin, NCTMB, LMT, RYT, CMT

Olivia Kelly, NCTMB, LMT

We now are requiring pre-registration for all hot yoga classes and the Wednesday morning (8 a.m. - 9 a.m.) class. Please notify Erin directly or Be Well Now through email, phone message, text, or Facebook at least two hours prior if you will be attending class. This will help us save energy by not heating the room - and the whole building - unnecessarily.

Our yoga class schedule is tentative. If you regularly check the class schedule on our website, you'll be sure to arrive at the appropriate times.  

As summer starts to wind down and fall approaches, expect changes in the yoga class schedule as we settle into a routine. We appreciate your flexibility!

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A day at the pool

Chlorine is a toxic chemical that has been used in water systems to combat disease for more than 100 years. Because of its disinfectant qualities, chlorine is a necessary component of swimming pools and hot tubs.  

But chlorine's harsh composition strips our skin of its natural lipids, exacerbating moisture loss that leads to dehydration. Showering immediately after exposure can help reduce moisture loss by ensuring the skin does not suffer prolonged contact.  

Skin irritation is another risk of chlorine exposure. While technically waterproof, our skin has the capacity to absorb chemicals from water sources. This means that low-level exposure to chlorine, as found in swimming pools, can cause skin irritation in the form of contact dermatitis. Wetting the skin with non-chlorinated water prior to exposure can lessen the amount that can be absorbed and lower the risk of irritation.

Summer swim trips can still be fun. Just follow these post-dip skin steps to maintain a healthy, hydrated summer skin:

• Shower as soon as possible after swimming - and don't forget to reapply that sunscreen if staying outdoors
• Cleanse the skin with Dermalogica's Conditioning Body Wash
• Exfoliate with products such as a daily microfoliant
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Lock in hydration; repair the barrier function and calm irritation with Dermalogica's Barrier Repair or your prescribed moisturizer

Final tip about swimming this summer - don't swallow the water!

Contact Kristi Watson at 462-3900 today for help in protecting your skin from the harsh effects of chlorine!

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"Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density" reports on a study of 16 people participating in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn more than 30 years ago. For eight weeks, participants used meditation exercises to build the skills of mindfulness - a moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment.

The participants' brains were scanned two weeks before and right after the eight-week program. Over the same period, researchers also scanned the brains of a control group - people who didn't receive the MBSR training.

Researchers found that the gray matter of those in the program were significantly thicker in some regions than it was before the start of the program. One of those areas was in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that pertains to learning, memory, and the regulation of our emotions. The gray matter of the hippocampus is often reduced in people who suffer from depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Participant-reported reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress.

These changes were not seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.

What does this mean?

The results of this new study offer further evidence for the "plasticity" of the brain, meaning it can change its shape over time. That suggests we're not simply stuck with the neural cards we're dealt; we can fundamentally improve our cognitive and emotional capacities. 

Lion Pose     

The blueprint

The yogi leans forward in a kneeling position, eyes open wide, tongue extended and reaching for the chin.

How to do it

1. Kneel on the floor and cross your ankles behind you, right over left. Sit back on your heels so the perineum snuggles down onto the top of the right heel.
2. Rest your hands on your thighs. If you want, you can splay the fingers in a ferocious feline position or tighten them to look more claw-like.       
3. Keep your eyes, jaw and face relaxed. 
4. Inhale deeply through your nose.
5. Simultaneously lean forward, open your eyes and mouth wide, stretching your tongue out and down toward your chin, while exhaling slowly with an audible and long "ha" sound. Your breath should pass over the back of your throat.

•  feel the power of the pose

Don't:  

•  exhale too harshly or loudly. If your throat feels rough afterwards, soften your sigh   

Benefits

• Relieves jaw tension
• Exercises facial muscles
• Improves blood flow to the brain
• Increases circulation to the eyes and throat
• Clears nasal and ear passages
• Helps relieve sinusitis
• Increases lung capacity
• Relieves dry or sore throats
• Reduces stress, mild depression and anxiety

Contraindications  

• Ankle or knee injury
• Asthma
• Glaucoma
• Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)

Beginners tips and modifications

If you have a knee injury or weak ankles, you can perform this pose sitting cross-legged or in a chair. Alternatively, you can place a folded blanket between your knees.