Bone Health, Part 2  - Exercise(1)    

We are pushing against gravity in everything we do, from bringing our sweet and spicy chai latte from My Friend Joe's to our lips to muscling through a long-held plank pose.  Astronauts know what happens without the force of gravity.  They often return from space with weaker bones.  Why?  Their muscles have had no opposition--there had been no load from gravity.  We don't have to go to the gym to lift weights.  We are lifting our own weight as we resist the downward force of gravity. 

Last week I wrote about how muscular activity strengthens bones.  With gravity's help, our daily activities stimulate bones as we move and groove.  Easy. Just getting up in the morning is strengthening my bones.  Yep.  But, gravity is not the only or strongest force acting on the bones.  Although gravity is important, there are two other forces:  1) mechanical leverage (think teeter-totter), and 2) dynamic tension (when one muscle group opposes the action of another).  

Mechanical leverage is produced by our anatomy.  Like the cross bar on a teeter totter, many of our muscles insert close to the joint they cross, making for considerable leverage.  This mechanical advantage can multiply gravity's force many times over.  Dynamic tension occurs when one muscle or muscle group opposes the action of another (think swimming or wrestling). Since there are two groups of muscles applying opposite pressure, the forces on the bones are doubled. 

Yoga is particularly suited as an activity beneficial for bone health as it creates dynamic tension via the shapes we create.  Because we hold poses for a longer period, as compared to tennis, biking and other sports, the benefits are increased. In many types of yoga, the bones have the stimulus duration (10 seconds) required to promote the processes of strengthening. 

Regardless of what activity you choose--yoga, Tai Chi, swimming, golf, tennis, archery, or dance--the most important thing to do is to move.  Movement is life.  Staying strong physically keeps our bones strong.   So choose Pilates, or weight lifting or golf.  What about Bollywood Vinyasa Yoga (see here)?  Yoga's downward facing dog, side plank, or handstand.   Make it fun, be creative, do it often! 

(1)   From Yoga for Osteoporosis by Loren Fishman, MD, and Ellen Saltonstall.

Oh Boy.  I'm honored, once again, to substitute for Mirka Kraftsow while she trains lucky students in the Viniyoga tradition.  I'll be teaching her classes this week on Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 and 6:00.Hope to see you there.   

I'm always happy to be back at the fabulous and good juju-filled Yoga on Center studio in Healdsburg.  I'll be subbing Kaitlin's class this Wednesday at 9:00.  Join us..   

It's not like we need one more thing to do when we already have our hands full with jobs, kids, bills, global warming/cooling (depending on how you want to see it), debt ceilings, rising rents and falling home prices.  But, should you want to chuckle out a bit, check out

www.elephantjournal.com's article about Yoga Teachers Getting Rich (just like the airlines).  Click here to jump to it.  Elephant Journal is a nifty site in itself.    

Yes, can you believe it.  Thanks to yogini extraorinnaire, Cindy Sims, we can leave our inhibitions behind and do a fusion of Bollywood dance and Vinyasa Yoga.  What a fun combo.  Come for a free session on Sunday, August 7, from 2-3:30 p.m, at Yoga Studio Ganesha on the Plaza in Sebastopol.  You can rech Cindy for more info at 707-753-0744. 

Not really, but almost.  I'm subbing a bunch this summer as our awesome teachers take some well-deserved time for trainings or family vacations.  Ann Austin, Westside Yoga Studio, and Devorah Blum  have generously offered to accept my passes whenever I'm teaching their classes.  

What's a class pass you ask?  Many of my students have found it most economical and convenient to purchase a 10 or 5 class pass with me ($100 and $55, respectively).  That's $10 a class.  Can't beat that.  

This is a great opportunity to check out Yoga Studio Ganesha or Westside Yoga Studio when I'm teaching.  Check my schedule and calendar for my dates.  Any questions?  Let me know.     

Get Your Dharma Here

I subscribe to Tricycle's Daily Dharma.  I know, I know, the last thing you need is more in your inbox.  But, I find these little daily missives helpful.  You can subscribe to them here   You could spend hours that you don't have just exploring their website. Here's one I thought you'd enjoy.

Develop Fundamental Trust

In order to communicate very openly with the world, you need to develop fundamental trust. This kind of trust is not trusting "in" something, but simply trusting. It is very much like your breath. You do not consciously hold on to your breath, or trust in your breath, yet breathing is your very nature. In the same way, to be trusting is your very nature. To be trusting means you are fundamentally free from doubt about your goodness and about the goodness of others.

-Dr. Jeremy Hayward, "First Thought" 

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