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Yoga Journeys to the Heart Newsletter
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This is the SECOND issue
| Brrrr...December 2010
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Welcome to my newsletter sharing and celebrating my life long journey into YOGA!
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GRATITUDE. What does each human being on this planet have to be grateful for? This is a time of year where I look back on my recent past and ponder just that. What am I grateful for? It is a long list that is ever changing. First, I am grateful for the life that I have been given. I have been put on this Earth for a reason, and my life is in pursuit of that. I am a journeyer and a seeker. I am grateful that I have been graced with gifts, of teaching, of creativity, of love, of my soul. I am grateful for my vocation and the teachers and teachings that help me fulfill that vocation. I am grateful for my body, which teaches me so much and provides me with the abilities to move, to sense, to feel, to be. I am grateful for my mind, ever curious, ever imagining. I am grateful for my friends, family, students for whose support, love, and challenges, keeps me fresh. At this time, I am most grateful for my soul mate, Red Bear. He is a beacon of love, of mastery, of chaos, of greatness, that I am lucky enough to witness and share in, I love him so much! Always, there is more, so each day I take a moment to be grateful. I am grateful for ME!
Happy Holidays!
With Gratitude and Peace,
DL, nancy Desert Lizard heraty
Yoga for Scoliosis Trainer
Yoga Teacher
Artist
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The Pose of the Month is: Savasana
 (In Sanskrit, Sava means corpse, Asana means pose.)
OK, so you're saying, "I'm not doing anything! Just plop and lay there?" YES!! That's just the point. How often in any given day do you just lay there, not asleep, but just quiet, all over the body and the mind? Everything relaxed, everything supported and released. This will be a great challenge, it is mine too. I DARE YOU to do this as a practice daily! WE AS A WORLD NEED MORE OF THIS! This world and this culture we are immersed in is always busy, always doing, always on the go. Help change the world starting with yourself. It is time to STOP and feel calmness, true calmness as we just lay there and do NOTHING in Savasana.
OSHO on Silence: "Real silence arises from your very being. It is not imposed from without, but comes from within. It rises from the centre and moves towards the circumference."
(from the ABC of Enlightenment by OSHO)
Benefits: This is a wonderful pose to give yourself a break, find calmness and peace, and even end your yoga practice with. It releases the spine, central nervous system, the heart, and brain, the areas of the body that suffer from too much doing. Support the body as much as you like, cover your eyes, relax your senses, let go! The challenge is holding the pose without falling asleep, staying awake and finding the quiet within. (If you fall asleep, then you need a nap!) Hold for 5 - 20 minutes. DO IT, you won't regret it!
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Yoga for Scoliosis Pose of the Month is...
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
(in sanskrit Setu means bridge, Bandha means lock, Sarvanga means all limbs,
Asana means pose)
 This is commonly referred to as supported "bridge pose". In this variation, you see the "all limbs stretch" as the legs stretch to a wall. Using two blocks supports and elevates the body, the upper block helps to stabilize and balance the sacrum, a tricky spot in the low back. The sacrum is a triangular shaped, fused bony plate, part of the spine that connects to the hip bones. That connection is the "SI joint". As my teacher Elise says, "the sacrum is confused! It doesn't know if it is part of the spine or part of the hips!" A lot goes on there especially if the hips are out of alignment as is the case with Scoliosis. If any nerves are impinged, then add in pain. The back bending quality in the upper back helps to open the chest and shrink the convex side of the ribcage. Belting the legs together makes them stronger as they support each other and the back. Keep the legs strong, the heels pressing the wall and the chest puffed. Let the head and back of the neck lengthen away from the shoulders. So how do you enter this pose? Lie on your back with your knees bent, toes touching the block. Start with this measure, you may have to adjust it later. Tie your thighs loosely together with a belt, tighten it later. Press your feet to the floor and lift the hips and put the second block under them, same height as the block at the wall. When you land the hips and sacrum on the block make sure it feels comfortable, micro-move it until it does. It should feel like a flat book resting on a table if it is right. Then, tighten the belt and stretch your legs to the wall, heels press firmly. If you cannot straighten your legs, you'll have to readjust the hip block farther away from the wall. Sometimes you can just slide it all back a little if the floor is smooth. Hold this pose for 1-3 minutes, or let your body decide when to release.
Benefits: As stated earlier, this pose supports the sacrum and low back. It also opens the chest so give yourself many soft, slow, deep, and even breath cycles. The gentle inversion for the head quiets the mind.
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Frequently asked questions about Yoga for Scoliosis...
1. Do I need to take a private with DL? Yes. Most students with Scoliosis do not have a handle on what is happening with their body as it relates to Scoliosis. If you are experiencing pain, that needs to be worked out first or else the pain will distract your focus in the class. So then, if you jump right into a class, you will have trouble understanding what I am asking your body to do. When you take a private with me, I first take a history of your body and map out your curves. The body map shows you where your concave areas are, where your convex areas are, which direction your spine curves and how many curves your spine is presenting. This is recorded with pictures and drawings which I will put together in a document for you to keep and refer to. Then we begin to explore 3 basic poses that will help you begin to understand your body and the way it needs to move to become balanced and aligned, poses you will take home to begin to practice with. Once you have begun to understand how your body relates to gravity and how the poses can help you realign, then you will have a better understanding, more intelligence in the mind and body. Then we can decide together if you are ready for a class or if you need more individualized attention.
2. What should I wear for class? Form fitting clothing is best so I can see your body move, especially so I can see your curves. A light colored top is best - black, and your curves hide. For women, an athletic bra top allows your shirt to be removed to see the spine more clearly. For men, a sleeveless under shirt that fits your form or no shirt is helpful. Your pants should not be baggy, and should be capri length, shorts, or have the ability to be rolled up so I can see your feet and knees.
3. How often and what should I practice? Practice every day. The idea being the more you practice and counteract the scoliosis, the greater your chance of slowing progression and minimizing the curves. Your three poses are a great place to start, then as you take class, add a pose per week, your favorite from class. Then as you gain more understanding, start building sequences that serve you well. I give out the sequences freely, so you can practice them as well. You now have a resource with this newsletter too! No more excuses, HIT THE MAT!
4. Where does your name DL come from? Is that your given name? OK, so this is not a question just for Scoliosis, but...good questions! I like to play a little with that...no it is not my birth name, nor does the tax man or bank know me as DL. Those who know me well use Desert Lizard. It is a metaphorical re-birth name. On my first Vision Quest, the Desert Lizard came to me during vision work, and gave me messages that helped me become a woman. It was an initiation. Desert Lizard is a spirit guide. Since then, I have connected with many other spirit guides, White Owl Crone Woman being another powerful spirit guide. These have guided me to many transformations. I honor that path by accepting Desert Lizard, my first guide, as my true name as a woman. I am grateful for my guides!
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Schedule of upcoming events for 2011:
YOGA FOR SCOLIOSIS WORKSHOP
at Yoga Circle, Chicago
February 20, 2011 2-6 pm cost: $50
preregistration required
2011 DATES FOR BACK CARE CLINICS at Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove
once per month, Saturdays, 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Cost $35, preregistration required
January 15, "free the strain" whole back practice
February 12, focus on the lumbar, low back
March 19, focus on the thoracic, upper back
April 16, focus on the cervical, neck and shoulders
2011 dates for Yoga for Scoliosis classes in Downers Grove
Session 1: January 18 - February 22, 2011
Tuesday or Wednesday 6:30 - 8 pm, $90 for 6 week session
at Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove
preregistration required
Ongoing Yoga for Scoliosis Class in Chicago
at Yoga Circle, Chicago
Thursdays 12:30 - 2 pm
class packages available
Check out my Website for my regular classes and workshop schedule for Yoga, Yoga for Scoliosis, and Yoga for Back Care. |
nancy Desert Lizard heraty
3640 Prairie Avenue
Brookfield, Illinois 60513
708-404-9642
lizardwocw@comcast.net |
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