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Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
Alternatives to Mammograms
The boob-smashing. Have you read the hilarious Preparing for Your Mammogram? (There's more here.)
Exercise #1: Freeze two metal bookends overnight. Strip to the waist. Invite a stranger into the room. Press the bookends against one of your breasts. Smash the bookends together as hard as you can. Repeat with the other breast. Set an appointment with the stranger to meet next year and do it again.
Exercise #2: Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast between the door and the main box. Have one of your strongest friends slam the door shut as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure. Hold that position for five seconds. Do this again in case the last time wasn't effective enough. Then repeat with the other breast.
There are alternatives to the mammogram, but you wouldn't know it by talking to your doctor. They push the mammogram as if it was the only method. But, there's more, like thermography, ultrasound (sonogram), and MRI. MRIs are cost-prohibitive and more invasive due to the dye used. Thermography, which I use, is a "preventive and harm-free screening that is considered more holistic and not yet widely-used" according to Renee at the Thermography Center of Sonoma County. I have thermography images taken every 2 years. My images are read by a doctor and compared to my previous images. The digital images also live on my computer.
What about ultrasound? Like mammograms, ultrasounds can find solid masses in the breast tissue. They use harmless radio waves. According to Renee, ultrasounds are only ordered when a mammogram comes back "suspicious" or "inconclusive." What's frustrating is that it's difficult to obtain a breast ultrasound without first having an abnormal mammogram. Fortunately, Renee has found a doctor in Napa who is willing to do an ultrasound without an abnormal mammogram.
So, why would you want an ultrasound without an abnormal mammogram? If you're like me, with no "known" family history of breast cancer*, you may have decided to forego the radiation risk and boob smashing and chose thermography. Renee says that her patients that use thermograms
, chose ultrasound if their thermography results come back medium or high risk. This is different from an abnormal mammogram, which will prompt additional x-rays and often times a breast biopsy just to see if there is something behind the dense breast tissue (I've had this also).
So, if you're exploring options to the mammogram or choosing not to have them so often, there are great alternative. If you have questions, Renee's a host of information in a caring way that you won't see from your cold-handed, white-coat wearing radiologist (no offense to radiologists, of course).
*Over 85% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history.
Want to read some of my previous articles? You can do it here. Enjoy.
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Did You Know?
P-HHYHH - It's Post-Happy Hour Happy Hour!. On Friday, July 19, a fter the Happy Hour Vinyasa class, we're going to continue the good vibe at my house for some eats and treats. This is a great opportunity to get to know our friends better "off the mat". If you can't make it to class on the 19th, but want to come anyway, email me for directions.
This week at Tassajara Zen Retreat Center near Big Sur, I'll be assisting Britt Fohrman at her retreat, Listening to the Voice of your Body, A Gentle Yoga and Zen Retreat July 10-14. See below for info. NOTE: My classes will be subbed this week.
Ashtanga Lovers -- Tim Miller is coming to Pt. Reyes in November. This will sell out, so sign up now. I'm in.
Let the summer specials begin!! New students to Westside Yoga pay $100 for 10 classes. Get 15 free days at MyYogaWorks (online classes). YogaOne Petaluma has 30 days for $49 for new students. You and a friend can share a 1 month membership for $110 at Post Wellness by Design. Whew, I need to exhale! And, Move2Change is offering a 10-class pass for $98. That's a lot of cheap yoga classes. Take advantage while you can.
International singer, Jai Uttal, is coming to Sebatopol, bringing his kirtan passion on July 18 at the Dhyana Center. I've got my tickets. Get yours at Milk & Honey in Sebastopol.
You heard it here. YogaOne in Petaluma is expanding to Santa Rosa in August. Heh, Santa Rosa! Located on Mendocino Avenue near College, Yoga One will offer a variety of classes all day long. I'll be on the schedule, yes me! I'll be offering two classes on Tuesday and Thursday around the noon hour). What a line-up! Ann Austin and Beth Robert will be on the schedule also. We're excited about offering yoga in Santa Rosa. More to come, of course.
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  Study with Tony Briggs
Heh, Yoga Teachers and Advanced Yogis. The teacher's teacher, Tony Briggs, is offering to hold some "master" classes. Focus will be on advanced teaching practices and methods, safe and effective adjustments, "seeing" and being more present for your students, and offering pranayama to various student levels. This class will be in workshop format. This is a great opportunity for us all. Tony will work around our schedule. If interested, please email Tony at tony.briggs108@gmail.com and let him know what days/times you are available. Monday 11:30 or Tuesdays 11:30 or 1:00 or Thursday 11:30 or 1:00 or Fridays 11:30 Want to know more about Mr. Briggs. He's got a website here and a video here. Classes will be 90 or 120 minutes and be held in Sebastopol. Thanks, Tony!! |
Like Happiness, Discomfort Comes and Goes
A good reminder to be present and hang with whatever comes up, be it good or bad, leads to good mental health. This brief article appears in the Interdependence Project's blog entitled "The Good News About Feeling Bad". Read it here.
By the way, if you have some time, this is a great site to hang out with. I enjoy their blog and podcasts which I download from iTunes. Founder, Ethan Nichtern, brings classic Buddhist teachings by " bridging the gap between personal development and collective engagement in our world, combining the principles of mindfulness and interdependence with activism, arts, and media". Find it here. |
 It's Not All About the Core
" In this pose the challenge is not the position itself so much as its relationship to gravity. If it were rotated 45 degrees, it would be the work of sitting vertically in dandasana (which can certainly present its own challenges).
Ideally, the weight in this pose is distributed between the sitting bones and the tailbone. All the weight should not be borne on the sacrum. If dandasana is a challenge because of shortness in the backs of the legs, that same shortness makes it impossible to support navasana correctly with the legs straight. In this case, bending the knees so that the spine can remain neutral is a good option.
This asana is often said to work the abdominal muscles. This is true; however, the abdominal muscles do not pull the body into this pose-rather, they are keeping the upper body from falling back into gravity. The action that holds the body in this position is hip flexion, created by the psoas major and iliacus. If the psoas major and iliacus are difficult to access, it is possible to overwork the rectus femoris or tensor fasciae latae attempting to stay up.
Just as bending the knees makes this pose easier by shortening the length of the lower lever arm, extending the arms overhead makes it more difficult by lengthening the upper lever arm."
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 Gentle Yoga & Zen Retreat - July 10-14 I have always wanted to go the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. It was founded by Shunryu Suzuki, the Japanese Buddhist priest who founded the San Francisco Zen Center. It is a place for western students to study Zen in a monastic setting. The monastery is open to guests from April to September. The setting is magical with hiking, hot springs and pool and vegetarian meals.
Imagine my excitement when the fellow restorative yoga instructor, Britt Fohrman, asked me to assist her at her Listening to the Voice of Your Body: A Gentle Yoga and Zen Retreat (thanks, Britt!). I'm getting relaxed just thinking about it. There are still a couple of spots open if you want to join us. |
The F-Word and Other Profanities
The brilliant and I assume somewhat twisted, Dan Piraro, founder of the comic, Bizarro, gives his take on the F-Word and other profanities (Thanks, Barb, for the link!). Here's a bit:
"Clearly, it isn't the idea behind the word or the context in which it is used--we can see that with the innumerable ways people use the F-word, without it having anything to do with copulation. It isn't what it means, in fact, it is completely socially acceptable to use any other word that refers to the act of sex without offending anyone. Clearly, it is the F-word in and of itself that holds some kind of spell over us."
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 Intense Core
YogaWorks has online yoga classes. Find them at myyogaworks.com (15 days free right now). Yikes, check out this "advanced" core series. The first words out of Jesse Schein's mouth are "I'm not going to sugar coat this. This is a very challenging core sequence." No bull. Speaking for almost 20 minutes while doing some serious core work, the yogini barely broke a sweat. It's Impressive. You've been warned. It's here.
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Daily Dharma - Tricycle Magazine
June 25, 2013
Gradual Transformation
The movement from ordinary states of self-concern to selfless giving always involves a gradual transformation of character, not a sudden leap. Like any form of strength, generosity needs to be intentionally cultivated over time, and everyone must begin in whatever state of mind they already happen to be.
- Dale S. Wright, "The Bodhisattva's Gift"
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Be Happy on Friday's
Instead of shots of tequila and fried artichoke hearts, spend your Friday happy hour moving and grooving at an
most-levels vinyasa flow class.
On Friday's from 4:30 - 6:00, we'll end each week with an energetic vinyasa flow class. Through building heat from the inside, we'll strip out the stress hormones from the day. A long rest at the end of class will reset our nervous system and prepare us for our weekend.
You'll be done at 6:00!! That'll leave plenty of time for dinner with friends, a movie or a relaxing evening with your pooch. Or, maybe a Chia filled Kombucha or that 100% agave margarita!
NOTE: This class meets once a month at 5:30 - 7:00 due to teacher training. Check my calendar or Westside's.
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Get Your Girlfriends Together
It's fun to get friends together. Treat your friends to Yoga and Tea rather than Food and Booze. Inviting friends to come together for a Gentle or Restorative Yoga class is a perfect way to enjoy each other's company and do something good for yourselves. Many yoga parties end with tea or champagne and some munchies. Your friends will thank you!
Please call on me if I can help you book a private yoga class or answer any questions. I can be reached at cheryl@cherylthomas.com.
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Week of July 7, 2013
Thursday (To be Subbed by Corina)
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