Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
 Elimination (er, Poop) (pt. 1)
We're all about what goes in. Is it organic and locally sourced? Or, is it free of fat, gluten, pesticides, gmos and lactose? Many of us, most of the time, meticulously monitor what goes in our mouths. How does the food make us feel? Does it make us bloated or sleepy or energetic? For me, a root beer float made with Zevia Root Beer and Straus vanilla ice cream make me feel really, really good.
We spend very little, if no, time thinking about or, dare I say look at, what comes out the other end. Everything that exits the body, like our urine, mucus, vomit, blood and feces, gives a good indication of what's going on in the inside. Like the mouth being the beginning of the digestive tract, the anus is the last stop. If you're not thinking about the exit end, then you're missing half the picture. What lands in the toilet can tell how your gastrointestinal tract is functioning and give clues to infections, digestive problems and even cancer, celiac disease, crohn's disease, chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis.
It was not until I started studying and practicing Ayurveda that anyone cared about my elimination. While growing up, there was never a peep about poop. Because my family and friends never talked about it, I never really knew what was normal or healthy. Truthfully, It wasn't until I lived with a boyfriend that I realized, and was somewhat astounded, that some people pooped daily and often at the same time.
The big Q is what is normal. Bowel habits vary from person to person. What's normal for me may not be normal for you. For some people 3 poops a day is as normal as 3 poops a week. Lots of factors can affect your regularity, such as diet, travel, medications, hormonal fluctuations, sleep patterns, exercise, illness, surgery, childbirth, stress and a whole host of other things. The red flag is if there are unexplained changes in your habits, which could alert you to something sinister going on inside.
Besides frequency, the "ease" with which you move your bowels is important. According to Mercola.com, "If you need to push or strain, something is off - moving your bowels should take no more effort than urinating or passing gas". On one end of the scale is constipation and diarrhea on the other. It takes 18 - 72 hours to convert food into poop. If this time is shortened, the body doesn't have time to absorb the water, so it results in diarrhea. Or, if the transit time is longer, the body has absorbed too much water and it results in hard, difficult-to-pass stool.
Straining, incomplete elimination, bloating, crampiness is no bueno and indicates constipation. Chronic, untreated constipation can lead to fecal impaction (doesn't sound good), which can be a serious medical condition. Up to 20% of the population is constipated and generally more women than men. Be cautious of laxatives as they can addictive and easily misused, causing chronic constipation. Still, according to WebMD, 85% of doctor visits for constipation results in a prescription of a laxative. Laxatives should be avoided or considered a last resort and used for a very short period of time.
Part Two comes next week, where we'll look at the "quality", including shape, color, odor and consistency of feces. In the meantime, maybe you'll take a second to take a peek behind you before you flush.
Reference:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/14/normal-stool.aspx
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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 Hump Day Hour Yoga: Happening now is a one hour class on Wednesdays at Yoga Studio Ganesha from 5:30 - 6:30. Next week, not this week, will be All Restorative, 5:30 to 6:45. More about Hump Day below.
New Class at Yoga in Graton! Corina is adding a much asked for evening class on Thursdays at 6:00. More on Yoga in Graton at, you guessed it, www.yogaingraton.com.
Retreat Time with Tony Briggs. 4 day Non-Residential Intensive Thursday, 3/31 - Sunday 4/3. Tony says to "Give yourself the time for a nice long soak in the poses and breathing practices that we all know enhance and enliven our days." All the info's here at tonybriggsyoga.com
It's Tassajara Time again. I will be assisting Britt Fohrman this summer August 2 - 7 at Tassajara Retreat Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It will be all about resting deeply both body and mind with Restorative Yoga and Zen. I'm told Tassajara will be especially rich with all of the water that the received. For info go to www.sfzc.org, or contact me or Britt.
My friend Shirley Gillotti and her daughter are holding a spring silent retreat on Saturday May 7 with mindful meditation, medical qigong, restorative yoga and yoga nidra. More info from Shirley at shirley@centerforinnerhealthandstillness.com.
Two doses of Anne O'Brien on August 3 and 10 as she substitutes for Tony Briggs at POST Wellness by Design in Petaluma. We'll miss Tony, but are always happy when Ms. O'Brien is in the house.
Plan on practicing with Katina Knapp on Easter Sunday at Yoga on Center, that 3/27, from 9:00 - 10:30. It's all-level vinyasa.
Heh, Ashtangis: Yoga Toes in Pt. Reyes is hosting a 5-Day Intensive with Chuck Miller this summer. July 20th-24th, Go here for info. There will be daily practice, and afternoon clinics with hands-on instruction, physical adjustments and direct feedback from Mr. Miller himself.
Know about Yoga in Graton? It's hopping! Find 5 classes a week ranging from Gentle to Slow Flow to All Levels, featuring me, Corina Stoicescu and Denise Hammond. Time and places at YogaInGraton.com.
My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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 Hump Day Yoga Hour Oh, it's getting better and better. Beginning this month, I'm offering a one hour, yes, one hour class on Wednesdays (Hump Day!) from 5:30 - 6:30. It will be all-levels with some ebb and flow and some rest at the end.
And.......the last Wednesday of the month will be ALL restorative from 5:30 - 6:45.
Yes, there's more......... Ramen Gaijin just reopened just steps from Yoga Studio Ganesha. On the second Wednesday of each month we'll slide over and get a beer. Whadya say? Sounds fun to me.
I'll try to keep this all straight. Keep checking this newsletter for updates. |
 The Lower Back and SI Joint From YogaUonline, an informative article (with cool illustrations) on how to move safely for the lower back. Nice explanation of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, just in case you you're not quite sure what/where it is.
Here's some commentary about the SI joint in Janu Sirsasana.
1. Approach advanced asymmetrical poses with great care, especially the ones where one hip is in a fixed position and the spine is being strongly pulled the other way. Look at Janu Sirsasana, which is not necessarily an advanced posture but it typically aggravates "hot sacrums."
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12 Things a Women Won't Tell You 
Hah! Fun and amusing article from Esquire with commentary on periods, carbs, clothes and abortion, titled: 12 Things About Being A Woman That Women Won't Tell You.
Regarding clothes:
"You know when we stand in front of a full wardrobe and say, "I don't have anything to wear!"? Obviously we have things to wear. You can see all the shit from where you are standing, fully dressed, ready to leave the house. What we mean is, "I don't have anything to wear for who I need to be today."
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Why Do Muscles Cramp?
Another goodie from Leslie Kaminoff about cramping.
Also, this NYT article adds to the mystery of the cramp during exercise. There's no clear-cut answer to why muscles cramp but many theories. Nice article if you're plagued by cramps, especially those middle-of-the night ones.
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Class Schedule - Week of March 20, 2016
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5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Wednesday
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club
All Levels
2:00 - 3:00 Private, Headsburg 5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Saturday
All Levels Flow
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Wednesday
5:30 - 6:30
Ganesha, Sebastopol
Hump Day Yoga
Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
All Levels, Graton
2:00 - 3:00 Healdsburg, Private
5:00 - 6:00 Healdsburg, Private
Saturday
All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
Quotes I Like
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful."
Buddha
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
Dalai Lama
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
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