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In This Issue
Winter Term
Monthly Restorative
Anatomy Awareness in Asana
Julie's Teaching Schedule
Stuart's 9th Annual Tuscany Retreat
Wilson High School Yoga & Meditation Class
Yoga Tip: Lying Over a Roll
begins January 5th

 

There are still a few openings. Call (503) 223.8157 to register.

 

You may now use a credit card to pay for your classes. Go to gudmestadyoga.com /payment or call the office. 

 

First Wednesday of the month at 6pm

 

The next restorative will be on February 4th   

 

Pre-registration is required as we have limited space.  

 

Cost is $14.   

 

The date is set for 2015!
August 3rd - 7th, 2015

in Portland, OR.

 

Register early to secure your space.  

 

You will learn to identify structures visually, by palpation and by 'feel', because you have gained the foundation to understanding the anatomy underlying these structures.   

 


The Yoga Sanctuary,
Punta Gorda, FL

February 7 - 8, 2015 

 

Down Under School of Yoga, Boston, MA  

February 21 - 22, 2015 


Cannon Beach Yoga Festival, Cannon Beach, OR

March 6 - 8, 2015 


Sunrise Yoga, Clemmons, NC

March 20 - 22, 2015  


This coming year's 9th annual Tuscan retreat takes place June 22nd through 29th outside the town of Castelfiorentino.

 


Check out this article that ran recently in the Oregonian. 

 

Gudmestad Yoga

Winter Quarterly Newsletter



Did you see the recent article about text neck in the Washington Post? Click the link here in case you missed it, but the important gist of the article is that hanging your head forward and down to look at your cell phone screen puts significant strain on your neck.

I have long been concerned that our many eye-hand activities create a habit of forward-head posture as we look down to study not only our cell phones, but also books, paperwork, and various keyboards. As the article so clearly states, when your head is centered over your shoulders, your head weighs a true 12-15 pounds. When your head is forward of your shoulders, it effectively weighs more--up to 60 pounds! In addition, the forward-head, looking-down position flattens the normal curve of the neck. The additional weight plus the loss of curve can put significant strain on the muscles, ligaments, and even discs in your neck, which can cause or contribute to neck tension, pain, and headaches.

Your yoga practice can help center your head over your shoulders, and restore the normal cervical curve. Sometimes we do poses in class with our backs, and the back of the head, against the wall to help confirm what vertical alignment feels like: think Tadasana (Mountain Pose) or Vrksasana (Tree). Even standing against the wall a few times a day can help retrain your posture and remind you to get "your head on your shoulders".

Opening your chest is an important component of retraining your head/neck alignment, and yoga has a wonderful assortment of supported backbends to help with chest opening. One of our favorites, for simplicity and sheer relaxation value, involves lying over a rolled blanket. If you take class at Gudmestad Yoga Studio, you've done it many times at the beginning of class. See the "Yoga Tip" below for more instructions.

Now, back to your alignment when you're off the mat. Do prop your computer monitor or book up on some height so you're looking nearly straight ahead. Don't stare at the ground while on your walk: do look ahead into the distance at least part of the time. And when you're texting, prop your elbows up on the table and hold the phone up in front of you. No more looking down!

 

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to contact us.

 

Namaste,

Julie Gudmestad

Yoga Tip: Lying Over a Roll

It's easy, relaxing, and portable. You can do it anywhere, including home, a hotel room, and the deck on a warm day. Simply roll up a firm blanket or a couple of bath towels into a long, narrow cylinder, maybe 4 feet long and 3-4 inches in diameter. Lie on your side beside it, and then roll onto it so your head and tailbone are on the roll. Keeping your knees bent and feet flat is more comfortable for your low back. 

 

 Open your arms into the "stick 'em up, it's a hold up" position, with 90 degrees at the shoulder and 90 degrees at the elbow. If your hands or arms don't touch the floor, give them some support with a pillow or another blanket. Use just enough support so you feel some stretch in the chest and shoulders but not pain.

Now just breathe and relax for a few minutes. When you return to standing, you may notice that with your chest open, it's easier to breathe. And, you'll be standing taller, with your head over your shoulders and your neck relaxed--a wonderful antidote to text neck.

 

If you found this yoga tip informative and yearn for more in depth articles about anatomy and yoga written by Julie, click here 

 Do you know someone...

who would be interested in working Thursdays (8:30am - 5:00pm) and Friday mornings (8:30am - 12:00pm) in our front office? We are looking for a person with exceptional ability to welcome and serve the students and patients of our Yoga Studio and Physical Therapy practice. Our new team member will be warm, welcoming, organized, inquisitive, tidy, flexible, wise and calm. Benefits include a free weekly yoga class. Please email your resume and letter of introduction describing yourself in terms of our perfect match. Knowledge of our yoga studio and medical front office experience preferred, but not required.   

Winter Solstice

The dark days of winter are upon us! With the solstice, the light will slowly begin to return. Enjoy the quiet of the darkness while it is still here. Lighting candles in the early morning so that you can see and feel the light of the morning emerge is a nice way to honor the darkness. I hope you have a lovely holiday season.  


Hope to see you soon!

Janice 

Gudmestad Yoga Studio  �  3903 SW Kelly Avenue, Suite 210  �  Portland, OR  97239 

phone: 503 223 8157

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