Yoga Hyde Clothing Review

My Yoga Online - We came across a great line of Yoga clothing by Yoga Hyde. Yoga Hyde offers a really great selection of pants and yoga tops that are stylish and affordable. We have been able to try both the women's and men's yoga wear and found their products to be high quality with attractive, complementary designs and colors. They fit with great comfort, but also look great which is a bonus for yoga and active wear.

If you are shopping around for new yoga clothing, give Yoga Hyde a browse:
www.yogahyde.com You can also find their yoga clothing line available at many offline locations.

Yoga for COPD

My Yoga Online - My Yoga Online has posted a new article addressing yoga practice for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) by Vijai Sharma, PhD, psychologist, certified yoga therapist and yoga teacher.

Yoga is unique program for self-management for people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or other chronic illnesses because yoga is one of the most comprehensive body, breath and mind systems I know.

According to Thomashaw and Walsh CO-Morbidity survey of over 3000 people with COPD on average have 6 co-morbid disorders. 60 to 80% of them take 5 to 10 medications and 15-25% people take more than 11 prescribed medication. Most commonly reported problems are high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease), sinus disease, sleep apnea, weight loss, muscle weakness as well as depression and anxiety. (See footnote) Similar other surveys too point out that COPD affects the whole body and causes a wide range of negative emotions such as the sense of personal loss, hopelessness, depression, anxiety and panic attacks and anger and frustration.

Yoga can be particularly beneficial for us with COPD. We must constantly work on improving our physical health, breath function and emotional strength.

Click here to read Dr. Sharma's article and suggested yoga practice for COPD.

Isolating Hamstrings in Forward Bends

My Yoga Online - Many forward bending Yoga poses involve the lengthening and stretching of the hamstring muscles. By incorporating subtle spirals of the thighs, you can more effectively isolate the 3 hamstring muscles.

The hamstring muscles consist of 3 muscles:
*Biceps Femoris muscle that originates at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) and along the posterior aspect of the thigh bone. This muscle travels down the lateral aspect of the thigh bone, crosses the knee joint, and inserts on the outer edge of the leg (head of the fibula and lateral condyle of the tibia

*Semitendinosus muscle that originates at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) with the long head of Biceps Femoris. This muscle travels down the medial aspect of the thigh and inserts in the medial region of the tibia.

*Semimembranosus muscle that originates also at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) and travels down the medial aspect of the thigh inserting at the medial condyle of the tibia.

The basic principle to address with these muscle lines is the Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus muscles travel along an 'inner line' of the thigh where the Biceps Femoris muscle travels along an 'outer line' of the thigh. For most people, the outer thigh line has greater flexibility than the inner line. Consider how much easier it is to fold over the thigh in Pavirrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolving One Leg Forward Bend) versus directly forward in Janu Sirsasana? With the leg out to the side, the forward bend moves primarily into the outer line of the hamstrings (Biceps Femoris).

Notice the next time you do One Leg Forward Bend, Downward Facing Dog, or Standing Forward Bend how the feet, leg bone, and thigh 'want' to rotate outwards or laterally. This 'desire' to rotate laterally is an indication of the pose wishing to move out of the tighter inner hamsting line and more towards the more flexible outer hamstring line.

Next time you do into One Leg Forward Bend, try the following tips to target the more resistant inner hamstring line:
*set your pelvis neutral and perpendicular to your thigh (tendency is to sit with the pelvis turned away from the thigh thus promoting the stretch to go more into the outer thigh line).
*pull the flesh away from the sit bone so you have greater connectivity to the pelvis and to the forward bend that should occur from the hip joint and not the lower back
*slightly rotate your thigh bone inwards or medially-this will be reflected in the toes which should point vertically and not out to the side.
*inhale as you lift open the front ribs and torso and exhale as you fold over the thigh finding just the first sensations of resistance
*settle and breath
*as the vibrations of resistance dissipate, rotate the thigh medially another millimeter or so (very subtle), breath in and lift the front ribs (protecting the low back), and after elongating the spine, exhale and fold a little more into the inner hamstring line

Playing with these inner thigh spirals will help you discover the variations in resistance in the hamstrings. This application of spiraling can be easily added to other Yoga poses:
*Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
*Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend pose)
*Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose)
*Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
*Marichyasana I (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi, I)
*Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

Be mindful that this spiral application is not over-emphasized. Keep the line of the foot and thigh within normal anatomical positioning. Consider how the natural lines of Mountain pose translate into these forward bends and how thigh spiraling should not go excessively beyond that functional line offered in Mountain pose.

Explore your hamstrings. Appreciate the resistance and variations of flexibility in your yoga practice. Gently and respectful use spiraling techniques to expand these variations of resistance.

Cotton Fabrics - Why to Buy Organic

My Yoga Online - Buying organic clothing is much more than a fashion statement. With the growing need to shift towards greater sustainability, choosing fabrics made from organic cotton and other fibers expands is an easy way to become more green-conscious.

You dry yourself with it after taking a shower, you lay your head against it when you go to sleep. The oil from its seeds flavors your favorite snacks and your probably wearing it right now. Cotton is one of the most widely traded and highly subsidized crops in the world. For the past 7,000 years, mankind has cultivated its fibers into clothing, and pressed the oil from its seeds for sustenance.

Compared to man-made materials like acrylic and polyester, cotton seems like a natural alternative. It is certainly versatile; breathable and cool in the summer, easily layered in the winter. Yet there’s a dark side of cotton that most consumers are unaware of: cotton is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world.

The commercial farming of cotton accounts for over 10% of pesticides and 22% of insecticides sprayed annually, though it is grown on just over 2% of the world’s arable land. In the United States, where cotton heavily is farmed, it’s commercial production accounts for over 25% of pesticides used annually. CLICK HERE to read more.

Thanks to Renu Yoga for sharing this article.

Preventing Knee Lock in Standing Yoga Postures

My Yoga Online - This latest Yoga Anatomy article by Kreg Weiss, Yoga and Preventing Knee Locks, offers awareness in how we can perform certain standing Yoga poses with greater integrity and purpose. More importantly, this mindful application of preventing knee locks promotes a more healing Yoga practice and helps reduce the development of chronic injuries.

"The purpose of Yoga poses is to generate physical vitality so one can proceed through life with positive energy flow and with a holistic connection to what brings balance and harmony. Standing Yoga poses offer these benefits when mindfulness and proper intention is applied. Without mindfulness, some standing Yoga poses present a tendency towards knee locks and hyperextension, which can produce chronic problems in the function and health of the knee joint.

Some people have a greater tendency towards locking the knees as they have joint structures that promote a hyper extended position when the legs straightened. The legs splay backwards almost like a crescent shape. This hyper extended locked knee position tends to generate a passive stance and allows the body weight to transmit heavily into the ligaments, cartilage and posterior connective tissue of the knees. In addition, this hyperextension and internal rotation creates a line of poor body mechanics including the production unwanted anterior pelvic tilt (promoting excessive lordotic spinal positions) and excessive pronation of the foot." Read full article.

Free Outdoor Yoga Classes in BC

My Yoga Online - Come and enjoy the last few free outdoor yoga classes with Kreg Weiss. Classes at Canada Place and English Bay will continue until mid September. To learn more and see updates on class schedules:

visit - Yoga at Canada Place Wednesdays 6-7pm
visit - Yoga at English Bay Saturdays 9-10:15 pm

Everyone is welcome-beginners to advanced!

About Hammer Toe and Yoga

My Yoga Online -
This new Ask An Expert yoga article is provided by Dr. Carla Cupido.
Q: I have a different sort of question for which I hope you can offer some suggestions or links to resources that will help. Recently, I have been diagnosed with developing hammer toe. My problem is a swelling and discomfort in the ball of my foot anytime that I do any yoga poses that put weight on that foot. My first action, of course, was to drop out of my yoga class. However, I feel that yoga, if doing the correct exercises might help. Are you aware of any others that have experience this problem and have had success with continuing yoga practices?

A: There are a number of different conditions similar to hammer toe, such as claw toe, curly toe and mallet toe. A hammer toe is defined by an extended metatarsophalangeal joint (proximal joint of the toe), a flexed proximal interphalangeal joint (middle joint of the toe), and a hyper-extended distal interphalangeal joint (distal joint of the toe). Yes, this is a whole lot of Latin to basically say that the toe is curled, causing the middle part of the toe to stick upwards in a way that it rubs perfectly against the top of your shoe and causes significant discomfort and fantastic bunions. The balance of the translation is that the ball of your foot in line with the affected toe hurts a lot!

There are a number of different causes of hammer toe. Diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other underlying pathological conditions can play into the development of hammer toe. Therefore, it is always important to seek the advice of a medical practitioner if you are noticing changes in the condition of your toes so that they can rule out such underlying conditions. Shoes that are too small or are fabulously pointy are also major contributing factors to this condition. If your toes are unable to lie flat in your shoes, you are placing your little toes at risk. Of course, this develops over a long time, so be mindful of your shoe selection and give your toes a break on occasion. Previous toe trauma can also be a factor in developing hammer toe.

Maintaining flexibility in hammer toes is very important as without flexibility, they may continue to become quite rigid and in time affect your gait. Conservative care options for this condition are not well represented in the literature and it has not yet been studied with yoga rehabilitation. However, using yoga to help manage this condition could be great. I have not come across the use of yoga for hammer toe yet; however, if approached delicately and wisely, it may be of help.

You should most definitely make an appointment with a health care practitioner who can assess your gait, muscular weaknesses, muscular and tendonous restrictions, and conservatively treat your toe before moving forward with yoga. However, once you have been given the go-ahead, poses that help to stretch out the toes could be of great benefit to you. If it is not painful, trying to go up your toes in downward dog which could help to lengthen through the musculature and tendons through the bottom of your foot and toes.

While in poses in which your hands are in contact with your toes, gently attempt to straighten your toe and even take a few more minutes in that pose to massage the bottom of it. Your goal is simply to keep that toe mobile. As for the ball of your foot, try to modify poses to take the weight off of this area until it is feeling less painful. Part of the reason the bottom of the foot hurts is because of the angle that the toe is taking relative to the ball of the foot. Therefore, if you can loosen off the tissues on the bottom of the foot and into the toe, this may take some of the pressure off the ball of the foot. Make sure this is assessed though as if it is severe, your joint may in fact be subluxated.

A lot of this will be trial and error for you. If it feels good, go for it and if it doesn’t, either stop or go get it checked out. I strongly encourage you to seek out a medical practitioner who can help you through this experiment. Best of luck and be gentle with your body.

For additional information on hammer toe and other foot pathologies, click here.

Dr. Carla Cupido
Hon.B.Kin., D.C.
A.R.T., Graston

www.drcarlacupido.com
For more info about Dr. Cupido and to read more of her articles, click here.

Knee Conditions and Yoga

My Yoga Online - Kreg Weiss has posted a new yoga anatomy article: Yoga and Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome, Protecting the Knees During Your Yoga Practice. This yoga article reviews the causes and symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome and offers tips on how to approach a yoga practice when one is experiencing this condition.

Osgood-Schlatter syndrome (also known as tibial tuberosity apophysitis) is a knee condition that tends to affect about 13% of teenagers. This condition is prevalent in those who experience rapid growth spurts and typically who participate in high levels of physical activity (note: this condition appears to be more prevalent in boys than girls).

Osgood-Schlatter syndrome is believed to occur as a combination of a combination of a genetic and an overuse condition where the quadriceps tendon fails to develop as quickly as the lengthening bone. This creates a tightening effect of the quadriceps tendon and generates an excessive pulling force on the boney process just below the knee (tibial tuberosity). As a result of this excessive pulling force, the tibial tuberosity can experience inflammation that leads to tenderness or pain. Given that high levels of physical activity can shorten muscles, repetitive force loads like running can increase the risk of developing this syndrome. ...Read More

The Westernization of Yoga

My Yoga Online - The last decade has shown a compelling evolution in the trend of yoga especially in how Western cultures have modified, integrated, and molded this practice to make it more adaptable and engaging. Much of these adaptations come from the desire to commercialize yoga into a product and, through this commercialization, we can often see how the traditional practice delivered from the East has been diluted with the attitudes of materialism and physicality. It is no surprise with this trend to see that yoga is now greatly marketed and perceived primarily as a ‘workout’. This brings forth a basic question: “Is it wrong to practice yoga only with the intention that it is a workout that generates physical benefits?”

We first should address the definition of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is the practice of yoga poses which were designed to revitalize and bring balance to the musculoskeletal and glandular systems. Hatha Yoga encompasses all forms of asana performance: Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Yin Yoga, Power Yoga etc. Within this definition, one can conclude that Hatha Yoga is meant to act as a conditioning of the physical body. Through a healthier body, one can then move forward into the practice of pranayama and meditation (as well as other forms of Yoga) to develop the connection to Self.

The second concept to address is tantra. Yoga developed out of the concept of tantra, which, in a simplified approach, is the practice of producing thoughts, actions, and intentions that foster goodness and betterment for yourself and the environment around you. Tantra basically encourages one to always be moving forward through life with positive harmonious energy.
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All About the Sacroiliac Joint

My Yoga Online - Dr. Robin Armstrong presents her latest article, Understanding the Sacroiliac Joint, that discusses important issues with the SI joint and Yoga postures. As an important joint for generating pelvic stability, Yoga practitioners can readily create an SI joint that is hypermobile and echoes dysfunction.

"Controversy does not often strike the yoga community. Non-harming, truthfulness, and loving kindness are not very controversial concepts. Yet the poor, barely mobile, sacroiliac joint has become the center of a yoga debate – to square or not to square the hips. Ok, so it is not as racy as a celebrity feud, but it may affect your personal yoga practice..." Read More

Click Here to learn more about Dr. Robin Armstrong and read more of her articles.

Upward Facing Dog Pose In-Depth

Dr. Robin Armstrong offers a new article on Upward Facing Dog pose. She dissects Upward Facing Dog pose providing a wealth of alignment and safety tips so this Yoga back-arch is performed with integrity and enjoyment.

"Our animal friends are a wonderful study in the fluidity of yoga. It is no coincidence that when a dog wakes from a nap, he can be seen moving slowly through upward dog and downward dog and casually walk away satisfied. The family pet makes urdhva mukha svanasana, or upward facing dog, look simple, and we can embody this ease when we too practice the pose." Click Here to read more of this article.