Safe Wrists in Yoga Chest Opening Poses

My Yoga Online has posted a new Yoga anatomy article by Kreg Weiss addressing wrist safety and alignment in common chest opening yoga stretches. The anterior shoulder and pectoralis muscles present great challenges to our postural health as these muscles tend to be chronically tight. Yoga stretches utilizing interlaced fingers can be an effective method of breaking down this muscular tightness and expanding the heart center. However, these chest openers are often performed incorrectly presenting potential injury for the wrists.

Read More about how to prepare and align the fingers and hands to effectively stretch open the chest and shoulders while preventing stress from occurring in the wrists.

Related articles:
Protecting Wrists in Downward Facing Dog and Yoga Poses
Reducing Shoulder Impingement in Yoga Poses
Wrist Supports in Yoga Classes

Yoga and Lymphatic Circulation

My Yoga Online - My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga anatomy article by Kreg Weiss, Yoga and Lymphatic Circulation. Yoga exercises offer many healing properties including improved circulation of lymphatic channels. The lymphatic system is a network of channels that transport clear fluid called lymph and is highly linked to the circulatory system.

The lymphatic system includes all the structures and mechanisms responsible for the circulation and production of lymphocytes. This immune system network includes various organs like the thymus, spleen, bone marrow and the lymphoid tissue associated with the digestive system.

Learn more on how the lymphatic system directly benefits from Yoga exercises - read full article.

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.

Artificial Sweeteners Exposed

My Yoga Online - Inform yourself of the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame and Saccharin, with our latest nutrition article by Joan Ullyett BA, RHN-Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Find out the history of these dangerous sugar substitutes and discover health, natural alternatives.

Many of us over the age of 30 will remember the Sweet n Low craze that seemed to reach its height in the 1970s. Messages were all around us about the evils of sugar: it caused cavities, made us gain weight, wreaked havoc on blood glucose levels and was simply unhealthy. To the innocent, media-bombarded bystander this seemed a logical enough argument and prompted millions of North Americans to jump on the artificial sweetener bandwagon.

Sweet n Low was the sugar substitute of the day and could be seen on restaurant tabletops everywhere; it tasted virtually the same as sugar with no known unhealthy downside. Thanks to modern science we thought we could finally have our cake and eat it too. Between 1903 and 2002, a handful of artificial sweeteners were introduced to the North American public, each with its own promise of low-calorie, guilt-free goodness.

Click Here to read the entire article.

Fall and Winter Cleansing - A Tune Up for Your Body

My Yoga Online - My Yoga Online has posted a new article by yoga instructor and writer, Insiya Raiswala-Finn, titled Fall and Winter Cleansing-A Tune Up for Your Body. This yoga and healthy living article has many amazing tips to keep your body full of vitality during this busy time of year.

So, it is that intermittent season, autumn, replete with rain and dampness. The perfect time to reminisce about summer, to catch that cold that is going around, (the constant temperature variations do not help); and to begin to accept the inevitable approach of winter.

The fluctuations of late fall and early winter also make it an optimum time to go on a detoxifying dietary cleanse. It is easier in this season, say most streams of alternative medicine, to change our habits and inject new life into our tired routines.

Simply put, a cleanse can give your body a short break from the effort it expends digesting food (40% of your body's energy goes into digestion-that's a lot) and instead, divert some of that energy into expelling toxins and healing.

Cleansing is essential in detoxifying our bodies from the various pollutants we come in contact with in our daily lives, such as environmental toxins, residue from household or cosmetic products, pesticides in food etc. It also allows us to reduce the possibilities of succumbing to allergies, degenerative disease, and even cancer. Think of it as a tune up to keep your body functioning as health-fully as possible. It can last anywhere from 2–3 days or as long as 10–12 days, depending on your needs and goals.

And lest you shudder in recollection of your last experience with one of the many packaged cleanses that clog up the shelves at your local natural foods market, breathe. Here’s a primer on safe and effective ways to cleanse this winter, with tips from holistic health experts.

Click Here to read the full article.

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.

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.

9 Tips to Make Your Office Greener

My Yoga Online - There are a number of ways to cut back on waste at the office. Here are a few ideas:

Save Energy and Water
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator for short trips to save electricity
• Turn off lights and computer equipment at the end of the day to save energy
• Turn off taps completely to avoid wasting water from dripping taps

Save Paper (saving paper saves energy too)
• Set your printer and photocopier to double-sided to save paper
• Edit documents on your computer to save paper
• Always recycle used paper

Produce Less Waste READ MORE....

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.