The Holidays & Stress in General

They're here. The holidays have officially arrived. It's a season that most people have strong feelings about. They love it, hate it, or love to hate it. Why? I blame stress. People always seem to have large expectations for the season be they real or imagined.

I was contemplating this a few weeks ago while scrolling through my Facebook when I stumbled over this article and it just felt like kismet. So, check out this article about stress and how yoga can train us to cope from Yoga International.

Namaste,

-Leta (The Yogi)

How Yoga Trains Us to Deal With Stress

August 30, 2016    BY Kristin Diversi

I was recently faced with the necessity of having a difficult conversation with someone I love. You know the kind: there was no avoiding it, but I would rather have been anywhere but there. I felt trapped and vulnerable. And I felt that if I didn’t tread carefully, our friendship would be irreparably hurt.

As I took a deep breath and created space from my hurt feelings, I felt deep gratitude for my yoga practice and how it has taught me to sit with myself—and the situation—before I react out of anger or sadness. Yoga has taught me how to be a better friend: to others, and to myself.

How can ten breaths in warrior II prepare me for a tough sit-down with a friend, you may ask. Scientists have been studying the effects of yoga on our stress response systems for years. In the last decade, largely thanks to yoga’s increased popularity, they’ve ramped up their efforts.

How can ten breaths in warrior II prepare me for a tough sit-down with a friend, you may ask.

When we think of yoga, we often think of a practice that is inherently relaxing: Lying on a mat and getting totally blissed out, feeling amazing from the first om to the final namaste.

By and large, that is a very incomplete picture.

The reason yoga works long-term is that the practice is designed to trigger our stress response. Think about it: what could be more stressful than holding a weird shape for an indeterminate amount of time, while your legs are burning and your arms feel like jelly? Even in restorative yoga you are being asked to hold a static shape—one that is probably not natural for your body—while  you also release the thoughts you are holding.

Yoga works because in the midst of these stressful situations, something else is happening: We are actively working to train our minds and bodies to relax, despite the stressful situation. We are reorienting our stress response from the innate (fast, heavy breathing, panicked thoughts, and tense muscles) to the learned (slow, deliberate breathing, calm thoughts, and engaged but not clenched muscles). By training our mental reactions, we are also modulating our physical reactions: We are lowering our heart rates, blood pressure, and easing our breathing. We are letting the body become a secondary concern, rather than the primary driving force of our practice.

We’ve all felt that magical moment in yoga class when the stress we carried in from the day—the angry boss, the fight with the spouse, the money worries—all drop away. If we can learn to consciously cultivate this while under physical stress, we can also learn to cultivate it when under emotional and mental stress.

Yoga teaches us how to train our stress response systems—something most people will never learn how to do, because they never develop the tools. Most people become stuck in patterns of reactivity, whereas, after training in yoga, we can become proactive. By learning to release our physical and mental stress during a yoga class, we can learn to release it when we are not on our mats—for example, when we are overwhelmed or in difficult situations.

In an emotional situation, we can learn to step outside of our emotionally reactive selves, just as we do on the mat when asked to do something we think is impossible, or the teacher asks us to hold a pose a bit longer. Instead of saying, “No!” or crying, or becoming angry, we learn to cultivate a peaceful response. We can let everything that is not the present moment fall away—all of our fears, anger, and all of our attachment to “our side” of the argument—focusing instead on the situation we are in, and the best outcome for everyone involved.

Meditation is another yogic tool we can utilize during times of emotional and mental stress. Different types of meditation are helpful for different things: a simple breath meditation is useful for learning how to be present in the moment. The practice of observing our thoughts is useful for learning how to recognize obsessive or negative thoughts—and eventually training them to be less aggressive or reactive, or even preventing them from becoming worse. A loving kindness meditation may help us to put ourselves in others’ shoes, and better understand their perspectives (even when it seems impossible to do so).

Pranayama, or breath practice, is another way that yoga can help us move through complicated situations. There are many wonderful breathing practices, but I’ve found three to be most helpful in working through difficult life situations:

• At times when you feel the need to calm down and take big, deep breaths, do it intentionally: Practice ujjayi breath. This breath is soothing and will help the nervous system to slow down.
• When you need to recenter yourself, literally and figuratively, try alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodhana. This breath is also calming, and will help you find balance when you feel off center.
• Finally, when you feel the need to just let go of some energy or even to scream, try lion’s breath: let it all out, envisioning the release of all of your pent-up feelings and excess energy, leaving you free to move past them.

By engaging in practices where we focus on retraining the automatic response to stress—reaction, discomfort, pain, fear, anger, frustration—and instead learn how to move through difficult situations with some level of grace—patience, stillness, equanimity, composure—we learn how to engage more mindfully. We are learning how to return to that magical place on the mat when everything becomes calm and still and quiet—whenever we need to.

And that is the goal of yoga practice, isn’t it? To be able to access that place all of the time. With each practice, we’re getting closer.

Class Payment Page Up and Running!

Hey everyone!

We have some really exciting news! As some of you may already know, The Doc & The Yogi website is now officially set up and able to receive payments for yoga classes.

What does this mean?

Well, it means that you now have the option to pay for your Yoga with Leta classes through the website. No more need to worry about bringing cash or your checkbook to your next class.

More Payment Options!

I am now offering Monthly Passes for the Healthy Living Yoga classes that happen Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 8:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Sand Springs. There are 2 passes available; a 1 class per week and a 2 class per week option. These are a flat fee of $50 and $100, respectively. By purchasing a Monthly Pass you can save anywhere from $10 - $35, depending on the number of weeks that month. I recommend purchasing your Passes at the beginning of the month in order to get the most savings. *Please note that Passes do not roll over from month to month. Ex: A Monthly Pass purchased on December 8th would expire on December 31st regardless of how many classes you were able to attend.*

You can also purchase by the class, private, and semi-private sessions through the website.

How does it work?

Simply go to the "Class Payment" page under "Yoga with Leta". Select your class option, and checkout! There are NO added fees or taxes to purchasing online, just the ability to streamline so you don't have to worry about paying for your class the night of.

Bonus!

You can also purchase classes or Passes for someone else! So feel free to give the gift of yoga - it just might change someone's life.

Namaste,

-Leta (The Yogi)

Have you heard of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome?

This is a great article at Yoga International by Bernadette Birney about something that isn't spoken of enough in yoga. Yoga is not always about increasing your flexibility. Sometimes your yoga journey can be more about learning to listen to, and care for your body and building strength, and stability. Everyone's yoga is as unique as themselves!

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/joint-hypermobility-syndrome-yogas-enigmatic-epidemic

Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: Yoga’s Enigmatic Epidemic?

January 11, 2016    BY Bernadette Birney

“It’s called Joint Hypermobility Syndrome,” the neurologist said.

After meeting an insanely high health insurance deductible this year, I considered asking my husband to run over my foot with his car for the grim satisfaction of sticking my health insurance company with the bill.

Instead, I opted to address as many health concerns as possible. The migraines that have plagued me since childhood were high up the list so I booked an appointment with a neurologist who specializes in headaches.

After reviewing my history and examining me he asked, “Would you mind bending forward to touch your toes?”

I folded in half, uttanasana-style, easily putting my palms on the floor and touching my forehead to my shins. He did a double take, made a note, then gestured me back up onto the table.

“Straighten your elbow, please,” he said.

“All the way?” I asked.

“Yes, all the way.”

He bent and straightened my elbows and knees, but I could have told him they hyperextend. He’d already seen x-rays of my spine’s scoliotic curves in my chart. He pulled at my skin to test its elasticity.

“Do you have muscle pain?”

“Tons,” I said. “My neck, shoulders, and low back hurt all the time. My sacroiliac joints are unstable, and I have a couple of ribs that move out of place. I’ve had wrist tendonitis since childhood, and an elbow tendonitis that acts up if I’m not careful.”

“Does the yoga help?” he asked.

“Yes—IF,” I replied, “if I’m conservative, which I am. If I push into my flexibility I pay for it.”

“Can you bend your thumb backward to touch your wrist?” he asked.

“Not anymore. I used to do all that kind of stuff as a kid—touch my feet to my head, stick my foot behind my head,” I said. “I was really bendy. I’m still a lot bendier than the average human, but not nearly as bendy as some of my colleagues.”

I am what I call a “tight, bendy person.”

My joints are quite mobile—hypermobile—but my muscles are tight, with chronic knots. I’m careful when I practice yoga—with myself and with my yoga students—but am perpetually nursing one ache or another.

Socially and politically I’m left of liberal. But on the mat, in part because of my excessive flexibility, I’m a die-hard conservative. You could say I’m kind of a fuddy-duddy. 

“How long did it take you to do that?” wistful students have asked over the years when I sit cross-legged with ease. For many of them, their hips are so tight that they can’t even imagine being comfortable in that position.

“I’ve always been able to do this,” I tell them, not wanting to misrepresent yoga’s capabilities.

I’m not boasting. My mobility is pathological.

The neurologist explained that my symptoms pointed to Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS), a condition characterized by joints that move beyond normal ranges of motion.

In yoga class, those who have difficulty touching their toes may feel their lack of flexibility as a liability, and of course it can be. However, while inadequate range of motion isn’t optimal, it’s not nearly as perilous as excessive range of motion.

People with JHS often suffer from musculoskeletal and joint pain and soft tissue injuries like strains, sprains, tendonitis, and dislocations. Because our ligaments are unstable, we have an increased tendency to have scoliosis, TMJ, spinal disc problems, flat feet, and headaches.

Dr. Alan Pocinki, an MD who practices in Washington D.C.’s metro area, and who has written what is in my opinion a groundbreaking article about JHS, explains: “Because…the ligaments [are]…too loose and therefore cannot do their job well, the muscles…are forced to do more of the work…than they are meant to do, so they become strained.” 1

“We don’t really understand this condition yet,” my neurologist told me. “It may be caused by a mutation in collagen genes.”

People with JHS are prone to fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis (which occurs more rapidly in loose joints), and neuropathic pain or numbness.1 We often bruise easily, and have unusually elastic and velvety skin. We may be markedly uncomfortable standing for prolonged periods of time.

Our nervous systems tend to be overly responsive. Dr. Pocinki writes that “In recent years, [JHS] has been associated with a variety of autonomic nervous system problems. (The autonomic nervous system regulates all body processes, such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, and immunity.)” 1 So we may have circulatory problems (for example, low blood pressure, light-headedness upon standing, cold hands and feet, heart palpitations, varicose veins, and in extreme cases blood vessels can even rupture. And we’re prone to digestive issues like acid reflux and irritable bowel disease. 1

According to Pocinki, “To compensate for stretchy blood vessels…most people with hypermobility appear to make extra adrenaline...”1 Over time, excessive adrenaline production can exhaust our adrenal glands, leading to fatigue, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and depression. 2 Speaking from personal experience, being chronically achy and exhausted takes a major toll. 

My neurologist continued on to tell me that autoimmunity is also associated with the condition. That likely explains my Hashimoto’s disease, which is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Hashimoto’s made me more likely to develop the thyroid cancer that resulted in surgical removal of my thyroid last February, hence meeting my insurance deductible, which is how I wound up in the neurologist’s office to begin with.

JHS and its similar but more severe sister condition, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, are thought to be genetic. Women are around three times more likely than men to have JHS. As children our extreme flexibility may have been considered cute and encouraged—especially if we were involved in activities like gymnastics and ballet.1

Obviously a conversation about JHS is relevant to yoga, yet I’ve never heard the condition referred to in any yoga class or publication. I have a hypothesis that, because flexibility is generally positively reinforced in yoga classes, there’s a good chance if we looked we’d find higher incidences of JHS among yogis than in the population at large.

People tend to enjoy things we’re good at. Speaking from my own early yoga experience, I equated being limber with being “good at yoga.” I enjoyed my practice more because I felt successful. That early “success” encouraged me to stick with it.

Imagine a scenario in which an instructor with JHS teaches yoga. Flexible people might emulate a pathological range of motion, while tight yoga students—or even those with a perfectly healthy and more normal range of motion—may feel unsuccessful or “not good at yoga.”

Actually, we probably don’t have to imagine this scenario. I think it happens all the time.

I’m a yoga teacher, not a physician, and diagnosis is far outside my professional scope of practice. That said, I see hypermobile students frequently and…wonder.

Yoga can still be great for people with JHS. Stabilizing the muscles around our joints by strengthening through light resistance is helpful.

It’s imperative, though, that we use good alignment when we practice asana and that we refrain from hyperextending our joints. Heavy lifting isn’t good for our joints either, so we may have to modify poses to decrease weight-bearing. For example, bringing our knees to the floor in chaturanga dandasana, or skipping chaturanga entirely. We might need to move more slowly if we become light-headed.

Obviously, restorative yoga, pranayama, and meditation are great support for our nervous systems.

At this time there is no cure for JHS. Right now we can treat the symptoms but not the underlying cause. That said, the confirmation a diagnosis brings could be a huge relief. It was for me.

When you’re tired, achy, and stressed for long enough, it’s easy to dismiss yourself as a complainer or hypochondriac. Understanding there are real physical reasons at play affirms I’m not nuts, emotionally frail, or crazy—at least, no more so than anyone else.

References:

1. Alan G. Pocinki, MD, PLLC, Joint Hypermobility and
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, (2010).
2. William C. Sheil Jr., MD, FACP, FACR, Hypermobility Syndrome
(Joint Hypermobility Syndrome), (4/29/2015).

New Yoga at the YMCA!

Exciting news everyone! Well, exciting for me anyway! Beginning next Monday, May 23 I will be leading 2 yoga classes at the Owasso Family YMCA.

From 10:00 - 10:55am I will be leading a General Yoga class for all levels in the Mind & Body Studio.

Then, from 12:00 - 12:55pm I will be leading an Active Adult Chair Yoga class in the Fitness Studio.

The Owasso Y is fully stocked with yoga mats, blocks, straps, blankets, and chairs so if you're new to yoga or don't have your own gear don't let that stop you from joining us for some self care on our yoga mats!

The Owasso Y is in a beautiful building and it's filled with lovely, and helpful staff members. To find out more about classes at the Tulsa YMCA (http://ymcatulsa.org/classes) or about the Owasso Y (http://ymcatulsa.org/owasso) check out their website. As always, if you have any questions just leave a comment or shoot me an email at yogawithleta@gmail.com.

Namaste,

-Leta (The Yogi)

NEW Yoga Classes!

Hey guys,

I have some really exciting news about new yoga classes going on the schedule! Beginning TONIGHT Wednesday April 13 I will be leading yoga classes at the Tulsa Boys' Home (TBH) in Sand Springs, located just off Highway 51. If you aren't familiar with TBH they're an incredible organization and you can check out their website at http://www.tulsaboyshome.org/tulsaboys/default.asp.

Classes will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm inside the main building at TBH. These sessions will be open to TBH staff as well as members of the public, so come on over and spend some time on your mat with us! The best part? Drop in pricing is just $10 per class. Just drop me a line here or on my Facebook page to let me know you'll be joining us!

Bring your yoga mat along, but if you don't have one don't let that stop you from coming; we will have a limited number of mats available for use during the class.

This is going to be a great class for anyone, whether you're athletic, love yoga already, or have never really be into physical activity before! We're going to start out focusing on body awareness and alignment, breathing, and letting go of our day while building our yoga practice. If you have any questions about the schedule, or where to go leave me a comment below or shoot me an email at yogawithleta@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

-Leta (The Yogi)