Yoga For The Holidays

It’s that time of year again—the holidays. We contemplate and show gratitude for everything we have: our family, friends, a home over our heads, and enough money in our accounts to spend on the people we love. However, it is also a time of year when stress levels can swell for many individuals.

 The American Psychological Association reports that around forty-three percent of individuals disclose an increase in stress during this time. This means that nearly two-fifths of adults feel the mental and emotional strain of the holidays. It’s no secret that when people feel stressed, it can lead to depression, anxiety, and physical illness. What is even more shocking is that women, by two to one against males, are more likely to feel the burden of the holidays.  Though people will look to ease this stress by talking to family or friends, there is another way to combat the stress: doing yoga. When you add a consistent yoga practice during the holidays, individuals can decrease stress and anxiety dramatically. Studies have shown that yoga can increase serotonin, “the feel-good hormone,” to improve your mood and enjoy the holidays. Yoga also increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is associated with better mood and decreased anxiety. Adding a yoga practice to your life will address much-needed self-care this time. That way, you can enjoy the season without feeling overwhelmed by the holiday buzz. It's important to acknowledge that holiday stress is a common experience, and you are not alone in this. 

Here is a yoga sequence to help you decrease stress and anxiety and assist you with the season. I encourage you to give it a try and see how it can positively impact your holiday experience

Yoga For Catchers

What is one of the most challenging positions in both baseball and softball? The catcher. Think about it. A catcher has to squat for most of their time on the diamond. They must be able to throw out base runners from the squatting position or on their knees. They are responsible for scouting and developing a strategy for every at-bat and pitch sequence against opposing hitters. A catcher is an on-field general who informs and realigns their teammates against each batter. They must be leaders and selfless for the team's good. 

The catcher's role is so crucial that they must possess a high pain threshold to always be on the field. The muscles that catchers use in their position are the glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, and rotator cuffs, to name a few. They must also have enough mobility in their ankle joints to improve and sustain their movements throughout every game.

This is where strength training comes into play. Catchers must maintain the everyday grind of 

their position. 

Are there any other ways that catchers could improve their overall training? There is one. It is yoga.

More teams could incorporate yoga to help catchers increase their flexibility and mobility to perform at their peak potential. Not only does yoga help create more flexibility and mobility for catchers, but it will also increase focus and concentration. It will raise a more profound awareness and allow a catcher to change strategies in a moment if needed.

Here is a sequence that targets the ankles, hips, hamstrings, and shoulder girdle to assist catchers in performing at their best.

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Yoga For The Shoulders

Have you ever considered the silent heroes of your body, your shoulders? They work tirelessly, yet we often overlook them. Let's take a moment to appreciate their role, especially when seated at a desk or engrossed in our work. 

Most of us overlook our shoulders and their positioning until we start experiencing tension. However, by the time we pay attention, we might already have an injury due to our neglect of proper shoulder alignment. This could have been prevented if we had been more mindful of our bodies, underscoring the importance of shoulder health.

It's crucial to understand that many shoulder injuries result from poor posture. We often find ourselves slumped over a computer at work, standing with a rounded back, or simply sinking into a chair. These habits can lead to severe health issues, highlighting the necessity of maintaining good posture.  

The Mayo Clinic has reported that poor posture can lead to shoulder impingement. The National Library of Medicine studied whether poor posture contributed to tears in the rotator cuff muscles. They found that Postural abnormality increased the risk of tears to either one or both sets of the rotator cuff muscles. 

So, that begs the question: How can we decrease the chances of a shoulder injury due to poor posture? 

Here's a simple yet effective way to combat slumping: sit or stand straight and roll your shoulders down your back. This minor adjustment can make a big difference in maintaining proper posture and preventing shoulder injuries.

Strengthening the shoulder girdle muscles is another effective way to enhance your posture and shoulder health. These muscles play a crucial role in maintaining shoulder stability and posture, and by strengthening them, you can significantly reduce the risk of shoulder injuries.

What are the shoulder girdle muscles? Well, they are broken into 3-parts;

• The Muscles of the Scapula. These muscles originate from the skeleton and insert into the scapula, including the trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboids, and serratus anterior.

• The Rotator Cuff Muscles. These muscles originate from the scapula and insert into the tuberculum, stabilizing the glenohumeral joint. The four rotator cuff muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

• The Primary Movers of the Upper Arm. These muscles originate from the clavicle and scapula and insert into the humerus, including the biceps, deltoid, and triceps.

Now that we know these muscles, let’s work on strengthening them. Them. Here is a yoga flow designed to help stabilize the shoulders and improve posture.

Why Yoga Blog?

Yoga For Stress

Has the start of the hoilday season brought on feelings of stress or anxiety? Have these feelings led to bouts of depression? Are your nights filled with tossing and turning because your mind can't shut down? Guess what? You're not alone. Harvard Medical School shared in a recent study that sixty-two percent of people report feeling stressed during the hoilday season. In another study, The American Psychological Association says that Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the world's most common mental health disorders, and MDD is higher during the holidays.

Thankfully, several options are available to decrease stress and add more bliss. These alternatives are merely adding a yoga and meditation practice into your life. We already know that yoga's physical exercise can improve flexibility, mobility, and overall body strength. What's incredible is that the popularity of yoga over the last 20 years has brought on many scientific studies showing its numerous psychological benefits.

The APA did a 2017 meta-analysis of 23 interventions looking at the effects of yoga-based treatments on depressive symptoms, overwhelmingly concluding that yoga can now be considered an effective alternative treatment for MDD.

Medical News Today reports that scientists are now learning the mechanisms behind how yoga lowers stress.

Persistent surges of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, may damage blood vessels and elevate blood pressure.

Research shows that people who practice yoga regularly have low cortisol levels.

Studies have also found that practicing yoga for at least three months may lower cortisol and perceived stress.

The APA's recent studies report that meditation, breath work, and auditory rituals, like chanting and sound baths, have also been shown to lessen tension and relieve stress significantly.

That's all encouraging news! Now, let's put it into practice.

Here are the eight yoga poses and a bonus meditation exercise to help decrease stress and anxiety and help you feel less depressed.

Child’s Pose

Cow Pose

Cat Pose

Low Lunge

Warrior One

Tree

Cow Facing Forward Fold

Corpse

Seated Meditation

Thumb to Index Finger Meditation. Come into a comfortable seated position, lie on your back, and relax the face, neck, and shoulder muscles. With gentle pressure, bring your index fingers and thumbs together. Allow your breath to deepen, and make circles with the thumbs and index fingers. As the meditation exercise continues, you'll lighten the touch even more and proceed to slow down the rotation-making process. Slow down to the point that the thumbs are barely moving. Continue to focus on every movement by the thumbs and continue to lengthen your breath as well. Stay here for 5-10 minutes, then release the thumb and finger, and be aware of how you feel. The concept of this meditation is to become aware of sensations and be in the moment. Meditation will help slow your mind down to ease anxiety, stress, and tension at the moment and your life.