Yoga For Writers

Writers and journalists are some of our forgotten heroes in today's world. Journalists, for example, keep us well informed of essential facts in the world that weigh in the decisions that affect our daily lives. On the other hand, creative writers continue to produce fascinating stories that can take us to exotic places and feed the soul that motivates us to be better. Mind you; these chosen jobs are not ones to be taken lightly. They push the author's mind to find a way of being truthful and creative to keep the reader fully interested until the end of the story. This commitment to their art takes the writer's dedication to sit long hours honing their narrative to be their very best to inform and inspire. This commitment to excellence is hard on the mind, but this line of work can be debilitating on the body. After a short while of sitting, the body's muscles will begin to tire, and fatigue will set in. At first, minor annoyances of the neck and shoulder will emerge and then spread to the back and hips. If continued without proper adjustments, it will encourage poor posture in the muscular-skeletal body, leading to significant injuries throughout the whole body. Not only does the physical body feel the pain, but the mental and emotional body will pay the price too. This transition manifests into overall moodiness, fatigue, and irritability that will cause problems for the author both at work and at home.

Being a yoga sports coach, I'm a firm believer in the positive power of physical movement. That is why I encourage people in all areas of writing to include yoga as a recovery tool during their writing process. Yoga will improve posture, relieve back pain, and increase stability and mobility in the joints. Yoga has many physical benefits, but it has much mental and emotional welfare. Studies have shown that steady yoga practice will help decrease stress anxiety and improve well-being, critical for writers to be their best.

Though you may struggle physically and mentally at first, you'll see steady improvement by keeping a dedicated practice. You'll create new, healthy habits by moving your body, taking a mental break not to overload your mind, and decreasing stress.

Remember, the more you move your body, the happier it will be at work and in other areas of your life.

Here are the ten yoga poses for writers to help improve their physical and mental health.

1: Cow Pose.

2: Cat Pose

3: Downward Facing Boat With A Strap

4: Warrior One With A Strap

5: Lateral DiP With A Strap

6: Pectoral Opener With A Strap

7: Mountai At The Wall

8: Pectoral Stretch At The Wall

9: Neck Stretch

10: Supporte Bridge On A Block

Yoga And Snow Sports For Winter Blues

Most people don't mind feeling the cold and see snow leading up to and during the holiday season. It brings back memories as a child playing outdoors, building snowmen, having snowball fights, drinking hot cocoa, and sledding down some awesome hills. Though winter is just beginning as December flows into January, most people are already tired of the freezing temperatures and are looking forward to spring. This negative attitude towards winter can make it seem that it drags on too long, thus making individuals feel sluggish and weary. It can also make people feel depressed and irritable from being inside for long periods. Guess what? It doesn't have to be this way. I would argue the importance of being outdoors will help to relieve the negative outlook most people have about winter. There are so many healthy recreations to do in the outdoors during frosty times.

Learning activities like downhill skiing, snowboarding, or cross-country skiing are a great way to get the blood pumping and drop those extra hoilday pounds. Snowshoeing or hiking in the open air supplies the body a good workout and allows individuals to appreciate nature's quiet, calming experience. Not into skiing or snowshoeing? No problem, head down to the local ice rink and do some ice skating to challenge your balance and work your legs. What's important to remember is that any winter activity you do can be modified to meet your personal needs. All you have to do is dress accordingly and change your perception of how boring winter exercises can be.

Reverse Warrior increases flexibility in the psoas and quads to offset tightness to those muscles from snow sports.

By adding these fun, new endeavors to your life, you'll also activate muscles that you may not typically work. So that's why it's essential to add a solid yoga routine during the winter months to help your body recover. Remember that yoga helps decrease the delayed onset of muscle soreness that we experience after a workout, so your body heals faster to get back into your winter activity. Yoga will also help strengthen your core and improve your balance, which will assist you on the slopes or the trails!

Here is a yoga practice that targets specific muscles used in your snow sports. The yoga flow will also help create balance for the mind, body, and spirit to improve your mood during wintertime.

Enjoy!

Yoga For Balance

Balance. We all need it to be successful in life. Athletes need it to best their physical best in their sport. Teachers and professors require the mental stability to juggle all of their student's particular needs. Spouses and partners need emotional steadiness to deal with the complexities of being in an intimate relationship. And we all personally need poise and solid footing when we’re dealing with the up and downs that life loves to throw at us.

Finding one’s symmetry in life to stay grounded can be difficult. When you have the full awareness of these challenges, it’s imperative to find a positive way to stabilize yourself to stay healthy. One option is engaging in mental health therapy to help find a balance for emotional issues in life. Another choice is seeking spiritual guidance at your place of worship to steer you onto a positive path. Exercise is also an excellent addition to mental health therapy to find balance in your life. Running, cycling and weight training are fantastic choices, but yoga is another alternative to improve balance in your life. 

Studies have shown that Yoga will strengthen your primary balance muscles.  It improves the equilibrium receptors located in our ears which helps the body to find symmetry. Mental and emotional benefits include increased focus, concentration, stress reduction, and confidence-building, 

Here are the five yoga poses that you can begin to practice to add overall balance to your life.

Mountain:  

Benefits:

• It helps to develop concentration, confidence, balance, and focus.

• It strengthens the knees, hips, back, shoulders.

• Supports posture and body alignment.

1. Stand with the feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, and the arms alongside the body with the fingertips pressing toward the earth. Lift the sternum and lengthen through the crown of the head. Feel the quads squeeze together and engage the core.

2. As you inhale, lift the arms out to the side of the body and then bring them overhead.  Relax the shoulders down the back and reach the fingertips to the ceiling.  Keep a soft gaze in front of you or close your eyes to invite introversion.  

3. Breathe here for 3- 5 complete breaths.

4. As you exhale, bring the arms slowly down until they are alongside the body.

5.  Pause and feel.

6. Repeat.

Standing Squat:

Benefits:  

• It develops focus, balance, and stability.

• It strengthens the feet, ankles, knees, quads, glutes, core, and shoulders.

• It increases blood circulation to the lower extremities.

1. From the mountain, shift your weight onto the heels and lift your toes to feel full weight distribution taking place (keep toes raised throughout for extra work).

2. Bring hands at the chest in Namaste, lift the arms straight out in front of you, or lengthen the arms overhead.

3. Engage the core and imagine as if you have a chair behind you. 

4. Lift your heart, begin to bend the knees, and take your sitz bones back towards that chair into your squat.

5. Pause and check that your knees are not going past your toes and that your shoulders are relaxing. 

6. Breathe here for numerous breaths and play with how low you can go.

7. On an inhalation, come back up to a standing position

8. Release and repeat.

Modifications: 

Don’t go as deep into the squat. 

If the shoulders are tired, keep the hands at the chest in a prayer position or place them on your thighs.

Eagle

Benefits:

• It strengthens the ankles, calves, quads, and hips.

• It stretches the Rhomboids. 

• It Improves focus and balance.

1. Start in Mountain with the arms alongside the body.

2.  Shift weight onto the left foot, lift the right foot off the ground, cross it over the left leg, then either rest the foot on the side of the left leg or wrap the foot around the left calf.

3. Inhale to lift the arms to a t-position. As you exhale, bring the arms towards each other at the center and cross the left arm over the right arm.  Bend the right arm at a 90-degree angle, then bend the left arm at a 90-degree angle and bring the palms of the hands together.

4. Press the arms slightly away from the face and begin to lift the arms towards the ceiling. 

5. Engage the core, keep the chest lifted, drop the gluts back and start squatting towards the earth.

6. When you find your working stance, pause here for 3- 7 breaths. 

7. Engage the core to come back to the center to release the legs and arms.

8. Notice how the body feels for a moment, then change side and repeat.

Modifications:

• Keep the top arm extended if that shoulder bothers you.

• Bring hands to Namaste at the heart if both shoulders are injured.

• Place the leading foot on a block to help you balance the body.

Tree:

Benefits:

• It helps balance, focus, and stability.

• It strengthens the legs.

• It stretches the inner thigh, groin, and hips.

1. Start in the Mountain pose and feel both feet engaged into the earth.

2. Begin to shift weight between the left foot and the right foot.  Notice any issues with an imbalance in the feet, legs, torso, and mind.

3. Pick a focal point or dristi anywhere in front of you. Let the muscles in your face relax, the shoulders soften, and bring the hands to the heart center.

4. Eventually, bring your total weight onto the left foot.

5. Lift the right foot, and place it either below the knee or above the knee. Ensure that the foot does not press into the knee joint, as it can cause pressure and even cause damage to the knee joint. 

6. Lightly press the right knee back as far as it will comfortably go. The stretch will allow a deeper opening in the inner thigh, hips, and the piriformis muscle in the glutes.

7. Either keep the hands at the heart center or modify by taking the arms straight overhead into a temple pose.  Feel free to close the eyes for an additional challenge of balance in the pose☺

8. Slowly release under your power.

9.  Pause and feel the weight equally shifting back to both feet.

10) Change sides and repeat.

Modifications:

• Place your lifted foot on a block. 

• Stay close to a wall for support.
  
  
  
  

Twisted Warrior: 

1. Start in the Mountain pose. 

2. Step the right leg back to your most full extension. You’ll have the toes tucked under, with the heel lifted off of the earth.

3. Bend the left leg right above the ankle. 

4. Bring hands to the heart center, engage the core and stabilize the legs. Begin to twist to the left, keeping the torso long. Stay long and tall in the torso, or take the right elbow onto the left thigh.

5. Step the right foot forward next to the left leg and release the arms alongside the body when ready.

6. Pause to feel the difference between the right leg and left leg.

      7) Then change sides and repeat.

Yoga Poses for Better Digestion

As Thanksgiving approaches, we all gather around the table to experience a yearly dining event like no other. We can all get swept up at the moment and eat numerous rounds of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberries during the day. All of the return trips to the dinner table go from feeling satisfied to complete and feeling stuffed and downright uncomfortable. Listen, I love to eat too, but we have to remember to take a healthy, disciplined approach when dining on this holiday. It’s important to remember to be aware of portion sizes, stopping once we feel satisfied, and to include some movement in between trips to allow for proper digestion to occur.  What are some ideas of movement you can do after one of your meals? Taking a walk with family or your dog in the neighborhood can be beneficial for the digestion of your food. Feel free to put up your Christmas decorations after a meal to encourage some movement if you feel festive for the holidays.  

And finally, another great way to assist in healthily processing your food is to practice yoga. Yoga has been found to offer many health benefits to aid in your digestion. Many scientific studies have shown that adults can decrease the symptoms of IBS with regular yoga practice. Studies have also shown that yoga can help relieve gas, bloating, constipation, and increase bowel movements. 

How does yoga help, though? He’s a list of the benefits and how it breaks down.

• Yoga poses help to stretch the body and massage the abdominal muscles. This movement helps food to move efficiently along the digestive tract.

• Utilizing twisting yoga poses helps to “wring out” some of the abdominal organs, enabling more efficient bowel movements (peristalsis) and relieving constipation.

• Yoga improves the circulatory system. The yoga poses allow the blood to circulate more efficiently in the digestive organs, thus aiding digestion.

• Regular practice of yoga discourages fatty deposits.

• Yoga helps to reduce stress and anxiety, which are a standard connection to digestion issues.

• Yoga increases the parasympathetic nervous system, offsets the sympathetic nervous system, or the body's “fight or flight response.”  This transition allows the body to recover from stress and helps the body back in homeostasis.

• Deep breathing during yoga helps the body relax, but it also oxygenates cells to help the organs work more efficiently.

By getting into a regular yoga practice, you’ll begin to experience a decrease in stomach irritation brought on by digestion issues. By incorporating poses such as spinal twists, back bending, and lateral extension, you’ll help absorb your food. It’s also essential to include some breathing exercises and end your yoga session with an inversion to help with the breakdown of your meals. This awareness of how a healthy mind and body connection will not only help decrease the chance of an upset stomach after meals, but you’ll sleep more soundly at night without interruption too. 

            Click on the link to practice a flow specifically made to assist indigestion.