Monthly Archives: July 2020

Aloha Yogis,

Happy Saturday! Admittedly, my academic year has already taken ahold of my schedule. With it, I feel a lot of stress to get things done. I know I am in good company with these feelings. Which is why I wanted to reach out to you and share what I do to spark productivity and maintain happiness in busy/hectic times, enter my non-negotiables list. That's right, my tip is to make a list. Figure out what it is you need in your day in order to live into the best version of yourself.

I have a few non-negotiables, that I know I need in my day. I fit them in, no excuses, as it is better for myself and all of those around me!

Here is my non-negotiables list:

1) morning oil pulling - once you start, you can't go back. it feels so clean and rejuvenating. ultimate reset.
2) journaling - anything, free flow, check in, let it out, inspire yourself.
3) coffee - need I say more? sometimes I do hot chocolate (yes, even in Hawaii).
4) healthy food/plenty of water - all the fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, I eat a lot.
5) vitamin D from sunlight - enter endorphins, energy, essential vitamins, circadian rhythm reset.
6) outdoor running - cardiorespiratory health, fresh air, and that vitamin D (again).
7) yoga - moving my body every day of this life, because I want to maintain my ROM and feel good, always. I also like to get that lymph flowing, blood flowing, and again, endorphins.
8) standing up every hour - typically included - 30-60 seconds of squats (true story, even at 11pm. last stand hour of the day, you get me?).
9) time with my Derek - this one, is so important. I love him dearly, but we are both busy people. we are better together, and quality time with him makes me better, period.
10) quiet time with candles - is there anything quite like a dimly lit room with a delicious smelling candle? just the imagery of this brings me inspired peace.
11) reading in bed - generally reading everything these days, I ended up purchasing kindle unlimited over quarantine.

These are my resets, this is what I need.

While I didn't intend to make this list in the chronological order of how my non-negotiables fall in my day, it ended up following the actual order. To be clear, I know I will be okay, if one of these 11 items doesn't happen. However, I generally hit all of these in a day, or at least try to. One day per week, I don't run, but I usually have to push myself not to run!

I've communicated this list to my husband, he knows this list as well. Which is helpful, because he can check in with me when I've been sitting at my computer all day and say, 'hey, did you get outside yet?'

Different from the "shift-list"

In the goal chaser series I lead, I have the students make a "shift-list" - they write out effective ways in which they can shift back into living their values. We all go 'below the line' at times, meaning we lose sight of our values in a moment (ie being short with someone) and we are reactive. It might be that we are thirsty, tired, in need of alone time, you name it. 

Write your own non-negotiables list - you are that important.

Shift-list aside, I am suggesting that you write a list of non-negotiables. In other words, this is not the list to get you to shift when you need to be pulled back above the line, but rather, this is a list of your essentials. You want to check these boxes everyday - they are preventative. Your list will help you stay restored. Make your own list, because each of us will have different items.

The older I get, the more effective this list has become. It's a really helpful tool, a non-negotiables list. A composed list signifies that you know, and love yourself enough, to honor what you simply need in order to show up fully in a moment, again and again. I hope you can make a list that has you jumping out of bed in the morning, for real! 

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to reply to this email and share some of your non-negotiables with me.

Cheers to endorphins, coffee, and 11pm squats,

LM

Twists

ALOHA yogis!

Everyone loves a twisting class. I want to share some thoughts on the practice of twisting with you. I definitely don’t want to make baseless claims that lack scientific evidence, but for teachers and students alike it is always an interesting practice between trusting what you feel in your body over what the Western medical evidence for yoga benefits might reveal. There is a major lack of research in this area, at least on a larger scale. I studied yoga benefits in grad school but only for a small cohort of around 30 yogis.

Let’s dive deeper into the topic of twists: the alignment, benefits, contraindications, and myths.

What is physically happening in a twist? The action of twisting, rotates the spine and helps to stretch the muscles throughout the back body. A safe twisting practice will help to restore the spine’s natural range of motion. If we don’t continue to practice finding our spine’s natural range of motion, we could, not surprisingly, lose some of that mobility, our joints may harden or even fuse. The supportive muscles around the spine can also become shortened, however, if we practice daily twists we can hopefully maintain full mobility and function.

There are some really important fundamentals of twisting, and the most important is the action of lengthening the spine before adding any physical rotation or twist. The inhale breath coincides with the action of lengthening so as to create space between the vertebrae. When there is little space or length between vertebrae the spine may slump or have a pinching sensation. Additionally, the sushumna nadis lies along the spine, our major channel of energy flow, through all 7-chakras or our "bulbs" of energy. If there is a stop in the flow of our energy, it’s no bueno for our state of mind, we might feel our energy levels drop, or even our mood. A twist on your yoga mat will help you lengthen your spine and eventually create space between the bones, so that our energy can flow more efficiently through our sushumna nadis. The immediate benefit from a twist is energy as we safely lift and decompress the vertebrae.

I love to sequence twists throughout a yoga practice, but especially at the end of a more focused class, such as a workshop on back-bending or forward folds. Twists are neutralizing postures, as they engage your core, abdominals, obliques, and the synergistic muscles that support different movements of your spine, shoulders, pelvis, and neck. Twists are a whole body effort. Be very wary if you enter a twist without a long spine and or without steady breathing, it means that something is off.

Now for the piece I really want to cover, do twists really aid in digestion? You’ve probably heard in class after class, twists are “detoxifying,” “great for digestion,” “cleaning your insides,” or maybe even “wringing out your internal organs,” etc. Before or after a big food holiday, such as Thanksgiving, you will definitely see a twisting class up on the schedule. What do all of these claims actually mean? And are they claims or truth? Twists create movement through our torso, including, in and around our organs, so they do help speed things up in terms of digestion by encouraging our food along.

BKS Iyengar believed that twists are detoxifying because of the squeeze and soak action. The organs of detoxification and elimination are compressed pushing out old blood, when we release the twist fresh blood can flow in. This is widely accepted in the yoga world, but like many things in life, there is some healthy debate on this topic.

Others suggest that the concept of the ‘squeeze and soak’ action is not that accurate. “Twists do affect our mobility (movement of organs in relation to each other) and our motility (movement within an organ). However a number of factors are involved in stimulation of our organs” (Yoga Anatomy, Matthews).

It would be safe to say that twists help stimulate circulation to our organs, including our organs of elimination, which in turn can help stimulate our metabolism and rate of excretion.

Perhaps twists aren’t literally “wringing out the internal organs” just as in a backbends aren’t literally “opening your heart” but there is a grain of truth to both metaphors as we certainly feel energetic releases to the organs of that particular area and they can be helpful guiding metaphors for us on our mats, to deeply connect to the posture and its intention.

I usually start off every class by asking my students if they have any requests, and one of my students always says, “well, you know I am pro-twists, as always!” (I adore her). After a long day at the office, sitting, traveling, just living, here are some good reasons to insert twists into your daily life. Twists stimulate circulation, they create heat, release tension in the muscles of the spine, abdomen and rib cage which has a carryover effect of helping the other systems in the body work effectively. 

There are countless twisting postures and they could be seated, standing, or supine. A supine twist stabilizes the upper body, therefore allowing the twist to happen through the lower spine by rotating the pelvis and legs. Be sure to draw your belly in and keep both shoulders grounded. In a seated or standing twist we must both ground ourselves and lengthen through the spine, draw your belly up and in so as to stabilize the pelvis and low back. If seated root down through the sitting bones and if your back rounds, prop yourself up onto a bolster, blanket, or block to maintain the natural length and curvature of your spine before adding in a twist.

Both students and teachers should be aware that different parts of the spine have different ranges of mobility. Knowing this takes some self-imposed pressure off of yourself that you “should be” somewhere you are not or quite frankly somewhere you will never be. Your body will tell you where you need to be, but if that isn’t good enough, know that anatomically your spine will have varying degrees of mobility. The lumbar spine rotates only about 5 degrees, the thoracic spine rotates about 35 degrees, and the cervical spine rotates about 50 degrees. Practice very mindfully, and work the whole spine into your twist, with all of its degrees of mobility, be patient and kind to yourself. Start with the low body, and work your way on up, allow your neck to twist very last.

If your body is restricting a movement, don’t force it, breathe, be present, listen to your body’s wisdom and adapt your posture.

There is also some debate about what is going on in the pelvis and hips in your twist. Some yoga instructors will say the hips should be completely level or if seated, that the sitting bones should be completely fixed to the floor in a twist. This would make for a deeper twist in the more mobile areas of the spine, ie thoracic. However, if you are doing this rather than just engage your quads, you must really draw the thigh bones into the hip sockets. Because the other school of thought is that it is easier on the SI joint to let the opposite hip to the side you are twisting lift slightly, and this is a much more natural movement for the body. As you know, hips are not only the largest joint, but it is a big area of injury for yogis. Twists are contraindicated if you are pregnant! Skip the twisting portion of class if you are pregnant. There are other modifications you can take if you are a mama-to-be!

If you are in a twist, aligned well, comfortable through the hips, shoulders, etc., you might be ready to deepen your expression with a bind. Twists open the back, shoulders, and chest nicely. Let’s cover binding on another day. Let your takeaways today be: listen to your body, breathe, lengthen through your spine before adding any rotations, and stay present.

Happy Twisting,

LM

Spotlight Series Guest #1 - Leana Marshall, yoga instructor extraordinaire

1) If you can recall it, what is your memory of your first yoga practice?

My memory of my first yoga class was in Jackson, MS. It was a little locally owned yoga studio called Joyflow Yoga. I was terrified when I walked in. I remember when I walked in I got so many looks and stares. It made me so uncomfortable, but I went in with my yoga mat and was ready for class.

2) What brought you to the mat?

I was introduced to yoga by my doctor. I was in a car accident and I injured my neck and back. After lots of therapy, pain medications, many doctor visits, I went and searched for a holistic doctor. When I went to see him I was really sad and depressed because I was in so much pain. After seeing him a few times, he suggested I try yoga. I was very apprehensive about it. I honestly thought yoga was for white people and that it wasn't something POC (People of Color) did.

3) How did you feel before and after class?

When I walked in I was immediately intimidated. I didn't feel welcomed. I was nervous. Of course I was the only POC, but I ended up staying anyway. I could see people looking at me and watching my every move in class. It's almost like their stares were burning my skin. It was crazy. However, I didn't allow that to stop me. I enjoyed how warm the class was and I enjoyed the sweat and challenge of the class. It was hard but I refused to give up. After class I was exhausted but my mind and body felt great.

4) How often do you practice yoga? And what currently brings you to the yoga mat?

Pre COVID-19 I was practicing at least 3-4 times a week with other exercise in between. I do my best to get on my mat at least 1-2 times a week at this moment in my life. Currently, when I need a mental break from everything going on in the world, I get on my mat. Life is so heavy right now especially for POC. Yoga helps.

5) As a black female, how has yoga fit into your life?

In the past, prior to me diving into yoga principles on my own, I didn't really understand the spiritual practice of yoga. I was treated poorly in many yoga studios but I would always just sweep it under the rug and pretend my feelings weren't hurt.

Whew....now that my mind is stronger (thank God for growth) I always try to treat people as I want to be treated even if they are being an asshole to me. I will continue to be nice and kind and that's where the yoga practice comes in handy!

Mentally, yoga is so great for mental health. When I am feeling down and anxious, I do my best to try and get on my mat.

I truly enjoy the physical practice of yoga and how it makes my body feel after a great class.

6) As a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ community, in what ways has your yoga practice intersected with this mission?

The LGBTQIA community means so much to me. Often times, it's so hard for members of this community to feel welcomed in yoga spaces. As a member of the community myself, I always try to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed and included. This (and other reasons) is why I am such an advocate for inclusivity. 

7) What role has yoga played for you in stress management?

Normally when I am feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, I know it's time to get on my mat. Yoga plays a huge role in helping me manage my stress, PTSD, and anxiety. 

8) Besides being a mover and a shaker on the yoga mat and in the world, what hobbies do you have?

I love to do other workouts outside of yoga. I enjoy taking my mini poodle Bailey on long walks. I love being with my family and friends. I am enrolling myself into a Doula program this summer. (This should be exciting!) 

9) How does yoga play a role in the way you show up off the mat?

Yoga plays an imperative role in ways I show up on and off my mat. There have been many instances in which I could have gotten so upset and angry about many situations that I have been in. But I always remember my yoga practice. (Not so much the physical but the spiritual practice). Always remembering the yamas and niyamas and how I can apply those principles to my everyday life.

Leana's Contact Information
website: 
https://www.elleemconsulting.com/
Instagram:
@me_leanamarie
@ellemeconsulting
@blackyogateachers365 (Non profit organization)