5 Simple Stretches to ease Shoulder Pain

A while ago I did a post with some simple stretches to ease back pain.  Recently I got a comment on that post asking for something similar for shoulders - et voila!

I think most of us who work at desks have a tendency to hunch up and hunker down over our keyboards, and obviously all the stretching in the world can't replace good posture and a healthy work space!  If you are working long hours in the office, make sure to take regular breaks and walk around, swing your arms, roll your shoulders, and stretch a bit!

Here are a few really simple stretches that can help.  They work really well as a little flow, but can be done individually as well - and best of all, they can be done in your chair while at work.

*If clasping your hands together isn't comfortable in some of these poses, try using a small length of fabric -  a strap, belt or even a teatowel - and you will get a great stretch!

1. Start by sitting up straight with both feet evenly planted on the floor (or both sitting bones if you are sitting on the floor).  Bring your hands beside you, or even better, underneath you and take 5 deep breaths while you focus on dropping the shoulders down as far away as you can from your ears.  Then:

2.  Inhale, and reach your arms up overhead.  Clasp the fingers together and turn the palms upwards*.  Now bring your focus back to the shoulders and again, try to drop them away from your ears while still lengthening upwards through the crown of your head.  Hold for 5 breaths or about 30 seconds.

3.  Release your hands and bring them down behind you.  Once again interlace the fingers behind your back*, and gently lift your hands away from your lower back until you feel a nice stretch.  Hold for 5 breaths or about 30 seconds.

4. Release your arms and stretch them out in front of you, palms up.  Then, cross one arm over the other, above the elbow.  Bend the bottom arm (bringing your hand towards the ceiling) and gently pull the outstretched arm to that side.  Hold for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side.  If you have more flexibility in your shoulders, you can also try Eagle arms, also pictured.

5. Bring one hand to your shoulder, palm up.  Stretch the other arm all the way up to the ceiling and then bend it at the elbow, clasping your hands together*.  Now from the hand on the shoulder, gently pull until you feel a good stretch, then hold.  Try holding about 30 seconds on each side.

Hope these help!  Readers, what little stretches feel great for your shoulders?

If you liked these stretches you may also enjoy: 7 stretches for neck and shoulders you can do at your desk

Yoga for the Road (or a long-haul flight!)

Hello, remember me?

In case you have been wondering where I have been, the title of this post might give it away...  With my new job comes travel, including some of that most-dreaded type: the long-haul flight.

As I have gotten older (can you hear my bones creaking?) I have begun to like flying less and less.  Especially long haul.  The sheer exhaustion of going through airports, hauling luggage, the over-stimulation of the commercialised limbo that lies between the security check and the gate, and of course all of that only to find yourself packed like a sardine into a flying bus.

And is it just me, but have economy seats gotten smaller and closer together over the years? Meaning less leg room, arm room, and room in general!

Now there is really no way that sitting in a cramped chair with limited room to move for say 10, 11 or 14 (!!!!!!) hours is going to make your body happy.  Couple that with the time difference, dehydration and odd meal times/intervals, and no wonder you get to the other end feeling like you've survived a train wreck or just woken up from a coma.  And the back pain from my scoliosis doesn't help in the least.

Not to mention, of course, the psychological drama of spending 14 hours knowing that you're 33-thousand-feet up in THIN AIR.  I mean, why do they even TELL you that stuff?

As my physical and anxious discomfort over flying have grown over the years, so, it seems, has my need to travel.  In fact, in the first 6 months of 2011 I will fly long-haul at least 4 times, med-haul about 6, and do a few short hops as well, just for fun.  Bleurgh (which is not a word, but it should be).

So how does all this relate to yoga?  Well it doesn't I suppose, but I do.  As many other travellers have testified, I have found yoga to be super helpful in dealing with both the physical and mental discomforts of long journeys - whether by plane, train or automobile!  Here are a few things that I have found helpful:

• Practice before you go: Doing yoga the day before or the day of a long trip makes a huge difference to how my body feels.  If I go into the trip well stretched, I seem to come out of it a lot better off.
• Drink a lot: The air in airplanes is really dry and dehydrating.  Bring an empty water bottle through security and fill it up, or buy one once inside, and make sure you keep drinking regularly through the flight.  Avoid too much alcohol or coffee because these dehydrate you even more.  And if you, like me, process your water quickly and often - do the decent thing and get an aisle seat!
• Pranayama: In case of anxiety, close your eyes and spend 5 minutes or so with your favourite pranayama.  Alternate nostril breathing is a good one.  Alternately, chant a mantra (even if just in your head).  I know, it sounds silly, but it's really very soothing.  A few om's go a long way at 33 thousand feet.  

Tune in next time for asanas for airplanes!  Happy Saturday everyone!

Vinyasa for core strength - a vodcast!

In my post last week on teaching, I mentioned that one way I have learned to integrate core work into a class is to include it in a flow sequence.

So today I thought I would show you my favourite, which is a little flow sequence that was taught to me by my Mom!  It's a mobile phone video so sorry if it's a bit grainy and hard to hear, but there you have it!

Hope you enjoy!

TGI Friday blanks

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my last post about learning from teaching, and keep it coming!  I'm seeing you into the weekend with some more photographs from scenic Oxford...

and of course a few blanks courtesy of Lauren to ease the transition into the weekend!

1.   If I could only read one magazine publication for the rest of eternity, I would choose  National Geographic.  Absolutely no contest! It's my favourite read ever.

2.  If I were to run my own magazine it would be  a lot of hard work! Seriously, hats off to those guys!

3.  I buy my magazines (at the grocery check stand or via subscription)   at airports. It's almost the only place I buy a magazine.

4.  I prefer my magazines (in print or online)   Oh, this is too hard, I am split down the middle.  Yes, I love the tangibility of a glossy paper magazine.  But I am crazy about the new features in electronic magazines like interactive pages, videos etc.  I get so excited about it, ooohs and aaaahs all around!

5.  The number of magazines I buy each month is     not even 1, I buy one maybe every few months. I like subscriptions where it's just a lovely surprise when one arrives!

6. My favorite magazine genre is (lifestyle, gossip, home, etc...)       National geographic, does that count as a genre all by itself? ;)

7.  The magazines I read regularly are       Nat geo and yoga journal... and that's pretty much it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

10 things I have learned about teaching yoga

All around the yoga blogspshere, yoga teachers are lurking! Some of us blog openly, how many others are just reading a bit here, a bit there?


Since moving to Oxford I am on a teaching hiatus, and it has given me time to reflect on the joys and the challenges of being a yoga teacher.  Here are a few things I can say I've learned, in no particular order.  Enjoy! Share! Comment!

1. "Don't make it up": [This is an unforgettable quote from my own teacher.  It's hard for me to convey just how many things are summed up by this, but I'll try to scrape the tip of the iceberg.]  Yoga is a system.  It is tried, tested and it has worked for thousands of people, possibly for thousands of years. There are fountains of knowledge available about it, and incredible teachers who transmit it.  What this quote means to me is: Immerse yourself.  Dig deep.  Get to really know - and experience - what you are teaching and assimilate what you have learned in order to pass it on.  Because when you teach yoga you are reaching into people's sacred spaces - their bodies, their health, their wellbeing, their souls.  Respect that and teach what works, with that honour code etched always in the forefront of your mind.  Don't make it up.

2. Don't be afraid if you don't know: There has been a lot of blogging about the role of the teacher and the pedestals that we risk putting ourselves on or being put on.  When put in the position of the teacher, it's natural to want to be able to answer every question our students ask us.  And they will ask questions - hard questions! Left-field questions!  Sometimes you will be able to answer confidently.  But when a question leaves you with your mouth opening and closing again - don't be afraid to say those 3 little words: "I don't know".  Maybe even follow them by: "but I'll find out for you!".

There is also another type of question that yoga teachers get asked - deeply personal questions, the soul-searching ones that really, nobody can answer except the student themselves.  When confronted with these I've found that the best answer is to reassure people that what they're feeling is normal, and remind your student that yoga is experiential, that their personal experience is just as valid as anything I could offer, and that it's up to them to make their own choices and decisions.

3. Speak up!  I think this one is self-explanatory: when teaching, project, project and project some more! As with the theatre, when you teach yoga, especially if you teach to music, remember that when you speak you should be facing the class (not the floor or the wall!) and to look up and back while you speak to make sure everyone can hear you.  If you do always teach to music, try teaching without it (even an imaginary class will do) - you will suddenly be aware of just how important your voice is, both in speech and in silence, in creating the mood and energy of the class.

4. Demonstration is a tool, not a teaching.  Demonstrations are great and valuable tools.  But demonstrating every single pose in front of the class is not the same as teaching!  If students want a guided practice, they can get a DVD - your role as a teacher is to teach, not just to lead.  (Hey, we all start out there... it takes time, too right?) A good example is downward facing dog.  If you are leading your class through this pose and at the same time demonstrating it, who benefits from this? After all, from this pose, you can't see your students, and they can't see you (or hear you, likely)! So use demonstrations as a tool, but let it be just one of many tools in your teacher's bag of tricks.

5. Smile.  Laugh! Play! Be silly! And encourage your students to do the same. Yoga is supposed to be relaxing, and people relax when they are having fun and feel comfortable.  Let your sense of humour shine through and have a good time - the chances are that if you do, your students will too.

6. To adjust or not? - Have the discussion.  This is such a huge question for teachers, students and the yoga community in general.  What I have learned is this: whatever you choose, share it with your students.  If you are going to adjust, explain it to them and give them a chance to opt out of it if they want one.  If you are not going to, explain it to them also, and give them other ways to get your feedback on their asanas.

7. Don't ignore the core! Core strength is fundamental to every yoga pose.  Whether expressed through a subtle understanding of mula bandha or a rocking navasana, the key is always in the core.  And yet, so many teachers shy away from core strengtheners because we dread the pained looks on our students faces!  Something that works for me is to work the core into verbal cues in standing poses like Tadasana, Warrior II, Utkatasana or Tree pose.  Also, if you teach Vinyasa or any type of flow, you can integrate your core work into a vinyasa so it doesn't feel like such a slog.


8. Stay rooted in your own practice.  As I said earlier, yoga is experiential.  We can only teach what we know about yoga, and we can only know by doing.  When we first start teaching we have to struggle to maintain our own practice, and many teachers fall into the trap of using their classes as personal practice times.  But as a teacher we still need to be taught, to learn, to grow, and to explore.  The more you practice, the richer your teachings will be, and the more you will evolve as a teacher, keeping your students interested and constantly learning as well.  Maybe this is the most important thing of all!

9. Teach yoga, not just asana.  We all know that yoga is so much more than asana.  But do our students?  I'm not saying that we should all get preachy every class.  But I do find that when I am inspired to branch out onto a yoga philosophy tangent, people are interested and want to know more.  So many teachers I know are afraid of bringing a spiritual element into their classrooms.  And if yoga isn't spiritual in any way for you, then that's how it should be.  But if yoga is transformational for you, share it.  It doesn't have to be a philosophy lecture.  Teach the little things - like stress-busting yoga poses you do at work or pranayama for road rage.  Talk about how santosha can manifest through everyday acts of kindness, or how ahimsa might lead you to improve your diet.  Just as yoga creeps into every aspect of your life, let these aspects feed back into your teaching

10. Be yourself! By far the most important of all - teach what you love, and teach from the heart.  We all have teachers that we aspire to be like, but at the end of the day, yoga is really just all about being yourself.  So dance if you love dancing, chant if you love chanting, play music if you love music, or don't if you love silence.  The best teachers are the authentic ones.


Well, those are some of the things that have been on my mind about teaching...  Readers, can you add any lessons you have learned from teaching or being taught, or relate from personal experience?

The miracle fibre (plus blanks)

Well, in my recent weeks since moving to England I am discovering what the Brits, Scots and Welsh have known for centuries: Wool.

Now, we do get the occasional (quite straggly and rather hot-looking) sheep in the tropics but given the heat, of course nobody needs to wear wool.  So upon coming to the UK I have been delighting in building up a wardrobe full of lovely knitted things.  It's warm, it's fuzzy, it's knitted!

In this part of the world, wool has a long and lauded history.  People get downright poetic when it comes to their wool, like the lovely folk at www.sheepcentre.co.uk, who say:

"It is a fibre fit for heroes-and for more ordinary folk. As modern as moonflight, and as ancient as the hills.
Man can never match it. No other material, natural or man-made, has all its qualities. "

Now isn't  that lovely?

In the way that students sometimes surpass their masters, the folks over in New Zealand have taken the craft one step further with the wool from Merino sheep.  The folks over at Icebreaker call it "the miracle fibre".  Merino wool is breathable, machine-washable, dries quickly and doesn't retain odours - so they have made it into a year round fibre.  Yes, that's right - not just winter wear, but merino traveling t-shirts, tank tops and sports wear, spun so fine it could almost be cotton - but drier!  And here's the yoga link: I have a tank top of their thinnest wool and I have even done yoga in it... in 36 degrees!

The best part - it's 100% animal friendly (all the Merino sheep in New Zealand live to their natural lifespan, unlike a lot of wool producing sheep in other places), environmentally ethical (read about it onn their website) 100% biodegradable, and long-lasting.

Icebreaker adds one more little extra: what they call the "Baacode" - a unique code that links your product to your very own Merino sheep-donor!!  You can track your individual garment to the sheep station(s) that it originally came from,  Cool.

Guess now all I have to do is take up knitting!

Perhaps instead I'll fill in the blanks...

1.   If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab: My cat, my laptop and I guess my passport!


2.  A smell I really like is: vanilla. Yum!


3.  Something you might not know about me is: I have rosacea, a skin condition that in the extreme causes people to have constantly red, chapped skin, especially cheeks.  It can be really aggravated by diet, so to manage it I avoid red wine, all hard alcohol and liqueurs, and don't eat too many red berries. (Not an issue in the tropics but a bit harder here!)


4.  Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are:  yoga blogs of course!


5.  This weekend I will: be chilling in Oxford and hopefully taking my new camera out for a shoot!


6. Nothing makes me happier than: love! Sunshine! Fluffy kittens! LOL.  Actually I'm quite easily contented.


7.  A bad habit I have is: burying my head in the sand in the hopes that if I ignore things, they will go away.  It doesn't work. ;)

Do you love wool?

In pictures: Oxford in Winter

Wow, how did it get to be the weekend already again? This week has been exceptionally busy, and although I did manage to get in a few morning practices they were a bit rushed and not quite satisfying.

An update on yoga in the cold: I have been layering up and adding extra sun salutations to warm up my body in the chilly temperatures.  It is still so strange to practice in full clothes (long pants, long sleeves!) and not be drenched in sweat!  I am still struggling to get up early enough to get in a proper practice before work - but really that's not about cold, just about discipline!

This weekend I have some errands to run and I am actually going to try and rest and relax for the first real time since I landed here just over 2 weeks ago.  Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, artistically rendered by my trusty phone. ;)