Stress can make you sick.

The antidote to stress is relaxation.  To relax is to rest deeply.

Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

~ Judith Hanson Lasater

The effects of stress have reached epidemic proportions resulting in dis-ease.  And because of the plethora of modern diseases that have manifested from chronic stress, stress borne illnesses have become a medical specialty.  "I am stressed out," is a familiar phrase in our daily vernacular.  Stress can affect our mood, cause headaches and tight muscles, as well as digestive issues.  Even being around a stressed out person can affect everyone around them including family, friends, and co-workers.  In the short term, stress prepares the body for the obstacle at hand.  In the long term, chronic stress can make you sick.

One of the first studies on relaxation was performed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson.  He wrote, You Must Relax, about his revolutionary relaxation techniques and their benefits.  His new approach successfully treated high blood pressure, indigestion, colitis, insomnia, and what he called "nervousness."  

Edmund Jacobson relaxation technique     

All of us inherently know not only how to relax but that we need to relax.  Part of the issue at hand is......taking the time to relax.  You can take the time now with Restorative Yoga or even Dr. Jacobson's method or later down the road you can see a doctor about stress related health issues.  It may sound harsh, but you choose.  Everyone that attends my Yoga classes if only once or over the course of a decade can attest to the fact that they feel better and relaxed after class.  I have student's husbands and wives that send their loved ones to class knowing that it helps alleviate stress.  I am not saying that Yoga is a panacea but it can be yet another tool to use to help us decompress and recharge in our daily, hectic lives.

Of course, a good night's sleep helps, too.  :-)

  

What you do affects you.

The magic doesn't happen if you don't do the poses.

~ Judith H. Lasater

My favorite Yoga teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater, said something to the effect that there is a residue felt in the body after each asana (Yogic posture).  She went on to say that the previous posture's residue then affects the mind and body in the next asana.  A well rounded Yoga class will end with some sort of introspective and restorative postures so that the student will feel refreshed as well as relaxed when the class ends.  


I know that after leaving a 4 hour class on restorative poses, my daughter commented on how peaceful I looked.  She also noticed how every Yoga student looked happy and relaxed upon descending the long staircase and onto the streets of San Francisco at the end of each day of the workshop.  It truly felt magical.

Intentions  

My intentions for the restoratives workshop will be to give the student enough information that they will want to practice these amazing postures at home.  They don't have to do all of the asana (postures) taught in the workshop to see immediate results.  One pose for 20 minutes without distraction every day is a wonderful addition to a healthy and relaxed lifestyle.   


Once the student has integrated the one Restorative Yoga pose into their daily routine, they may want to increase to two asana (postures) a day.  And by changing the restorative asana routine after a  week or two (thereby setting the timer to 30 minutes instead of 20) the Yoga practitioner may discover a new residue of relaxation within the mind and body.  It is an experiment worth trying.  


Humans are experts on how to manipulate the body to stay awake longer but we desperately need to relearn how to relax fully and completely.  Come discover the real you that is relaxed and renewed on January 21st at Align and Stretch Studio.


More information about workshops at:  catofoz.blotspot.com


Questions:  ardhachandrasana@yahoo.com

  

Restorative Yoga Workshop Saturday, January 21st

As I prepare for my Restorative Yoga Workshop I will be teaching this upcoming Saturday, January 21st, I am pouring over my notes and photos from various Yoga workshops I have attended.  I also started reading a book that focuses on dealing with anxiety and fears called, The Chemistry of Calm, by Henry Emmons, M.D.  This was recommended reading from the Advanced Relax and Renew Training in San Francisco taught by Judith Hanson Lasater.  


As we all inherently know, stress is intertwined in our daily lives.  This point is felt more so during the holiday season while rushing around to attend parties and buying too many gifts.  What might not be as obvious is that stress isn't a problem until it becomes chronic.  Dr. Emmons goes on to say:


"The adrenal/stress response is the key to whether or not fear makes us sick.  It is not that stress itself is bad.  Studies show that short-term stress can even be good for us.  But as the military has discovered, if the amount of stress is great enough, anyone can be broken down by it.  Most of us, of course, don't experience severe stress in our day-to-day lives.  but if your daily life is filled with constant, unremitting stress - if stress is ever present, like background noise - it can be destructive.  Still, what determines how well you survive chronic stress is how you react to it and whether you are able to shut it down."


As a Yoga teacher and someone who studies Ayurvedic Medicine, I know that Yoga isn't a cure-all.  Yoga can be a tool, like eating a healthy diet, to aid the student to unravel the tension that most of us carry literally in our bodies on a daily basis.    


When a student leaves relaxed and invigorated from a Yoga class, I am reminded on how powerful this medicine is for the teacher and the student.  If you give your brain just 20 minutes of relaxation (not sleeping, but quiet observation) while in a supported reclining restorative Yoga position, students report being more alert and focused throughout the rest of the day or better able to sleep at night.  


I will be teaching a Restorative Yoga class on Saturday, January 21st, from 12 noon - 3 pm.  


Restorative Yoga Workshop Link


B.K.S. Iyengar even said something to the effect that you cannot learn Yoga through just reading books.  Yoga must be experienced.  Come to a Yoga class or workshop to experience what true relaxation feels like.  I know you won't be disappointed!


Namaste`