Partner Yoga

Partner yoga  is a yoga practice between two people connecting , supporting and assisting each other through pastures and at times a flow.

For couples, this is a wonderful way to reconnect  in and through many ways . 

In a normal yoga practice you use your breathe to connect to your body. You can use this same principal to connect with your partner, synchronizing your breathe . Once breathe is united, you can connect with movement. 

Different poses will allow you to assist and support each other into the posture. Encouraging connection and also trust between the two. 

This is a practice that can bring balance not just in yourself but in the relationship as well. 

Both partners are fully present and engaged in the practice, rely on each other to move and adjust into poses.  Also, aides in helping to maintain balance, focus and alignment within the poses.  

Benefits of partner/couples yoga include:

1. Cultivates support in a relationship

2. Creates shared moments

3. Learning to let go

4. Improves self awareness & trust

5. Creates a sense of balance

Tips to Help your Tummy Through Thanksgiving

The end of November is here. Which means the intense roller coaster of family, fun and food has begun! Thanksgiving is many Americans favorite holidays. And why not, you get to hag out with those you love, watch parades and football, and of course eat like we haven't seen food all year.

Everyone has some wonderful family recipe to add, be it bacon covered turkeys or carrot souffle, Jack Danieles sweet potatoes and five different kinds of stuffing. And as our eyes widen, mouths salivate and taste buds dance our stomachs may star out excite s but often by the end of the night we are all bloated and babbling about how we ate too much.

Here are some tips to help you through

The simplest and yet hardest would be to just eat less, Take smaller portions so you can still try everything, but maybe just a bite of everything rather than a full serving. Honestly, though for me Thanksgiving is a day I wait for all year and no amount of self control is limiting me to a bite of stuffing …so on to the next tips.

For those of you like me that will be stuffing their faces more than they had stuffed the turkey, the rest of these will help with the bloating and discomfort...

Deep Breathing

This might seem silly and even like a little kids idea. But there is an actual anatomical reason this helps.

Deep diaphragmatic breathing(or belly breathing) will ad in digestion. When you breathe into your belly your diaphragm pressed down onto you stomach, down to the intestines and massages these organs encouraging the movement of food through your GI tracts.

Abdominal Massage

Continue the encouragement of movement in your digestive system with gentle massage to the belly. Even just lightly rubbing your belly in a clockwise motion can help calm the bloating.

*start at the right hip bone, slide your hand up till you feel the right ribs, slide across to just under the left ribs, then slide down toward the left hip bone. -You can also do smaller clockwise circle around the navel to get the small intestine*

Peppermint

Peppermint is one of my favorite essential oils. You can rub this directly on your belly to help with discomfort(you may want to mix with a carrier oil like coconut or grapeseed as it can be intense on its own). It provides a cooling sensation and alleviate bloating nausea and even heartburn.

You can even enjoy it as a tea to help with these symptoms (if peppermint is to harsh and increases your heartburn spearmint might be better for you)

Ginger Tea

Ginger is an amazing root . It helps with gas and bloating, it reduces inflammation, alleviate nausea . Enjoying a cup of tea after a big meal can help aid your digestion and make you feel better.

Easy Yoga

After a big meal you do not want to jump into any intense movements but easy, slow stretches and actually help feelings of bloat and promote digestion.

some poses to try

wind pose /Pavanamuktasana

supine twists /Supta Matsyendrasana

yogi squat /malasana

Hopefully with these easy tips you can have an even more enjoyable Thanksgiving this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deep neck / shoulder streatched -video

Neck shoulder tension?

Try these three deeper neck and shoulder stretches I like to do when feeling stiff.

These are three deeper neck / shoulder stretching yoga poses or variations of them.

As always with any neck or shoulder injury please clear with your doctor before trying any extreme movements.

Enjoy!

Be to Calm for a Cold:How Massage Can Help You Stay Healthy!

Massage has many benefits, to many parts of our body and this does not disnclude our immune systems.

To better understand how massage helps your immune system , you need to understand stress and how it affects your body.

Stress, strain or pressure put upon you mentally of physically. Right now we are focusing on the mental stress. that could be from work, kids, school relationship and pretty much just life.

Adrenaline and cortisol are our stress hormones. Which are great when you are in fact being chased by a tiger. But fortunately on a daily we are not being chased by large predators. We just mentally feel like we are when we stressed about daily life.

Excessive production of these hormones fatigues the body. And when the body is fatigued it has a weakened defense and lower immunity.

Massage therapy has proven to reduce stress, and the production of adrenaline and cortisol as well as increase the production of sarotonin and dopamine, our "feel good" hormones.

This reduction in stress and fatigue throughout the body strengthens our ability to fight off those pesky microbes.

Massage also improves the circulation of our lymphatic system. Lymph node and the lymphatic system work as filtration in our bodies. The glands that get swollen in our neck when we get sick are lymph nodes. And they are usually swollen when they are clogged and overwhelmed with pathogens.

Light touch massage to areas of lymph nodes and centripetal strokes throughout the body may help flush out this system and any disease lingering within it.

And finally, studies have shown that massage therapy has increase the activity of lymphocytes , a type of white blood cell. The cells in your body responsible for fighting invading pathogens.

So, add massage to your wellness routine and stay your healthiest all years!

Low Back & Hip Stretches for at Desk-Video

Long hours at a desk can be rough. Looming deadlines and and grooling paper work and keep us stuck seating for longer then our bodies would like.

Here are some stretches I like to do to keep my spine happy and healthy !

Why Try CranioSacral Therapy?

By Kelly Mahoney LMT

First let's understand CranioSacral Therapy (CST). It is NOT a scalp massage. CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Medical research has recognized and confirmed significant systems in the brain that can benefit from manual therapies, like CranioSacral Therapy.
1 - There is motion of the cranial bones.
2 - The brain has a waste removal system, the glymphatic system.
3 - The brain is directly connected to the immune system by lymph vessels.

After injury, the sutures between cranial bones can jam, decreasing the cranial motion, decreasing the craniosacral rythm and even causing the sutures to become calcified.

There is also soft tissue damage, the superficial fascia can send imbalances and restrictions to the dura mater (the protective membrane around the brain and spinal cord). This too, can disrupt the cranial motion, the craniosacral rhythm, create scar tissue and even block neurological function.

In acute stages of brain injury, a restriction of the cranial motion can cause a backup of fluids in almost any part of the brain. This backup of fluid causes pressure and swelling on the brain and inhibits brain function.

So you can now see how restoring cranial motion allows the systems of the brain to function properly.

Keep in mind restrictions of the craniosacral system can begin on the outside and work inward as well as start internally and work to the exterior.

Remember, everything in the body is connected... What can affect the craniosacral system? Stress, muscle tension, surgery, scars, injury, postural imbalances, medical conditions, the list is endless.

So when you go for massage, take care of the whole body system, not just the 'knots'

Meditation and Yoga for Mama Pre & Postnatal Care

Prenatal yoga helps decrease risks during pregnancy and increases the chance of a safe and healthy delivery. Incorporating prenatal yoga into your pregnancy routine can assist in improving sleep, reducing anxiety & stress as well as aiding in an easier delivery. Postnatal yoga is an effective way to ease back into an active lifestyle, by regaining strength and flexibility where it is most needed.

Pregnancy can be one of the most amazing experiences. Your whole body changing and evolving to create new life. Your muscles are stretching, your hormones are changing, sugars are all over and your blood pressure might be on a roller coaster.

As wonderful of a time this can be, it is also equally stressful. Physical changes aside, the new life changes can be overwhelming at times, to the point you forget even how to breathe. Everything can be rather anxiety provoking.

Teaching you to breathe and connect with your breath is one of the base building blocks of yoga. Breathing properly and deeply activates your parasympathetic nervous system lowering stress and anxiety.

Another key component to yoga is meditation which has shown to help with relaxation.

Keeping stress under control will help with muscle tension and even blood pressure.

One of the most interesting and beautiful parts of our bodies is the basket of muscles that support our organs and our core known as the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor muscle support organs, which include the womb.

A strong pelvic floor will help support your growing fetus, taking pressure off the lower back and hips helping with pain and discomfort in these areas.

Pelvic floor muscles contractions are what assist you through childbirth in bringing your baby into the world. In turn, having a stronger pelvic floor will assist you in the birthing process.

A prenatal (as well as postnatal) yoga practice will focus on not just strengthening these muscles but increasing the mind body connection to your pelvic floor.

Strengthening and connecting with these muscles will also help you postpartum. Assisting in a faster recovery, reducing/stopping incontinence and stabilizing your core reducing lower back and hip pain.

Tight hips and stiff muscles in your back can cause not just discomfort and pain but also can pose some challenges during childbirth and recovery. Assisted and supported yoga asanas (poses) can gently stretch and lengthen shortened, tight muscles. Help open the hips for a more easefull labor. As well as loosen the back for a healthy pain free spine.

A consistent yoga practice will reduce stress and pain, increase relaxation and structural support. Along with eating right, daily vitamins, talk to your doctor about adding holistic natural approaches to wellness like yoga and massage.

Morning Low Back Stretches -Video

Low Back Pain?

Here is a short video of some great lower back and hip stretches you can do in the morning to increase range of motion and decrease pain!

In this video we do 5 simple stretches,

Starting with opening up the lower back, then a twist, and some hip stretches and then a back extension and flexion.

Great for lower back pain, increase spinal rang of motion and hip stiffness!

Mama Massage...Post natal Care with Massage

Welcome to motherhood Mama!

40 weeks of giving your body up as a host to your newest beautiful family member. During which time we hope, along with eating right and avoiding to much caffeine, you enjoyed some great holistic prenatal wellness practices like regular massage and prenatal yoga. But now is not the time to stop, and if you didn't take advantage then it is a fantastic time to start!

Massage therapy is a wonderful way to help your body naturally heal . Either in ways of just staying healthy in your day to day life or in recovering from any kind of trauma. And as beautiful and wonderful as carrying and birthing a child is, it is no less then a trauma.

Excess fluid retention. Swelling and puffiness lingered throughout your pregnancy, but unfortunately didn't flow out with your new baby. Massage increases circulation in not just your cardiovascular system but also the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system takes interstitial fluid(the pooling fluid in swollen legs) and helps it drain from your body in its natural systems. Excess fluid and pressure causes the edema and massage helps reduces pressure and increase the circulation and flush out the fluids.

Lingering aches and pains from structural imbalances during pregnancy can be alleviated with soft tissue manipulation. Massaging tight muscles can break up pain causing trigger points and loosen bound up connective tissue causing stiffness and discomfort. This can help with overall muscular and joint discomfort.

Beings a new mom and still having your hormones all over the place is an easy recipe for stress and anxiety.

Simply taking an hour for yourself helps reduce this stress.

Getting regular massages have shown to lower stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine while raising "feel good" hormones like sarotonin and dopamine .

And breastfeeding, a great way to nourish your baby. Though at time some women struggle with make or just making enough breast milk. Massage to the area and even breast tissue you reduce restrictions and help increase flow and supply. It is even great to have a self massage practice for while you breast feed or pump.

Al of this combined can help you feel better and have even more benefits. From helping get you body back on track. Aid in digestion. Improve sleep and more. So along with you personal wellness routines, look into and speak with your health are provider about holistic /natural practices to add as well, like massage and even yoga .

Video Basic Neck Stretches for Neck Pain and Stiffness

Neck pain and stiffness can plague us all. To much time on computers, or over scrolling on our phones , driving for hours or any number things we do in a day.

Here is a short stretch routine you can do everyday or even twice a day to help keep your range of motion up and pain down.

Enjoy!

In the video we do three stretches . First to stretch the back of the neck. Followed by stretching the side of the neck. side of the neck . Then finally the front of the neck.