With worries of cold and flu season fading with the summer breeze, most of have not given a lot of thought to keeping our immune systems strong.  Increased sunshine during the summer months gives us a natural boost of vitamin D, but our immune system still needs upkeep! Summer comes with allergies and viruses and bacteria are still present in our environment.  A nutrient rich diet paired with the right types of exercise can help us enjoy a healthy summer and prepare our bodies for the next cold season.

Yoga is excellent for the immune system

Yoga stretches and flexes the muscles, helping to circulate the lymph throughout the body. Inverted poses and supported poses such as the ones shown below are most beneficial because when the head is below the heart, the lymph circulates through the respiratory system which is where most germs enter the body.  Poses that open the chest such as the bridge pose help stimulate the thymus gland, a key organ in the immune system. Exercise in general helps increase blood flow, oxygenate the blood and detoxify the body.

Movement works hand-in-hand with a nutritious diet

Smoothies are a fun and delicious way to give your body the vitamins it needs to thrive during every season. The smoothie recipes below feature fruits and vegetables that are especially important to immune function.  Antioxidants such as vitamin C and zinc help fight free-radicals that cause damage to cells. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the inflammation that causes disease and damage in the body.  Lycopene protects against cardiovascular disease. Some fruits are even known for having anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

The key ingredients in a tasty smoothie

Ice, fresh or frozen fruit and something to add a smooth, creamy texture such as almond, coconut or soy milk, yogurt or avocado. If you add greens to your smoothie, you can easily cover up a slightly bitter taste by adding a dash of honey and cinnamon. Ground nuts or flax seed are a healthy addition to any smoothie and contain a good amount of omega-3 fatty-acid (great for heart and brain health). Recipe amounts can be modified according to the size of your blender.

Try these smooth yoga moves coupled with fresh smoothie recipes and say cheers to year-round health!

Yogasync Me!  Don’t Wait to Get Sick –  Get to Know Immunity Yoga now!

Boost My Immunity With Yoga

 THE ULTIMATE Green Breakfast Smoothie!  Click here for Al’s exclusive recipe and health tips!  You’ve never seen this recipe before.

Super-est Smoothie Ever!

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As westerners, most of us relate to words in terms of their face value: what meaning, or shade of meaning, are they meant to convey?  Usually, whether they are heard or written, we perceive, parse and take in words through our mental reasoning and there, we believe, the matter ends.  But according to yogic masters, and more and more western thinkers, this is really only half the story.  They tell us that words carry with them a specific vibrational frequency that affects both the speaker and the listener, the author and the reader. From the yogic point of view, the first and most powerful word is “Om”, the cosmic creative vibration itself that, with meditative concentration, can be heard emanating from within. And while this quintessential sound is associated with Hinduism, it is also familiar to the Christian tradition in which it is known as “the Word” or “the great Amen”.

The Power of Mantras

East or west, we have all experienced the vibrational power of words. Kind and understanding words fall on our ears like a balm to soothe our hurts and anxieties. Angry, spiteful words can explode on our awareness like a bomb, throwing our thoughts and emotions into chaos. Taking responsibility for the effect of our words on others is part and parcel of becoming a mature person.  Understanding and using the power of words in a constructive way for one’s own benefit and the benefit of others is a sign of a mature yogi. The use of a mantra (mental repetition of a word or phrase) is a sublimely simple and effective way to focus the mind and bring it to one-pointedness, the state of meditation known as Dharana. Mantras may be imbued with the spiritual blessing of a guru, may focus the mind on a chosen object of spiritual devotion, or may simply provide a branch floating in the river of thought to which the wandering attention may return again and again until concentration is perfected.

Affirmations: Antidotes to Negative Thinking

As mantras are to the stillness of meditation, affirmations are to the world of our active lives. In the midst of daily activity and concerns, it is easy for thoughts to slip unbidden—and often unseen by conscious awareness–into old grooves of negative postulates. These negative seed thoughts can be as seemingly insignificant as “I always catch a cold in winter” or as deeply imprisoning as “I am not worthy of love”.  It is not always easy to uncover the hidden channels carved by early experiences, to “hear” the subtle repetitions of emotional beliefs that vibrationally create unwanted outcomes.  But we have the power to bring conscious choice to bear through the use of antidotal affirmations, such as “In all times and seasons, I am well” or “I easily attract the love and support I need”.

Affirming Ourselves and Others

Positive words repeated with loving conviction can bend the river of mind toward health, toward one’s better angels.  Even in the midst of activity, when a negative assumption is recognized, we can counter it with an affirmation of the conscious truth we choose for ourselves.  Whether we repeat it aloud or mentally, address ourselves in a mirror or write it in a journal, affirmations put the vibrational power of words into our hands.  And, in perhaps its highest form, affirmation can become the upliftment of others in prayer, an expression of creative vibration whose efficacy science is beginning to confirm.

Learn More

For those interested in learning more, I highly recommend:

• Scientific Healing Affirmations by Paramahansa Yogananda

• You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

Yogasync Me!  Try Sun Salutations with Mantra.  Do you notice any subtle differences from the practice without mantra?

Give Me The Experience of Sun Salutes with Mantra

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The Situation

In today’s world where not only has the retirement age in many countries been raised, but people are living longer (no doubt inter-related facts), more and more elderly citizens are igniting physical passions than ever before.
There has been a large rise in the number of elderly citizens in society over the past seven years. Since 2008, just over 50 years since the end of the Second World War, and therefore the age of retirement for the “baby-boom” generation; the demographic of our global population has tipped towards a retiring society, with younger generations left in a strange state of affairs, although that’s another article!
For the current population of retired/retiring citizens, what to do with their remaining years is no doubt high on the list of priorities, and with potential health crises at our fingertips; I think the Yoga community can take up some slack on that front!

What can be done?

I believe the Yoga community must reach out into retirement homes, community centres, even friends, families & neighbours, seeking to not only educate them about the benefits of Yoga, but to actively encourage them to practice. Once this connection and inclusion by the Yoga community can be internalised, much in the way Pilates or similar exercises are currently propagated across the world as “senior” activities, we can begin to expand on not only taboos of age, but celebrating the diversity that a range of ages and backgrounds would bring to us all.
Of course I’m not suggesting that this isn’t already commonplace in some areas, however it is a definite minority, and as we all know first-hand the benefits of yoga, it should fall to us to provide flexibility, increased health, inner confidence and a new lease of life to our elders, without whom of course none of us would be here.

According to the American Medical Association; 30 minutes of exercise per day is recommended to maximise the benefits of any exercise carried out by retirement age (65+) citizens. For the Yoga teachers amongst us who normally teach for an hour, this would not be difficult to fit into our class schedules, although it would certainly require either further teacher training, or attentive care that’s sensibly adapted for your students physical requirements.
This would also benefit the elderly spiritually. Imagine a world where the currently disillusioned elders, who for the most part seem to feel alienated and frightened of a modern and cacophonous world they no longer feel a part of, could regain their sense of self, build community around Yogic principles within their friendship groups or homes and come to terms with their existence.This would raise the level of global consciousness even further, which would prepare their souls perfectly for the next stage of incarnation; depending on your belief of course.

I’d highly recommend Googling ‘elderly yoga’ or ‘yoga in retirement homes’ to give you an idea of some of the projects and initiatives that are currently in place around the world, even drawing inspiration for projects you can set up in your own communities!

Yogasync Me!  Here’s the simplest yoga for all!  You can even do it in the bed!  It restores feelings of peace, and is great for fluid retention and varicose veins:

Renewing Yoga

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Known as a hormonal roller coaster, the menopause can be one of the most difficult times of life for many women. The transition through this hormonal phase can take years, bringing with it ever fluctuating hormones and a variety of side-effects. If you believe you are in the perimenopause, you may be feeling bouts of irritability, sleeping poorly and experiencing greater anxieties, this is caused by spikes of oestrogen or a drop in progesterone. If you are also living through a stressful period in your life, your adrenal glands can succumb to pressure and exhaustion.

Peri-menopause

When entering the perimenopause, it’s a time of nurture. Emotionally, physically and even spiritually, life may seem difficult, so explain to your family and your friends how you are feeling. You are important, so take a holistic approach to self-care and work with your body and not against it. Hormones have a powerful effect on your body, so it’s not surprising that your body will struggle to cope with hormonal shifts. Think about it, if your brain is affected, your memory, mood and sleep patterns are also likely to become affected too.

Yoga Is Always Your Friend

Yoga can make a big difference in this transitional time. If you already practice yoga, then it can ease you into the menopause more smoothly, but it is never too late to start experiencing the benefits of yoga and reducing the impact of the menopause. Learning to work within each posture, understanding the benefits of each movement and the hold can help, but some of the postures may be too strong at this time, irrespective of your experience and levels of flexibility.

Four Restorative Poses

A well instructed online class, or attending a yoga class with an experienced teacher, can add the extra confidence you need to practice alternative and supported postures at home, that will benefit your body more during these times. If you suffer with heavy menstrual flow, feel fatigued with unusual mood swings, an adaptive yoga session regularly works best. Many women have found that unsupported inverted postures instigate greater hot flashes, so, support the body by use of blocks and bolsters to alleviate pressure and tension.
It’s important to be flexible within your approach to yoga, every woman will feel differently during the menopause and its build-up, so adapt where necessary.

Some excellent starting postures to reduce side-effects and improve feelings of well-being include:

1 Supported Lying Down Bound Angle Pose – (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Reclining Bound Angle Pose, well supported, using blankets and a bolster, provides the additional support you need.  This posture improves circulation and stimulates the heart. It stimulates the bladder, kidneys and ovaries. It provides a gentle but firm stretch of the groin and inner thighs. It also helps to ease feelings of stress and depression and is helpful for regulation of menstruation and for easing menopausal symptoms.

2 Supported Child’s Pose (Adho Mukha Virasana)

Placing a support under the front of the body and the head in Supported Child’s Pose, will help to calm the brain, easing stress and feelings of fatigue. It works on stretching the hips, thighs and the ankles.  When using a support, you will also gently help to relieve your neck and back pain.

3 Supported Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Supporting the head while in the maximum position of  Supported Downward Dog will bring a whole new experience.  You will decrease any tension, while calming the brain, easing any feelings of stress or depression. This posture is known to help relieve any symptoms of menopause and discomfort with menstruation. It also helps to energise the body, decreasing fatigue and insomnia. It can aid digestion, high blood pressure and alleviate sciatica while strengthening the arms and legs.

4 Supported Shoulder Stand – using the wall or a chair, (Salamba Sarvangasana)

Supported Shoulderstand On A Chair can reduce body tension for this inverted posture. The supported shoulder stand will help to alleviate the menopausal symptoms, reducing stress, insomnia and fatigue. It stimulates abdominal organs and the thyroid gland, while helping to reduce depression.

OR Legs Up The Wall is an excellent alternative to the supported shoulderstand,  which will bring the same benefits.

Always spend time contemplating your body and how you feel after your session and embrace deep relaxation levels to reduce any stress, tension or feelings of depression while in the corpse pose (Savasana).

The Yoga Solution

These are just some of the many yoga postures that can be easily adapted to suit your body’s changing needs but yoga can form just one part of any natural menopausal management plan. Meditation can provide many benefits including increased levels of health and well-being; it can help to eradicate daily stressors and to promote inner healing. Providing that you listen to your body, intuitively feeling what is needed, the journey through the menopause will be a much kinder and harmonious one.

Yogasync Me!  You can get a taste of all these poses and lots more at www.Yogasync.tv

Teach Me These Poses

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An old Arabic proverb says, “Good health is wealth.” This is along the lines of the Western maxim, “You are what you eat”, and if you are doing your yoga and eating a lot of microwaved meals, fast food, and junk like potato crisps and candies, chances are, your prana (energy) isn’t very good. But it’s not just how these foods have low or no prana content to them, it’s that they may have negative prana as well.

So despite how much you go to the gym or how dedicated you are to your yoga, the quality of your practice is directly correlated to what you eat. There is a simple rule for getting better prana in your diet: eat closer to the primary sources of energy. To do so means more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, all of which get their prana from primary sources: the air, sun, water, and soil.

Choices To Make – Vegetarian or Ethical Meat?

As expected, this also means less animal and fish flesh, because they must eat plants or other fish animals to get their nutrition, and the quality of energy diminishes the farther away from the source.

Another reason that animals and fish should be eaten with caution beforehand is to remember that firstly, they may be physically dirty—just look at how the living conditions are of animals, plus the slaughterhouses. Secondly, the antibiotics and chemicals in their feed also reduce the quality of energy they take in, and we are thus eating them as well. Lastly, meat is emotionally dirty because they live in fear and agony as they get closer to slaughter, embedded in their meat and energetic anatomy.

This is not to say you should become a vegetarian or a vegan, but simply limit your consumption of meat and fish if you aren’t interested in saying farewell just yet. Take the time and the extra dollars if necessary, to source grass reared, preferably organic, healthy animals for any meat needs.

Fill Yourself with Plants

Some general rules for good energy are:

• Allow 70-80% of your diet be lightly cooked or raw vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
• Do not eat pork, catfish, eel, or carp because they are bottom-feeders
• Organic, natural foods are better than genetically modified foods
• Microwaves diminish not only the energy quality of your food, but also the nutritional content, in addition to adding radiation—so don’t use the microwave at all
• Alcohol is okay, a glass or two of beer or wine displaces liver energy, but don’t drink beyond this, and avoid hard liquor like vodka because the alcohol content in such heavy drinks damages your prana

Apple, Avocado, and Carrot Salad Recipe

An example of a good meal for prana is this recipe, which is also raw, vegan and gluten-free. You will need:

• 2 Carrots
• 2 Apples
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Teaspoon of Ginger
• 2 Oranges
• 1 Bunch of Coriander

1. To make the dressing, grate some of the orange peel and a touch of ginger. Chop it up into bits; you don’t want it too big, and then squeeze the orange. Use a little tahini, but water it down a little, and add the liquid in slowly as you mix it so that it doesn’t become too runny. Then add some chopped coriander leaves.
2. Squeeze a little lemon juice before cutting up the apple to keep it fresh and delay oxidizing. Mix it with the lemon juice as you put it in. Then chop up the carrots into thin slices. Lastly, cut up the avocado into long slices.
3. Once all the ingredients are ready, layer the salad instead of mixing it by first setting lettuce at the bottom, then putting a little dressing on top. Scatter the carrots, avocado, and apples on top of the lettuce, and then add some more dressing. Add a few more coriander leaves on top to finish.
4. You’re ready to eat! This should be eaten fast so that the apple doesn’t oxidize, but this shouldn’t be a problem because it is a rather tasty treat, after all.

Holding Your Awareness for the Ultimate in Prana

Ultimately, listen to your body and give it the nourishment it needs by providing it with the nutritious foods that are high in prana, but you should also know how to distinguish your hunger from your cravings. When you know how to feed yourself properly, cravings will gradually disappear and you will have not only good nutrition, but also great energy.

Yogasync Me with Exclusive World of Cuisine Cooking Lessons! 

Make super pranic salads, sweet treats, warming comfort foods and more with exclusive cooking lessons from International Vegetarian Chef, Dad and Yogi, Ram.

.Show Me Easy Healthy Eats

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Looking for an activity that will bring the family together, promote health and wellness, and is fun to do?  Consider family yoga!  No matter your age, yoga can benefit you and improve your lifestyle.  More and more gyms and yoga studios are developing programs that focus on the entire family, from the young child to the grandparent.

Children think yoga is cool.  The view the performance postures as great fun, much like gymnastics or a game of Twister.  However, while they are mastering each posture, they are also developing self-discipline, improving their balance and coordination, and are even bolstering their mental health.  Children’s natural flexibility makes posturing seem easy.  Fostering a love of yoga in your child at a young age is a gift you can give that will behoove them their entire life.

Family yoga benefits teenagers, as well.  Help your teen preserve their flexibility through yoga.  If your teen plays a sport, yoga can only enhance their performance while staving off injury.  Yoga keeps muscles lean and limber, and prevents tearing.  Yoga’s focus on balance and coordination makes it a great way to improve a number of sports, including tennis, soccer, basketball, and baseball.  Even professional football players take up yoga to keep limber and improve their sport.  Yoga fosters an innate sense of well-being, so your teen will be more likely to make decisions that will benefit his body and mind.

Family yoga is great for mom and dad.  There is no better way to battle the stresses of raising children, balancing work and family, and facing financial and physical struggles than through yoga.  Yoga helps fight insomnia, boosts the immune system, and is the best stress-fighter out there.  Deep breathing techniques calm and sharpen the mind, so that productivity is enhanced and lethargy is conquered.  Men should not be fooled into believing yoga is just for women.  Yoga complements weight lifting, and helps to alleviate the stress put on the joints through activities like jogging.  It also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack by lowering stress levels and hormones within the body.

Pregnant women should fully engage in family yoga, making sure their instructor knows, of course, that they are with child!  Yoga can help ease the many aches and pains caused by pregnancy, and can also strengthen and stretch the muscles used during labor and delivery, making childbirth an easier, less painful process.

Finally, don’t forget that grandma and grandpa can also benefit from family yoga sessions.  Yoga restores energy and vitality in those who have been weakened by old age.  It increases mobility, fights arthritis, improves circulation, and helps fight off memory loss.

There is most likely no other physical and mental activity that incorporates the entire family as well as yoga does.  Keep your family strong, healthy, and happy.  Participate in family yoga!

 Exclusive Full pregnancy yoga course on-line at Yogasync,tv.  Taught by long-time yoga teacher, mother of 3 and women’s health leader, Sarsha Hope

Pregnancy Yoga Course

Take a peek at Sarsha’s tip of the week for week 5.

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Hey!  Im Complex!

As the knee is the largest hinge joint in the body, it is easily damaged just through general wear and tear. The knee is a complex structure. Shock impact or irregular movement of the joint can also cause lasting damage, but if you have poor posture, this too can add additional stress to the joints. Preventative measures to protect the knees are useful, promoting flexibility and health, but also ensuring that the supporting muscles are strong.

Can we do Yoga, Can We?

To help prevent injury, it’s useful to add some yoga postures to your regular exercise routine and this can help to keep the knee joints healthy. If you already have a knee injury, the gentle postures can help to improve the joints but care should be taken not to strain by moving into positions that are too extreme. Yoga works on the whole body. It’s beneficial because the postures all serve to bring the body into balance with certain postures strengthening and stretching the muscle groups that help to keep the knee joints strong. Regular yoga practice can also increase healing, helping to repair any physiological damage, and reducing inflammation.

Don’t Use Me, Lose Me

If you have injured your knees, you will know that you are often advised to rest the joint. Long -term rest and immobility is not always good for the joint itself. Reducing any weight-bearing stress may well be beneficial but stiffening of the joint can quickly set in if it is not kept flexible and moved regularly. A reduction in the synovial fluid, inflammation of the joint, muscle weakness or cartilage erosion are all common knee problems, which fortunately can respond well to a regular yoga practice.

Nothing But the Best for Me!

If you are not experienced with yoga, it is important to have the benefit of a qualified teacher. Yoga is suitable for complete beginners, irrespective of current flexibility but correct alignment of any posture is vital, this is far more important than the need to extend the body into more advanced positions. Yoga is non-competitive; the only person that you should be concerned with is your own health. Focus on how yoga makes you feel and not how far you can move.

4 Poses to Nurture Me, Your Knees

There are many yoga postures that can help to increase flexibility and health within the knee joints including:

Supported Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana 1)

Try the supported warrior pose against a wall. It is an excellent posture to help strengthen the muscles around the knee joint, care should be taken not to extend over the knee. It stretches the chest, shoulders and neck, opening up the lungs; and strengthens the ankles, knees, thighs as well as the back, arms and shoulders.

Supported Revolved Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

This version of supported revolved triangle is a wonderful pose and can be successfully incorporated into your practice by using a wall for alignment purposes. It strengthens the knees, thighs and ankles and stretches the spine, chest, hamstrings, hips, groin and calves. The triangle pose also helps to relieve stress and to improve digestion.

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

If you’re not familiar with camel, then a great starting point is half camel.  Depending on the extent of the injury, it can be beneficial to kneel on a mat or cushioned surface so as to take the pressure away the knee joint. The camel posture provides an excellent stretch and strengthening pose, serving to stretch the abdomen, chest and throat, while strengthening the back muscles and knees. The camel pose is also beneficial for improving posture and for working the ankles, thighs and groin.

Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

The full version of lotus pose is calming, and stimulates the pelvis and spine while stretching the ankles and knees. It increases flexibility in the hip and knee joints but a well instructed half lotus should be practiced to increase flexibility in the first instance. This is an advanced pose but the preparation stage is greatly beneficial for working the knee joint and for increasing movement, patience is required if there is a limited flexibility.

Give Me a Rub!

When you injure your knee joint, it’s easy to see how much it impacts your life. Preventative measures are advisable ensuring that the knee joints stay as healthy as possible. Massaging the joints, using the breath to release any inner tension and practicing inverted postures all help with any inflammatory injuries and promote inner healing. Don’t take the health of your joints for granted, the negative effects are far reaching, fortunately, yoga postures are gentle but greatly beneficial so it should be possible to regain full motion for most people.

Yogasync Me!  Here at Yogasync, we know from experience that if you have dodgy knees, full lotus pose should be worked towards gradually by increasing the external rotation of your hips to keep the knee happy.  One of the best things you could do is ensure that you stand correctly with ankles knees and hips in alignment – in yoga this is known as Standing Mountain Pose – Tadasana

Show Me Tadasana

Would you like to master full Lotus (Padmasana)? We built this yoga workshop especially to take you there:

Open Me Up To Lotus

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If you’re like me, you love cooking and eating food that is both delicious and good to your body. Your body and taste buds thank you, and you just feel so damn good about yourself!

The Recipe I Reviewed from Yogasync.tv

Veggie Quinoa is a simple, savory dish that will leave you feeling nourished and full of energy. You can use just about any vegetable you have in your fridge; I used broccoli, zucchini, carrot and bell pepper. Some other great ideas would be squash, pumpkin, sweet potato (for a fall twist) or green beans. You will cook the quinoa using vegetable stock. I bought mine, but you can find a recipe for it here.

Nutrition in This Dish

Known as the “mother grain,” quinoa is complete protein, and can also be classified as a seed. It was well respected in ancient cultures for its nutritious qualities, including high fiber content and richness in magnesium, manganese, riboflavin and iron.

Connected by the mother grain, are a variety of colorful, anti-oxidant-packed veggies. Broccoli high in vitamin C and is a cruciferous vegetable, known for its anti-cancer properties. Bell peppers are also surprisingly high in vitamin C and add a nice crunch to the dish. Of course, the options for vegetables are endless with this meal.

Versatile, Easy and Adaptable Recipe

As with most of my recipes, I usually make some modifications for the sake of cost or convenience. I used a box of “Quick Quinoa,” (I searched online for a difference in nutritional value but could not find one) instead of regular, and it still tasted great. I lamented the fact that I did not have a lemon on hand, because I believe that would have really made the flavors pop, and would have added a fresh, zesty taste.

Ready in 15 Minutes!

Overall, the dish turned out great. I boiled the quinoa in broth per instructions, tossed in the veggies and it was done in 15 minutes. One cup of the tiny “mother grains” fluffed up to fill an entire skillet—enough for 3 to 4 bowls.
Veggie quinoa will be a regular meal in my household from now on; I will be cooking it as a main course for lunch or dinner, and it will also make an excellent side dish. Because it is so versatile (try different combinations of veggies, herbs and citrus juices), it will never get old.

Make it tonight and you won’t be disappointed!

Yogasync Me!  Members can access the PDF and Video Cooking Class (why cook alone when you can have Ram’s company?) here:

Vegetable Quinoa Nourishment

Want the Recipe But Not Yet a Member?  No problem, click here for the ingredient  PDF:

Veg Quinoa Recipe

And Lastly!  Let us know what you think!

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Susan Smith is a tiny energetic Yoga Master and Teacher. She has numerous certifications in various kinds of Yoga therapy, and hundreds of hours of training. Because yoga has been become increasingly more mainstream both as an athletic pursuit, and as part of a holistic healing therapy, it’s not at all surprising to see people of different abilities enter her Yoga Center. From young people looking to supplement their gym workouts to middle-aged students seeking more energy, to senior citizens in walkers, Susan is used to assisting and modifying poses, either in a class, or in a private therapy session. Sometimes however, she finds herself in unknown territory.

Her new client Annie is 19 and she has cerebral palsy.
A young woman with a slight build, Annie has long brown hair, bright eyes, and a pretty smile. Diagnosed around the age of four months, she’s been assisted not only by her parents, but by daily caregivers, and a one-on-one teacher. Annie’s mom is also a student of Susan’s and knew of her experience with Thai Yoga Bodywork.
When Susan described Annie’s first entrance into the Center, she noted that she was extremely stiff. She displayed the beginnings of postural kyphosis (rounded upper back), had both fists in her mouth, and was walking on her toes. Susan initially feared that she might not be able to treat Annie. Pauline, Annie’s mother, was looking to add more flexibility to Annie’s spine and she assured Susan that Annie’s comprehension was fine, so she would be able to understand directions.

The first thing Susan did was to show Annie how to move her chin inwards, to allow her head to line up over her spine. This allowed her to sit and stand straighter, which naturally helps with spine curving. Just as importantly, the slight change in posture allowed Annie’s chest to open.

The next step was to have Annie sit in a chair. “I thought that Thai Bodywork would be best to work with her, rather than to have her perform poses herself…it might be easier for me to maneuver her through various postures, in the Thai Bodywork I do that, I put pressure on the client with my hands, elbow, knees, and feet.”
Susan described how after Annie was safely seated on a low chair, she removed her shoes and socks, and rubbed in a few drops of an essential oil blend into both of Annie’s feet. This blend contains oils of Blue Tansy, Frankincense, Ho Wood, and Spruce. (Susan also had the same blend in a going in a diffuser in the center) Next, Susan began to manipulate Annie’s feet, stretching and pulling, and gradually the feet began to relax, and so did Annie, just a little.
Then it was time to try lying down on the mat. “But she couldn’t just lay back, so I was trying to help her to relax back, and I was sitting behind her, and trying to help her lower her shoulders down, and she ended up just relaxing back onto my lap.” Susan smiled widely remembering this part, as she began to work on Annie’s arms, she relaxed further, “she obviously trusted me, it was really, really beautiful.”

Susan recounted that after a while into this first session, her four year old granddaughter, Rose, began to run around in the center. Typically Rose is used to being there during the day; she plays unobtrusively in her own area. But now she wanted to run around. Susan explained how Annie seemed excited and wanted to run around with Rose.

“I thought this would be good for her to relax, to help her to let go, have some fun, even bring her some joy in this moment, that’s good for her.”

The session ended with trying Annie on a Yoga ball. It was difficult at first, until Susan tried placing the ball on an upside down aerobic stepper to cradle it. Annie was able to sit, and then lay back fully over the ball, “she was getting a really nice opening for her back which was countering the kyphosis.”
As the session was ending, Annie was sitting up in a chair waiting while her mother was writing out a check, sitting, “reasonably straight, and her mother and her caregiver started saying, ‘look how straight she’s sitting, look at her!’ and of course, I had nothing to compare it with, not having seen her before…but they were quite impressed with how straight she was sitting.”

When Annie, her mom, and the caregiver left, Susan could hear her out in the hallway, “I thought that she was crying. So when her caregiver came in the next day [she came in for some Thai Bodywork] I asked her,

‘was she crying? NO, she was so happy; she was just squealing with delight and running up and down the hall’.”

Amazing!
So far Annie has been to see Susan for about four or five visits. Pauline said that the she’s noticed Annie acting a little more calm and relaxed at home. And her sleeping posture is not as curved either, Pauline seems some spine straightening. While she said that it’s too early to tell what lasting changes may come of these treatments, she’s pleased.
And judging by the smiles and visible moments of release between Annie and Susan, Annie seems quite pleased too.

Yogasync Me!  Always see an experiences Yoga Therapist if there are special needs.  If however you’d like to try assisted postures at home,, then here’s a great sequence to get you started:

Soft and Expanded

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