July 20, 2011

Yoga for the Cancer Patient: A Physical and Spiritual Alternative

Guest blog by: Jillian McKee Knowing what cancer does to the human body is one thing, regardless of the area of the body it’s affecting. It is, however, impossible to know how cancer will affect an individual’s mind and spirit. Because of this, it is so important for the cancer patient to determine the best path in maintaining a healthy emotional and spiritual life while in treatment. Supportive family and friends are essential but not enough to do this. The patient needs to do if for himself or herself. Yoga is one option that can help. Cancer is not just a diagnosis but also a lifestyle adjustment. Yoga is one option for the cancer patient to incorporate into that new lifestyle. It renews not just the body, but mind and spirit as well. Yoga is most certainly not a substitute for medical care but can make the treatments a bit […]
July 18, 2011

Butterfly Pose Modification

What’s in a name? Baddha Konasana can be an intimidating pose, particularly to someone with a restricted range of motion in the hips and torso. Call it Bound Angle Pose and it can sound downright tortuous. By referring to it as Butterfly Pose, I notice a bit less tension in the room when I’m including it in a class. Butterflies flutter, dance through the air, laze about perched on flowers. Butterfly pose can’t be that bad. And bad it’s not (unless you’ve a hip replacement or other injury that you’ll want to ask your doctor about before rotating the hip). This inner groin area gets especially tight in movement disorders. The result affects gait, balance, and tension in the lower back. Lengthening the adductors, or groin muscles, has a number of benefits. Besides improving gait and balance, this pose can help with sleep and depression. In this modification, we perch on a […]
July 16, 2011

I Love It When I’m Right

It’s a good day when science backs up what my heart knew: Yoga improves balance, endurance in stroke recovery: Indiana University  Study on Yoga and Stroke .