Yoga for scoliosis

Scoliosis literally means…twist and turns of the spine.  There are two types of Scoliosis, structural and functional.  Structural curvature occurs when the vertebral bodies of the spine grow unevenly creating a curvature and sometimes twisting of the spine.  It usually begins at early adolescence when a person is growing.  Structural scoliosis is not reversible.  Functional Curvature is only muscular, and occurs because of some repetitive activity such as carrying your purse on one shoulder for many years.  Unlike Structural Scoliosis, a functional curve can be corrected.

So how do you know if you have Scoliosis and whether it is structural or functional?  There is a test that is performed in grade school to determine if you have structural scoliosis.  Functional Scoliosis can be diagnosed by a professional.  If you know you have Scoliosis there is a simple test to determine the type.  While Standing, bend forward and have someone look at your back. If the curvature disappears you have functional; if it stays the same or gets worse it is structural.
  
And how does yoga help those with Scoliosis?  Yoga is instrumental in limiting the progression of the functional (or compensating) curve because the poses facilitate the lengthening of the spine, which prevents further curvature.  The asanas  de-rotate the spine preventing further rotation.  And they strengthen and lengthen the muscles on the concave side and shorten the muscles on the convex side creating more balance in the body.  This is a very simplistic explanation so if you are interested in getting more information you can contact me by phone or email.

Love Shauna

Yoga for better posture

Who wants to think about posture?  Why can’t we just sit at the computer all day hunched over.  Because…eventually you will not be able to go outside and sit on the beach comfortably.  You will not be able to take a jog along the beach because your joints will be stiff.  What we do now effects how we live our lives in the future.  It is about prevention!  My yoga teacher says, “we do not do yoga to be perfect, we do yoga to live our lives more fully.”  

So how does yoga affect posture and therefore prevent pain?  Each pose has an effect on our overall posture, the way we sit, stand, and move.  Each pose teaches us how to do these actions correctly. For example you may have discovered while practicing Supta Padangusthasana , that it lengthens the hamstrings. Longer hamstrings allow the pelvis to be in a neutral upright position while we sit. If the hamstrings are tight, they pull the sacrum back and cause our lumbar spine to round, which puts pressure on the front of our lumbar vertebrae.  An neutral upright pelvis is so important for good posture, in fact it is the basis for good posture.

 If the body is in perfect postural alignment, sitting, standing, and moving becomes effortless.  Our bodies were made to sit, stand, and move with grace and ease.  Good postural alignment will allow us to live a life without pain.  A life where we can continue to go to the beach and sit in the sand with our loves ones.

The pose of the month is perfect for gaining better posture!  And I bet you have done it before.

Love Shauna

Get outside

Its October, one of my favorite months.  Today my son (Nash) and I went to the beach and I was amazed at the beautiful weather.  The funny thing is, we were the only two sitting on the beach besides the older man jogging barefoot.  I think when October arrives most people think to stay indoors but actually October is a perfect time to get outside and do yoga!

I used to feel strange doing yoga on the beach because I was concerned about what others thought. Once I got past that feeling, I got to enjoy the amazing experience of doing yoga outside. The feeling of the fresh air on my face, the sound of the waves, the sight of the sun…

So if you find yourself outside, take a moment to breathe in and out stretching your arms up overhead. And if you feel inclined, do Uttansana (standing forward bend). Yoga can be done anywhere at anytime!

The SHOULD idea

“In order to achieve a state of yoga, one must develop both practice and detachment.” – Yoga Sutra 1.12

I have been practicing yoga since 1999 but I have not always had a home practice.  In fact, it took me a really long time to cultivate a home practice.  And the only person that was in the way was me.  There were all kinds of excuses usually having to do with time.  But they were just that, excuses.  They came from, what I call “the SHOULD idea.”  The SHOULD idea is when you think you should do something or should be someone. Somewhere on my yoga journey I became attached to someone else’s practice (my teacher’s, my teacher’s teacher).  And when I couldn’t make it look exactly like their practice, I gave up. When I finally realized that it was MY practice, I was able to let go of my attachment to what a home practice SHOULD look like, and it became mine.

One of the things I hear most from yoga practitioners is that they really want a home practice.  All it takes is a letting go, so that the space of freedom and inspiration can enter.  And then it becomes yours.

Join me on this journey of creating and discovering your personal home yoga practice.

It’s happening at Downtown Yoga every Thursday evening in July, 7:30-9:00 PM.  It starts July 3rd!

Thank you for listening, for reading, for being you!

With Love, Light, and Soulfulness

Shauna Lay