A few updates and yoga tidbits for you

Upcoming Class Theme: Posture

Working on improving our posture is more than just sitting or standing up straight as often as we remember. It involves becoming aware of our habits and doing targeted strengthening and stretching to address muscle imbalances (areas of weakness or tightness that make it hard to come into ideal alignment).

When we have ideal posture, our centers of gravity – pelvis, ribcage, and head are lined up, so we can expend the least amount of energy to stay upright. Our spine is long while maintaining its natural curves to act as a shock absorber during movement. Many physiologic functions are affected by posture – digestion, nerve signaling, breathing, blood pressure. Mood and overall well-being are affected by posture too. So even if you’re not getting loud signals from your body about posture, it’s still worth investigating!

Posture Check in a Doorway

Here’s a way to see how it feels to line up those three centers of gravity. Stand against a corner of a room or doorway and have your sacrum, mid back, and back of skull all touching that corner. Your sacrum is the flat bone at the base of your spine right above your tailbone that attaches to the left and right side of your pelvis. Your spine will be touching at some points along your back, and see if you can draw your ribcage back so the part of your spine level with your low back ribs is touching too. Then Bring the back of your head against the wall. If it feels unnatural to line up those points, that can give you some info about your posture.

A yoga practice is an opportunity to be mindful, to develop a deeper relationship with ourselves on all levels, and it can be an opportunity to figure out what we can do to make good posture feel normal and effortless for us.

Two Excercises for strengthening your mid back (strength in this area means shoulder blades naturally fall in an ideal postion on your back)

hand press: bend your knees a bit and bring your sacrum, back ribs, and back of head to the wall. Externally rotate your arms to bring the backs of your hands to the wall. Press your hands into the wall and hold for several breaths. Add repetitions for more strength!

elbow press: same set-up as above, except this time bring your elbows up to shoulder height with your forearms parallel to the floor. Press your elbows into the wall and hold for several breaths. Maybe add some repetitions.

A few people who have taught me about posture:

Julie Gudmestad - from my 300 hr. teacher training. She's a physical therapist and Iyengar-style yoga teacher. The posture check and exercises above come from her

https://www.yogauonline.com/teachers/julie-gudmestad

Lauren O'Hayon - from Restore Your Core online program. She's a yoga/pilates/movement teacher with a specialty in helping people heal their core and pelvic floor, and she takes a whole body approach

https://laurenohayon.com/about/

Katy Bowman - biomechanist and prolific author. She's very into minimal shoes and natural human movement

https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/about-nutritious-movement/

New Classes:

MALT (Mt. Airy Learning Tree) - spring term starts next week. I'll be teaching two classes ($100 for 8 weeks). Register for both at https://aceweb.mtairylearningtree.org/wconnect/ace/home.htm

• Monday 7-8pm - Yoga For Body Awareness - Cliveden House
• Wednesday 10-11am - Yoga for Basic Strength and Mobility - Chestnut Hill United Church

Journey's Way - Rources and Programs for people 55+ - see attached flyer for more info ($5-7 per class)

• I will be teaching a free demo class there on yoga for balance - chair to mat - Tuesday April 19, 11am-12pm
• 4 week chair to mat yoga class - Tuesdays in May 11am-12pm

Springfield Township Library - 6 week posture series (Free) - please register at the library website: https://www.springfieldmontco.org/departments/free-library-of-springfield-township/adults/events-and-classes-for-adults/

• Thursdays 10-11am - April 21 - May 26

See my website for more info on my teaching offerings:

jmayyoga.offeringtree.com

health and well-being to you all,

Jen