Corinne & Olivia

A day in the life of our yoga retreat... it’s magical!! If you’ve been wanting to do something like this, now IS the time. Stop talking yourself out of it and ENJOY your life! November 4-11 werble

Sunday yoga session

It's no accident we take our groups to the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica every year. We go here specifically because, in addition to being beautiful, it's also a Blue Zone.
Blue Zones are small geographical areas on Earth where people live exceptionally long, happy and healthy lives. There are 5 Blue Zones on Earth of which the Nicoya Peninsula is one.
Scientists are actively studying these areas to figure out why- what's the secret?
Well we think we know... it's magic.
It really is a special place
You should come with us November 4-11
For more info email us at [email protected]

Corinne's Cool Things I Learned In School

Think you know how to stretch?
Most people approach stretching with brute force- pulling the muscle despite pain and discomfort.

This approach is not only ineffective, it is dangerous!!
And here's why...

Your muscle's willingness to stretch is primarily controlled by your nervous system.

Our muscles and tendons have little sensors in them that are constantly monitoring length and tension (GTO and muscle spindles).

When these sensors detect potential danger they send a signal for the muscle to contract.

This reaction is a reflex (spinal reflex) designed to protect your body from harm.

This contraction does not mean the muscle has reached its end range- however. It is a knee jerk reaction to change in length because in terms of survival, it's better to be safe than sorry.

After all, your body doesn't know if you're being drawn and quartered or in a yoga pose.

Your brain is the one who determines if you are in real danger of if it's a false alarm.
It just needs a little time to assess the situation, determine you are safe and release the contraction.

If you just hold still when the muscle first contracts, after about 20 seconds the muscle will release the contraction and you can relax a little deeper into the pose. **

IF, however, you continue to force the stretch the sensors will continue to send the signal to contract. They think you're in danger and your muscle will literally fight the stretch.

This is the mistake most people make and this is what I mean by "stretching with brute force".

It should feel like you are melting into a stretch, not forcing it.

So now that you understand the mechanism of stretching, you will be able to do it more effectively.
Here is a step by step:

STEP 1: identify the muscle you are trying to stretch

STEP 2: set up the stretch so you are isolating the desired muscle . Often we think we are stretching our hamstrings (for example) but because of poor form end up stretching the lower back.
Form is key!

STEP 3: lengthen the muscle until you feel a SLIGHT contract. Then stop- hold here.
This should not be painful at all!!! The muscle should not be shaking.

STEP 4: hold here for 20 seconds. Be still. Breath. Scan your body for other form adjustments that need to be made- like shoulders away from your ears or a slight shift in body weight.

STEP 5: after 20 seconds take a deep breath in, on the exhale RELAX the muscle and melt a little deeper into the stretch.

STEP 6: When you feel the muscle contraction again stop, hold, and repeat 2-3 times per stretch.
An effective stretch should last 45-60 seconds

** if you are unable to relax the muscle after 20 seconds you are most likely going too deep to begin with. Stop at the first sign of contraction- especially if you are very tight

Hey y'all!
I'm blowing through town again!
Come take class with me tomorrow, Saturday 12/3, at noon Bikram Yoga LES!!

I'm coming to town, New York!
Join me Saturday (yeah, tomorrow) for 10:00am yoga at Bikram Yoga LES!
Yeeehaw!

CORINNE’S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Do you feel like a pretzel in spine twist?
Do you have to hunch over and lift one hip up just to get close to grabbing your knee?
Well if so you’re not alone, but twisting like this can be very dangerous! Here are some things you should know...

First, it is always a good idea to ask yourself: “WHY am I doing this posture?”

The goal of spine twist is to, well, twist the spine.

Deep spine twists should only be performed with a relatively straight spine* to protect the integrity of your intervertebral discs.
Most disc herniations happen with a specific motion: spine flexion + side bend + and rotation (think bending down and twisting to pick something up). This specific motion in your spine pushes the jelly inside the disc (nucleus pulposus) against the weakest part of the wall (annulus fibrosus).
If that jelly breaks through you have a herniated disc.

Doing spine twist hunched over with one hip up puts your spine in this exact same position.
If the disk is compromised already, doing this posture with incorrect form could potentially cause a herniation.
Yikes!
So we definitely want that spine straight, and that starts with the hips…

Your hips are the foundation of this posture.

Your spine comes straight up out of your pelvis.
When your hips are level with the ground (parallel), your spine is straight (perpendicular).
But when you tilt one hip up, your spine has to curve in the opposite direction for counterbalance.
To put it simply: if your hip is up, your spine is not straight.

You must have both hips on the floor before proceeding into this spine twist.

So how do you do that if you are tight?
Limited range of motion in the hips or knees (tight quads, posterior hips, limited joint motion…) might make the set-up with both knees bent impossible for you right now.
But remember, the goal of this posture is to twist the spine.
And the foundation of this posture is your pelvis and having both hips on the ground.
Your legs… well they don’t matter that much.
So go ahead and straighten that bottom leg, set up your foundation, and get your spine twist on!

THAT BEING SAID...
Just because you can modify the set-up for now doesn’t mean you should do it forever.
If you can not set up this posture with both legs bent, you have a motion restriction and it should be addressed.
After class, get in the set-up for spine twist- both legs bent.
If you feel sharp pain in a joint you should see a PT. But if you feel the restriction from muscles, stay in the set-up for a few minutes. Give your muscles a chance to relax and stretch, and one day- in the future- you WILL be able to do it!!

**I say “relatively straight spine” because due to the arthokinematics of the spine, from a neutral spine, a spine twist in one direction causes a slight side bend to the opposite direction

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Got pain that radiates from your back to your butt? Or worse, down the back of your leg??

You may have sciatica, and here are a few things you should know...

First of all, what IS the sciatica?

Sciatica is a general term that means pain/numbness/ or tingling anywhere along the path of the sciatic nerve.

Nerves are your body's information superhighway. They send sensory and motor information back and forth from the brain to the body.

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs from your lower spine, through the muscles in your butt and down the back of your legs. It feeds all the muscles in the lower body.

When the nerve is compressed or damaged it send neurological symptoms (shooting pain/burning/numbness/tingling) along the nerve.

Many different disorders can create the symptom of sciatica. For example, a herniated disk can compress the nerve, but so can a tight muscle (most often the piriformis) or bony deformity (like arthritis).

Whatever the underlying disorder, if you feel pain shooting down your leg the sciatic nerve is aggravated.
And if there is one thing an aggravated nerve hates, it's to be stretch!

Oh sure stretching may feel good in the moment. But rest assured, if you aggressively stretch an injured nerve, a few hours later your symptoms will be worse.

Does that mean you can't do your yoga?
Of course not, just be sure to avoid stretching the back of your hips and legs until symptoms subside.

Here are some tips:
- In all forward stretches knees should be bent
- do not kick out in standing head to knee
- do not bring body down all the way in bow and balancing stick

And of course, if symptoms persist you should see a physical therapist.
Often it's a simple fix: release the muscle that is compressing the nerve. But if it is something more serious you need to know. If the nerve remains compressed for a long period of time, it can lead to permanent damage to your muscles.

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

How low can you go?
Who cares!
If that's your goal in awkward part 1, I can pretty much guarantee that you are doing it wrong!

This posture is not about going down, it's about going back.
This is an important distinction because it determines where you initiate the movement- from the knees or the hips.

If you are trying to go DOWN, chances are you are starting the posture by bending your knees.
This will bring your knees forward past your toes and create stress in both the knees and ankles (you may even feel it!)
Not only is it much harder on the joints to do it this way, but it's also much easier on the muscles- and that's definitely not what we want! (For my fellow physics nerds: knees bending forward creates a shorter moment arm)

If you are thinking about going BACK in this posture you will initiate the movement back with your hips.
This keeps the knees over the ankles, maintaining a 90 degree angle in the ankle (heels will not need to turn in!) and less stress on the knees.
It's also way harder on the muscles this way! (longer moment arm)

Easier on the joints and harder on the muscles... That's exactly what we want!
You will definitely feel it more in the glutes, outer hips (abductors) and thighs (quads and hamstrings)

It's important to note, when you first start doing this posture the right way you will probably not go down as low as you usually do.
That is ok!
As with all yoga postures, the depth should never be the primary focus.
It is always form first!
With consistent practice you will gain the flexibility and strength to get back and down more and more.

So how do you know if you are going back enough?

Simple, TRY THIS:

Place a chair appx. 1 to 2 inches away from your knees
Do your awkward pose and try not to let your knees touch the chair.

See how much harder it is to do when your knees are in proper alignment?
That is how the posture should feel in class!

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL**

Do you ever get cramps on the bottom of your feet?

Pain is your body's signal that something is weak.
To understand what and why, let's talk a little about feet...

There are 5 bones in your feet that are perfectly pieced together to form an arch (the medial longitudinal arch)
The bones are held together by ligaments and the whole arch is held up by one muscle in particular: the Posterior Tibialis (Tib for short)

The muscle belly of the Posterior Tib is not located in the foot, it runs along the inside of your lower leg. At the ankle it turns into a tendon that hooks behind the ankle bone and attaches to the cornerstone of the arch (the Navicular).
When the posterior Tib contracts, it pulls your arch up and back, locking it in place and giving your foot structural support.

When the structural support of the foot is compromised - which can happen for a variety of reasons- the muscles and fascia in the foot are forced to work harder.
They tighten up and try to hold the arch up the best they can- but that's not really their job.
Eventually they fatigue, get weak, inflamed, spasm and cramp (plantar fasciitis anyone?)

So if you are one of the many who do get cramps on the bottoms of your feet, maybe all you need is to strengthen your Posterior Tib.
Here's a great exercise!

1. Get a Theraband (red, then progress to green-> blue as you get stronger)
2. Tie it so there a loop at one end
3. Sit in a chair and step on the Theraband with one foot
4. Bend the other leg up and hook the loop around the ball of your foot
5. Pull the other end so the Theraband is taught
6. POINT YOUR TOES and move your foot up and down. If you are weak, start with 2 sets of 10, progress to 3 sets of 15 and do it multiple times a day,
7. You should feel this along the inside of your calf- behind the ankle bone- NOT the front (if you feel it in the front along the shin bone you're working the wrong muscle- point your toes more)

** this post should more accurately be named "COOL THINGS I LEARNED FROM VANESSA"- my clinical instructor for this Austin internship. Her name is Vanessa Brizeno and she is amazing. If anyone in Austin needs PT find her at Select PT - 12 Oaks!

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Do you feel a sharp pain in your knee during Awkward Pose?

You may need to check your step!

Most people step too wide.
We hear "hip-width distance" and take a giant step. But actually, your hips are not as wide as you think they are...
Your anatomical hips that is.

Feel the front of your pelvis for the bones that stick forward (iliac spine) - that is exactly how wide you want your feet.

A step that is wider than that can potentially damage the knee, and here's why...

When you bring your knees together to touch the thigh bones (femur) rotate IN and the shin bones (tibia) rotate OUT.

That creates a twist (rotatory force) in the knee.

The wider your feet the more the shin bone has to rotate out and the more twisting in the knee.

If there is one thing the knee hates (especially the meniscus!) it's a twist. Your knee is a hinge joint and it only wants to straighten and bend.

With your feet closer together you reduce the amount of external rotation needed below the knee with less of a twist in the joint itself.

Especially for women with wider hips (like myself) taking a smaller step can make a significant difference in how this posture feels. Give it a shot!

PS. Also be sure to turn your toes in slightly when you bring your knees together - knees and toes should always point in the same direction!

PPS. If you still feel pain in the knee with a smaller step DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY DOWN! And go see a PT- you may have a patella that's off track
(say tuned for a future Cool Things I Learned In School to learn more about this)

Is the front of your shoulder sore?
Does it ever feel tender to the touch?

You might be making the problem worse with your bow pose!

In standing bow pose the alignment of the shoulders is NOT forward and back (flexion/extension) as it may appear, but rather straight out to the side (abduction) with a twist in the spine.

This distinction is extremely important, and can mean the difference between this posture helping or hurting your shoulders...

The shoulder is what's known as a ball-in-socket joint.
In this case the ball is much bigger than the socket (think golf ball on tee), allowing for lots of range of motion.

This range of motion, however, comes at a price: instability and a propensity to get hurt.

Because the bony structure of the joint does not stabilize the ball within the socket, it is up to the muscles around it (the rotator cuff) to hold everything in place.

When you reach your arm far back (hyperextension) the ball wants to pop forward.
The anterior structures* holding it in get strained and stretched, eventually becoming loose and painful.

You definitely don't want that.

Instead the alignment of the arms should be straight out to the side (shoulder abduction), with a twist in the spine.
So your hips face forward (relatively) but your shoulders face the side. That way when you kick the arm is pulled into a safe traction that does not stress the muscles of the rotator cuff.

This alignment should happen in the set-up. Start with a spine twist, and make sure you have your shoulders perpendicular to the mirror..."Two shoulder in one line!"

*those anterior structures are the joint capsule, labrum, and tendons of the bicep and subscapularis.

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Are you stuck in a posture?

You just might need a little more practice- not on your mat, but in your mind!

Studies have shown that imagining yourself in a beautiful standing-head-to-knee pose can actually help you DO a beautiful standing-head-to-knee pose.
It’s a technique called Visual Motor Rehearsal (VMR), and it's used by Nasa and Olympic athletes to improve their performances.

Here’s how it works...
Movement starts with a command from the brain*: "Bring elbows down”.
This command sets off a series of neurological impulses in your brain and down your body. The impulses travel down specific pathways to the muscles they want to activate.

These neurological pathways are a lot like the route you take from home to work...
When you first moved in you drove one way to work. Over time, however, you discovered shortcuts and which intersections to avoid… all of this makes the trip faster and easier. Sometimes you get there and you don’t remember the drive- you are an expert.

Well that is the same thing that happens in the body.
The faster and more precisely the signals travel from brain to body, the more skilled you are at the task.
This neurological mapping is a major component in “practice makes perfect".

And, it turns out, you can do this practice just about anywhere!

A study conducted by Dr. Denis Waitley, PhD hooked professional athletes to bio feedback machines (tracking neurological impulses).
He then asked them to run their event entirely in their minds.
Amazingly he found that the exact same neurological pathways from the brain and to the body fired in the exact same order, whether they were physically running the race or visualizing it. They were literally practicing with their brains and neurons!

Anyone can do this, but here’s the trick: you've got to visualize yourself doing it RIGHT.
You have to believe it, see it, feel it, live it in your mind.
And then... be patient!
Because your body may not be ready to do it just yet, but if you keep practicing, physically and mentally, you will be ready soon!

**With the exception of spinal reflexes.

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Can't straighten your arms over head in half moon (or any other time for that matter)?

The problem may not be bad shoulders, it might just be your bad posture!

Many of us have terrible posture from sitting in front of the computer all day and having our faces in our phone.
The middle back rounds forward (hyperkyphosis) and the neck flexes forward (forward-head posture).

This misalignment of the spine affects the alignment in all the joints above and below - including your shoulders!

With the shoulder joint tilted forward you can no longer raise your arms all the way overhead- either in front or to the side (reduced range of motion).

Try it!
Slouch down and raise your arms up, now stand tall and do it... You felt a big difference, huh?
You will have much greater range of motion in the shoulder when the spine is aligned.

This is an example of regional interdependence- the concept that an impairment in one part of the body can be cause by an impairment somewhere totally different.

Oh yes, we are all connected.
You can't just assume the problem is where the pain is. That's why it is SO important to see a PT (or someone who understands the kinetic chain) at the first sign of a problem. The source might surprise you!


shoulders

CORINNE'S COOL THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL

Have you ever felt pain in the crease of your hip when doing triangle pose (or any lunge for that matter)?

If the answer is "yes" you have received a message from your hip:
"You are sinking too low- stop it!"
You should listen.
That pain might mean that you are damaging your labrum**

Often talked about but rarely understood, the labrum is basically the cushion in your hip joint.

The hip is a ball-in-socket joint.
The "ball" being the head of the femur (thigh bone) and the "socket" is the deep groove in the pelvis (acetabulum).

It works much like a mortar.

The acetabulum is partially coated with a smooth thick cartilage: the labrum. It extends past the edge of the socket to form a lip that helps hold the ball in the socket joint and acts as a buffer between the thigh bone and pelvis.

Without the labrum those deep lunges would jam the thigh bone into to edge of the socket - bone on bone compression- and that would really hurt.

Instead of bone hitting bone, when we do those deep lunges it's the labrum (and other structures) that gets compressed.

Exactly how much compression that labrum has to take on depends on you...

When you sink too low in your lunges (flexible people tend to do this) you put a LOT of compressive force on your labrum (bent leg side)

Instead use your muscles to hold yourself up and be sure not to let your body go too low.

Here's how how it goes:
⁃ Bent leg 90 degrees- no more.
⁃ Elbow in front of the knee- even if you are not touching your toes.
⁃ From here the legs do not move, they are solid concrete.
⁃ Everything above the legs: hips, abs, rib cage, arms, even fingers, all stretch up!
⁃ Push your elbow against the knee to twist the upper body more- DO NOT PUSH THE BENT LEG BACK!! That grinds the labrum- Very very bad.

Direct the Force of your stretch in the opposite direction of Gravity to find the lightness in the pose.