Yoga and Health

When you are pregnant you exercise to tone your muscles, you do yoga, you eat right to keep healthy, you practice your kegals to tone the birthing canal, so why not tone your voice. Singers do it, public speakers do it, and often times, we tone our voices without really knowing that is what we are doing.

So just what is vocal toning anyways? Vocal toning is can be one of the most VALUABLE tools for the birthing mom. The voice is one of the key areas of expression: expression of joy, pain, sorrow, anger and the list goes on. Most women in labor naturally use their voices. Vocal toning allows you to capture the power and usefulness of your voice and use it to your advantage rather than your disadvantage.

To understand why vocal toning works, first we must understand that there is a neuro-muscular connection between the cranium/throat and the sacrum/pelvis. When the throat is choked (with fear, pain or unexpressed emotion, words we can not express etc), this tightness is reflected in the pelvis/sacrum. When the throat is open, this opening is then reflected into the throat of the birth canal, the opening of the cervix.

In addition to the benefit of the open throat reflecting the open pelvis, vocal toning also releases sound vibrations throughout the body. Sound Vibration Therapy, Sound Wave Therapy, and other types of sound therapy have been common in the Alternative Healing sectors for many, many years. Sound vibrational waves are thought to affect the body on a cellular level, and have been touted to: relax muscles by carrying tension from the body, improve circulation, maximize energy flow within the body, alleviate some disease such as arthritis, heal past injuries, even diminish cellulite!

Seeing as the voice is one of the first choices of expression, it is no wonder that during a powerful contraction often the first reaction is to use your voice to say: “OW”, or “it hurts”, or sometimes to even scream. These are all normal natural, intuitions. The point is, to try to use the voice in a way that doesn’t trigger your flight or fight response, as a scream or painful reaction would do. When you are using these habitual reactions to painful, fearful situations your mind believes what you are telling it, and this is counter-intuitive to labor’s progress.

When you change the habit by using a more direction with the voice, as guided in our audio segment “Vocal Toning”, you will actually be triggering the brain’s response to relaxation, telling it to release more oxytocin (the love hormone that stimulates and advances labor), this hormone when in it’s natural form created by you and not by a IV drip, helps labor seem less painful and can aid in mother/infant bonding.

By practicing vocal toning, expressing yourself fully and singing happily often during your pregnancy, you will be setting fabulous subconscious behavior patterns that will help you immensely during labor and birth. Vocal toning can also be used during a C-Section birth, it will help keep you calm and focused, re-assure your baby, and increase your intake of oxygen and the output of carbon monoxide insuring a safe and easy journey for your baby into this world.

BENEFITS OF VOCAL TONING:

*open throat = open birth canal

*increases the length and depth of the exhalations

*ound vibrations also carry tension out of the body

*relaxing

*the sound helps calm and focus mind and body

*helpful tool to cope with labor contractions

*helps to let go of anxiety

*creates a sound of familiarity/continuity (and therefore reassurance) for your baby

*it is also a powerful breathing exercise

HOW TO TONE

Always tone from a soft throat and the sensation of an open throat tone for the entire length of the exhale, always following a deep inhalation low vibrations help to resonate the lower body, higher vibrations help resonate the upper body during labor, tone for the full length of the contraction if you are un-able to intake a deep breath during labor, try layering the breath in 2 or 3 short inhales, and then tone for the full length of the exhale/contraction.

Go with your intuitive sound. If “owww” is what works, go with it. There is no wrong or right sound.

PRACTICE

Start experimenting with different sounds. An easy one to start with is : ” ahhhhhhhhh”. Practice “mmmmmmm” The try all the vowel sounds “a e i o u” noticing what those different sounds feel like as you vocalize them. Everybody gravitates to their own personal sound. There is no wrong or right sound. Feel free to combine sounds, or even use a word.

PRACTICE WHILE PREGNANT! Your baby will listen! You are creating a comforting sound for baby.

PRACTICE WITH YOUR BIRTH PARTNER! So that they can help match your rhythm during labor,
and so that they know what to expect. Their voice can add a powerful support for your momentum during labor.

PRACTICE IN THE SHOWER, THE CAR, WHILE DOING DISHES, WHILE LYING IN BED……

DO NOT ALLOW ANY ONE TO TELL YOU TO “SHHHHHH” OR BE QUIET DURING LABOR. If this is suggested to you, request that this person leave the room. You are the one in charge of your labor, and ultimately, the birth. Be Empowered to know your voice can be spoken.

ENJOY, RELAX, FIND RYTHM IN THIS RITUAL

Balance plays a pivotal role in our lives whether we notice it or not. We are constantly bombarded with external forces that disrupt our equilibrium. So much so, that we often fail to notice, as our bodies are so effectively equipped to deal with such disturbances. We do, however, notice when our systems fail us, resulting in injury or an embarrassing moment, or even worse, both! Understanding balance in its entirety makes it much easier to comprehend movement, appreciate how incredible our bodies truly are, and realize how something like yoga can develop abilities that we didn’t even know we possessed.

There are three systems in the body that contribute to the function of balance: the visual system, the vestibular system and the proprioceptive system. The visual system contributes to the execution of balance as it provides feedback as to where we are in space. The vestibular system is a network of canals in the inner ear which supply information of our head’s position (tilted, rotated, flexed or extended). The proprioceptive system is composed of sensory receptors in the muscles and tendons that inform the central nervous system as to the varying lengths of muscles, as well as force loads traveling through tendons. This notifies us as to how and where our body and limbs are oriented in space.

The human body has many regulating control systems that function via the nervous system. Receptors exist in our muscles which recognize when the length of the muscle fibers are changing. These act as a protective mechanism for the muscles. With excessive lengthening of a muscle, a reflex will be initiated which will cause the muscle to contract in order to prevent a ligament sprain or muscle strain injury. A similar regulation system exists in tendons, but it instead is dependent on the force being loaded through the tendon rather than on its length. These two regulatory systems of the muscles and tendons contribute to what is known as proprioception.

Proprioception is the new catch term. Rehabilitation programs are now focusing their attention on muscle coordination and muscle inhibition with the intention of improving muscle firing (contracting) patterns. Throughout our lives, we develop motor patterns which are essentially the blueprints that muscles follow in order to accomplish a movement task such as walking or even chopping up vegetables. Typically, muscular weakness, inhibition (muscle not firing properly), and / or pain will cause a normal motor pattern to become abnormal.

For example, the primary function of the gluteus maximus (buttock muscle) is to extend the hip. However, many people have gluteus maximus muscles that are either inhibited or weak. Therefore, the hamstrings or lumbar spine (low back) erector muscles are forced to facilitate hip extension. Due to this novel, aberrant, motor pattern, these individuals commonly complain of tight hamstrings, irritated sacroiliac joints, and / or chronic low back pain. The probability of injury increases dramatically, as does the inefficiency of movements when muscles are regularly recruited to compensate for weakness, inhibition or pain. These abnormal patterns can be corrected; however, they do require specific rehabilitation.

When an individual’s balance is jeopardized by external factors such as being bumped into or slipping on ice, the correct muscles must be prepared to engage immediately. Proprioceptive rehabilitation focuses on training muscles to accelerate their ability to achieve maximum contraction. (Liebenson, p. 529) This is why training on unstable surfaces such as wobble boards and Bosu balls is currently so popular. By training on an unsteady surface, balance is constantly being challenged. The correct muscles must contract rapidly in order to counteract the forces that the disrupted balance is placing on the body. When muscles can respond quickly to perturbations, injury is less likely and performance is more likely to be enhanced.

Proprioceptive training is relevant for all people in all stages of life. With youth comes silly antics, sports and activities that place us at an increased risk of injury, despite relatively strong, healthy bodies. With age, our vision becomes diminished and our vestibular system begins to deteriorate; however, our proprioceptive system can be quite well preserved. As these changes occur throughout our lives, it is obvious that our balance becomes increasingly endangered. Decreased bone density is commonly associated with increasing age, as is the concern for deficient balance. Therefore, it only makes sense that fracture due to falls is the next concern to consider in this equation. The risks associated with hip fracture in the elderly are severe and often fatal. Proprioceptive training can aid in the prevention of falls and the subsequent concerns of pneumonia and death. Hence, in our younger, untamed years, having a well developed proprioceptive system will aid in the avoidance of plaster casts and time away from the activities we love. Similarly, in our elder years it will assist in the evasion of falls and succeeding complications.

Now that the importance of a healthy proprioceptive system has been made frighteningly clear, it is time to discuss further, how this can be achieved. The soles of the feet, the sacroiliac area and the neck are the three most richly supplied areas of the body with proprioceptors. (Liebenson, p.515) Due to this fact, these areas can be most affected by proprioceptive training. A technique now being used is known as sensory motor stimulation (SMS). The body creates motor patterns which can be altered both negatively and positively. The principle behind SMS is that abnormal blueprints can be corrected by reeducating the nervous system. (Liebenson, p.514). This learning comes from challenging the sensory system to convey messages appropriately and quickly to muscles that are required to fire both rapidly and maximally.

In yoga, it is taught that the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot should be lifted. This means that both the inside and outside of the foot should lift while ensuring that all four corners of the foot remain in contact with the floor. The toes should be spread and should not be used as a lever by which to maintain lift through the arches. Therefore, they should gently rest on the ground. This “yoga foot” helps to increase the sensory feedback to the CNS, therefore improving the stability of the body in the upright position. (Liebenson, p.518) Working with the yoga foot through poses will heighten the sensory feedback from the body, especially during balance poses during which the proprioceptive system is ultimately challenged. Via this challenge, great improvements to the system can be made.

As certain poses become less of a challenge, increasing the demands on the systems of balance will allow for continual improvement. Some balance poses will stress the system more than others. However, the demand will be determined by the skill level of the practicing yogi. For example, for an instructor who has been practicing for years, revolved half moon pose is a piece of cake in regards to balance. However, Tree Pose can be a real tribulation for a beginner. This illustrates the point that balance can be both trained and improved via the practice of yoga. Drishti (gaze) plays with the visual component of balance as it often involves looking in a direction that makes the body feel unsteady. By utilizing drishti appropriately, it will further increase the difficulty of balancing in many poses, therefore providing opportunities for improvement of the balancing systems. Since the cervical spine has such a high density of proprioceptors, rotating the head to follow the correct drishti will often make us feel as though we are off balance. Again, with practice, this will become easier and with an associated enhancement of balance.

In this sort of training, it is important to ensure that the muscles are as free as possible of both scar tissue and trigger points as they can alter the ability to perform appropriate muscle firing patterns. Treatments such as Active Release Technique R and Graston Technique R are effective methods of ridding the tissues of such hindrances. Unhealthy tissues decrease the muscle’s aptitude to contract appropriately, initially causing the abnormal patterns. Therefore, it is ideal to attempt to have healthy muscular tissue before training.

With well developed balance comes great improvements. Balance is one very important element to a healthy neuromusculoskeletal system. If the proprioceptive system is able to adapt well to the forces placed upon it, half of the battle is won. The other half includes muscular strength and endurance which go hand in hand with proprioception. Without the former two, the latter can not optimally function. One should address the health of the muscular tissues and aim to improve the motor firing patterns, strength and endurance of the muscles. This will aid in the prevention of injury and contribute to peak performance: something which is desirable at every age.

When temperatures get warmer, people have a tendency to increase their water consumption for activities such as watering lawns and gardens and washing the car. Making an effort to break any water-wasting habits now will pay off in the summer. And it’s easier to reduce your water consumption than you may think.

There is reason for people to reduce the amount of water we use. According to environmentalindicators.com, overall water use in North America has increased by more than 25% since 1980. In fact, daily average for water use is 335L, which could be hugely reduced.

The good news is that there are loads of ways to save water. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Run water only when necessary
 Do not run water while shaving, brushing teeth, or scrubbing your hands or dishes
 Lower the temperature of drinking water by keeping it in the refrigerator rather than running the tap
 Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator overnight rather than using water

Short showers use less water than baths
 The key word here is short, as long showers use a lot of water too
 If you do take baths, close the drain first and then turn the water on
 Try not to fill the tub more than halfway

Use your machines efficiently
 Wash the dishes or the laundry only when there is a full load
 Select the appropriate load size or water level on your washer
 Try to use the shortest wash cycle your dish washer allows

Take a minute to calculate your water use. Thinking about all of your water consumption in the time it takes to complete the survey makes you realize just how much water you use. And the questions in the survey alone can give you some good ideas for saving water. Next week’s Green Tip will focus on more ways to save water.

Breathing is a crucial element in Yoga whether one is doing Yoga poses (asanas) or just meditating. There are wide variations in breathing styles, rhythms, and structures. These variations all come into one basic purpose-to generate greater connection to energy flow, to manipulate the presence and function of prana (life-force energy), and to enable a stronger foundation of internal balance (mind, body, and spirit).

The variations of breathing patterns and styles can often be daunding and overwhelming to new participants to Yoga. However, often the most simple forms of breathing can provide the greatest rewards and benefits. As one of the simpliest forms of breathing, basic nostril breathing yields a wealth of benefits.

*By breathing through the nostrils, the inhaled air becomes moistened by the nasal passages. The nasal passages have light coatings of moisture and mucous that is picked up by the passing air. This moistened air is then received better by the tissues of the bronchial passages and lungs.

*When we inhale through the nostrils, the air has more passages to pass through than by inhaling through the mouth. This extra time flowing through airway passages warms the air. Again, this nasal flow prepares the air better for the lungs.

*The nose contains a lining of hairs. These hairs assist in removing air borne particles and other forergn matter that may be undesirable for the lungs. This filtering acts as a secondary support system to the cilia (micro hair-like projections) in the bronchial passages that gently propel mucous and air particles out of the airways.

*When we exhale out of the nose, we retain the warmth of the breath. Inhaled air is greatly warmed in the lungs. During our Yoga practice, we want to conserve this heat energy so it can be transferred into the muscles and tissues. When we exhale through the nose, the heat in the air is transferred to the walls of the nasal passages rather than being lost. This heat then can move into the blood vessels and circulate back into the body.

*Breathing through the nose can aid in developing a slower, more focused breath. By elongating the breath, we can establish a more profound inner gaze and meditative state whether we are doing Yoga postures, lying in relaxation (savasana), or enjoying time in meditation.

By starting with basic nostril breathing, we can build a powerful foundation to our practice. Through this simple breathing, we understand the benefits of breathing and develop an appreciation for more advanced breathing practices (pranayama). At the beginning of your practices, avoid rushing into Yoga flows. Embrace the time to establish your breath first. Feel the texture of the breath moving through the nose and passages. Experience the sense of connection, presence, and focus that nostil breathing provides.

The practice of Yoga poses (Hatha Yoga) offers tremendous health and wellness benefits, but certain health conditions require important modifications and omissions of specific asanas. High blood pressure is a serious health condition that generates many possible contraindications especially in Yoga postures that invert the head below the level of the heart.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) is the occurrence of abnormally high arterial blood pressure at resting state. High blood pressure can result from a variety of factors, but is commonly associated with atherosclerosis (a common arterial disease in which raised areas degeneration and cholesterol deposits form on the inner surfaces of the arteries), poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, and high proportions of body fat. High blood pressure is a result of arteries having poor blood flow. This resistance to flow requires the heart to pump more vigorously in order to circulate the blood (oxygen and nutrients) to all the cells of the body. This extra effort placed on the heart has a wearing effect on heart tissues and places a greater amount of fluid pressure against the walls of blood vessels.

How does high blood pressure affect Yoga poses?

When we invert the body such that the head is below the level of the heart, there is a tendency for blood to pool into the head. This pooling of blood into the head greatly increases when one also elevates the lower body and legs above the level of the head. When we do Yoga poses and other forms of exercise, there is an increased demand for oxygen by muscle cells. The way that the body meets this increased demand for oxygen is by increasing heart rate and blood flow. So if we invert or place the head below heart-level during Yoga poses and other exercises, not only is there pooling of blood in the head, there is an elevated blood flow and pressure coming into the cranial region.

Normally, the body is adapted to handle blood pooling and mild pressure in cranial blood vessels. But if one already has elevated blood pressure at resting states, the sudden inversions in Yoga can add to the elevated blood pressure, thus generating pressure that is enough to damage delicate blood vessels in the brain. In severe cases, high blood pressure combined with inversions may cause blood vessels to hemorrhage.

Another area of awareness required, when high blood pressure is present, is the process of breathing. When one holds the breath while doing heavy exertion, blood pressure dramatically increases. This contraindicating effect is called the Valsava Maneuver. Many people are familiar with hearing fitness trainers saying “breath out” during the exertion stage of an exercise repetition. Again, this breathing pattern not only keeps a steady flow of oxygen moving to the tissues, but also has physiological benefits in preventing negative pressure occurring in heart and brain tissues. Therefore, when one has high blood pressure, holding the breath in Yoga poses or holding the breath in specific pranayama (breathing exercises) should be avoided.

If you have concerns about having high blood pressure, consult your physician. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, make certain you tell every Yoga teacher with whom you practice. Your Yoga teacher can then offer the appropriate modifications and variations in Yoga postures and pranayama.