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Hello, Hamstrings.

Last Monday we introduced our first Kona Yoga produced video describing the hamstring muscles. The pictures above were some of the shots I took during the week in various classes, from  Wednesday's Gentle Stretch (top row) to the Friday All-levels class (bottom row). Some of the poses used to activate the hamstrings were (top row, left to right) Prasarita Padottanasana and Padangusthasana, (bottom row, left to right) Hanumanasana and Uttanasana against the wall.

The photos illustrate that a careful, consistent  practice will safely allow you to move way beyond the average range of motion. Also, a better understanding of the muscles involved in the poses helps to translate the physical sensations we often experience, in and out of class.

This week's focus will be on the quadriceps (thigh) so I went back to KM Massage Training Center to record another anatomy lesson for you, by Geno Ortiz:

• An Introduction to Your Quadriceps (You Tube, 05:53). Geno's getting the hang of this so be prepared for a few bursts of humor.
• Here's a good illustration of the Hamstrings (left) and Quadriceps (right), available for printing. Via Go Workout Mom.
  

The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, & the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.

-B.K.S. Iyengar

The Greatest Act of Optimism.

Teaching is the greatest act of optimism. - Colleen Wilcox

This, is Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, demonstrated by Jehangir Palkhivala as it graces the brochures for his up-coming April 25-27 workshop at Kona Yoga.

The folks in today's Gentle/Stretch class got a quick-peek-preview of this photo when they held this pose after Bhujangasana. They could truly appreciate the strength that's required in their wrists, arms and legs, as well as the need to cultivate a flexible spine, after seeing this.

I was moved to spend some time on the two poses after reading a New York Times article about the simple push-up being a measure of fitness. A Dr. Miller is quoted as saying, “What so many people really need to do is develop enough strength so they can break a fall safely without hitting their head on the ground. If you can’t do a single push-up, it’s going to be difficult to resist that kind of loading on your wrists in a fall.”

I'll leave the boot camp "drop and give me 30" orders to someone else though. Wrist issues aside, I'm confident that most of these Gentle Stretchers are strong enough to break their falls. We'll keep working on the whole body so we'll have enough balance and not fall to the ground in the first place! :)

If you'd like to print out your own copy of the workshop brochure, download it here.

Savasana, Voted Most Favorite Yoga Pose

By the end of today's Gentle/Stretch class, every available prop had been taken down from the rack. Bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps are what's needed in a restorative yoga  class.

Those who have discovered ways to quiet their bodies and minds, find restoratives very peaceful and enjoyable. Every once in a while, I throw in a pose that is a bit of a challenge with the intent of increasing the benefits to these gentle practitioners.

The one pose that they have nearly mastered is Savasana,the Corpse Pose pictured above. No matter how full the class might be, everyone finds their own piece of heaven just inches away from another.

When I scan the room and observe the stillness, with no one fidgeting or glaring open-eyed at the ceiling, I feel that I have done my job. I give thanks to all of my teachers, thanks to Savasana as "proof of the pudding", and thanks to all who offer their trust and faith in me by attending class. Namaste.

A Gentle Balance

One aspect of serendipity to bear in mind is that you have to be looking for something in order to find something else.
Lawrence Block

I read an on-line article from the New York Times this weekend about the importance of our sense of balance. There are three main sensory factors that decline as a consequence of aging: vision, the proprioceptors on the bottoms of the feet and the tiny hairs in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. Together, they send gravity and motion information to the brain which then sends back neural messages to our muscles which hopefully have the strength and flexibility to respond and keep us in balance.

As I read through the tests and suggested exercises to improve balance, I thought about our Wednesday morning Gentle/Stretch classes with an average age hovering somewhere in the mid-to-late 60's. We often go into a flow of poses while balancing on one foot:

• Utkatasana (with both feet on the ground) rising up into:
• Garudasana, then unwinding the arms and legs and remaining on one foot, go down into:
• Virabhadrasana III, rising up and placing two feet back onto the floor in order to sit back down into:
• Utkatasana

There are injured shoulders, artificial hips, obstinate knees and sore feet scattered about the room. Not to mention the fact that we're often filled to the brim, with mats only inches apart from each other. Some of these graceful yogis move with physical and visual challenges and while the poses look as varied as the unique bodies within the room, by the time we've repeated the postures six or seven times, everyone's movements are much more fluid and deliberate.

The serendipity of it all? While they are earnestly practicing the sequence and moving in tune with, and in rhythm to, their breath, there are so many imperceptible improvements being made. Maybe another definition of serendipity could be "positive side effects". Advertisements for yoga may start to resemble those of pharmaceuticals:

CAUTION: The practice of yoga may cause your muscles to strengthen and/or increase in flexibility. Prolonged use of certain postures may make it difficult for you to lose your balance while standing, sitting, walking or all of the above. Do not do yoga if you do not wish to interrupt your aging process and/or looking forward to a steady decline in your physical and mental capabilities. Extensive use has been known to cause altered states of joy, peace and tranquility. Do so at your own risk of enjoyment.

Read the New York Times article: Preserving a Fundamental Sense: Balance

Photo: BBC News

Build Up Your Brain Reserves

You've probably read or watched a documentary about the aging brain and the damaging physical effects of Alzheimer's disease. New research however, is revealing that the brains of sharp minded old people who died had abnormalities much like those of Alzheimer's patients. The consensus that is forming: cognitive reserves. Some people have developed, and maintained, extra neurons and connections between their axons and dendrites (click the image to enlarge the labels).

How can you increase your cognitive reserves? Just as with muscles, the answer seems to be: use it or lose it.

I mentioned this briefly in today's Gentle/Stretch class and suggested that in the new year, we all find something new to learn. As mentioned in Monday's article, we could start using the word yet more often in our self-talk. Think about those long-held beliefs containing the words "I don't" and finish the sentence with yet. I don't speak Spanish, yet. I don't play any musical instrument, yet. I don't do anything artistic, yet. I don't know the Sanskrit names of all those yoga poses, yet. Choose something and resolve to learn it. Build up those reserves and hold on to your memory.

Read: Brain Reserves Keep Brains Agile

Image:National Institute on Aging

Our few minutes of fame...

This is a quick scan of the article that appeared in today's issue of West Hawaii Today (WHT). Reporter Jen Reeder, contacted me as I was leaving for West Virginia last month to attend memorial services for Armand Singer, for an interview.

We finally connected when I got back to Kona and a few weeks ago, WHT photographer Mike Darden, captured the essence of a  restorative yoga class.

The folks in our Gentle Stretch Class are diligent practitioners and it's difficult to distract them, especially during a restorative class.   Thanks to Jen Reeder, Mike Darden and West Hawaii Today for spreading the word about the benefits and joy of yoga!

Note: that's my dad, Fred Uechi, with his hands in namaste. He's usually the only male in the class.

Looking Forward

This is my dad, Fred, diligently bending forward in Uttanasana during today's class. He'll be 80 years old in July and he decided to take up "the sport" a few months ago. Usually, he's the only man present in this Wednesday morning class, which I think IS the reason why he comes.

The man can bend! His mother could do a full squat well into her 90's, so these are the DNA donors I'd like to draw from. My dad has always been interested in bodies....and fenders, fast cars and racing. In fact, he's wearing a drag racing t-shirt to this Gentle/Stretch yoga class!

The last class of the month is dedicated to restorative poses and due to the size of our Wednesday classes, ALL of the props come down off the shelf. I've had to split the class in two, half of them in one pose and the other half in an alternate prop pose. Today we did 11 repetitions of the Five Tibetan Rites followed by at least five restorative postures.

   Fred, and his wife of 55 years to his right, are in Supta Baddha Konasana. They bowl three times a week, come to yoga on Wednesdays and feed my body and soul every Sunday night.  Many times, when I think of "the one thing that you are truly grateful for" (a suggestion at the end of class), it's my dad and my mom. They ARE one to me.