Yoga Center «Be Happy»

15/04/2021

15/04/2021

Relationship ruts are so easy to fall into. Even when you’re crazy about your partner, we all find ourselves doing the same thing every night: Eating dinner and then retiring to the couch for exactly 1.75 hours of Netflix or staring blankly at our phones before hitting the hay. Sure, it’s comforting, but it can also get monotonous. Adding a little somethin’-somethin’ to your routine can reignite that spark and, at it’s best, make you feel more connected to your mind and body and the mind and body of your partner. That’s right: Yoga is just what the doctor ordered.

What to Do If You Get Something Stuck Inside Your Va**na

These yoga poses for partners can be a little challenging, but are also great for beginners — you don’t need to be a yoga expert to get through this practice. Just remember to always listen to your body, focus on your breathing technique and don’t do anything that hurts. And don’t forget to laugh and have a blast connecting with your partner.

Partner breathing

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsStart in a seated position with legs crossed at the ankles or shins, with your backs resting against each other.

Rest hands on thighs or knees, and allow yourself to feel and connect with your partner.

Begin to notice how the breath feels as you inhale and exhale; especially notice how the back of the rib cage feels against your partner’s.

Begin to “breath alternate” with your partner, so as you inhale, he or she exhales; as he or she inhales, you exhale. Practice for three to five minutes.

This is a gentle way to connect with your partner, helps open the heart and is an easy way to connect with your breath.

Partner Twist

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsStart in a seated position with legs crossed at the ankles or shins and your backs resting against each other.

Rest hands on thighs or knees and allow yourself to feel and connect with your partner.

Inhale and reach arms overhead, lengthening the spine as you reach up.

Exhale and twist to the right, bringing your right hand to the inside of your partner’s left knee and your left hand to the outside of your right knee/thigh. Your partner should mirror the movement.

Hold for three to five breaths, then exhale, untwist and repeat on the opposite side.

Twists help cleanse the body and assist in the detoxifying process. This is also a fun way to initiate playfulness with your partner.

Temple

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsStart by facing each other in a standing position.

Step feet under hips, then inhale, extend arms overhead, and begin to hinge forward at the hips until you meet hands with your partner.

Slowly begin to forward fold, bringing elbows, forearms and hands so they rest against each other.

Rest equal weight against each other and release chest and belly toward the floor.

Hold for five to seven breaths, then slowly walk toward each other, bringing torso upright and release arms down.

This helps open the shoulders and chest, which is the seat of our energetic heart.

Twin Trees

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsStart standing next to each other facing the same direction.

Standing a few feet apart, bring palms toward each other with the arms in a “T” shape, or draw the elbows and palms together in a cactus shape.

Begin to shift weight onto your right foot and have your partner shift weight onto their left foot.

Draw the opposite leg into tree pose by bending the knee and bringing foot to the ankle, calf or inner thigh of the standing leg.

Balance for five to seven breaths, then release and turn around to face the opposite direction and repeat on the opposite side.

Balance poses encourage focus, and this specific pose invites playful focus while being a gentle hip opener.

Double-Down Dog

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsBoth start in a Tabletop Position, one in front of the other. Walk knees and feet back 5 or 6 inches, tucking toes under so you are on the balls of the feet.

On an exhale, lift sit bones upward and bring the body into a downward “V” shape so you both start in a traditional Downward-Facing Dog pose.

Begin to slowly walk feet and hands back until it is accessible to gently walk your feet to the outside of their lower back, finding the back of their hips until you are both in a stable and comfortable position.

Communicate with each other as you move through the transitions, making sure to honor each other.

Hold for five to seven breaths, then have your partner slowly bend knees, lowering hips down toward tabletop, then Child’s Pose, as you slowly release feet to the floor. You can repeat with the opposite person as the “base” down dog.

This is a gentle inversion that brings length in the spine. It also inspires communication and closeness.

Partner Forward-Fold

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsFrom a seated position facing each other, extend legs out to a wide “V” shape, with kneecaps facing straight up and soles of the feet touching.

Extend arms toward each other, holding opposite palm to forearm.

Inhale and lengthen up through the spine.

Exhale, as one person folds forward from the hips and your partner sits back, keeping the spine and arms straight.

As you relax into the pose, allow yourself to soften into it. Stay in the pose for five to seven breaths.

To come out of the pose, release each other’s arms and bring torsos upright. Repeat in the opposite direction, bringing your partner into the Forward-Fold.

Feels so good! This pose opens the hamstrings and calms the nervous system.

Buddy Boat

Image: Ashley Britton/SheKnowsIFind a comfortable seated position facing each other with your knees bent and toes touching. Reach out for your partner’s wrists and hold them snugly.

Begin to walk soles of the feet together, bringing knees slightly toward the chest.

Using your hold as leverage, lift chests toward each other, straightening your spines as much as possible.

Keeping the spine straight and chest lifted, slowly begin to straighten legs. This is a challenging pose; stay playful and maybe try straightening one leg at a time.

Hold for five to seven breaths, then gently release feet back to the floor.

This pose is energetic and gently works the core. It is playful and encourages laughter.

After finishing the poses, come to a neutral position lying next to each other on your backs in Co**se Pose, maybe resting hands together gently. Allow the body to completely relax with your eyes closed. Feel the closeness with your partner and your connection to the present moment. Relax in this pose for three to five minutes before completing your practice.

Get to know your partner and yourself better with these duo-driven poses. If you and your partner love them, look for acroyoga classes in your area to explore more.

Alexandra Bruin Earl has taught yoga since 2009 and has studied with some of the world’s most renowned yoga teachers. She specializes in deep relaxation and spine and joint health and offers personal and group yoga lessons. Read more about her and services on her website.

15/04/2021

As we enter the colder months, some of us find that we’re more tired than usual, are generally grumpy and feel out of it and spacey. Maybe you’re feeling less excited about or interested in things that you normally love. We often chalk it up to that melancholy of another summer ending and another year coming to a close, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

What to Do When Seasonal Depression Kills Your S*x Drive

While the pandemic and its toll on our collective and individual mental health is a part of the equation in 2020, these feelings are also potentially mixing with the other extremely common fall and winter mental health condition: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is four times more likely to strike women than men, according to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. A whopping four to six percent of the U.S. population suffers from SAD, while up to 20 percent more may suffer from a milder form of the winter blues. And if you live in the northern latitudes, you are eight times more likely to be affected by SAD than if you live in sunnier regions.

What are the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Are you feeling:Depressed?

Irritable?

Unable to concentrate?

During these bouts with depression in the winter, people dealing with it tend to eat more and exercise less. They often have symptoms such as extreme fatigue and trouble falling asleep, or sleeping more often.

Several factors are thought to be connected to seasonal affective disorder, including a disturbance of your body’s internal clock, which tells you when it is time to be asleep and when it is time to be awake. Fewer daylight hours during the winter can also upset this clock, also known as circadian rhythms.

SAD is caused by the brain not receiving enough daylight which is needed to trigger serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood.

“Often the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively at home or work, not just make them uncomfortable,” says says Cort Christie of Alaska Northern Lights.

In his book, Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder, author Norman E. Rosenthal outlines the signs to look for if you need to seek medical help:Your functioning is significantly impaired. For example: You have difficulty completing tasks that were easier before, you’re falling behind with bills and chores, you make mistakes more often or take longer to finish projects or you tend to withdraw from loved ones.

You feel considerably depressed. You feel sad more often than not, you feel guilty or hopeless about the future, you have negative thoughts about yourself that you don’t have at other times of the year.

Your physical functions are greatly disrupted. During the winter months, you sleep more or have a hard time getting up in the morning, if you’d rather stay in bed all day or if your eating habits have changed.

How to cope with your SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t just plague adults during the darker months — children can also become affected by this form of seasonal depression. Make sure you know these signs of SAD and how to prevent it in your kids.

Light therapy

Approximately 85 percent of SAD cases benefit from exposure to bright light therapy, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Patients are advised to sit near full-spectrumlight boxes, which can simulate sunshine. This treatment seems to work especially well if done for 30 minutes at a time, preferably in the early morning, according to author and SAD specialist Dr. Norman Rosenthal. Daily exposure to light boxes that provide 2,500 to 10,000 lux (a measure of light intensity) is recommended. Researchers at Harvard reported that remission from SAD is twice as likely if this light therapy is also adjusted to your own melatonin rhythms.

Studies have also found that cells in the retina are particularly sensitive to blue light, suggesting that this wavelength may powerfully affect circadian rhythms. Researchers are investigating whether blue light might provide the same benefit as white light but with less exposure time.

Medication and supplements

General medications used to treat moderate depression are sometimes indicated, as are doses of melatonin — but make sure you talk with your doctor about what is the right treatment combo for you.

What are some other ways to prepare for SAD?

Remember: SAD is highly treatable, and there’s always hope!Identify enjoyable activities that you can get involved in during the cold months.

Avoid spending a lot of time in bed and isolating yourself.

Be mindful of your negative attitudes and thoughts about winter and try to challenge them.

Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

14/04/2021

For individuals dealing with migraines, so much of your life revolves around trying to manage and prevent your symptoms. That’s more than 38 million Americans experiencing migraines, with several million of those sufferers experiencing it as a chronic condition.

9 Products Real Chronic Migraine Sufferers Swear By to Cope With Their Symptoms

While every migraine sufferer has their own system of care (ideally something they can collaborate on with their healthcare providers and support system) to deal with their condition. Studies, including this 2014 one in the International Journal of Yoga, have shown that yoga can be a fantastic tool for migraine sufferers — both as a means of staying active and reducing pain, stress and anxiety.

“For migraine treatment, regular exercise is frequently recommended. Many of the studies have reported beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on both frequency and intensity of migraine as well as on the duration of the attacks and on patient’s well-being. Reduction in pain, stress and anxiety perception in exercising persons may be due to modification in beta endorphin and hormonal secretion levels,” researchers noted. “However, around 22 percent of migraine patients complain as exercise was a trigger factor and hence some patients avoid exercise and were physically less active. In Yoga, slower movements or even static muscular exercises are done with mindfulness and during the activities; person has to think what they are doing during the act. They also have to feel the movements and develop awareness of body and body motion.”

Yoga teacher and founder of A Force of Nurture, Sonya Matejko first looked into these benefits to help her mother, who has dealt with migraines for years. She did some extra research when it came to finding the right poses that could help her out: “It wasn’t until I became a yoga teacher that I realized yoga could be an effective supplemental remedy to migraines,” Matejko tells SheKnows. “Whenever I make a trip home and teach my mom a class, I’m mindful of the poses and sequences I guide her through. One of my favorite things to do is add a gentle body scan meditation during savasana — something my mom has found helpful because it invites you to focus on relaxing your entire body.”

She notes that yoga can be a helpful tool because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which can reduce stress levels and may help improve migraine symptoms.” She says she recommends “calming yoga postures” that can target tension and stress in the body for migraine sufferers.

“Doing yoga or even a quick stretch every day can help migraines be less painful in the future,” Matejko says. “When I asked my mom specifically, she told me that stretching her neck, back, and shoulders has often been the most effective — as well as really focusing on the breath throughout the practice.”

Read on for a few calming, tension targeting poses Matejko recommends migraine sufferers try:

Child’s pose

“Child’s pose calms the nervous system while releasing tension from your upper body,” she says. “To get into child’s pose, separate your knees out wide and bring your big toes to touch. Then start to slowly release your torso between your thighs and use your fingertips to gently inch yourself toward the front of your mat. From there, let your forehead rest on the floor (or on a blanket) while your arms stretch forward, palms facing down, and arms relaxed.”

Standing forward bend

“Standing forward bend (or rag doll pose) can release tension from your neck and back body. Start by standing with your feet hip-width distance apart,” according to Matejko. “From there, hinge forward from your hips and allow the top of your head to release down towards your mat. Once you’re in your forward bend, allow your head and neck to hang heavy. You can keep your palms down on your mat, reach for opposite elbows, or whatever feels comfortable. I like to encourage a slight bend in the knee to relieve even more tension in the body.”

Bridge pose

“Bridge pose relaxes your upper body and relieves tension in the shoulders and the neck. You can do a traditional bridge pose or I like to recommend the restorative version that uses a yoga block,” Matejko says.”For the restorative version, start by laying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Bring your feet about hip-width distance and then press into your feet to reach your hips up to the sky. From there, slide a yoga block underneath your sacrum for support (start on the lowest height). Allow your arms to lay gently by your side and focus on your breath as you slowly relax into the pose.”

Legs up the wall

“Legs up the wall is an incredible restorative posture that can be hugely helpful for relieving stress and anxiety in the mind and body. To get into this pose, lay on your back and bring your legs up against a wall. so that your legs are perpendicular to your upper body,” Matejko says. “Hands and arms can go wherever it feels nurturing (for instance, one hand to belly/one hand to heart, by your side, or even holding onto opposite elbows behind your head). From there, close your eyes (if that feels good to you) and bring attention to your breath.”

Other advice for introducing yoga into your migraine self-care routine

Matejko notes that yoga teachers should be mindful that “the use of strong essential oils in classes (once [yoga classes] return to being in person) can be another trigger for migraine sufferers.” Which is just good advice for making your space as safe and comfortable for individuals dealing with these conditions.

Otherwise, her big advice is to take it slow and be patient, whether you’re new to yoga or have dabbled before.

“My biggest advice would be to be kind to yourself when starting your yoga journey, especially if you suffer from migraines,” she says. “Give a few classes or poses a shot, and see how your body feels in the moment as well as over time. While it’s important to come in with awareness, it’s equally important to come in without any judgment or expectations. Some may find relief, and others may not, but it’s worth seeing if yoga could provide you the relief you deserve.