05/21/2015
Yoga has become a huge inspiration to me and added a key element to my massage career. Not just for me personally, but the benefits go further then this. You might say that you aren't flexible enough, or coordinated enough, or maybe you don't have the time, or any other qualified excuse you may have.
Before I started yoga, I couldn't even balance on one leg, I was highly uncoordinated and disconnected with my body. Even after practicing massage and receiving for 3 years at that time. I came to yoga when I moved to Colorado 2 years ago. My life will never be the same. I can now balance with ease, stretch in comfort, and my coordination has greatly improved. Not to mention the lean muscles that come with the vinyasa and other heavier practices are a nice plus.
What goes along with this article, the act of breathing, it talks about how your lungs cannot move. The muscles around them, mainly your diaphragm, but also your intercostals, are what works to help you achieve something as simple as breathing. We all know without breath, we are dead. Side note that I find interesting, is that if you look at a picture of the lungs, they actually look like a tree! Where do we get our oxygen? Trees! I love trees, they our our source of life and breath! Back to the point. Yoga really is for everybody! Just for the practice of breathing itself! I deal with a lot of chronic pain clients. You name it, I have most likely helped somebody with it. And although every one is a case by case and there are always surrounding elements to what is causing their chronic pain, such as trauma, injuries, accidents, disease, etc. One of the biggest issues I have seen, specifically when it comes to neck/shoulder/back pain is their breathing is constricted. Through massage I can work along the intercostals, which are the muscles in between the ribs, they are what contract the ribs and assist with breathing. Most people do not even know how to contract these muscles correctly. Which means they are not fully breathing to their full potential. Which also means their body has to compensate for this, which results in tensing up and over contracting neck/shoulder/back.
Our jobs on the computer don't help, we hunch over the keyboard breathing shallowly compressing our diaphragm and disengaging our intercostals. Over time the lack of movement and compression, not to mention bad posture result in these chronic pains that have to be retaught to our muscle memory. The human body will always conform to our lifestyle! Our breathing muscles, just like our legs, arms, abs, etc, and even our brains need exercise. Yoga will do just this. This article will teach you what to do, if you are concerned about only the breath. Don't have time? Take 5 min of your day, I promise you'll notice a difference.
Yoga paired with massage is the most amazing thing in my opinion. I can't do everything for you! I can manually go into your ribs, which will not be relaxing, but the benefits are through the roof. If you find it hard to do these exercises, this will make it easier. I can open up the ribs using active release, a myofascial technique, and get under the ribs releasing the diaphragm as well. This will free the fascia to open and expand with ease. Paired with your breathing exercises you do at home, your chronic neck/shoulder/back pain will melt away over time. There are other aspects to this chronic pain madness, so if the following things listed above are factors, this will at least take the edge off. Yin yoga is a myofascial opening practice and is great for injuries, trauma, and accidents, to help with other issues you may have in relation to your chronic pain.
I always use the term "we" in my sessions, Not because I think there's an extra person in the room helping me, but I view massage as teamwork when it comes to helping you get rid of chronic pain. We work together. Ultimately you and your body do it, I am simply a guide. Sometimes the chronic pain has other aspects, such as weakness in the muscles and imbalances. I cannot help you strengthen that muscle. I can help make it easier for you to strengthen it, speed up your recovery, and create that balance that you need to achieve this, but I can't do it all. Through yin yoga, not only do you get those fascial releases, connection with your breath, you get connected with your body.
Disconnection seems to be one of the biggest problems with chronic pain. Body, breath, mind, or spirit. Yoga will help you connect to all these things and together. I am still a massage therapist because I do yoga. I have beat chronic problems through yoga and massage. My digestive system works correctly because I do yoga. My stress level stays down because I do yoga. I achieve the body I want through yoga and running and of course a clean diet. I am on this path with you. I am constantly learning and evolving in my personal life and in my career. Firstly for me and secondly for you. Which is why I am looking into becoming a yoga instructor this fall. It is my passion to help you love you and feel the best you can possibly feel. Because I live this path for myself, I can give you 100% right back to you! So you can feel and be the beautiful person you are!
Thank your for reading! Namaste. 🌻
Cheers, Sarah Rodgers, LMT
Our choice of which muscles we use to move the lungs makes all the difference.
