Take Care of Yourself

I want to talk about the thoracic--upper back--and neck. Your head is like a bowling ball, it is big round and heavy. It can weigh ten pounds or more. When it is balanced directly over the spine, it takes very little work for your neck and back muscles to hold it up. However move it several inches forward, and you start to strain those muscles. Holding that forward leaning bowling ball for eight to 12 hours a day can be exhausting.

What happens is, the rhomboids--very small weaker muscles that run between the shoulder blades--get to stretched out, as the pecs--very strong muscles across the chest--over power them and pull everything forward. The many hours that most of us sit at the computer just makes matters worse. The head leans forward, as you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and inflammation of the spine.

I have clients that have suffered for years. When I ask them why they waited so long to do something about their curved upper back, they say they thought it was hereditary and they couldn’t do anything about it. The only thing that is hereditary is your thoughts. I always say yoga can fix anything.

Poor posture can cause back, neck and other muscle and joint problems. Everything works its way down. your legs could even start to hurt because your bowling ball head is leaning too far forward, and you could suffer from migraines.

The thoracic area is the easiest area to fix. It is very compliable. However, you need to do the work. The rhomboids need to be strengthened and the peck need to be stretched. Yes that is all. 30 seconds of Plank Pose a day, pulling your shoulders back and your heart forward, making sure you push the area between your shoulder blades--rhomboids-- to the sky will strengthen your rhomboids. Then 2 -5 minutes on a bolster to stretch out your pecs. Roll up a small blanket, a couple of towels, or rug, whatever you have. Lay on it so it is long ways right between your shoulder blades. Take your arms out to a square, if they lay on the floor with a good stretch across the pecks, stay there. If your arms lay on the floor without a stretch, the bolster needs to be a little bigger around.

If you notice that you are starting to lean forward, or your shoulders are starting to curve inward, take a few minutes every day to take care of yourself.

Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist

and Ayurveda Consultant

These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.

Tea Room Cookies

Here is the cookie recipe everyone has been asking for. You know I don’t use white flour, or white sugar. So yours will taste different than mine, unless you use the rice, barley, and spelt, blend of flour, and the sucanat sugar. They are great either way.

Gingersnaps

2 ¼ Cup Flour

1 Cup Brown Sugar

¾ Cup Butter

¼ Cup Molasses

1 Egg  

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

½  tsp. ground cloves

Mix half the flour and all other ingredients until combined. Add remaining flour until combined. Shape dough into one inch balls and roll in sugar to cook.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. tops will be cracked.

Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist

                                                              and Ayurveda Consultant

Ayurveda is an Enhancement of Lifestyle

If you have not been feeling well, have been going to Doctors for years, and  they can’t seem to find anything wrong, remember the six stages of illness (a previous blog). Modern medical technology can only see the last two stages of any illness (manifestation and chronic complications). Ayurveda aims to remove the cause of an illness, with in the first four stages it is very easy to balance the doshas and bring the person back to wellness. Rather than ‘curing’ a specific disease, Ayurveda  science addresses the balance of the whole individual. Along with external causes it always considers the two levels of health: body and mind.

Ayurveda has the unique position of offering a healing process that does not have to make one feel bad before feeling better. I have said this before, but it is worth saying again, in this very cold time of season.
The daily self oil massage (a previous blog) is going to balance your doshas right away, It prevents illness as well as heals them. It is the most important thing you can do for yourself, especially this time of year. When doshas are balanced, illness does not exist. The self oil massage is the first thing I get my clients started on. It calms the nervous system, removes stress, nourishes the body, helps with insomnia, and strengthens the immune system.

I know this sounds way too easy, but what have you got to lose by trying it. If you have been feeling out of sorts, something is not quite right, you are probably in the first four stages of illness. That means you are a little out of balance. Many things cause an imbalance, the wrong food, weather, not enough rest, even too much stimulation from electronics. Even if you are very imbalanced, and haven’t been feeling well for a while, you should start with the daily self oil massage to start to bring yourself back into balance.

Thai Yoga Therapy is not a luxury, it is a necessity. In todays world, with our fast pace life, to little rest and bad food, our bodies accumulate toxins that eventually make us sick. Thai yoga therapy helps to rid the body of these toxins.

People often look for quick, healing, magic-medicine that allows them to return to their bad habits. Illness is a sign that life is not being lived in balance. Herbs are a food supplement and not magic pills that instantly remove discomfort. Some people may be impatient with this ‘gradual’ lifestyle development, but it is an enhancement of lifestyle and not a quick cure that Ayurveda achieves.

Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist

and Ayurveda Consultant

These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.

All About Me

Over 20 years ago, when I was a young mother I had a lot of problems with my back. My Doctor gave me a muscle relaxant which I took on and off for years (whenever I needed it). As I got older my back pain became worse. I found it hard to sit for long periods of time, and, it seemed the only relief I could get was being in the water. I bought a pass to a spa nearby and began to swim every morning. After 16 years of swimming I decided the only way I was going to really feel better was to have back surgery, so I did. The surgery helped for awhile, but, after about five years my back started to bug me again.

One day while I was at the pool a friend of mine said “maybe you should try massage”. She knew how much pain I was in, and thought her massage therapist could help me. The massage therapist gave me great advice over the year I saw her, but, the best advice she gave me was to stretch (none of the Doctors had ever told me to stretch). She gave me some stretches to do at home. I couldn't believe what a difference it made.

Next, I went to a bookstore to find some book on stretches. One of the books I found was a yoga book,with the same stretches I had already been doing, I thought, ‘I'M DOING YOGA’? I didn't even know what yoga was. I started to study yoga. I became a certified yoga instructor. During my many years of yoga practice I have grown in ways that I never would have imagined possible. I am not the same person I was--literally. I believe the atoms and molecules in my body are different than they were before I began a life of daily yoga practice.

With the study of yoga, came the study of Aurveda, India’s ancient way of healing. In India they believe yoga cleanses the body, keeping it from everyday toxins. They also believe if your body gets overloaded with toxins and becomes ill, you should have some kind of bodywork like Thai Therapy, I believe this as well. I used to think that yoga could fix anything, now I think, Thai Therapy can fix it, and yoga can maintain it.

Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist

and Ayurveda Consultant

These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.

You are what you eat

Food is amazing, we don’t realize how effective food can be in our overall health, not just physical, but also mental, social, and psychological. Chef Brad say’s “eating foods high in fiber plays the most significant part in keeping our bodies strong and healthy”. I know there is a lot of controversy about grain, but you really do need grain in your diet. The best fiber comes from eating grain, beans, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Most people only get 4 grams of fiber a day.The recommended amount of fiber needed to maintain a healthy functioning body is over 50 grams a day.

you can see why such diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, colon problems, are so prevalent in our society.
Recent studies have confirmed that a diet high in fiber can be a major factor in keeping us healthy.

You have heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’. if you eat healthy, whole, fresh, foods, 3 time a day, you will be healthy, whole, and full of life. Nutritional Psychology has found that the foods we eat affect the chemical processing of the mind as well. Studies have found that when junk food is replaced with whole foods, teens in trouble with the law became law-abiding citizens.

One example is white sugar. The body makes glucose from carbohydrates in our food. Glucose is what builds our brain cells. Certain foods contain either simple or complex carbohydrates. Whole grains and fresh fruit are complex carbohydrates, it takes more time for complex carbohydrates to digest therefore they enter the bloodstream more slowly. White sugar is a simple carbohydrate, the body is shocked when it instantly enters the bloodstream. The sudden rise in glucose causes the body to produce more insulin to remove the excess glucose from the bloodstream. The glucose is removed to the point of deficiency. This drop in blood sugar causes the area of the brain called cerebrum (responsible for thought learning, moral and social behavior) to shut down to allow the body’s remaining energy to control the basic or primitive functions (drives for food, sex, aggression/defense, etc.).

Many psychological disorder such as some forms of ADD/ADHD, and depression are misdiagnosed; some of these conditions have been found to be healed through simply changing to whole foods.

The food we eat greatly affect how the brain functions. This simple change in food behaviors requires no purchasing of drug, vitamins, or herbs, and improves our quality of life. Nature does give to us abundantly, so chose wisely.

Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist

and Ayurveda Consultant

These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.