How do you live your life?

How do you live your life and what do you let get in your way?  Hopefully this story will show you that nothing can get in your way if you are willing to try.

Restorative Yoga Pose #1- Legs Up The Wall

Today I want to introduce my first restorative yoga pose- legs up the wall.  I consider this to be the mother pose of all other restorative poses because it's benefits are profound and it can done just about anywhere.  This pose is a gentle inversion which uses gravity's pull as the main therapeutic tool.  The body loves to go upside down.  Think about it, gravity is pulling us in one direction most of the time.  When we flip that upside down, everything gets a little break from the pull.

Time: 5-20 minutes

The following are some basic variations of the pose and at the bottom of the post I have put the benefits and cautions.

Most basic:

 These first two pictures are the most basic versions of the posture.  The only prop you'll need is a wall and some floor space.  This posture can also be done on the bed.

* In all of the postures you will notice I have a small hand towel over the eyes.  This is an easy and effective way to block out the outside world and allow you to go deeper into relaxation

This version is the same as the one above but I have added a blanket (pillow) under my head and towels under my arms for extra luxury.

* For all versions of Legs Up the Wall it generally is more comfortable to get the butt and legs as close to the wall as possible.  This may take practice and the distance for comfort varies for everyone.  

 Leg Variations:

 Sometimes it is helpful to add different leg variations while doing the pose.  These can either add a nice stretch or give the legs a break during a long hold (or both!).

This wide legged stretch is good for the inner thighs

 With the soles of the feet together, ankles resting on the wall, and the legs out at diamond shape this version is good for the hips.
















With Props:

Adding a bolster and a blanket can  give  extra support as well as adding a mild back bend to the posture.  In this version the bolster is about 3 inches from the wall allowing the tailbone to slightly curve over the edge.  The blanket is folded long and placed perpendicular to the bolster to support the back.  Extra support, such as a towel, can be added under the neck if needed.






Legs in the air:

 Don't have a wall? Don't fret, you can still do the posture with only a bolster, cushion, couple of folded blankets, or pillow as your prop.  Sit up on the prop and recline back onto the floor.  The prop should be comfortable and support the legs while they "hang" in the air. this version does require some core strength as well as some leg strength.  While some people find this version more difficult others find it easy and very soothing.





Benefits:
~ The Heart.  Ultimately this posture is excellent for the heart.  It sends blood rushing back into the abdomen and chest, nourishing all the internal organs.  However, this posture is especially beneficial for those with hypertension or other heart issues. Personally I believe that people with hypertension and or heart issues benefit greatly from this pose not only because of the physical nourishment that the heart gets but also the mental and emotional benefits of slowing down and being restful.
~ The Lymph System.  The lymph system is unique in the body in that it does not have any mechanism of it's own for movement throughout the body. Therefore it relies on physical activity and inversion for movement.  Obviously physical activity is the main mode for movement of lymph fluid in the body, but why not put gravity to work while you rest?  By inverting the legs upside down, gravity pulls all of the lymph fluid  that has drained into the lower regions of the body throughout the day back into circulation.
~Swollen tired legs, edema and varicose veins.  For years I worked standing for 6-8 hours on hard marble floors and I developed varicose veins.  This pose is God sent for tired legs. 10-20 minutes can make the legs feel rejuvenated and ready to go. With any kind of swelling, be it from edema or varicose, the inverting of the legs helps the swelling go down and has both short term and long term benefits if practiced regularly.
~Calms the mind.  This posture has a nourishing effect on the whole system.  Because it is an inversion all of your energy (prana/qi) goes to an areas in the body called the dantians.  The areas are located below the belly button - lower dantian, in the center of the chest - middle dantian, and between the eyebrow center - upper dantian.  Dantian is also known as "energy center" and during rest or meditation energy accumulates in these 3 areas having profound restorative and rejuvenating effects on the whole system.
~Menopause, Stress, and Exhaustion.  I want to be clear about this. These are three separate complaints but  I grouped them together because the mechanism of relief is the same.  Legs up the wall helps balance the nervous system and therefore relieves nervous exhaustion.  This in turn mitigates the effects of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline).

Contraindications and Cautions:
~People with glaucoma or other eye issues should avoid inversions.
~Do not practice this pose if you feel any pressure in the head.
~Pregnant women should not practice this pose if they are at a high risk of miscarriage or if you feel at all uncomfortable. Pregnant women can practice for shorter amounts of time (5-10minutes).  You will feel lightheaded and dizzy long before the baby loses any oxygen, so move out of the posture if any symptoms occur. 
~Menses. Most of the time it is contraindicated to do inversions during menses.  I would suggest a modified version, like stone hedge or instant Maui postures, where the legs are not fully extended in the air during menstrual cycle.

What about love?

The first time I ever heard yoga described as a spiritual science it blew my mind.  In our modern world we are taught to keep spirit and science separate.  Yet here ancient yogis created an entire science dedicated to understanding the spirit.  According to Webster's dictionary, " science n. - knowledge obtained from observation and arranged in a system."  Well duh,why can't the spiritual be a science?  In fact yoga practices can be considered the technologies and or the lab for greater understanding.

Lately my scientific research has been centered around love as medicine.  Now instantly when we mention the word love and science in the same sentence there is a collective eye-roll from the science community, some shifting uncomfortably in their seats, and a disregard as touchy-feely hippie talk, not real science.  In both the Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, emotions are taken into account in both the diagnosis and treatment of any dis-ease or illness.  In fact in TCM each organ is connected to specific emotions; liver is associated with anger and anxiety, kidneys and fear, spleen worry, lungs are grief, gallbladder is indecisiveness, and heart is joy.  Yet Western allopathic medicine scoffs at any mention to our emotions playing a major roll in dis-ease and illness.

Lately I have been observing how and where love shows up in the external world.  Turns out it is everywhere!  Have you turned on the radio lately or ever listened to music?  What is the most common theme? LOVE of course.  The ups and downs of falling in or out of love.  Outside of the scientific world we can all agree that love, either positive or negative, is the driving force of our human experiences.  Yet strangely it is almost universally kept out of our medicine and healing. I had once heard a psychologist talk about her experience working in a refugee camp in Thailand.  She worked mainly with women who had escaped the war-torn country of Burma, most of which were dealing with many physical aliments. These women had seen and experienced things we couldn't even imagine.  And yet when they came to talk to her all they wanted to talk about was love, Why did their boyfriend run off with their cousin, or who they were attracted to in the camp, or why was their husband being so distant from them now that they had made it out of Burma. Love and it's many forms was the most significant theme that any of the women talked about.

We are taught God is Love.  If God is love and God's spirit is within us all than are we not also made up of love as well?  If our spirit is ultimately love, and our body is the vessel which communicates the spirit then how can we possibly disconnect what is happening in our bodies and how we are either feeling or not feeling the love in our lives?  And what the effect of those feelings are having on our bodies?  Here's a little experiment- take a moment to go back  into an experience of illness or dis-ease in your own life?  Where you feeling loved at the time of onset?  Either self love or love from others?

Maybe the reason there are so many dis-eases out there that are yet to be cured is because our science has been asking the wrong questions.  Instead of asking, "what is the genetic mutation that causes breast cancer?" we should be asking, "do you love yourself? Do you feel loved?  Do you belong to  a community and/or support networks?  Do you have friends you can laugh with?  How's your relationship with your partner?  Do you feel you give and receive love freely?"  In my opinion, most modern science no matter how advance it may be, has utterly failed to observe the most basic and common evidence.

Could it really be that simple? Yes. I believe it is. I challenge you to a science project of your own. For this next week observe all the signs and symbols of love you see around you.  Just witness and observe.  Even better yet, collect the data and arrange in your own research project. The following is a collage of evidence I have collected on my daily walk... 

Exhibit A: