Area Yoga Brooklyn

Here at AREA Yoga, we have a great variety of teachers from many different yoga schools and backgrounds. We seek to share our teachers’ knowledge and style with the AREA community as a whole – even if you can’t make it to each teacher’s class. “Tea with Our Teachers” is our way of fostering satsang – a forum to discuss our yoga practice.

Erin and I recently discussed restorative yoga and its benefits. Restorative yoga utilizes props, such as blocks, bolsters, and straps, to support your body in passive poses. Thanks to the props, your body is able to more fully release into the poses and their stretch. As we say here at AREA yoga, “this provides a meditative, slow practice allowing time to go deeper not only into the body, but into the restless mind.”

AY: What does “restorative yoga” mean to you?

ET: Restorative yoga is a unique form of yoga. The body and mind are rejuvenated; it is a process of restoring rather than building. The body is continually stressed throughout our day and this type of yoga can counter the effects of stress.

AY: Can you explain further what you mean by being “rejuvenated” by restorative yoga? How does restorative yoga counter the effects of stress?

ET: With restorative yoga, the poses are held for longer periods of time (up to 15 minutes sometimes) and the body is completely supported by props such as bolsters, blankets and even a wall. For example, viparita karani or “legs-up-the-wall pose” helps the blood and lymph from the lower extremities to return to the heart more efficiently (relieving physiological stress). This can, in turn, reduce blood pressure, decrease nausea and headaches. Many of the poses are very calming and soothing to the mind psychologically, as well. In fact, every pose has specific benefits, both physical and psychological. Some sources say that it helps with depression and anxiety.

AY: What drew you to teach restorative yoga?

ET: I was drawn to restorative yoga after experiencing one class with my 200-hour-teacher. The class was so calming and soothing. Every time I practice restorative poses, whether it be to help with insomnia, headaches or just to take some time out, I feel as though I have done something very nourishing for myself. I also find restorative yoga to be more meditative, at times, than other forms of yoga. The mind is very quiet in these poses… at least that is the goal. I’ve learned that it isn’t always easy to take time out to do something like this for ourselves. But, it can be so rewarding if we do!

AY: On that same note, how can people incorporate restorative yoga into their every day lives?

Relax & Renew by Judith Hanson Lasater

ET: There are a few basic poses that can be learned, but it’s best if beginners to restorative yoga work under the guidance of a teacher. The body needs to be placed properly in the pose and the teacher is there to make sure that is the case. There are some good books out there also. The best one I’ve found is Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater.

AY: Aside from your own positive experience in restorative yoga, can you share any stories your students, yoga peers, or yourself may have about the tangible benefits of restorative yoga?

ET: My husband recently had low back and sciatic nerve pain. He’s been doing some prescribed restorative yoga poses with me which has greatly reduced his pain and increased his quality of life.

AY: Prescribed by a doctor or his yogi wife?

ET: Yogi wife! Other students have told me that the stress of the current financial situation has drawn them to practicing restorative yoga. Personally, I find it works wonders for headaches and insomnia.

AY: One last, very important question: What’s your favorite music/background noise for when you do restorative on your own?

ET: Stars of the Lid! Awesome!

As previously discussed, I am always considering what is the best way to fuel my yoga practice. And no doubt, trail mix was really rocking my socks off for quite a bit. But lately I’ve been craving something a bit more refreshing, especially considering the new found New York summer weather! So it was quite the pleasant surprise when I noticed an article in the New York Times written by everyone’s favorite New York culinary stud Mark Bittman– with 101 salad recipes!

Now some of them did not appeal much. For example, I have had an unfounded prejudice against any and all salads including watermelon as an ingredient ever since one episode of Top Chef. But with 101 recipes, there’s got to be a few goodies in there. Besides, one of the best things about salads is the chance to improvise a little.

Read the rest of this entry »

Let me make a confession: often times during yoga class, I must fight the urge to laugh. Sometimes I’m upside down and start thinking about the fact that I’m in a room of upside down people. Sometimes, I’m struggling to hold myself in a sideways leaning tree pose and want to laugh at myself. Whatever the reason though, I’ve always thought that I’d better cut it out.

Recently though, a new form of yoga has emerged: laughter yoga. It combines laughter exercises with deep breathing, stretching, and yoga poses. The principle is that we can laugh no matter the circumstance without any outside force, like Adam Sandler, to help us along.

According to an article at the News-Sentinel.com:

One study of information technology workers in India showed the group that participated in Laughter Yoga sessions over 18 days had significantly lowered heart rates and blood pressure readings, plus a 17 percent increase in positive emotions and a 27 percent decrease in negative emotions compared to the control group.

I can definitely get behind upping my positive emotions and decreasing my negative emotions! Still, I’m not sure that this is a practice to incorporate at yoga class unless invited to do so…

It’s been a month since I last went to a yoga class – a MONTH.  Now, for someone who doesn’t practice, that may not seem like a long time, but it feels like forever!  I’ve been bombarded with work lately – an internship at Metro Newspaper, three babysitting gigs, a part time boutique job, and occasionally sleeping.  That means no time for yoga and lots of time for stress.

Today I realized just how bad it was when I started to have back pain.  As a twenty-two year old, former gymnast I have been lucky enough to never have back problems.  I started to feel intense tension in my lower back while walking around Times Square (as I’m sure anyone feels while walking in that area).  I’ve also been getting intense tension headaches for the past two weeks.  It dawned on me that my life has been all stress and no focus.  I’m all over the place – with frantic agendas, constant Blackberry messaging, and overlapping schedules.  Growing up in a small Midwestern town, adjusting to the constant movement of New York hasn’t been easy.

I’ve set aside time to get back into a yoga class tomorrow, and I’m hoping to find myself much more centered as a result.  A girl in the city CAN have it all, but it takes a little maneuvering.  With a 90 minute class, I don’t feel like I need to devote my entire day to de-stressing.  That means I can hop right back on to my Blackberry when I’ve rolled up my mat (but PLEASE don’t let me leave that thing on during).  Maybe next week I’ll try a spa treatment!

If anyone has any advice on how to utilize your time wisely or to stay on your toes when it feels like the world is on your shoulders, please let me know!  It’d be great for all of you to share your tricks and tips with the rest of the Area Yoga Community!

Here at AREA Yoga, we have a great variety of teachers from many different yoga schools and backgrounds. We seek to share our teachers’ knowledge and style with the AREA community as a whole – even if you can’t make it to each teacher’s class. “Tea with Our Teachers” is our way of fostering satsang – a forum to discuss our yoga practice.

I sat down with Anna to discuss her take on prenatal yoga. Having never been pregnant myself, and having never taken a prenatal yoga class, I was curious to learn about the prenatal practice and experience.

AY: What drew you to teach prenatal yoga?

AA: I’ve taught yoga for 10 years. In 2006, I had my son and from that experience – being pregnant while being a yoga teacher, giving birth, and so forth – I started teaching prenatal. I find it rewarding in a different way than teaching to regular folk.

AY: How so?

AA: Pregnant women have to deal with a constantly and quickly changing body. During my own pregnancy I found it to be an incredible lesson in all the things we strive to do as yogis. I was forced – against my will I might add – to be incredibly present with everything happening inside me, like never before or after. And I think about that when I teach prenatal: these women are going through this hyper presence-producing process and I get to support and direct it in a positive way.

AY: It’s very yogic: your own experience has given you a unique awareness. How do you tailor your classes for the needs of your students – both in terms of the physical practice and the emotional/mental/spiritual practice?

AA: There are a few things pregnant women can’t do, such as twists and extreme backbends, so this rules out a whole set of things I would cover in a regular class. The sun salutations are geared toward pregnant women, with step backs, no jumping, wider stance, and so on. I give a few variations for each posture and coming into and out of it, as there is a marked difference in what a women can do in early pregnancy versus in later pregnancy. In terms of the emotional/mental/spiritual, I do exercises that build on a woman’s intuition, her own inner reserves. Prenatal yoga is for the current moment, to stretch and strengthen the woman where she is that day but then to also prepare her for labor, giving birth. There is so much sensation. During labor of course, but also throughout the pregnancy. I’ve stopped using the P word [ed. note: pain] and focus on bringing women into their sensations, in warrior, in badha konasana, in pigeon. This is so elemental in yoga and yet for a pregnant woman, this is so in her face. IT is coming, there is no way out, so I hope to create in each class some feeling of sinking into what is, rather than what we hope for, usually a lessening of sensation. What is fascinating to me is that it is easier for pregnant women to get to these places than the rest of us in yoga.

AY: Very thoughtful Anna. Can a woman who did not practice yoga before becoming pregnant start during her pregnancy?

AA: Absolutely! As long as there are no medical reasons not to of course. It is like a basics class in that way, but with even more caution.

AY: Aside from what you mentioned earlier about getting into the experience of a pregnancy, in your own experience, and speaking of the experience of your students, what would you say are the benefits of prenatal yoga?

AA: Movement is a great benefit. As the baby grows it becomes more and more difficult to move yet movement is how we all, and especially a pregnant woman, can keep the aches and pains at bay. Movement also leads to a comfortable rest, for the body, and for the ever roving mind. On that note, mindfulness is a great benefit of prenatal yoga. There are so many fears and anxieties that come up during pregnancy and prenatal yoga helps ease these worries because we practice being in the present moment, shifting our attention to the breath instead of to our thoughts. Finally, the benefits of prenatal yoga include help for labor. We do postures and breathwork and imagery and meditation techniques that, practiced throughout the pregnancy, can greatly help during the birthing process, regardless of whether it turns out to be a natural birth or a cesarean, with medication or without.

AY: It sounds like your class truly is a sanctuary. I just have one last question, what’s one thing a day that pregnant women can do throughout their pregnancy to cultivate this mindfulness you’re talking about?

AA: Taking 5 minutes each day to sit or lie still, close the eyes, follow the breath with the mind, and whenever the mind wanders away from the breath, bring the mind gently back to the breath. I know you asked for one thing, but I’ll add a physical experience to the above: take 5 minutes a day to move how the body wants to in that moment, it can be standing, sitting, lying down, all fours, watch the breath while moving with one’s intuition.

Often, when I’m on the way to yoga, I’ve been running around all day. I’m starving. And I’m thinking, this class is hardly going to contribute to inner peace if all I can think about is how hungry I am. So I need a high energy, portable, preferably un-messy snack for the bus ride. Recently, I’ve had a love affair with trail mix, which is a good way to incorporate some protein, fiber, and fat without trying to eat an avocado chicken salad on the bus. Given, this recipe is not quite as healthy. But it tastes really good, and I think that contributes to inner peace too! Healthier yogis can opt out of the oil and baking for less fat and of course, the nuts and fruit can be exchanged for different varieties.

To-Go Yoga Trail Mix

3 Cups of high fiber cereal

1 Cup almonds

1 Cup cashews

1 Cup sunflower seeds

1 Cup dried mango

1 Cup dried apricots

1/2 Cup crystallized ginger bits

1/4 Cup butter

1/4 Cup honey

1/3 Cup brown sugar

opt. 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, honey, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring until smooth. Separately, combine the nuts and cereal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the liquid over the cereal and nuts and toss until well coated. Bake on a cookie sheet coated with non-stick spray at 325 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and combine with fruit. Yum!

A regular yoga practice may help improve your body image: Yoga Takes a Bite Out of Eating Disorders.

As we hear about new studies and research demonstrating the health benefits of yoga, we’ll post links to the stories here.