Non-attachment and the mouse

I just saw a study that claimed that 1 in 5 people have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If they included non-diagnosed people with wrist pain, it would probably bring the group of wrist sufferers to just about everyone who uses a computer. Using a mouse and key board can make your wrists tighten up and cause pain.

Take a breath, let go of your mouse, and try these simple wrist asanas.

1. Windshield Wiper Wrists. Sitting, place your forearms on your desk and make fists with thumbs up. Bend at the wrist and move your fists like windshield wipers. Breathe deep and shake your hands out when you finish.

2. Prayer Behind the Back. Make prayer hands behind your back with fingers going upward. Breathing deeply slowly move your hands up the spine. Let your shoulders drop and breathe into your open heart.

3. Talk To the Hand and Limp Wrist. Extend your arms forward and flex your wrists in a "Halt" position. Breathe in, stretch your fingers and push into your hands. On the exhale point your fingers downward.

4. Do Wrist Circles in both directions.

5. Savasana Wrists. Drop your hands to your sides, shake them out and loosen your shoulders. Close your eyes for just a few minutes and send loving, warm energy into your relaxed wrists.

Namaste,

Dean

Fire Salutation

This one gets your fire going whether the room is heated or not! Concentrate on your breath keeping it smooth, deep and flowing. Do it quick or do it slow, make it your dance!

Agni Namaskara---Fire Salutation

Start standing in Tadasana

On an exhale fold over into Uttanasana

Inhale keep your hands down, look up and flatten your back

Lunge taking your right foot back looking forward

Put your right hand down, lift your left arm up, turn and look toward your left hand---Parivritta Parsvakonasana

Switch arms, right arm up, left arm down---Utthita Parsvakonasana

Both hands come down to the floor as you push through into Down Dog---Adho Mukha Svanasana

Exhale as you drop knees, chest, chin down to the floor, rear in the air moving into into Ashtanga Namaskara

Lower completely down to the floor and place your hands under shoulders, elbows in tight, inhale and come to Cobra Pose---Bhujanghasana

Inhale and push yourself back to Down Dog---Adho Mukha Svanasana----take a big exhale

Keeping your toes kept curled under, flow through to Up Dog on an inhale and on the next exhale move back to Down Dog, keeping the movement going for 5 breaths---Urdhva Mukha Svanasna Kriya 5 X

Lunge again---right leg forward looking forward

As you exhale, bring the left foot up next to the right bending over in Uttanasana

Inhale to look up and flatten your back, exhale back down

Huge inhale to standing---Tadasana

Hands together in front of your heart on an exhale---Samasthiti

Woo Hoo! You've got another side. Repeat the series.

Namaste,

Dean

Why is the room so hot?

To heat or not to heat the yoga room---good question. I teach both hot classes, 80-85 degrees at the WRAC and classes at WVC, where the room is set at 70 degrees.

I prefer a warm room. At 85 degrees I’m more relaxed. I’m more fluid and I don’t push myself so hard. I also feel better after class. In a 70-degree class I’m always a little worried about people getting cold and hurting themselves. I compensate for that by making sure we do stay warm by keeping the vinyasa going.

So I like what heat does for my muscles and my mind. I also like the feeling of letting go when I can sweat---it becomes a symbol of my intention to let go of what I’m holding on to.

Bikram is the king of hot with the room heated at 105 and up to 70% humidity. If you can stand it, it really does feel good. However, I personally find that when I sweat that much, by the time we are in the floor poses, my muscles need hydrating and I am less flexible.

Bikram says the benefits of heat are that the body is burning fat more effectively, your stretch is more fluid with a greater range of motion, and because you capillaries are dilated, you are more effectively oxygenating the body. He touts that your peripheral circulation is improved, like a fever you are fighting infection, and the sweat is detoxing your body and skin.

I’m unaware of any studies on the use of heat in yoga therapy but I’ll keep looking. To practice hot or not comes down to your preference. Be a yogic explorer. Try it both ways and see what feels best.

My hope is that the heat isn’t a form of asceticism or self-denial. I don’t think I’m doing it just to suffer. Although as far as suffering goes, there are far worse things in yoga classes!

Namaste,

Dean