Shelly Yoshida

Please remember to bring 1) yoga mat 2) full size towel (you WILL sweat) 3) work out clothes (wear as little as possible – it WILL be HOT).  For first timers, please refer to http://www.detroitbikram.com/how-to-prepare/first-timers

• a relapse prevention program.
• a 12-step based addiction recovery model coupled with yoga philosophy                                and practices that weave together the ancient wisdom of yoga with the                                 practical tools of the 12-step programs.
• open to anyone dealing with their own addictive behavior or affected by the                         addictive behavior of others.
• NOT a replacement for 12-step meetings and sponsors.

Addictions and compulsions cover a wide spectrum of destructive behaviors such as: illegal and prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, gambling, shopping, sex, power and control, shopping, WORK, exercise, food, media, relationships. These behaviors are symptoms of underlying trauma. Trauma is held in our bodies: the issues are in our tissues. The healing power of yoga is the releasing of past trauma and toxic emotions through the stretching and strengthening of the neuro-fascial network.

The characteristics of addiction are:

• the inability to process feelings in a healthy way,

• the need to control,

• denial/delusion/dishonesty, distortion of personal morality,

• fear/depression/negativism,

• ego-oriented/obsessive/linear/overly-rational and analytical thinking,        

• perfectionism/inferiority/grandiosity/judgmentalism,

• attention/approval seeking

These are all characteristics of separation, separation and disconnectedness from ourselves, our loved ones, our environment. Yoga is more than just a physical practice; it is a practice of union: unifying the physical, emotional, thinking, intuitive and heart-centered parts of ourselves as a path towards deeper meaning and healing in our lives.

The 12-step program approaches addiction at a cognative level, yoga includes a somatic approach. The combining of the two creates a model that truly addresses addiction as the physical, mental and spiritual disease that it is. Yoga of 12-Step Recovery recognizes that yoga and its practices are a part of a holistic recovery program and rather than a replacement; it provides adjunct tools to address the physical, mental and spiritual disease of addiction.

The New York Times
December 22, 2012
Wounded Warrior Pose
By WILLIAM J. BROAD

MEN are famous for ignoring aches and pains. It’s macho. Men get physical exams less often than women. They tend to remain silent if worried about their health. When hurt, their impulse is to shun doctors and rely on home remedies, like avoiding heavy lifting to ease backaches. Male athletes play through injuries. It’s all about virility and manliness.

The stereotype has exceptions, of course. But denial of injury and ill health — from the relatively inconsequential to the grave — is common enough that physicians seek ways to encourage men to be more forthcoming.

So it pays to listen carefully when guys start talking about intolerable pain and upended lives. Doing so led me to an unexpected finding that I have confirmed in a trove of federal data. It suggests that yoga can be remarkably dangerous — for men.

Guys who bend, stretch and contort their bodies are relatively few in number, perhaps one in five out of an estimated 20 million practitioners in the United States and 250 million around the globe. But proportionally, they are reporting damage more frequently than women, and their doctors are diagnosing more serious injuries — strokes and fractures, dead nerves and shattered backs. In comparison, women tell mainly of minor upsets.

Men who are breaking the code of silence are doing so with physicians in hospital emergency rooms, who in turn report their findings to the federal government.

Their outspokenness reveals much about modern yoga and suggests ways it can be made safer. As a practitioner since 1970, I know some of the guy hazards personally and have learned through painful experience how to live with my inflexible body.

The male disclosures help explain one of the central mysteries of modern yoga — why it is largely a feminine pursuit. As Yoga Journal, the field’s top magazine, put the question: “Where Are All the Men?”

Science has long viewed the female body as relatively elastic. Now the new disclosures suggest that women who tie themselves in knots also enjoy a lower risk of damage. It seems like common sense.

Surprisingly, evidence of the male danger has, to my knowledge, never before been made public. Nor has its flip side — that women seem less vulnerable. The subject of male risk merits discussion if only because the booming yoga industry has long targeted men as a smart way to expand its franchise.

Informal observations hint at possible explanations. Yoga experts say women tend to see classes as refuges while men see challenges — their goal at times to impress the opposite sex.

Women say men push themselves too far, too fast. Men admit to liking the intensity but say the problem is pushy teachers who force them into advanced poses while urging them to ignore pain.

I stumbled on the issue after my book, published in February, laid out a century and a half of science and, in its chapter on injuries, contradicted the usual image of yoga as completely safe. The yoga establishment makes billions of dollars by selling itself as a path to healthy perfection. Predictably, it responded with sharp denials.

I also received a surprising number of moving replies from injured yogis — male and female — including stroke victims.

A letter initiated my inquiry. In April, a man told how an agonizing back injury had turned his life into “a living hell.” Too many instructors, he wrote, are “pushing us too hard and having us do dangerous poses.”

The “us” resonated.

Suddenly, I realized his cry sounded familiar.

I raced through a correspondence file and saw that many of the letters about serious damage had come from men.

Tara Stiles, a yoga teacher who runs a popular studio in Manhattan, told me that guys have more muscle (one reason for their relative inflexibility) and can thus force themselves into challenging poses they might otherwise find impossible. It seemed a plausible explanation for blinding pain.

Other teachers echoed her analysis and cited supporting anecdotes.

Yoga poses are unisex. But in my research, I found a world of poorly known information on gender disparity.

“Science of Flexibility,” by Michael J. Alter, explained how the pelvic regions of women are shaped in a way that permits an unusually large range of motion and joint play. In yoga, the pelvis is the central pivot for extreme bending of the legs, spine and torso.

In June, I turned to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which monitors hospital emergency rooms. In July, officials sent me 18 years of annual survey data that summarized the admission records for yoga practitioners hurt between 1994 and 2011, the maximum available span.

First, I needed a baseline that would let me compare the guy admissions to males doing yoga in the United States. Figures in the yoga literature described men as making up some 10 percent of practitioners at the beginning of the period and 23 percent at the end. So the middle ground seemed to be roughly 16 percent.

Then I dug into the medical data. The analysis took weeks, but the results spoke volumes.

If men were getting hurt in proportion to their numbers, the rate of injury would have been about 16 percent — my estimate for the fraction of practitioners who were male. But the rate was higher. Over all, I found that men accounted for slightly more than 24 percent of the admissions to hospital emergency rooms.

To deepen my analysis, I focused on specific injuries, especially ones inside the body. Guys, it turned out, accounted for 20 percent of the torn muscles and damaged ligaments, which result in swollen joints. Dislocations of the knee, shoulder and other joints came in at 24 percent.

The figure for broken bones and fractures was 30 percent. The injury sites ranged from the toe to the tibia, the bigger of the two bones in the lower leg.

For nerve damage, which can result in pain and lost muscle control, the male figure jumped to more than 70 percent. The cases included sciatica, where compression of a spinal nerve in the lower back can result in pains that race down the back, hip and leg.

I found the trend in women’s admissions to be just the opposite. The major injuries were few proportionately, and the minor traumas quite abundant. Women, for instance, accounted for a vast majority of the fainting episodes.

None of this means that women go unharmed, as my letter files and the admission records show. But men seem to get it worse.

In August, I shared my analysis with Loren M. Fishman, a doctor in Manhattan who uses yoga in his rehabilitation practice and whom I profile in my book. “It’s men’s strength turning against them,” he remarked.

Some yoga practitioners will surely see my analysis as unconvincing. That’s O.K. It’s the kind of topic that can only benefit from thorough discussion — as well as rigorous new studies that can rule out the possibility of false clues.

Skeptics may argue that the injured guys are simply wimps who are inflating the male-injury figures.

That seems unlikely. A new book, “Hell-Bent,” by Benjamin Lorr, evokes the contrary ethos in its subtitle: “Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga.”

Happily, the field is evolving in ways that may enhance safety.

All-male classes, by definition, avoid the flexibility gap between women and men and instead play to masculine strengths. The classes tend to emphasize muscle building and fitness moves like squats, as well as poses. Their developers tend to avoid talk of injuries, a marketing no-no.

The styles include YoGuy (“be comfortable”) and Broga (as in bro yoga, “where it’s O.K. if you can’t touch your toes”). A number of studios offer what they call yoga for dudes.

I’m a yoga enthusiast, not a basher. I do my routine every day and want the practice to thrive — but to do so honestly, with public candor about its real strengths and weaknesses.

From reader mail, I know that many yogis are working hard to make the practice safer. The male risk factor seems an important consideration in the redesign of poses and routines. And I’m sure instructors of mixed classes will find many ways of reducing any danger. A first step would be frank discussions with students.

In time, it seems likely that the myth of perfection will give way to the reality of better yoga — for everyone, including guys.

William J. Broad is a science reporter for The New York Times and the author of “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards.”

Meditation is the practice of seeing things as they really are. It is a living practice, a continuing journey to reach this state of acceptance and peace. The ultimate goal is the cultivation of independent happiness: happiness which is not dependent on any external cause or circumstance. This, is lasting happiness.

As your teacher, I will help you on your path, one which offers practical skills and practical benefits to your life, including: calming emotional storms, slowing down the mind-stream, allowing you to be with your fears, giving insight into your inner workings, and bringing you back to your true self.

In each class, we will practice guided silent meditation, as well as explore various concepts from the Buddhist and Hindu worldviews. Then we discuss and apply these concepts to modern life.

Beginner’s Series
Commencing: Thursday 17 January 2013 for 8 weeks, 7:30pm-8:30pm
$12 per class, or $80 for the series (recommended).

17 January: Introduction – Cultivating the Silent Witness
24 January: Suffering – The 8 Worldly Concerns
31 January: Suffering – The Reactionary Mind                                                                                 7 February: Impermanence, Equanimity & Mindfulness
14 February: Ego – Taming the Donkey
21 February: Ego – Dissolving the Donkey
28 February: Reality – Loving What is So
7 March: Compulsive Behaviors

Intermediate Series
Designed for those who have already completed the beginner’s series, these classes will continue in the same format and will build upon the foundational experiential knowledge of the beginning series.

Commencing: Tuesday 15 January 2013 for 8 weeks, 7:30pm-8:30pm
$12 per class, or $80 for the series.

For more information about Linda Thai, please see the Instructor Bios section.
Unfortunately, Unlimited monthly yoga class passes do not apply to meditation classes.

Jun 14, 2011 | By Heidi Godman MediaR

Yin yoga takes its name from the age-old concept of yin and yang, the Taoist forces that explain the universe and everything within it. Yin is the stable and unmoving force, while yang in the changing force, always in motion. Yoga positions and movements that focus on connective tissue, rather than muscular tissue, are part of yin yoga.

Joint Stretch

Because yin yoga is focused on strengthening connective tissue around the joints, each pose and movement must be done slowly and carefully so as not to injure the tissue. The theory is that by stretching or stressing the connective tissue for an extended period, the tissue becomes strengthened. In addition, yin yoga usually seeks to improve the strength and flexibility of joints that you might not normally associate with much flexibility, such as the hips, pelvis and lower back.

Holding Poses

One aspect of yin yoga that separates it from other forms of yoga is that many poses in yin yoga are held for several minutes. A yin yoga instructor will help you relax your muscles to allow for these longer poses and the stretching of the connective tissue that you desire. Some poses may be held for as long as 20 minutes, which, in addition to stretching tissue, allows time for meditation and relaxation.

Complement to Yang

Yoga students used to yang yoga, where movement is a cornerstone of the activity, may find that yin yoga offers a helpful and welcome balance to the more active nature of yang yoga. Yin yoga helps open yoga students up to muscles and sensations that they may not have experienced in different forms of yoga.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/357707-benefits-of-yin-yoga/#ixzz2GCx7pRfY

15 Benefits of Yin Yoga from Yogavibe.com

Aug 17, 2012

What is Yin Yoga?
First off, yin yoga awesome. The practice, however, is a bit under-served, as more people tend to flock toward the more yang styles of yoga to break a sweat and get in a workout. In a yin class, you won’t sweat. You won’t get heated. You will scarcely move. The point is to facilitate stillness of the mind and body. It’s passive, cooling, grounding, and highly meditative.

Paul Grilley via MindBodyGreen

The thing I love and appreciate about yin is how deeply internal and personal the experience is. You can close your eyes for most of the class. You don’t have to look around at others in comparison because there really is no right way to do a yin pose. Everyone is in a different place. In yin, we celebrate where we are. We enjoy an intimate experience with the self.

Though slow and still, the practice still presents challenges. Yin poses, though seated and passive, aren’t easy, especially when you are holding them for up to five minutes in class (you can really hold them for up to 20 minutes in a home practice!). Things will crop up on the mat that crop up outside when you take on this practice. Maybe fear. Maybe boredom. Maybe mind wanderings. Maybe anxiety. Whatever it is, it’s all good because you can work it out on the mat, so that eventually, you can combat these potential crop ups outside, off the mat.

The best way to really get a feel for the practice is to experience it. Give it a few times because it’s a style that takes some getting used to. After my first yin class, I never wanted to do it again. Uncomfortable feelings came up for me. I realized, though, how beneficial it was for these emotions to surface. Through my yin yoga practice, I have been able to let go of a lot of toxicity. I’ve grown to love yin and its incredibly healing effects.

Some benefits:

1. Increases flexibility & mobility
2. Creates a calm, balanced, and contented mind
3. Releases fascia
4. Lowers stress levels
5. Enhances stamina
6. Opens up energy channels (meridians) throughout the body
7. Effective coping mechanism for stress and anxiety
8. Promotes healthier joints
9. Effective treatment for TMJ and migraines
10. Promotes meditation
11. Complements and enhances a yang practice
12. Ultimately, leads to a more well-rounded practice
13. Offers much deeper access throughout the body by gently stressing the deeper connective tissues (rather than superficial tissues focused on in a yang style practice)
14. Often effective in dealing with eating disorders, addictions, and trauma
15. Enhances stillness of the mind and body

Read more: http://www.yogavibes.com/blog/new-online-yoga-videos/15-benefits-of-yin-yoga/#ixzz2GCzTE6RT

While a Yin class may look easy to the outside observer, it can become quite difficult. As the body relaxes into a pose, strain is placed on the connective tissues for long periods of time. It is important when practicing Yin to understand the difference between pain and feeling uncomfortable to avoid injuries.

Yoga Teacher Training: The Workout

September 7th, 2012

By Sangeetha Saran

My first exposure to yogic practices was in Kundalini.  In those days, we just didn’t think about it as a workout, but I can see why some students see asana or the movement between asana as the sum total of of yogic methodology.  After all, this is what they see in classes, on television and on the Internet.  A graduate of a yoga teacher training course should know more than how to properly instruct students during asana practice.

Yoga means different things to different people. Some people subscribe to a yogic lifestyle in every way by treating others with compassion and gratitude, while using meditation time to reflect and renew. Others see it as a workout for the body that stretches and tones the muscles, ligaments and joints. Those who see it as no more than a workout are missing out on an entire aspect of yoga that can be extremely beneficial as we wade through life. When yogic methodology is only a workout, you are focusing only on your body and neglecting the mind-body connection and spiritual healing that accompanies a well-rounded practice.

Asanas

When yoga asanas, or postures, are treated as simple stretches without any thought or intentional breathing, the results are less effective. Practitioners will gain more from even a simple series of poses when they breathe deeply into each posture, allowing the breath to take them deeper into the pose.

When we allow a barrage of conscious thoughts to enter our heads during a yoga workout, the result is that we never reach a higher state of awareness. Those who choose to think about all the events of the day, the stresses and problems that they faced or their interactions with others during practice, will find that they don’t get any sort of mental break. Contrarily, those who focus on releasing minute thoughts will find that yoga training provides a great mental release and rejuvenation.

The transformation from performing yoga as only a workout to a routine that frees the mind is an easy one. Practitioners simply have to make the conscious effort to focus on their breath and their selves during practice. They must vow to release any thoughts that come into their heads as quickly as possible. This will undoubtedly become easier with practice.

Pranayama

Pranayama practice includes all of the breathing and meditative practices connected with yogic philosophy and routines. Pranayama techniques range from simple to complex and can help people deal with a host of emotional and physical issues if they are willing to give it a try. Someone who is looking at yoga as merely a workout will not gain the benefits that pranayama has to offer, including stress release, greater concentration, renewed energy and improved mood.

Self-Discovery

When performed as more than just a workout, yoga can also offer great insight into the practitioner’s own self. Many people find they get to know their selves better through yoga. Meditation, contemplation and breathing allow them to find a deeper meaning in life. These concepts are lost on someone who is simply stretching their yoga training away.

Conclusion

If you are a yoga instructor, you want to present the full picture to your students.  If you have a fitness, gym or sport form of yoga certification that’s fine, but you still want to enhance your knowledge to become the best yoga instructor you can be.  Learn all you can and participate in continuing education.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Preparing For Your Baby’s First Day

With the baby on the way, it’s time for expecting mothers to start preparing to bring new bundle of joy home.  Even beyond getting things like diapers and onesies, there are a number of other preparations that can be made prior to the big arrival day.

Install a Car Seat

Today, most hospitals will not allow you to leave with a baby unless you have a car seat properly installed in the car. It can be helpful to practice installing a car seat several times so that you are prepared if it needs to be installed in a taxi.  Installing a car seat in advance of the baby’s arrival can also help get familiar with driving around with it.

Stock Up on Supplies

Many mothers can be exhausted, albeit happy, when they get home from the hospital after having a baby.  In the weeks and months before the baby arrives, it can be helpful to stock up on items that will be needed in those first few days and weeks right afterward. Also, items like infant diapers, laundry detergent and baby wipes will be needed.

Stock Up on Easy Meals

It is very common for women to start feeling anxious and want to keep busy in the days leading up to delivery.  One way to accommodate this need to “nest” is to cook up a batch of easy to eat meals and freezing them.  This way, there will be lots available to eat on those days when cooking is just not an option.  Also, it is a good idea to stock up on things to eat on the go for days when there just isn’t enough time or energy to sit down for a meal.  Dried fruit, healthy cereals and granola bars are a great source of quick energy and easy to eat between taking care of your new baby activities.

Line Up Help

It can be very valuable to line up help in advance to assist mom in dealing with the exhaustion that will set in within hours of getting home.  If family members are willing to help out, certainly recruit them in any way possible.  If possible, other ideas include lining up temporary housecleaning services, getting a dependable teenager to assist with older kids and lining up a doula to visit several times after the baby is born.

Prepare for the Hospital

There are a few steps that can be helpful in preparing for the day you actually check-in to the hospital for your delivery. Packing a hospital bag is a common practice by expecting mothers; packing a bag with a change of clothes for mother and baby as well as some toiletries and comfort items. Attending a birthingclass may be helpful for some expecting mothers as it’s a great place to learn more about what to expect on the big day and other optional procedures related to the birth, such as circumcision or cord blood banking.

Having a baby brings a lot of joy to a mother.  With a little advance planning, the transition of bring home a new baby can go very smoothly. Then you will be able to spend time enjoying your new baby, ooing and aahing over those new fingers and toes as you coo him or her to sleep.

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.

We are honored to have Channel 13 come play with us for a hot class. What is a hot class? Turn the temp up to the upper 90′s and power on with articulate instruction from our instructors. You’ll work up a sweat to detox and make those muscles glow. Feels particularly good on a cold winter day.