Help – to give assistance or support. To make more pleasant or bearable improve, relieve and rescue, save. To be of use to
I find it difficult to ask for help unless I am at my wit’s end. And from my experience, I believe others also struggle with asking for help. On the other hand, I have no problem with offering and giving support to others. Which I also find to be true of others around me. Why is it so difficult to ask for help but so easy to give support? I guess no one wants to feel like a burden to another.
Burden – defined as making heavy with a load or with emotion. Something carried a worry or sadness, or a responsibility.
I think this rings true in yoga practice. In a yoga practice, students have experience with the postures. In a yoga class, there is more time and instruction per posture. I enjoy teaching both and encourage students to stop me and ask for help or support in both cases. And sometimes help is needed in everyday life situations too.
Recently a long-time YogAlign student began having some challenges with her knee. She did not want to miss her regular YogAlign classes and continued to show up for classes. Of course, I was thrilled to have her and knew she would need to adjust some of our regularly practiced postures. When getting up and down off the floor, she would need some assistance. These were all easy adjustments I could support her with and, I felt good about doing them. She would always comment not to give her special attention. Or hold up the practice but, it never seemed to be a problem. After all, even though she had temporary challenges with her knee. It did not mean that she would not benefit from the yoga practice. Not showing up for her regular YogAlign practice and connecting with her body, breath and friends would have been a disservice to her healing process. We also added bi-weekly full-body massages to keep her spirits up and relieve her from aching knee pain. I hope you have found a yoga practice/ class where you can ask for help when needed. We all need a little help sometimes.
On my last trip to the mainland, my mom was suffering from debilitating back pain. She had twisted and jarred her back weeks before my visit. Upon arrival, I could see and sense her frustration with limited mobility. I knew she needed help but, would she ask for it? My mom lives alone and, so everything falls on her to do. She had not been able to take care of everyday tasks. And all of the things she likes to accomplish before I arrived. She had been spending most of her time lying down and feeling bad about not feeling good. Even though I am an advocate for moving, she needed to rest. Back pain is no joke! And usually, sleep is unattainable during a back pain flare-up. Without good sleep, coping skills and positive attitudes begin to decline.
When helping someone who suffers from back pain a, pillow under the knees is crucial because a good portion of their time is lying down. And without the pillow or wedge, there is more pressure on the low back. The support is also helpful for knee pain. Pain that occurs in the knee when the knee is kept straight.
Another way I could help my mom was by moving everything up. All of the things she regularly used got moved higher up. So she would not need to keep bending down to retrieve them. The constant pulling on the back from bending over was only going to prolong the healing process. When bending over you, want your knees soft and not locked out utilizing all the gluteal muscles and when coming up pushing: through from the bottom of the feet. With a bit of help, my mom was up and moving more comfortably. She began with short walks in the neighborhood. She began to enjoy lying down with a pillow under her knees and was getting some much-needed rest. When I left, I was confident she was on the road to recovery and, her spirits were up. A little help goes a long way.
I learned the benefits of asking for help recently. I had a pressing task I was not ready to face. I leaned on my husband for support. After a few weeks of my regular meditation, YogAlign practice, and space. I was able to complete the task.
Nobody wants to feel like a burden to themselves or others. Let’s keep showing up for our yoga class/ practice. And ask for help when we need it. We are worth it!
Definition of pain:a localized or generalized unpleasant bodily sensation or complex of sensations that cause mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress and typically results from bodily disorder (such as injury or disease).
Definition of back pain: physical discomfort occurring anywhere on the spine or back, ranging from mild to disabling.
COMMON CAUSES Back pain can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease. Examples include overuse such as working out or lifting too much, prolonged sitting and lying down, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, or wearing a poorly fitting backpack.
I recently had the opportunity to work with someone regarding YogAlign (posture education) that I hold near and dear to my heart. She suffers from chronicback pain challenges. I refer to her back pain as a challenge because it challenges her while moving through her daily activities. Pre- pandemic she had a regular exercise practice at her local YMCA but is no longer able to attend (due to closures). Her daily exercise practice and weekly walking kept her back pain at bay. She continues to walk when she can. The chronic and nagging back pain does not let her get very far. All of the above mentioned has made her feel a bit depressed with a great deal of frustration.
I have asked the question before was it the depression that gave someone poor posture, or was it the poor posture that gave them the depression? In this case, the poor posture (aka back pain) is creating feelings of depression. I know she is one of the many out there suffering from chronic back pain. These are some of the ways her chronic back pain and discomfort have negatively impacted her every life.
unable to get a good night’s rest
taking a walk around the neighborhood is cut short
getting up and down from a seated position is hard
house cleaning takes longer due to needing more breaks
gardening has become more painful than pleasurable
standing to cook and do dishes is uncomfortable
getting in and out of the car is not easy
These are just a few of life’s basic movements that are becoming a real struggle for someone who is suffering from chronic back pain. I offered to work with her utilizing the YogAlign method and started with the basics. I also mentioned to her do not believe anything I say. Follow my cues through the practice, and your body will be the judge. I sensed she had some apprehensions before we began and was afraid it was going to hurt. I reminded her that the YogAlign method is pain-free yoga from your inner core and let your body be the judge. I needed to know if she could get down on the floor. She answered yes although, we could have started on her back on her bed. I also wanted to know if she could get up and down off the floor without aid. Getting up and down off the floor is something I teach in all my YogAlign classes. Students don’t even know that is what we are doing (practicing). Other times they do know we may be lying on our backs taking a resting breath. They believe Savasana (resting pose) is coming next. And I say let’s come to standing, drink some water, and then come back down on your backs for Savasana (resting pose). Sometimes they grumble but, I explain to them how important getting up and off the floor properly is. It is a skill you want to keep as long as possible.
Getting started:you will need a yoga mat, blanket, or towel (make yourself comfortable).
lying on your back (I placed a soft blanket under her )
place a bolster or rolled blanket/ towel under the bend of the back knees for low back support
allow the space between the shoulder blades to draw together
drop shoulders away from ears
arms out like a downward facing V by your sides with fingers spread and palms facing up
settle in, adjust for any discomfort, and begin to breathe normally
press the bulbous part of the back of your head into the mat/ blanket
you are in perfect alignment – now relax and enjoy the support of the floor
The SIP Breath: you will need a straw if you have one.
place your hands on your ribcage
create a small O with your lips
sip in like you’re sipping through a straw (you can use a straw)
feel the ribcage expand
retain the full breath for a few seconds (shoulders down away from your ears)
smile and start to s-hale like a snake with closed teeth (take the straw out before s-hale)
feel the ribcage contract
take 3 X SIP breaths feeling the ribcage expand and contract
take a resting breath through the nose
Supine Heron Stand
The Supine Heron Stand: this posture can be down lying on your back or standing up with a few tweaks.
extend the right leg and bend the left knee
start SIP breath and reach up with the right arm alongside the ear
retain the breath and make a fist with both hands and point the toe of the right foot while squeezing the glutes and inner thighs
Smile, S-hale slowly opening the fingers and spreading the toes of the right foot while keeping the ball of the foot level
the kneecap should face the ceiling
keep the lumbar and cervical curve especially paying attention during the exhalation
Not only does it increase flexibility, but it can also improve muscular strength.
arms back to a downward facing V, palms facing up and fingers spread
bend both knees and place a yoga block between the thighs (squeezing gently)
start your SIP inhale, fist your hands, and squeeze the yoga block between your knees
hold the full diaphragm for a few seconds and watch your shoulders are not rising up
open the fist, relax the thigh squeeze and begin to s-hale
3 X with a resting nose breath in between
pressing the bulbous part of the back head against your mat/ blanket
gently rock your head slowly from side to side (stick your tongue out)
gently squeezing the thigh block rock your knees from side to side
inline or opposite of your head
massaging the back of the head and the low back (sacrum)
straighten both legs with arms overhead Pandiculate (like your morning getting out of bed stretch)
arms back to a downward facing V, palms facing up and fingers spread
bend both knees and place a yoga block between the thighs (squeezing gently)
start the SIP inhale, lift and extend the right leg (with toe like a dancer away from you) fist hands
open fist and start s-hale with toes spread and pushing through the ball of the foot
alternate legs 3 X each side with resting nose breath between sides
Repeat supine heron stand from above on each side and then come back to neutral with legs supported with bolster and resume normal breathing.
The Core Connector: feel how the legs grow from the center of your body.
arms back to a downward facing V, palms facing up and fingers spread
left knee bent and right leg straight
start SIP breath lift the right leg straight up to meet the height of the left knee (keep the lumbar curve)
retain your breath for a few seconds, make fists
then open the fingers and spread the toes pressing through the balls of the foot
s-hale the right leg towards the floor slowly (option is to hover above the ground for a few seconds)
3 X each side with resting nose breath between sides
straighten both legs with arms overhead Pandiculate (like your morning getting out of bed stretch)
Prepping for Savasana- final resting pose: please have a drink of water, a yoga block, and a rolled towel
pressing the bulbous part of the back head against your mat/ blanket
gently rock your head slowly from side to side (stick your tongue out)
gently squeezing the thigh block rock your knees from side to side
inline or opposite of your head
massaging the back of the head and the low back (sacrum)
coming back to neutral and removing yoga block from between your knees
place a bolster or rolled blanket/ towel under the bend of the back knees for low back support
start SIP inhale and then stick your tongue out and exhale like a lion 3 times (letting go of any residual tension)
come back to your normal breathing and close your eyes
allow yourself to relax in Savasana for at least 10 minutes (if your back allows).
When you open your eyes, please take your time getting up to a seated position and then to standing to avoid any dizziness that might occur when getting up too fast. Also, you may want to check with your physician before starting any new movement or exercise practice. And let your body guide you through what works and does not work for you. Pay attention to pain. Do not continue with any posture if you are experiencing pain!
In conclusion, the beloved whom I worked with for about an hour to an hour and a half for three days straight with the above YogAlign practice had positive results. She felt great relief after our first session regarding chronic back pain. She felt none of her regular twinges of back pain during her sleep and slept through the whole night. After our second session, she was able to do her housework pain-free without having to stop for several breaks. By her third session, she was ready to go for the kind of walk around her neighborhood that she used to enjoy (and she did). I even noticed her mood and appearance seemed to be more relaxed, refreshed along with a pep in her step. She now has a YogAlign practice to grow with and into allowing her to reimagine the possibilities for life and enjoy all the activities she loves.
I hope this information can be useful to you or someone you may know and remember you never get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I recently attended Ohana (family) Day A school function for my tenth-grade son. That entailed building several garden boxes from scratch and then planting vegetables in the garden boxes. I began taking pictures of the beautiful moments. That was taking place between the diverse community that had gathered for Family Day. I looked through the camera lens I started noticing with greater attention how folks were moving their bodies. Observing the differences between young and old, male to female, and everyone’s visible health. The first big difference between young and old was how they each approached the planting of the vegetables. The younger kids/ teens almost always squatted down to plant their seeds while the parents/ older folks bent over into a C shape to plant their seed.
I flashed back to a time before I started training and teaching YogAlign. A time before knowing proper body mechanics and real-life movement in a yoga class. Where I would practice forward folds with straight legs. That at the time, I did not realize I was creating pain in my knees in my everyday life.
Flash forward to today, I realize I have come along way in my YogAlign practice. I have been able to overtime re-wire the bad habits that had become my daily improper movement patterns. I learned why it is good or bad to move my body a certain way. Example bending down to pick something up and bending down properly. I was looking through some pictures of a recent summer trip. I was pleased to see my regular YogAlign practice having positive effects on my daily life. It was natural for me to hip hinge while capturing water from a natural water spring. With proper movement hip hinging, my spine can stay in a neutral position. Meanwhile, my hips and upper legs support my body weight. When you bend at the waist (pictured on the right), the back curves, putting stress on the spine.
“Bending at the hip takes the pressure off the back muscles,” says Liza Shapiro, who studies primate locomotion at the University of Texas, Austin. “Instead, you engage your hamstring muscles.”And by “engage the hamstrings,” she also means stretching them.”Oh yes! To hip hinge properly’ your hamstrings have to lengthen,” Shapiro says. “If you have tight hamstrings, they prevent you from bending over easily in that way.”
Food for thought:
The little’s younger than three years old are great hip hingers. They haven’t learned yet from our example to bend like a C. I know I am a work in progress but, I can imagine the possibilities in a body I can trust to allow me to continue enjoying all the activities I love well into my senior years.
Next time you take a trip down memory lane by looking at photos, take note of how you move your body. Hip Hinge and Bending Over – the proof is in the pictures.
Inner Breath Yoga~ YogAlign 