Felt Tips and Fascia

I'm getting ready to go on a mini-break. There will be 7 of us in a cottage in a rural location in Oxfordshire. The weather forecast is not looking too fabulous and there is no wi-fi, therefore we will not be able to use our laptops or mobiles to entertain ourselves. We are going to have to be a little more creative. I'm hoping that some board games will bring us all together and we'll talk and laugh and connect with each other with no distractions. 

However, as one who likes a little quiet time to "download" thoughts and get clear and calm, I've also packed two books. One is a novel and the other is a colouring book. I remember that as I child I loved colouring and when my children were young I often used to join in with their drawing and painting, but its something that I haven't done as an adult.

Before Christmas I bought a beautiful book called Secret Garden (an Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book) by Johanna Basford and a couple of packets of felt tip pens. I had the intention of relaxing over the festive period, curled up on the sofa with pen in hand peacefully doing my colouring. Well, it didn't happen! Other things came along and the colouring book got pushed to one side and there it stayed until I read the following article. I'm now inspired again and I've dusted off my lovely book and put it in my bag and I'm looking forward to some quiet, creative colouring just like I used to do when I was a child.

10 Ways Drawing Can Relieve Stress and Inspire Wonder

By Danny Gregory via mindbodygreen.com

Looking for ways to be calmer, happier and more centered? The answer could lie in the pages of a sketchbook.

As someone who knows the positive effects drawing can bring to anyone's life, I'd like to share some reasons drawing is a great activity to promote relaxation and help you lead a happier life.

1. You'll reconnect with your playful spirit.
Many people drew and painted as kids, without worrying about talent or the quality of the final product. Reconnecting with that playful creative spirit is relaxing and liberating. Even if you haven't drawn since you were six, a few minutes a day drawing simple things around you can unleash a playful energy that can fill your whole day.

2. You'll amaze yourself.
Drawing isn't a mysterious matter of God-given talent. It just takes a few minutes of practice each day to make new connections in your brain and your body. I've discovered that keeping an illustrated journal helps me develop a creative habit that jump starts my drawing skills. And as your sketchbook fills with beautiful drawings, you become proud and eager to keep going.

3. You'll be able to control time.
Making art stops time. When you draw or paint what's around you, you focus and see it for what it is. Instead of living in a virtual world, you'll be present. Instead of all the things whirring in your head, you will be able to stop, to clear your mind, to take a deep breath and just be. You don't need a mantra or a guru. Or an app. Just a pen.

4. You'll tell your story.
Life is just a long succession of small epiphanies. You need to stop and seize them. By drawing the everyday things you encounter, you'll be making a record of what you're living through and what you are learning. A drawing and a sentence or two in a sketchbook turns those everyday moments into something significant. Over time, you'll build up a book of memories — a true record of what's important in your life.

5. You'll fight perfectionism.
Many people are tempted to avoid doing things they can't do well. But creativity is all about taking risks and doing new things — things that may not turn out exactly as we'd planned. Drawing can help you avoid the limitations of perfectionism and learn to roll with the punches. You learn to see "mistakes" as lessons and opportunities for improvisation. Often a wonky line or a splatter of ink can turn a sketch into an expressive work of art. Learn to let go, play and discover.

6. You'll reconnect with your inner child.
Draw with a child, and draw with crayons, tempera, pastels and finger paints. Interact with your drawing partner. Take requests. Tell a story and illustrate it as you go. Ask your kid to draw a crazy line and you add to it to make an elephant or a choo-choo or a ham sandwich. Scribble. Splatter. Play. For a few minutes, let it go and be a child.

7. You'll realize the world isn't perfect.
But it's beautiful. And the most beautiful things have character and experience built into them. There's a lot to learn and appreciate in a chipped mug, a half-eaten apple, the tiny lines in the leather of your dashboard. Making art will show you how much you already have. Your real treasures. A brand-new Maserati is a lot less beautiful to draw than a rusty old pickup.

8. You'll create memories.
When you draw, you enhance your memory. By slowing down and observing carefully, you create deeper and more vivid records of everything that surrounds you. Make drawing a habit, and your ability to summon up the past and enjoy it once again will grow by leaps and bounds.

9. You'll get rid of boredom.
You will never be bored or waste time again. Every day is full of those moments between activities. Waiting in the doctor's office, watching mindless TV. Instead of reading tweets on your phone, you'll make a piece of art. Every minute of your day counts. Make it worthwhile.

10. You'll share your art.
At my drawing school, we encourage students to post their work online. At first that can seem daunting, trotting out your work for strangers to comment on. But if you find a supportive and encouraging community, your incentive to draw grows. And the connections you form with others on the same journey of discovery are deep and profound. Draw with your friends. Draw your friends. Share your sketchbook and the stories of your life. What could be more beautiful? 

How to Do Malasana (Garland Pose)

Malasana is a deep squat which opens tight hips and inner thighs, and stretches the lumbar spine. There is a gentle squeeze and massage for the internal organs and a stretch to the lower calf muscle and Achilles tendon too. 

Here's how to do it:

From a standing forward bend, turn the toes out, bend the knees and place the hands on the floor (this helps keep the knees safe as you drop down into a squat). Then bend the knees and lower the buttocks towards the floor until you arrive in a deep squat. The feet are turned out and the knees are wide so they track over the toes. You may need to put a block or folded blanket under the heels if they don't touch the floor.  Breathe deeply and stay for 5-10 breaths.

There are number of variations of this pose. You can bring the hands together in front of the heart and use the elbows to gently guide the knees back which will stretch the inner things more - see Picture 1. You can slide the hands forward along the floor for a deeper forward bend as in Picture 2 (but only if your back is happy for you to do so). Or you can wrap the arms around the shins and clasp the hands behind the heels, again if your back feels ok - see Picture 3.  If your knees don't like the deep folding action of this pose, you could sit on blocks or a bolster to take the weight onto the buttocks as in Picture 4. There is also the option to do this pose with the feet together but the knees wide, taking care to press the inner part of the ball of the foot down to the floor. 

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Yoga practice stretches and strengthens the whole body - bones, skin, muscles and tissues. You what it feels like when you reach into a good stretch, and you're probably aware when when you feel tight and bound and your range of movement is limited, but do you know about fascia and how it works? This article explains:

What is Fascia and What Does It Do?

By Melissa Putt via mindbodygreen.com
 

Think of fascia as the most sensitive, highly interconnected system in the entire body — it's the life force next to blood. Without fascia, toned and structured muscle would turn to hamburger meat, organs would spread like wildfire and bones would crumble, as fascia is the single element that organizes and suspends these parts of the body. It's the most highly innervated tissue, sensitive to every hormone in your system, recoiling with every bump and bruise sustained.

Our understanding of fascia in modern science will revolutionize how we exercise, how surgeons operate, how athletes train and how we address pain management. Fascia is the frontier of body knowledge, and the better you understand what it is and how it works, the more in tune with your body you'll be. Here's what you should know about fascia. 

So, what is fascia?

Fascia is the system of connective tissue fibers that lay just under the surface of our skin. Under a microscope, fascia is highly organized in a mesh formulation of tubules filled with water, and its job is to attach, stabilize, enclose and separate muscles and internal organs.

What does fascia do?

Fascia is wrapped throughout the body on "lines of pull." It connects toes to brow in one uninterrupted sheet of fascia, and fingers to chest and neck. The heart fascia is connected at the collarbone, which connects to the arm and fingers. It coils around the bones, muscle fibers, muscle bundles, organs, arteries, veins and nerves, applying tension and compression to the body material it surrounds.

This is what you feel as a stretch or when you have physical pain. It's the tension of the fascia around the area of sensation that causes feelings of tightness. Tendons and ligaments are layers of fascia that are meant to absorb shock and distribute the impact. If tendons are tight, dehydrated and shortened, they can't absorb impact and will fray, causing pain.

Fasica also has an organ suspension function. Have you ever wondered how your liver, stomach and intestines stay put? Your organs are not suspended without any connection to the outside body. Each organ is wrapped in a hammock of fascia that's connected to the spine, ribs, or pelvis. These fascial connections connect with the muscle fascia that affects your movement. Your breath, exercise and sitting posture will all affect the health of organs, as they're connected fascially to the muscles being used for daily activities.

How does fascia work?

Fascia is sensitive to all movement. There's no such thing as isolation exercises or having a "leg-day workout" — all movement affects the entire body because of the links to the body-wide fascial network. Working at your desk with hands pulled forward on the keyboard pulls the fascia in the low back and hips, and if you cross your legs, your knees and bladder.

Counting repetitions in your workout does affect the cells of the muscle, but ultimately muscle potential is limited by the quality of the fascia that surrounds it. Movement is supposed to be absorbed by fascia, not muscle. Watch a cat jump; that's not a muscular movement. It's the fascia recoiling and creating a spring tension to propel the cat upward.

Humans are the same to some degree. Our body mechanics are meant to be spring loaded for joints of the spine, hips, knees, ankles and ribs, so they can absorb impact and distribute the strain throughout the body. Proper exercise should follow the lines of fascial pull in order to distribute the impact. When you're tight and restricted, the fascia is stuck and doesn't glide smoothly over the muscles and bones. In order for your body to work like a well-oiled machine, you must focus on the fascia. Fitness ability is dependent on healthy fascia.

Why is fascia so crucial? 

Joint health, injury-free sports, organ health and fluid movement are all dependent upon a healthy integrated fascial system. This promotes the notion that you need to take care of every part of your body in the same manner — without neglecting any one part. Total body health translates to total internal health and pain-free living.

So now you know a bit more about fascia. And take a guess what would be a good thing to do to look after this amazing part of your body... yes, of course... rolling out your yoga mat and practicing some poses. 

And finally, back to the subject of colour, take a look at this lovely video. Its a reminder about something most of us take for granted. Our yoga practice encourages us to appreciate all the many blessings we have in our lives so, if you see the world in colour, take a moment to be grateful for that and honour the miracle that is the human body.  

https://youtu.be/ea_xOqNvntA

After the sun comes the rain - the vinyasa of life continues

As I write this week's post the clouds are covering the sky. I have a sense of the sun waiting behind them and I'm hoping that they will move on and the skies will clear as they did yesterday and I can enjoy the sunshine again.

Yogic philosophy teaches us that when we wish things to be different than they are we create our own suffering. When we accept the things that we cannot change (ie. I can't do anything to change the weather so I might as well accept it and stop wasting my energy on wanting it to be sunny) we release ourselves from suffering. 

As I mentioned in last week's post about Sun Salutations, all of life is a vinyasa - cycles of day and night (the Equinox is tomorrow), changing seasons, the inhale and the exhale of the breath - all rising and falling and circling around again. When we learn to tell the difference between the things we can change and the things we cannot change, our journey through this great adventure of life can be less of a struggle and more of a flow. 

I'll use the sun once more to illustrate how the way we think about something (often conditioned thoughts that we don't even question) can influence the overview we have of our lives: we often hear people saying that the sun's trying to break through the clouds, that if it could only push through we'd have a sunny day. In reality, the sun's not doing anything at all except being the sun, same as always. Its the clouds that will move on and reveal it. Ever heard someone say that time is against them? They've immediately created a sense of urgency, tension and struggle. Time isn't against them. It's not personal. It's just time, same as always. There's the same amount of it for everyone but it's up to us how we choose to spend it.

With this in mind, I'm accepting this cloudy day. If the clouds do move on that will be lovely, but equally if they don't I'm ok with it.

Here is an article by Cathy Phillips which beautifully explains how accepting things as they really are is helpful to us. Her website and blog, Calm Your Mind, Warm Your Heart, is a valuable resource offering support to people with cancer. 

"Peace of mind means letting go of all the things that block peacefulness—our worries, fears, resentments, hurt and anger.  But what are we really letting go of?  It’s not as if we can instantly relieve ourselves of our upset like a heavy burden dropped to the ground. Would it were so simple.  Letting go is a process.  It takes time, practice and patience.

Often what we are letting go of is our own resistance. We want things to be other than they are.  We say to ourselves, “This shouldn’t be” and we work ourselves up with all the ways someone or something falls short of what we want, hope or expect. We hold on tightly to these inner reins: we repeatedly justify our position and we entrench ourselves in our own point of view.  We make ourselves miserable.

Letting go means relinquishing our inner resistance and accepting what is actually happening. Acceptance does not mean giving in or condoning unfair, cruel or inappropriate behavior or circumstances.  It means loosening the tight hold the situation has over us and accepting that life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. Perhaps there is significant truth to our inner turmoil: the people we turn to or rely upon have behaved badly or inappropriately in some way; or the circumstances of our situation are indeed challenging and unfair; or we ourselves have transgressed in an upsetting way; but that doesn’t change the fact that we are making ourselves miserable by wanting things to be different from the way they are in this moment. 

Here’s the difference: letting go is releasing and opening; resisting is tightening and closing. Which state do you think is better for your health and wellbeing? So much of our suffering comes from wishing things were other than they are.  When we let that go, we open ourselves to the flow of life as it is; we  can now work from a place of openness and flow, rather than a place of restriction and closure.  We become more at ease with the changes and complexities life brings us and we move a little closer to living day-to-day with a calm mind and a warm heart." 

Yoga and meditation are wonderful ways to practice letting go. Savasana, our final relaxation after the yoga postures, offers the opportunity to lie down and surrender completely. It allows the body and mind to completely relax and become really quiet after the physical work of the class. When you practice yoga at home never skip Savasana - it is too valuable to miss. Even if your To Do list is waiting, spend at least 5 minutes resting before you get up and get on with your day. 

Equally valuable is Legs Up the Wall pose, or Viparita Karani. Here's how to do it so that you can incorporate it into your home practice:

• Sit sideways against a wall with your hip and shoulder as close as you can get them. 
• Take your hands to the floor behind you, lean backwards and bring your legs up the wall at the same time as you swivel round to face the wall and lower onto your elbows. 
• Then lie down on your back. You may need to scooch in a little closer to the wall to get your buttocks closer in.
• Stretch the legs up the wall, feet and legs close together, making sure the whole body feels symmetrical.
• Draw the shoulderblades down your back so they feel flat on the floor - this helps the arm bones roll out so the shoulders relax, the top of the chest opens the neck feels free.
• You could choose to rest your hands on your abdomen (see picture 1) or move your arms away from your body with the inner elbow crease and palms face up (see picture 2). 
• Close your eyes, breathe smoothly and relax for about 5 minutes.
• If you'd like a gentle supported backbend you could bend your knees, press your feet to the wall to lift your hips up away from the floor, and slide a bolster, pillow or stack of folded blankets under your pelvis to rest on. Then roll the shoulders back again to feel the chest lift (see picture 3).

Viparita Karani - picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Here's why Viparita Karani is a great pose to practice regularly:
As the blood drains from the feet and down to the abdominal region there is relief for swollen ankles, varicose veins and tired legs. The body can completely relax and therefore the nervous system can move from the "flight, fight or freeze" mode that is far too common in our stressful lives, to the "rest and digest" mode that is a healthier state for us to be in. Whilst stress is necessary to alert us about impending danger (remember that heart-pumping, adrenaline rush when you almost miss a step on the stairs?) we tend to spend too much of our time in a hyper-alert and over-stimulated state due to the many distractions in our lives. When we relax the heart rate slows down, the blood pressure re-regulates itself, the glands regulate their hormones - adrenal gland produces less cortisol, pancreas releases less glucagon (a hormone which helps to control blood sugar levels), pituitary gland produces more growth hormone and pancreas produces more insulin (also helping to regulate blood sugar), and we can actually properly rest. Bliss. 

Please note: most inversions are contra-indicated for beginners, people with neck and shoulder problems, blood pressure problems and for women who are menstruating. Viparita Karani is considered safe for beginners, helpful for regulating the blood pressure and, as the pelvis is not higher than the torso, the first two options shown here are suitable for those who are menstruating.

If you'd like to experience how meditation can help you accept the things you cannot change, click on the link below which will take you to a series of guided meditations.  Scroll down to the one entitled "Let Go of the Need to Control", find a comfortable place to sit for 5 minutes and relax. Renowned author and wellbeing expert Deepak Chopra offers these meditations as part of the Chopra Centre's services.  

http://www.chopra.com/ccl/guided-meditations

Sun Salutations - on and off the mat

I think this is day 9 of waking up to sunny skies!  Although it did cloud over on Monday here in Surrey, the sunrise was beautiful. Have you noticed how much better you feel when the sun shines? I feel so much more energised, positive and "in the flow" of life and I'm sure that's the same for most people - everyone seems happier and smilier!

Getting some much-needed winter sunshine in Goa, India last month was so healing and relaxing but coming home to grey skies and rain made the transition back to normal life a little harder. The good weather this past week has been very welcome indeed. I've even been out in the garden, making plans for the summer burst of colourful flowers!

The view from my yoga mat in Goa - bliss!

Starting Your Day with Sun Salutations

Doing a few rounds of Sun Salutations each morning gets your day off to a great start.

The Sanskrit name for Sun Salutations is Surya Namaskar. Surya means sun and Namaskar is a greeting of respect, therefore Greeting the Sun. Traditionally done to pay homage to, and give thanks for, the Sun and it's life-giving light and warmth, Sun Salutations have many benefits for your mind, body and spirit.

The benefits for your mind and soul include taking a moment to remember your connection with the natural world, and how everything works in cycles of night and day, season to season, and knowing that you are part of this. You are not just an observer but you are actually participating in this amazing cycle of life. Knowing that you are part of something greater puts things into perspective. The fact that you don't have enough milk for a cup of coffee this morning isn't a disaster. It doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things. The consistent practice of yoga helps to soothe away the perceived difficulties that being a human being presents. The little irritations can become like water rolling off a duck's back. No coffee this morning? No problem - you've got the sky and the sunshine, your amazing body that can move through these poses, your breath as your constant companion and that's what really matters.

The benefits for the physical body are many. Sun Salutations stretch and strengthen all the major muscle groups. They move between stretching the front of the body on the inhale and stretching the back of the body on the exhale. While the front is stretching the muscles on the back of the body will be engaged and vice versa when you move into forward bends. The elements of weight-bearing will help to strengthen the bones and build stamina. The breath and the movements are in sync with each other, promoting full and deep breathing. They get the heart pumping and the blood flowing round your body, delivering fresh oxygen to each and every cell - an instant detox! You can do them really fast if you want more cardiovascular emphasis or slow them down if it suits you to move more gently. Although usually done in the morning, you can do Sun Salutations in the evening too, just don't be too energetic late at night so that your body has time to settle down again before you go to sleep.

How many rounds of Sun Salutations you choose to do is up to you and the time you have available, but do at least 3 rounds to give you the best benefits. You'll feel stiff and creaky for the first one, especially if you've just got out of bed, so do it gently and adapt by bending your knees to take care of your hamstring muscles at the back of your legs. You'll feel your body unfold as you work through the following rounds, and with consistent practice you'll notice that you've become stronger, more flexible and fitter too.

Finish off your morning practice with a glass of water with fresh lemon juice to rehydrate and you're set to get on with your day. You'll feel good knowing that you've already done some exercise and self-care and that you're creating a positive habit in your life.

Here's a pictorial reminder of the sequence of the Sun Salutations or, if you haven't done them before you might like to take a look at my video which will guide you through.

When the sun comes out we want to get outside. It's a natural response after a long, grey winter. But unfortunately our increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean that we override that natural response. We spend most of our time inside our houses and offices, sitting at a desk working or "relaxing" on the sofa watching TV. This means that not only are we not getting enough exercise but we are also missing out one of our essential vitamins - Vitamin D - which we get mostly from the sun. Below is an article with advice for balancing the pros and cons of being in the sun. The research on vitamin D is fairly new so do explore it if you are interested so that you can form an educated opinion. There is a non-profit organisation called The Vitamin D Council which has lots of information - you can view their website here.

Why You Should Get Some Sun This Summer + How To Do It The Safe Way

By Dr. Frank Lipman via Mindbodygreen

Although irresponsible sunbathing is unquestionably harmful, regular, moderate, unprotected sun exposure is essential for good health. It’s free, easy to come by and good for you when handled wisely. It’s also the only reliable way for your body to generate vitamin D, an essential ingredient for optimizing health and preventing disease.

Trouble is, for the last 30 years or so, the medical-dermatological complex has brainwashed us with the mantra that sun exposure is lethal and we should stay away. It’s an oversimplified view that’s had little effect on curbing skin cancer rates — in fact, they’re skyrocketing — and has managed to make millions of people sun-phobic, causing them to miss out on the numerous benefits associated with sun exposure in limited doses.

And the best way to optimize vitamin D levels? It’s with safe, smart and limited sunscreen-free exposure to the sun. Used wisely, strategic bouts of sunshine help the skin produce the Vitamin D it needs to build bones, tamp down inflammation, boost the immune system. Better yet, vitamin D and may actually help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, skin, prostate and colon.

Now, of course, taking advantage of the benefits of sunshine is by no means a license to burn and tan with abandon, but consider it permission to step into the light every now and then, with considerably less fear about it than you’ve had in the past. Here are a few pointers on how to support your health with sunshine:

Let the Sun Give You Your Vitamin D (And Yes, There’s an App for That!)
Your age, complexion, where you live, season and what time of day it is, they all affect the amount of sun exposure you need. The farther north you live, the more sun exposure you’ll need to generate vitamin D.

For instance, a fair-skinned New Yorker, sitting on a local beach in June at midday for 10-15 minutes without sun block (enough to cause a light pinkness 24 hours after), will produce the equivalent of 15,000-20,000 IU’s of Vitamin D. Put that same person further north in the U.K, or Canada and they’ll need 20 to 30 minutes for the same effect. By contrast, people with darker complexions may need 20 to 30 times more exposure to generate the same amount of vitamin D.

To help determine your needs, have a look at the tables in Dr. Michael Holick’s The Vitamin D Solution or download the particularly useful-for-summer app called D Minder which tracks the amount of Vitamin D you get from the sun based on your age, location, body type, and time of day, etc. and even includes a timer so you’ll know when you’ve topped off the D tank, without burning.

Slowly Ramp Up Your Sun Exposure
Kicking off the summer by searing your skin with multiple sunburns is not only painful but it can potentially roll out the welcome mat for melanoma down the line, so bottom line: never burn. Instead, as the summer brings you outdoors more often, don’t be afraid to expose your skin to the sun, just be sure to build up your tolerance slowly over the course of a few weeks. Just don’t rush out and sunburn yourself outdoors or in a tanning booth in hopes of quickly getting a “base” tan all in single afternoon.

Learn How to Sunbathe Smartly
Brief, regular exposures have been found to be much more effective and safer than the occasional long one. And sorry, but sitting by a sunny window just won’t do it, because the UVB rays necessary for vitamin D production are absorbed by glass. To get your Ds, you’ll need to step outside. Set aside some time for short doses of sun-block-free exposure, but if you’ve had skin cancer, check with your doc first. From there, start with a 5-minute shot of unblocked sun for week 1, every other day; step up to 10 minutes the next week, and 15 to 20 minutes for week 3. To maximize your body’s natural Vitamin D production, build up to 20 to 30 minutes of mid-morning sun without sun block.
After your 30 minute max dose, it’s time to start sun blocking.

Sunburns are the Enemy – Not the Sun!
Some sun exposure is good, but get too much and you’re playing with fire. Remember it’s the repeated sunburns that have been linked — not regular, moderate sun exposure — so the fewer burns the better, particularly when it comes to kids and those with fair complexions.

To keep sunburns at bay this summer make sure you:

• Never fall asleep in the sun without protection.
• Don’t get fooled by cloudy days — they can burn you just as easily as a sunny one.
• Protect your skin, particularly if you’re in and out of the water, on a boat or cycling, when the breezes can make you less aware that you’re getting sun burned.
• Wear a hat, sunglasses and light-colored clothing to block the sun when out for longer periods.
• When it’s time to apply sunscreen, use one with as few chemicals as possible.
• Before you buy a sunscreen, first check out the Environmental Working Group’s list of safer sunscreens.
• Optimize vitamin D levels and its protective effects with a combinations of controlled sun exposure, a healthy whole food diet and supplementation with vita D3.
• And no matter what the season, please stay away from tanning beds!

Greeting the Sun

Sunset Headstand

I hope you get to enjoy the sunshine while it's here. And even when it inevitably disappears behind the clouds again keep practicing your Sun Salutations regardless, in the knowledge that the clouds will move on and the Sun will be revealed again once more. Such is the power of nature, and all we can do is go with the flow.

Rushing Woman's Syndrome - how to recognise whether you are a sufferer

Quickread

I read an article about Rushing Woman's Syndrome in last Saturday's Times newspaper which I found really interesting. Maybe you saw it and it resonated with you too? Unfortunately, the paper found it's way into the recycling bin before I had a chance to write it out, but I found this article by the same author, nutritional biochemist Dr Libby Weaver, instead which has the added benefit of a link to her enlightening Ted Talk video too.

If you have a friend who is suffering from Rushing Woman's Syndrome, please share this blog post with her and tell her about how yoga could help her. A regular yoga practice puts you back in touch with your breath, calms the nervous system, encourages tense muscles to relax and the mind to quieten down. You know all this already, but your friend might not, and she's missing out on a wonderful way to counteract the stresses of daily life and feel better in her body.

Rushing Woman's Syndrome by Dr Libby Weaver via Huffington Post

Rushing Woman's Syndrome has evolved out of my observation of a shift in women's health and behaviour over the past 16 years. Never before in my work have I witnessed so many females in a mad rush to do everything and be all things to all people. Never before have I seen the extent of reproductive system and sex hormone challenges that I now see. Women are wired. Many of them are tired too. Tired yet wired. And this relentless urgency, this perception that there is not enough time, combined with a to-do list that is never all crossed off is having such significant health consequences for women I had to write about it.

Not that long ago women were given the opportunity to do what had traditionally been their father's jobs, while maintaining what were traditionally their mother's responsibilities and what has unfolded for too many women is a frantic double shift, of work day and night, with very little if any rest. The perceived need to rush, whether a woman displays it on the outside or keeps it under wraps, is changing the face of women's health as we know it in such a detrimental way; from PMS to IBS, from losing our tempers to feeling like we can't cope.

The nervous system plays a significant role in the stress response and it has a number of parts. The two branches related to this concept are the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), also known as the amped up "fight or flight" response, and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the calming "rest, digest, repair and reproduce" arm of the nervous system. The challenge for too many women today is that they live in SNS dominance and this can play havoc with weight management, food cravings, sleep quality, patience, moods, self-esteem, and overall quality of life.

One of the hormones driving this is adrenalin, which communicates to every cell in the body that your life is in danger. As I described in my TEDx talk science suggests humans have been on the planet for about 150,000 years and for the entirety of that history, that's what adrenalin has meant to the body. The nervous system doesn't know that the adrenalin amping you up is not from a physical threat to your life but rather your body's response to the coffee you drink and/or your perception of pressure.

When we live on adrenalin we tend not to sleep restoratively, crave (and give in and eat!) sugar despite our best intentions, and find it harder and harder to utilise stored body fat as a fuel, instead burning glucose. Yet when we primarily burn glucose as a fuel (instead of body fat), because it is our "get out of danger" fuel, the body can't risk the glucose fuel tank getting too low so the desire for it gets switched on... hello harsh self-talk when you give in to your sweet cravings even though you said you wouldn't.

So why do we do it? One reason is because we care so much for the people in our lives. On one level this way of living comes from such a beautiful place. It comes because we have beautiful hearts, but even deeper than that it comes because we made up a story a really long time ago that we aren't enough the way we are; that we aren't good enough, tall enough, slim enough, pretty enough, brainy enough, on time enough, that we're just not enough the way that we are, so we spend our lives trying to please everyone in our realm, putting their needs ahead of our own. We rush around and do all we can to make sure that others love and appreciate us so that we never, ever have to feel rejected, ostracised, unlovable, criticised, yelled at, and like we've let others down. It's not just the physical health consequences that concern me for women. It's that they live their lives so out of touch with those beautiful hearts, out of touch with how extraordinary they are and in the cloud of false belief that they aren't enough.

It is important to realise that the way we eat, drink, move, think, believe and perceive impacts our need to rush. I write books, including Rushing Woman's Syndrome to help people to live their lives with more PNS activation because this can have the most profound effect on health. From that place sex hormones are far easier to balance, liver function (detoxification processes) and digestion work closer to optimal so there's far less bloating, the thyroid works better which is also important for metabolic rate and the ability to burn body fat.

Bring awareness to why you do what you do and work out what lead you there. Awareness, rather than judgment of ourselves is the first step in this journey to retire from Rushing Woman's Syndrome. Please remember that life is precious, that you are precious and to treat yourself accordingly.

Visit www.drlibby.com to read more about Rushing Woman's Syndrome.

The Benefits of Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Yoga has so many benefits which collectively will help you become stronger, calmer, more flexible, and healthier in mind, body and spirit. Every posture has its own benefits too, and each week I'm going to choose a pose to focus on and share it's values with you, so you know exactly how it is helpful to your wellbeing.

The first pose we'll look at is Bridge Pose, the Sanskrit name of which is Setu Bandhasana. This backbend strengthens the back of the legs, the buttocks and the spine as you press into the floor to lift your torso up. It helps to keep the spine flexible and stretches the fronts of the thighs, the fronts of the hips and it opens the front of the torso (which gives the digestive organs more room) and the chest (which gives the lungs and the heart more room). It stimulates the thyroid gland as the chin is slightly tucked in and it encourages you breathe slowly and rhythmically through the slightly narrowed airway. 

Here's how to do it:

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet close to your buttocks, hip width apart. Keep your toes turned very slightly in to avoid the feet and knees splaying wide as you lift up. With your arms close to the sides of your body and your hands palm face down, press down with your feet and upper arms and slowly lift your hips up. Engage the back of the legs and draw your tailbone towards the back of your knees to keep your lower back from over-arching. Lift your breastbone a little more towards your chin to draw the backbend further up towards the top part of your spine. The chin is slightly drawn in but the back of the neck is not pressed flat to the floor - there is a gentle natural curve. The shoulder blades slide down your back away from your ears. If you want to deepen the backbend, interlock the fingers behind your back and stretch the arms towards the heels. Stay here for between 5-15 long, steady breaths before releasing the interlock and lowering the hips slowly back down to the floor. Remember to be kind to yourself and not force the body into the pose - it will evolve with regular practice.

Recipe of the Week : Date and Almond Smoothie

While I was away in India I enjoyed the most fabulous breakfast smoothie served in a beer mug (see photo below!) Described in the menu as an Ayurvedic Breakfast Shake, when I asked what was in it I was told it was just dates and almond milk. I decided to look it up online to see if I could recreate it at home. A number of recipes came up, including one from one of my favourite sources, delicouslyella.com. I've adjusted her recipe slightly, as with 2 bananas and 6 dates it makes it a bit sweet for me, but you can play with it yourself and see how you like it best. You could leave out the almond butter if you don't have any, although you can easily buy it at Holland & Barrett.

It's a quick and very nutritious breakfast - the almonds will give you protein, the dates have lots of fibre and the banana is rich in potassium and magnesium.

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:
1 banana
3 pitted dates

1 teaspoon of almond butter
1 cup of almond milk (in the milk section at most supermarkets)
pinch of cinammon

Slice the banana, put in a tupperware and into the freezer the night before. Remove any stones from the dates. If the milk isn't cold, add an ice cube or two. Put all the ingredients into a blender and whizz for a couple of minutes until smooth. Enjoy - it's yummy!

You can look at delicouslyella's recipe here:  http://deliciouslyella.com/recipe/banana-date-and-almond-shake-dairy-free/

Cheers!