Ask Ms. Yogi

Adjusting Your Lifestyle

2009-12-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

I am 23 and just learned that I have type 1 diabetes. I was wondering, would yoga be a good suplement to diet and exercise to manage my diabetes?

Signed,

Adjusting my lifestyle

Dear Adjusting:

Yes, adding yoga to a proper diet and exercise routine is a great plan to assist in bettering your health!

It is important you find the right yoga class for you. You should feel comfortable with your instructor and believe he or she understands your individual needs. You will learn to honor hat is right for your body for that day and for you that can be an extremely valuable tool. Your instructor should be good at verbal cuing and working with everyone in the class and their individual needs.

The main thing is to get started, the stress reduction form yoga alone will help your situation. You are on the right track by inquiring and asking questions about various ways to best control your health situation.

Good luck and be well!

Ms. Yogi

Yoga and Relationships

2009-11-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

My husband and I have drifted into a stale place in our relationship. Is there anyway yoga or meditation can assist in that situation?

Signed,

Cold and Complacent

Dear Cold and Complacent:

There are several ways in which yoga and meditation can help both you and your husband individually as well as, helping to develop a deeper bond between you as a couple.

First, it is important to understand and feel good about yourself. Yoga and meditation can aid in connection to your own personal mind/body connection, as well as helping to build confidence through balancing poses. When we are balanced in life, we can physically balance.

Secondly, finding a yoga instructor that teaches partner yoga aids in building trust and connection to your significant other while bringing you both a healthy, stress relieving activity you can do together or separately.

Anything that improves your own physical and mental health is a good thing. If you are less stressed, healthier and feeling more connected as well as, better about your body it should naturally improve all your relationships.

Love and joy,

Ms. Yogi

Yoga for Injuries

2009-11-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

I had an injury that resulted in surgery and now I feel I've become a couch potato. I'm not happy about it and my doctor says I should start stretching, but I am afraid of re-injuring myself and that I will be unable to do many things. I have heard yoga is good for stretching, but there is no way I can get like a pretzel. Any suggestions?

Signed,

Injured Couch Potato

Dear Injured Couch Potato:

Although I do not know your specific injury, stretching and activity is always a help with both physical and mental healing. There are many ways to get your body moving through gentle stretches and relaxation techniques that can get you off the couch and back living again.

The key is to find the right yoga instructor that can work with you and your specific injuries. A regular class is probably not best suited for you right now, but personal instruction while possibly being instructed on chair yoga may be the way to begin.

I personally, had a shoulder injury and was told I would not be able to ever raise my arm to even shoulder height. I can now bring it up all the way to the ceiling as well as back down (like doing the backstroke in swimming). That is what time doing yoga has helped just that one body part achieve. I have seen many others over the years achieve the same (or even better) amazing results through a yoga practice. I encourage you to begin, but you do have to get up off the couch to call.

Health and blessings to you,

Ms. Yogi

Busy and Stressed

2009-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

Recently, my doctor put me on medication to help me relieve the stress in my life (it is affecting my health.) He also suggested I meditate and do yoga. I am not sure I can find the time plus, every time I try to shut my mind off I get a headache. I have always been a busy person and find it hard to just sit and do nothing. What can I do? I don't want to be on pills forever.

Singed,

Busy, stressed and medicated

Dear Busy, stressed and medicated,

There are many misunderstandings about meditation. You do not need to sit in a dark room and have your mind go blank. People who need meditation most are just like you, busy and feeling there is no time. With the proper instruction, you can learn that there are many types of meditation; you do not have to "clear your mind" as forcing 'no thoughts' causes more problems. There are simple techniques that allow you to even begin with just a few minutes a day. The key is knowing how to begin.

Yoga can also help with relaxation while aiding in connecting your mind and body so you are better aware of how to honor what is best for you for that day. Once you begin to take just a little bit of time each week and then each day, you will find you have more energy and time for all you need to do without feeling stressed.

Find a yoga and meditation instructor that is right for you, one who can show you how to begin with only a few minutes a day; you are more likely to continue practicing if you do not feel overwhelmed. Just remember, as Lao Tzu said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step..."

Peacefully Yours,

Ms. Yogi

Stress Causes Weight Gain

2009-10-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

I am very stressed out at work and am gaining a lot of weight. I know I need to exercise, but since I have gained weight, I do not feel I have enough energy to workout. Any suggestions?

Signed,

Stressed and Gaining Weight

Dear Stressed and Gaining Weight,

Below is a link to a medical article that shows stress can cause weight gain. A low-impact, stress-relieving program that includes yoga is a great way to start relieving both excess weight as well as stress.

Sometimes, people do not feel motivated to join a gym, or even leave the house to be in a group of people and try something new. Try a yoga instructor that teaches as a personal trainer, and will come to you, even if it is just to get started on a routine. Once you see the results and learn how to better handle stress, you will have more energy and may feel up to joining a small class.

The key is to start with some instruction on how to eliminate the stress from your body and learn to lessen its affects on your physical well-being. Yoga can do this and more; bringing you more flexibility, confidence and strength.

All the best health and inner peace,

Ms. Yogi

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156788.php

www.everybodyyoga.info

Stressed at Work

2009-10-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

I have to work in front of a computer all day and I get a very tense neck, shoulders and lower back. It doesn’t help that my workload has more than doubled since our company downsized! I feel stress and yet I also feel trapped because I have to work to pay my bills (this is not my dream job!) What do you suggest for someone that works way too much to think of going home from work and then going out in the evening for a yoga class?

Signed,

Stressed at Work

Dear Stressed at Work:

I know your predicament is not uncommon these days. People are feeling the economic pinch as well as the time crunch to get more done in a short amount of time.

There are several things you can do to assist. Finding a yoga instructor that is knowledgeable and able to train employees quickly and efficiently on how to do yoga poses while at your office desk and in your business clothes is a first step. “Corporate Yoga” as it can be termed, uses poses that relieve stress and tension in the areas specifically affected from sitting in front of a computer all day (such as the ones you mentioned).

In addition, a good yoga instructor should also find out what specific areas each person tends to hold their stress. No matter where the stress is coming from, we all have areas of our body we are prone to have be more effected, although many people have common areas, we are not all the same.

Since “Corporate Yoga” is taught in a short amount of time and at the office, the cost is very low, so it solves both your issues.

In regards to your other comments, you may wish to consider taking a meditation workshop. For only a half-day investment of time, you can begin to learn how to accept daily events that currently cause stress and turn them around to make your life more joyful and serene. Simple techniques can be learned that allow you to choose what style and the length of time you wish to meditate for each day.

Both yoga and meditation have numerous medical studies to back the positive effects each has on your health. There are some links to reports about the subjects as well as, information on the yoga and meditation I have discussed. Go to: www.everybodyyoga.info

Good luck and may you find the path that brings you inner peace and happiness!

Namaste,

Ms. Yogi

Dear Ms. Yogi

2009-10-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. Yogi:

I have not exercised regularly in a while; I have been very busy with work and family. I would like to be more flexible as I am getting older and know if I were in better shape it would help me later in life. Can someone like me really do yoga?

Signed,

Getting older and out of shape

Dear Getting Older,

You are right, becoming more flexible and in better shape will of course help you later in life. The great thing is that you won’t have to wait until later to feel better. If you find a yoga instructor that is willing and able to work with you individually he or she can work up a special routine that meets your individual needs and assists with your personal fitness goals.

Any one can (and should in my opinion) do yoga. The benefits are great with increased flexibility, strength building, stress relieving, gaining energy and connecting more to your body to better understand its needs.

With all those benefits and more, who would want to wait even a day longer?

Welcome!

2009-10-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to, Dear, Ms. Yogi!

Ms. Yogi wants to hear from everybody involved or interested in becoming involved in yoga. Her specialty is women in mid-life with stress-related health issues, but she is experienced in teaching everyone from infants through age 100.

She knows that 'every body', no matter what their size, age or physical ability can and should do yoga for overall physical and mental health as well as, stress relief and relaxation techniques.

Far too many people today do not sleep well, feel overwhelmed, have physical ailments and negative mind chatter that rears its head through worries, fears and the like.

Ms. Yogi trusts you find the questions and answers posed here helpful in deciding if you are ready for yoga and/or meditation (whether traditional or non-traditional) while also gaining insight into a healthier and more relaxing lifestyle.

Namaste,

Dear, Ms. Yogi