Integral Yoga Magazine Therapy Issue
The new issue of Integral Yoga Magazine, available here: Fall issue of Integral Yoga Magazine
It contains an interview with Bill Gallagher on yoga therapy and integrative physical therapy. Here is a snip from the magazine website:
YOGA THERAPY SPECIAL ISSUE
* Yoga as Medicine—Timothy McCall
* Yoga Therapy Research—Sat Bir Khalsa
* Inner Medicine—Swamini Mayatitananda
* Yoga Therapy as a Profession—Kelly McGonigal
* Cardiac and Medical Yoga—Mala Cunningham
* Yoga-based Therapy for Anxiety Disorders—Boris Pisman
* Yoga and Eating Disorders—Sevika Laura Douglass
* Yoga for Pain and Disabilities—Bill Gallagher
* Yoga for Depression—Amy Weintraub
* Integral Yoga-based Therapy Programs—Swami Ramananda
* Wholeness as Healing—Arthur Kilmurray
* Yoga and Psychoanalysis—Lynn Somerstein
* Inside the Yoga Sutras with Rev. Jaganath Carrera focusing on healing the obstacles on the spiritual path
* And more…
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Facilitating Transformational Workshops: Intro to Group Dynamics at Kripalu
I just got back from 5 days at Kripalu WOW!
I'm feeling sort of, kind of, you know. Transformed
Ken Nelson, Ph.D. and Lesli Lang led an excellent course on leading groups and workshops designed to transform. A great lesson in the power of creating an atmosphere of physical and emotional safety, delivering a potentially transformational experience and allowing time and space for true integration of that experience.
It did not hurt that the setting was Kripalu. Since my first workshop there (Lakshmi Voelker's Chair Yoga Training) It has felt like home. The atmosphere supports a spiritual focus, the yoga classes suit my taste (gentle & explorative) and the food delivers exactly what the body needs. What a great time to go on a "news fast" and let go of my fear (actuality?) of my 401K plan balance dropping like a rock and fantasies about needing to move to Canada if my presidential candidate of choice loses.
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A Good Nights Sleep can prevent a Fall
When a client, patient or student asks "how does Tai Chi prevent falls?", I usually explain how Taiji:
1) Challenges balance in a way that enhances neural function and motor control
2) Strengthens key postural and balance muscles
3) Allows a lower center of gravity to improve stability
4) Teaches mindfulness so that the person can better attend to the critical features of the environment
5) Decrease fear of falling which appears to be an independent risk factor in falling
6) Depending on the audience, I might also mention ideas from Chinese Mind-body energetics like rooting and sinking qi.
Now I have another factor to mention: SLEEP.
This article showing a decreased fall risk with increased sleep length was just published:
Actigraphy-measured sleep characteristics and risk of falls in older women. Stone KL, Ancoli-Israel S, Blackwell T, Ensrud KE, Cauley JA, Redline S, Hillier TA, Schneider J, Claman D, Cummings SR. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Sep 8;168(16):1768-7
Previous research has linked Tai Chi practice to improved sleep including this article:
Tai chi and self-rated quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Li F, Fisher KJ, Harmer P, Irbe D, Tearse RG, Weimer C. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Jun;52(6):892-900
Lots of studies link Tai Chi Chuan practice to decreased anxiety and it certainly makes sense to me that decreased anxiety would be good for sleep....
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Mary Dunn Iyengar Yoga Teacher
I received a phone call from Bill this morning telling me that Mary Dunn had died - he had just read her obituary in the New York Times. Mary was an Iyengar Yoga instructor and the founding director of the Iyengar National Association of the United States and a founder of the Iyengar Yoga Institutes in New York, San Francisco and San Diego. I was saddened by this news. Although we only met Mary twice, Bill and I were impressed with the depth of her knowledge, generosity and passion.
When we first began exploring ways to modify restorative yoga postures for people with disabilities, I invited a yoga instructor to Mount Sinai Medical Center to join us in a “brain storming session” - she in turn invited her friend and mentor Mary. During the first meeting we explored ways to adapt postures for people with spinal cord injuries and the second visit focused on people with brain injuries. They were exciting, collaborative sessions that reinforced the value in bridging traditional rehab with eastern approaches such as yoga. Her energy and creativity will be missed.
Here is a link to the obituary in the New York Times.
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New York Times Article on Foot Problems
Here is an article that you may find helpful for clients to read to reinforce the importance of LOTS of calf stretching for many foot pain syndromes. Here is the article Another stretching device option not mentioned in the article is a foam wedge:Foam Slant (weight bearing) The main benefit of this and the prostretch device are to serve as visual cues/reminders to stretch the calves. If it is sitting by the front door of your home it whispers "come on over and do the stretch that the therapist suggested...."
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