Many forward bending Yoga poses involve the lengthening and stretching of the hamstring muscles. By incorporating subtle spirals of the thighs, you can more effectively isolate the 3 hamstring muscles.

The hamstring muscles consist of 3 muscles:
*Biceps Femoris muscle that originates at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) and along the posterior aspect of the thigh bone. This muscle travels down the lateral aspect of the thigh bone, crosses the knee joint, and inserts on the outer edge of the leg (head of the fibula and lateral condyle of the tibia

*Semitendinosus muscle that originates at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) with the long head of Biceps Femoris. This muscle travels down the medial aspect of the thigh and inserts in the medial region of the tibia.

*Semimembranosus muscle that originates also at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) and travels down the medial aspect of the thigh inserting at the medial condyle of the tibia.

The basic principle to address with these muscle lines is the Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus muscles travel along an ‘inner line’ of the thigh where the Biceps Femoris muscle travels along an ‘outer line’ of the thigh. For most people, the outer thigh line has greater flexibility than the inner line. Consider how much easier it is to fold over the thigh in Pavirrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolving One Leg Forward Bend) versus directly forward in Janu Sirsasana? With the leg out to the side, the forward bend moves primarily into the outer line of the hamstrings (Biceps Femoris).

Notice the next time you do One Leg Forward Bend, Downward Facing Dog, or Standing Forward Bend how the feet, leg bone, and thigh ‘want’ to rotate outwards or laterally. This ‘desire’ to rotate laterally is an indication of the pose wishing to move out of the tighter inner hamsting line and more towards the more flexible outer hamstring line.

Next time you do into One Leg Forward Bend, try the following tips to target the more resistant inner hamstring line:
*set your pelvis neutral and perpendicular to your thigh (tendency is to sit with the pelvis turned away from the thigh thus promoting the stretch to go more into the outer thigh line).
*pull the flesh away from the sit bone so you have greater connectivity to the pelvis and to the forward bend that should occur from the hip joint and not the lower back
*slightly rotate your thigh bone inwards or medially-this will be reflected in the toes which should point vertically and not out to the side.
*inhale as you lift open the front ribs and torso and exhale as you fold over the thigh finding just the first sensations of resistance
*settle and breath
*as the vibrations of resistance dissipate, rotate the thigh medially another millimeter or so (very subtle), breath in and lift the front ribs (protecting the low back), and after elongating the spine, exhale and fold a little more into the inner hamstring line

Playing with these inner thigh spirals will help you discover the variations in resistance in the hamstrings. This application of spiraling can be easily added to other Yoga poses:
*Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
*Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend pose)
*Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose)
*Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
*Marichyasana I (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi, I)
*Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

Be mindful that this spiral application is not over-emphasized. Keep the line of the foot and thigh within normal anatomical positioning. Consider how the natural lines of Mountain pose translate into these forward bends and how thigh spiraling should not go excessively beyond that functional line offered in Mountain pose.

Explore your hamstrings. Appreciate the resistance and variations of flexibility in your yoga practice. Gently and respectful use spiraling techniques to expand these variations of resistance.

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Annie Duke is known as the world’s most successful female poker player.

She spends 16-20 hours at a poker table making a living, all while being a full time mom of four and a yoga and health fanatic.

How do you find yoga affects your mental and physical well being, and energy level?

Yoga has been amazing in terms of my mental well being. When I first started I had trouble standing still before poses or just lying still in corpse pose. I was always fidgeting. Yoga has forced me to develop a stillness of mind that I lacked as a completely type A person. I have an ability to focus now that I never had before and that has been amazing for me in the rest of my life.

As for my physical well being and my energy levels, what hasn’t yoga done for me? I am so energetic. My body looks better than it ever has. I am strong. I am flexible. I sleep amazingly well and soundly. I have never done anything so good for my total well being.

How has practicing yoga affected your diet and lifestyle?

Yoga is so cleansing that I really don’t want to muck up my body after putting that much effort into it. I never eat right before yoga and I don’t feel much like eating afterwards. I never want to eat an unhealthy, heavy dinner at night because I will feel it in my belly when I practice yoga in the morning. You feel so cleansed after class why would you ever want to ruin that feeling by eating some sort of fried, greasy food?

Can you share anything you have learned about how to eat healthy and well with a busy schedule and young kids?

I think it is all in the planning really. If you only have healthy choices in your house there is basically no way around eating healthy. I am so busy that I don’t have time for long, lingering restaurant lunches and whatnot. I mainly grab something on the go at home until dinner when I make the time to sit down with my kids. I am a snacker so the snacks in my house are things like dried goji berries, raw cashews, raw almonds, rice cakes, hummus. It is hard to go wrong when that is what is at your fingertips.

I also always have healthy things in my purse, even if it is just an apple I cam carrying around with me. That way I never have an excuse to eat poorly!

With poker being a game that requires long periods of sustained attention, do you find yoga is beneficial in staying strong and on top of your game in a long session that requires continual mental focus?

I used to listen to an IPod constantly when I was playing. But after developing my yoga practice, I found that I did not need it anymore. I used the music as a way to keep focus and get through the long hours at the table. But with the energy and mental focus I have developed and, most importantly, the ability to find stillness, I don’t need the IPod anymore. I used it only a couple’ of times at this years world series and it was because someone totally annoying who would not shut up was right next to me! Even yoga can’t fix that problem.

Do you have any other tips to share with our readers about staying healthy and fit as a busy mom on the go?

I think the biggest tip I can give is to always make sure to remember that if you don’t take care of yourself you will not be able to best take care of your family. As busy as we get, it sometimes feels overwhelming to find time to make healthy choices for ourselves and, usually, when it comes down to a choice between making time for our kids or making time for ourselves, the kids always win. If you make it a priority to take care of yourself, then even if the only time you find to workout is to a video at home after the kids have gone to bed then do that! Don’t put expectations on yourself…just do what you have time for and what you can to stay healthy. You will find that you get back the time you workout with the increase in energy you have that allows you to use your time much more effectively. It also makes you a happier mom. And that is always a good thing!

Duke wrote her first book How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and won Millions in 2005 as well as released a series of Poker DVDS. She is now in the process of writing her second book on decision making and has developed her own production company Ten Dimes Productions, which she started with Actor Joe Reitman. She is also involved in various charitable organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ante Up for Africa (a project with Actor Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), The Children’s Hospital and The Decision Education Foundation.

Recently, Annie has been featured in Runners World, Forbes.com, LA Times, New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, People Magazine, In-Touch Weekly as well as late night shows, David Letterman, Jay Leno and celebrity appearances on Deal or No Deal and One vs 100

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My Yoga Online is happy to share new tips and advice on holistic healing tips with Ayurveda. This new yoga article by Maggie Reagh, Yoga Therapist, brings insight into lifestyle modifications for the Fall and addresses how the change in season requires us to calm the Vata Dosha.

Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system from ancient India, has been healing humanity through lifestyle modifications and herbal medicine for over 6000 years. Ayur-veda, meaning the knowledge of life, suggests that our lifestyle be examined before taking medicine. These lifestyle modifications are simple things that your own grandmother might have told you, especially if she were from India. We will examine some of these simple home remedies that will help promote calmness during the fall season.

Click here to read more.

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Enjoy our latest article provided by Dr. Arjuna Veeravagu. Dr. Veeravagu, a naturopathic physician, presents simple tips on how to maintain a healthy, vital immune system as we move into cold and flu seasons.

In early fall, the combination of holidays endings, weather changing and school restarting often foreshadows lower immune function, triggering a host of infections. From a naturopathic perspective, there are several ways to boost your immunity during this time of transition, which in turn will allow you to stay as healthy as possible.

Continue Exercising
We all know that regular exercise contributes to year-long health. Lengthy, sun-filled summer days make it easy for people to establish outdoor exercise routines. However, with schedules growing fuller, stress levels rising and weather turning colder in fall, we tend to abandon our exercise habits. Sticking to a regular aerobic exercise routine is beneficial and will work to strengthen our immune systems.

Maintain Optimal Nutrition
Adopting healthy eating habits will provide your body with maximum nutrition and also have a positive impact on immune function. During times of elevated stress, blood sugar levels may fluctuate, amplifying your cravings for refined carbohydrates and sugars. Support your body during stressful times by avoiding these foods, and increase your intake of healthy protein and fat sources from wild fish, organic meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You can also keep your immune system running efficiently by identifying food intolerances such as gluten and dairy, which may contribute to more frequent infections.

Consider Vitamin D Testing and Supplementation
Vitamin D has been well researched for its immune-balancing effect. Unfortunately, food sources are not of sufficient concentration to optimize levels of vitamin D in your body. Significantly increasing your vitamin D stores can be done in one of two ways: exposing your unprotected skin to ultraviolet-B sunlight and taking vitamin D supplements. The best time to measure vitamin D levels is in the fall when they are near their peak. Knowing blood vitamin D levels can help determine an appropriate dosage of a supplement to take during the fall and winter when sunlight is not readily available.

Nourish the Adrenal Glands
In addition to regulating our stress response, the adrenal hormone cortisol can have a major impact on our immune function and susceptibility to infections. Elevated work stress, shorter days and increased exposure to infectious organisms can take its toll on the body’s adrenal function. Supplying your body with adrenal-balancing herbs such as licorice, ashwaganda and rhodiola can protect your body against infections. During hectic and stressful times, it’s also recommended that you take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and B5 (pantothenic acid) supplements. Both are required to help adrenal glands produce stress-response hormones. Saliva cortisol testing is available from many naturopathic doctors and can determine your exact adrenal status and treatment requirements.

References:
Holick, Michael MD PhD The UV Advantage. Ibooks, New York, 2003.
Wilson, James ND. Adrenal Fatigue, Smart Publications, Petaluma, CA, 2003.

Article was provided by Dr. Veeravagu is a naturopathic physician, registered acupuncturist and founder of Sage Clinic in Vancouver (Yaletown), BC. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Veeravagu, please email info[at]sageclinic[dot]com or call (604)697-0397.

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There are many techniques to improve and isolate yoga forward bends so they generate a holistic expansion throughout the back lines of the body. A simple technique that you can add to some of your forward bends is what I call a hollow lock.

A hollow lock has a similar feeling as uddiyani bandha (upper abdominal lock) where you exhale and draw the abdominal muscles and organs up and under the ribs. The hollow lock is a partial variation that still allows you easy access to continued breath, but also facilitates proper forward folding.

We are familiar with the common abdominal lock that we add to plank pose and back arches. This lock resists expansion of the core, thus holding a shortened position of the chest bone towards the pubic bone-all with the purpose to support the lower back and prevent a passive collapse into the posterior lumber spine.

Very different is the hollow lock. When we slightly hollow the abdomen, the chest actually flows away from the pubic bone. How is this important in our yoga forward bend? When we expand the chest away from the pubic bone, we are also expanding the anterior aspect of the lumbar spine, which reduces the possibility of compressing the intervertebral discs in the lumbar region. Instead of folding into the lower vertebrae, the hollow lock encourages the fold to come more readily from the hip joints.

The hollow lock also has a tendency to create a co-contraction where the back muscles (ie back extensors) also engage to elongate the vertebrae instead of collapsing forward into them.

This application of a hollow lock can first be easily learned in common standing forward bend poses:
*Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend pose)
*Padangustasana (Big Toe Hold pose)
*Padanhastasana (Hand to Foot pose)
*Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)

Again, this hollow lock should be mild. Full hollowing like Uddiyani Bandha is not advised as this full lock should only be done while sitting or standing upright, and with a sustained exhale. Since we should have continuous breathing in our poses, you can only do a partial hollow to allow breath to remain fluid.

This hollow lock can be just used for a brief moment where you can hollow just as you prepare to fold forward or can be applied in the middle of the pose to add better alignment and connection to the hip motion. The main point when you are doing this hollowing is to feel your front lower ribs slide away from the hip crest and you experience a shift of pelvis forward into the thighs.

With exploration, you may find that this technique provides great benefits and you can then see how it can be integrated into other forward bends like seated poses:
*Janu Sirsasana (One leg forward bend)
*Paschimottasana (Two leg forward bend)

Not all techniques and alignment cues work for everyone. The great thing about Yoga is we can be fully unique in our practice-doing postures and variations that work for body, mind and energy. Give this hollow lock a try and see how it facilitates a better forward bend.

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