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Friday, September 13, 2013

Friday Q&A: Forehead Massage and Endorphins

Q: I was wondering if you could help me find out if there is any medical evidence that endorphins are released when we roll our forehead on the mat in yoga? Some of the teachers that work for me say that and I just wondered if there is any medical evidence to support that? Or it just feels really good?

Chair Forward Bend
tugging the forehead skin down toward the eyes
A: Thanks for the interesting question!  I am uncertain if your are referring to rolling the forehead on your yoga mat from side to side, while in Child’s pose or rocking the forehead forward and back in a similar position. A technique I was taught by one of my early teachers was to place the forehead on the floor or a low prop like a block while in Child’s pose and then to push the head forward and give a slight tug to the forehead skin towards the chin. My teacher claimed this would have a calming effect on the nervous system, and that moving the opposite way (moving the skin of forehead toward the crown of head) would stimulate the nervous system. I have observed some truth in this pronouncement in my own practice and share it with my students. I cannot find any specific scientific study to explain what might be happening in the brain, but it seems possible that this has some feedback to the autonomic nervous system to shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic (Fight or Flight to Rest and Digest). Whether this is a result of the neurotransmitter class called “endorphins” or not, I also cannot say. But it does feel really good! I found the following info about endorphins on wisegeek.org and it indicates that massage can cause a release of endorphins, so I guess it is possible that this little scalp maneuver could support that assertion:

“Any type of physical activity that causes pain, such as exercise and eating spicy foods, releases endorphins in the brain. Excitement, laughing, crying, or engaging in risky activities can trigger the release as well. The body also releases them while relaxing with a massage, dancing, or when falling in love.
 

Endorphins, also known as endogenous morphine, are an arrangement of amino acids known as opioid peptides. These chemicals function as neurotransmitters that help regulate moods, sleep patterns and the way one responds to pain and stress. When present in the body, endorphins act as a natural painkiller and are able to provide a sense of comfort, wellness and happiness.”

Additionally, in Yoga as Medicine (by our contributing writer Timothy McCall), Timothy shares a similar exercise on pages 11 and 12, this one done while sitting, with the heel of the hands creating the same effect I describe above. Timothy notes that most people find the drawing of the skin down is more calming to the nervous system, but does not theorize exactly why. Yours truly is pictured doing the exercise! 

If this idea is new to you, give a whirl and let us know what you observe.

—Baxter

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Judith Lasater's Favorite Poses

by Nina

In her interview with us (see Judith Lasater on Yoga and Aging), Judith Lasater mentioned the poses that she currently practices, citing "especially Viparita Karanai (Legs Up the Wall pose), Supported Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) on the chair and Supported Halasana (Plow pose) on the Halasana bench." By chance—or maybe not by chance if you stop to think about it—those are some of my favorite poses, and I recently had a friend take some photos of me doing them so I could share them on the blog. Then, as it happened, someone left a comment on the interview with Judith, asking us to share two of the poses with you: the Shoulderstand in a Chair and Supported Halasana with a Halasana bench. That was the kick in the pants I needed. (We've covered Viparita Karani many times on the blog—see Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall pose.)

Here is a photo of the Shoulderstand in a Chair. I'm doing the pose with my legs straight up because that's the way I prefer doing it. Some people, however, practice this pose in more of a backbend, with their legs supported on a bolster and their feet over the back of the chair. But I find that position less comfortable.
Shoulderstand in a Chair
And here is a photo of Supported Halasana (Plow pose), sometimes called Arda Halasana (Half Plow pose). Okay, fine, I don't have a Halasana bench (a specially designed piece of furniture), but you probably don't, either. So I use a chair for Supported Halasana, instead. Yes, the good news is that you don't need a special piece of furniture to do this pose, but if you are using a chair, you need one that has no bar between the two front legs because you need to be able to get your head underneath the chair seat. And you also need a chair that either has no back panel or that has a space between the panel and the seat that is large enough to fit your legs through (I'm on the small side, so I can use a chair that has a back panel).
Supported Halasana
If you've never done these poses before, you may be wondering how the heck you get into them. Since I practice them all the time, and teach them whenever I teach yoga for better sleep, stress management or emotional wellbeing, I can tell you! However, quite frankly the process is complex enough that I've decided to do separate posts for each of the poses (we took photos of all the steps in and out of them, which will make that easier). But I will tell you that it's like learning to drive a car; at first the process is complicated and a little stressful, but with practice you get to a point where getting in and out becomes automatic and you don't even have to think about it anymore.

So it they take so much practice to learn, why should you bother? Well, as many of you know by now, I'm a huge fan of inverted poses in general (see Just in Time for Holidays: Inverted Poses). Because you are upside down in these poses, they automatically trigger the relaxation response (see Why You Should Love Your Baroreceptors). And perhaps because these poses are slightly more physically active than restorative poses, the rest they provide feels more refreshing to me. So when I'm fatigued, a supported inversion practice is just the trick. These two poses provide the extra advantage of placing your legs higher than your heart (as well as your heart higher than your head). Having your legs higher than your heart means that gravity helps return the blood in your legs to your heart, improving your circulation and reducing swelling in your feet, ankles and legs. So these poses are wonderfully restorative for your legs when you've been on your feet all day, whether standing for your work, walking or running.

Chair Shoulderstand is one of the most soothing inverted poses because you are both supported and completely inverted. Although full Shoulderstand is considered a calming pose, the reality is that for most people—even relatively flexible people like me—the unsupported pose just is not that comfortable. Chair Shoulderstand, on the other hand, is very comfortable and you can hold the position for quite a while. I like to hold it for at least 6 minutes, because I can feel my "quiet switch" turn on after around 5 minutes. And you can do the Chair Shoulderstand in place of full Shoulderstand in any sequence. 

Supported Halasana is a very quieting pose because you fold inward in addition to being inverted. Furthermore, as you hang from your hips in this pose, the traction on your back that this pose provides feels wonderful, particularly if your lower back is bothering you. That said, I really don't think this pose is for everyone. People who don't have flexible necks can find the extreme forward bending of the neck (flexion) in this pose uncomfortable. And some people with round bodies find it very difficult if not impossible to fold their bodies into this position. In this case, turning the pose upside down into a seated forward bend with head support is great alternative.
Supported Seated Forward Bend
Typically, if you were going sequence Judith's three favorite poses, you would do Chair Shoulderstand first, then Supported Halasana, and finally end with Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall).

Tip: for women with large breasts, which tend to fall into your face in these poses, I recommend tying a strap around your upper chest before going into the pose.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Healthy Spirits: Telegraph Sanus Spiritibus Release

 



We are very excited to announce the latest exclusive barrel aged release from Healthy Spirits!

 

Last year, we partnered with Santa Barbara’s Telegraph Brewing Company to release two bourbon barrel aged versions of their excellent Rhinocerous Rye Barleywine. We were very happy with the results, and since the barrels were still down south, we figured another collaboration was in order.

 

Since the barrels had already seen some serious action, we figured it would be best to give them one last run with a wild ale. This is a style Telegraph does particularly well, as those who have tried beers from their “Obscura” series can attest.

 

The beer they came up with is SANUS SPIRITIBUS (Healthy Spirits in Latin). Aged two months in bourbon barrels with two strains of Brettanomyces, Sanus Spiritibus brings together the vanilla and maple character of the wood with the complex funk of wild yeast. This is a beer that will continue to develop in the bottle for several years, with Brettanomyces coming to dominate the aroma. Only 38 cases were produced.

 

Sanus Spiritibus is only available at our two Healthy Spirits locations.

 

$19.99/750ml

 

Tasting Notes:

 

The cork popped off with a bang.  No spillover, no gusher, just extremely carbonated.

 

Appearance:  murky apricot / tangerine colored

 

Nose:  brett bomb.  once you get past that there's warm vanilla / caramel / toasted oak intertwined with potpourri / mulled cider spice-like aromas / some vague fruity notes

 

Flavor:  brett bomb.  funk (not too gritty, earthy or peppery, just right) and fruit (apple-skin).  heaps of vanilla and toasted oak follow very closely behind.  a little acidity and subtle tartness peaks out just before the beer dries out, relieving one from the heavy bourbon / toasted oak character.

 

Finish:  toasted oak, dried apple, vanilla...

 

The body is round and creamy - perfect dry finish.

 

 Excited about the aging possibilities on this one as the bourbon influence + the ABV make for a powerful beer that will benefit from time in the cellar.
 

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