Saturday, February 16, 2013

Flat foot!

Flat feet or a dropped foot arch can affect your body in many ways. It affects your balance and can make the ankles, low back and inner thighs weak and unstable. Just because you may have been born with flat feet or dropped foot arches doesn't mean you cant build them now TODAY! In this video I give some simple tools to draw awareness to the feet and give some suggestions on exercises to draw up the inner arch of the foot. These movements are helpful for anyone because bringing simple awareness to the foot can strengthen anyone's balance.
Here is a link to my video- No Arches and Balance in Yoga

Namaste!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

New NEWS!

Gee, I thought January was busy! February seems to be trying to out do January!
This month there are a few exciting things happening for Jackie's Yoga Seattle!

My article "Yoga for Climbers" was featured in the Vertical World newsletter! You can find it here"yoga for climbers article" or by clicking on the vertical world yoga tab above.

I will also be at the Northwest Yoga Conference this Saturday the 9th to promote the new yoga program at Vertical World Seattle and spread some yoga love! Here is the web address for the conference NW Yoga Conference Link

last but not least, my yoga for fitness video series was just released! Here is a link to one of the videos to give you a taste!  My Yoga Video link!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Fun in Feb at VW!!!

This month at Vertical World Seattle I will be teaching a few special classes for Valentines day!!!
There will be a Partner yoga party and a quiet candelight flow right after! Click on the vetical world yoga tab above for more details:)

Namaste!

Science of Om


I remember when I first came to yoga I was very skeptical yet intrigued by the practice of Om-ing.

 On one hand it immediately reminded me of when my sister and I as kids would try to match pitch by making the sounds ah, ooh or mm. We would be entranced by the sounds wavering off one another and had our intent focus trying to perfectly match the sounds with even breath.

On the other hand it annoyed me going to class and not understand what om-ing was all about. I didn't feel comfortable participating in something I didn't understand.
So for those of you who may be in the same boat of intrigue and wonder here is a scientific description of what Om is/does.

 OM is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om.

Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 saying (M)matter is a expression of (E)energy, noting every atom and molecule throughout the universe is formed out of energy vibration. States of energy vibration are on a microcosmic and macrocosmic level. So establishing that everything in the universe has a literal frequency or vibration lets talk about what the vibration of om is and does-

A article recently written my Sam Saunders states this " The sound Om, when chanted, vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz, which is the same vibrational frequency found throughout everything in nature.
As such AUM is the basic sound of the universe; so by chanting it we are symbolically and physically tuning in to that sound and acknowledging our connection to all other living beings, nature and the universe."
Here is a quote from a scientific study of time frequency analysis graphs on the effects of chanting OM."We have concluded that OM chanting affords steadiness in the mind scientifically. This provides calm and peace too to the stressed mind. The mental stress of a person gets reduced while the mind reaches steadiness. As a final point, we have confirmed scientifically the accomplishments of OM chanting in reducing the stress from the human mind." 
So there you have it- simply put science says OM is a uniting sound or vibration often used in chanting to acknowledge unity in turn calming and bringing balance to the body and mind.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Yoga for climbers?



Yoga for climbers

The relationship of yoga and climbing is very symbiotic in that they both develop a level of awareness in the body developing breath and mental control as well as enhancing physical performance

Being mindful and present while in yoga and climbing enables dramatic focus on our body specific movements. Things like muscle and breath fatigue, shaking and tension are controlled through the breath and body connection enabling you to maintain a particular posture or technique.

Breath control replenishes muscles with oxygen to recover. Learning to control the breath in precarious body positioning calms the mind, prevents muscle fatigue and enables you to problem solve more effectively.

Mental clarity happens through that balance in breath, mind and body. The breath keeps you relaxed to focus on the present allowing you to face fears and expand physical limitations.

Physically required for both yoga and climbing is core girdle strength, static movement and muscle tension control. Developing these areas while linking breath with movement creates fluid muscle control and clears the mind.

Yoga almost perfectly complements the demands we exact on our bodies as climbers. Common complaints from climbers are tight hips, hamstrings and shoulders which are all relieved and improved with a typical yoga session.

Here is a quick list of the effectiveness of adding yoga to your climbing routine-
Greater flexibility
Increased focus in mind and body
Increased lung capacity
Faster recovery from injury
Enhanced ability to distribute weight on the frame

Strengthen some necessary muscles and help get the creaks out of some of the most overused ones while gaining new found focus on and off the rock! Come YOGA!