B K S Iyengar The Teacher of My Teachers Has Died

by Nina

Although I never studied with B.K.S. Iyengar, the three teachers who have influenced me the most, Donald Moyer, Mary Lou Weprin, and Rodney Yee, all did. I have also been strongly influenced by two other Iyengar teachers, Patrician Walden and Roger Cole. So even though I'm not a certified Iyengar teacher (I am a certified Yoga Room teacher), I've always felt connected to this great man, as a student of his students and a reader of his books. In general, B.K.S. Iyengar was one of the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century, for he not only helped popularize yoga in the western world, but he introduced the use of props, which allow people of every body type, age, and level of ability to practice the yoga asanas (see Yoga Props: An Introduction), and developed the idea of the asana practice as a moving meditation (see Practicing Yoga Mindfully).

So please take a few moments to honor this man, who made so many lives better, including mine. Here is a wonderful video in which you can see him practicing as well as teaching. Namaste.

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Coming Out My Personal Experience with Ehlers Danos Syndrome EDS

by Ram

Between Clouds by Melina Meza

Recently one of our readers of the blog posted a query about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Baxter provided the description of the disease and the precautions that needed to be taken while doing any yoga poses (see Friday Q&A: Elhers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Yoga). Now here is a true account of an individual who has this genetic disease and who continues to grow strong through various modalities. Yes, yours truly has this genetic disorder. The medical diagnosis of this condition was made when I joined the Mayo Clinic for my post-doctoral research. Until then, I was the “sponge kid” to my peers in school and college.

I possess typical EDS characteristics, including hypermobile joints, swan neck deformity of fingers (the joint closest to the fingertip bends toward the palm while the nearest joint to the palm bends away from it), skin hyper-elasticity, fragile skin that tears easily, redundant skin folds, easy bruising, the Metenier Sign (eversion of the upper eye lids), the Gorlin sign (ability to touch the nose with the tongue), flat feet and passive bending of the wrist or thumb to touch the forearm. People loved to shake my hands and feel the “sponginess” of my palms. They were fascinated seeing me touch the nose with the tip of my tongue or extend the skin folds of my elbow to a couple of inches or hold the palms behind the back in a reverse prayer pose (Pashchima Namaskarasana) and extend the palms all the way up towards the rhomboid muscles.

But all of the above-mentioned stunts also came with a price. I could bruise myself very easily, as evidenced by unexplained swelling and ecchymosis (escape of blood into the tissues from ruptured blood vessels) on the palm, hand, eyes, thighs, or trunk. What for most individuals may seem to be a gentle pat on the back may result in an internal bruise for me. What may seem a gentle hit by any object will produce a blood clot and swelling in that local area for me. Opening lids from bottles may be very simple task for ordinary individuals, yet not only is it a herculean task for me, but I end up bruising my palm. If my fingers, hands, or feet encounter any rough surface, it is common to see that area swell up, turn bluish, and become painful. My grip is very weak due to the soft skin on the palm. As a result it is tough for me to hold something with a strong grip. I dread contact games like cricket, soccer, basket ball, and volleyball, among others, because invariably I end up with a multitude of internal and external bruises together with swollen areas all over the body (fluid accumulation due to the impact on the soft tissue). In one such incident involving soccer, I was the goalkeeper and saved several goals by directly heading the ball. After few such headings, my forehead swelled abnormally and I fell unconscious. It took nearly a week for the fluids to get absorbed completely.

In the early 1990’s I moved to the USA and to the Mayo Clinic to pursue my postdoctoral work. It was around this time that I started experiencing unexplained pain in the joints, probably due to excessive stretching. Furthermore, due to deficiency of collagen the ends of my bones may have been rubbing on one another irregularly because I started suffering from acute pain in the wrists, finger joints, heel, and knees. Despite possessing a fragile body condition, I agreed to go with my colleagues for what would be my first and last ski trip. At the ski resort, I had to grab hold of the rope tow to get pulled uphill. A combination of the wetness on the rope and my poor grip led me to release the rope halfway up and there I was falling and rolling down the snow slope. I ended up with swollen bruises and blood clots all over the body. This led to visits to several physicians and specialists who ordered blood tests for several parameters. All the specialists were surprised to see numerous bluish, reddish patches and clots all over my body. Finally, the rheumatologist confirmed that I suffered from EDS-Type 2. I became a poster-boy for the medical students and for the rheumatology clinic. I was advised to avoid contact sports and extreme gym exercises. Despite resorting to non-contact sports, I was always suffering from constant chronic pain. I have had this pain for so long that it sort of defined who I was and I had resigned to the fact that I to live with it.

Our move to Marin County in early 2000 provided my much needed transformation. I was introduced to Ayurveda and also found a yoga studio close to my home. The yoga practice required me to join the beginner’s level, however, my overly flexible joints served as a blessing as I was able to move seamlessly through several yoga poses, some of which required many advanced variations. Soon I transitioned from a beginner level to a mixed-level class, where we were regularly introduced to harder postures. What seemed to be a blessing in the form of hyper-flexibility now proved to be extremely challenging, as most of the teachers teaching the advanced classes were either devoted Iyengar teachers or belonged to Pattabhi’s Ashtanga yoga lineage. While my former class required props and alignment, the latter required strength, endurance, and core power. I experienced lot of problems with the rope-supported asanas in the Iyengar class due to poor grip, and I could not jump in and out of the continuous Surya Namaskara flow sequence in the Ahshtanga yoga class due to weak grip on the mat. Since my teachers were not aware of EDS and failed to see my condition, my yoga practice always ended with severe pain in the joints and limbs, and blood clots in several areas. While some of the teachers advised me to stop my practice, others suggested that I move to even higher-level class.

I soon realized I was responsible for my own safety and learned to become my own teacher. I used extreme caution to go very gradually into poses that required exceptional flexibility. I developed the qualities of dharana (focus) and dhayna (total awareness to the pose), watching every step and alignment, and taught myself to go to the edge without hurting or experiencing pain (see Samyama: The Trinity of Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi). I started focusing more on poses that strengthened and stabilized my major joints. In standing poses, including Warrior poses among others, I placed a lot of emphasis on engaging/contracting the muscles around the circumference of the joints while performing the pose. Despite being in a mixed-level class, I performed several of the poses by placing a block between my thighs in all of the standing poses. To prevent the block from falling in these standing poses and during Sun Salutations, I had to engage all the muscles starting from my ankles all the way up to my hips. I applied the same idea of contracting the muscles to my ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and wrists as well. Instead of going deeply into the pose right away or twisting recklessly and trying to impress the teachers, my goal was to strengthen all my vulnerable joints. In the process I was limiting the depth of the range of movement, but I was at the same time experiencing far less pain and I was more into the ‘flow” (see Positive Psychology vs. Yoga Philosophy).

In asanas that required intense stretching, such as Parsva Uttanasana (Intense Forward Stretch), Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle pose), and Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle pose), I played safe by not overstretching muy front leg hip and knee joints. While leaning into the full pose, I contracted and firmed the muscles around my hip (of the front leg) and knee joint. I maintained this feeling of strength while staying in the pose and on my way out. Yes, by consciously contracting those joint, I do not go far down (and the teachers did not like it, as it was an “advanced series”) but I got to be in the pose without suffering undue pain and, most importantly, I was not hyper-extending. Suffice it to say that over the years my asana practice has now metamorphosed into a stage where the focus is not on seeking a “macho” body balancing between two rocks perched over a deep gorge. I have not only gained experience and inherently improved my skill level, but my practices have taken my skill sets to a higher state of positive experience, contentment, and a sense of accomplishment.

A combination of Ayurveda, a skillful yoga practice, pranayama, and meditation has helped me to cultivate pratyahara and find my true self. These days, whether in my home practice or in the classes I teach, I experience far less pain and very few bruises. I do develop some clots occasionally but it does not bother me anymore. I have stopped questioning why I possessed this body as I have started experiencing a positive mental-emotional balance that has resulted in improved health and happiness. I love who I am!

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Can Acupuncture Greatly Enhance My Well Being

By Dylan Price

Acupuncture is actually indicated for numerous ailments which include

Urological disorders - prostates, long-term pelvic soreness and bladder control problems.

Conditions linked to gynecology - the inability to conceive, dysmenorrheal, pelvic discomfort, and premenstrual syndrome or pms

Neurological disorders - stroke, sclerosis and also Bell's palsy

Mental problems - anxiousness, stress, depressive disorders as well as drug addiction

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council made a research which claims that acupuncture is easily the most powerful treatment for the low back pain, persistent as well as idiopathic headache, post operative swelling and also stress plus nausea or vomiting, neck disorders and vomiting linked to radiation treatment.

Generally, patients find this process as the most relaxing since significant advantages linked to acupuncture such as the absence of adverse effects. Pain, bleeding, dizziness, bruising and nausea are some of moderate and uncommon effects but trauma plus infection are definitely the most serious.

Acupuncture Essentials About 2500 years ago, acupuncture was used and it's among the oldest medical practice known. It involves use of tiny needles put at particular areas on the skin within the damaged regions of the body. The points of the skin where the needles are generally put are called acupuncture areas and are located by the classical technique or even simply by discovering anatomical landmarks. These types of points signify regions of the skin which have least resistance to flow of electric current. Other techniques including rotation or perhaps twisting of the needles maybe used after the needles are left in place for 10-30 minutes. Auricular acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and acupressure can also be included. In order to recover normal body functions, homeostasis should be achieved since there is a distortion of the system's normal condition when a person falls sick. To make internal organs work better, acupuncture rebalances the energy flows. Nourishing and offering oxygen to all the body's organs and tissues may be improved by acupuncture because it works well for chi flow. If any of these processes are blocked, this might demonstrate the growth of illnesses. Blockage can happen because of unbalanced diet plan, stress, trauma as well as lack of physical exercise. Theories have already been made to demonstrate the phenomenon behind acupuncture.

Western Medical Theory

Discharge of chemicals substances into the human brain, spinal chord and the body muscles are the functions controlled simply by nervous system which can be triggered simply by acupuncture. Release of other chemicals that immediately regulates the body's self-defense systems since chemicals change the experience of pain. The biochemical changes that results induce the body's normal process that promotes healing.

Theory of Neurovascular System A state of micro-trauma occurs that causing a sequence of events might be triggered whenever a needle is certainly placed at a specific region as suggested by Dr. E Kendall.. The very first response happens in the local tissue and results in stimulation of the central nervous system via a network of fibers. In the local region as well as in your brain, these kinds of signals are generally integrated. Your brain subsequently responds by initiating a control signal back to the area of insertion. Autonomic motor fibers and also relaxes muscles that improve blood flow and minimizes pain hence normalizing body organ activity because of this numerous changes.

The Electromagnetic theory This theory states that acupuncture points conducts electrical signals upon stimulation. When sent at rates higher than normal, the signals are generally accountable for the flow of biological chemicals that kill pain.

Theory of the Pain killer

Opiods that occur normally in the brain and which reduces pain plus induces sleep might be triggered simply by insertion of the fine needles based on this theory. Pain-relieving effects of acupuncture might be induced by these chemicals.xAll of the intervening and interrupting the abnormal condition that sets in the body causing illness development is among the most significant use of Acupuncture. From this point of view, acupuncture brings into light the experience that a person experiences and just what it means on who they may be.

About the Author:

The writer of the above document has many years of expertise of in particular acupuncture. For anybody who is curious about getting further information in this particular subject you're invited to the website acupuncturedublin.net.

What is the Chiropractor Doing When He is Cracking My Neck

[Extracted from Wisegeek]

When the chiropractor is cracking your neck, no bones are actually being cracked at all. Rather, the cracking sound is made when air is released from the cushioning material between your vertebrae as your spinal column is being twisted. This protective padding material keeps your vertebrae from rubbing together and actually cracking.

Cervical spinal manipulation, spinal manipulative therapy or spinal adjustments are some of the clinical terms used to refer to neck cracking as many lay people call it. When the chiropractor is cracking your neck, he or she is actually adjusting segments of your spine to relieve stress in your spinal column. The stress is relieved as the spine becomes realigned.

Chiropractors have different schools of thought about exactly how hard a person's neck should be twisted to relieve stress and align the spine. Serious damage such as a stroke is thought to be a risk if the twisting that is a part of cracking your neck is too aggressive. The brain and the spinal cord are interconnected, so neurological harm to the body may result if the spinal column is severely damaged.

Chiropractors are trained to understand the entire spinal column as well as the neck and most would probably not want to use harsh, strong movements when cracking your neck. However, it is a good idea to be aware of your chiropractor's philosophy on this. The Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) system, for example, is one of the chiropractic care systems said to use gentle, subtle movements on the spine.

People may want to have their spines adjusted for many different reasons. Spinal misalignment may simply be caused by stress or by trauma to the spine such as from an accident. Some people just experience chronic neck or back pain and the discomfort may be caused either by too much movement or not enough movement in the affected area. Although cracking your neck is a common reaction to sleeping in a position that caused spinal misalignment, a chiropractor should really be the one to perform spinal adjustments to prevent any damage to the body.

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How Often Should I Change My Contact Lenses

If I want to save some money, do I really need to change out my contact lenses as often as they say I do? What will it hurt if I want to extend my time wearing the same ones when they look and seem just fine?

When we are all trying to save money and care for our eyes, taking a closer look at the above questions seem worth asking, especially since we know that almost everything we buy is pushed in our face more than we need it.

There are three different basic disposable lenses. There are the ones that are supposed to be changed out every two weeks, the ones that are to be replaced monthly and the reusable lenses that are supposed to be replaced every 6 months.

Why does an eye doctor prescribe the monthly replacement lenses to one person and then two week replacement lenses to someone else?

Do we really need to change out our disposable lenses at all? The answer to that question is yes. Protein, lipids, calcium and other substances build up on your lenses from your tears.

Who really set the rules on how often contact lenses need to be changed out anyway? It is true that the eye doctor must tell you certain things, but who tells him? Is Acuve setting the standards or is someone else doing it?

One thing is for sure, if you are dealing with contact lense discomfort in the eyes, deciding not to switch to new lenses is a bad mistake. We only have two eyes and we depend on them. Eye infections can be dangerous.

Certain eye conditions could cause damage to your eyes if you don't change out your lenses, but what about the average contact wearer?

Statistics show that doctors routinely prescribe the disposable contact lenses that need to be changed out most often. Perhaps saving money could mean going back to the doctor and asking that he prescribe the ones that you can wear much longer.

As we all are looking to cut costs with the economy, thinking about getting the type of contact lenses that can be kept for at least a month to 6 months, especially if you have several household members that wear then, can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in one year.

My First European Trip The Interesting Adventures of A Consultant

Irv Arons

Recall that I had toured Europe in the fall of 1979, visiting the various contact lens companies that were based there, as well as interviewing notable doctors involved in their use, on an assignment to assess the contact lens companies in both the U.S. and Europe for a Japanese client interested in acquiring technology for starting a contact lens business in Japan.

This was my first trip to Europe and I kept a diary of my daily travels – the first and only time I have ever done so. It’s a good thing I did, because there were several interesting incidents that occurred that you might enjoy.

I flew from Boston to JFK, to pick up my flight to London. I arrived in London at 10 PM, and quickly realized a had made a big mistake. I had a fairly large piece of luggage (I would be gone for over a week.), and hadn’t taken my wheels! (This was the fall of 1979, before wheeled luggage was in general use.) I made it onto the subway and got into London from Heathrow and finally found my hotel, the Bristol. Except they didn’t have my reservation! Luckily they had one room left and I took it and went to sleep without supper, as the kitchen wasn’t open at that time of night.

The next morning, I met my ADL colleague from our London office, who would be my traveling companion (and translator). It turned out, the London office had made my hotel reservations at another hotel, and forgot to notify me. (Again, these were the days before email.) We then went on to the several meetings that we had arranged in the London area. I went to the final one that evening by myself – no problem – they speak Bloody English!

That evening my colleague had arranged for us to meet at a nearby pub for a dinner show. I was quite surprised to find that he and his girlfriend had brought along another girl, his girlfriend’s roommate, whose boyfriend was out of town. After the dinner and show, I got dropped off at my hotel (alone) because we had a busy next day – four interviews and then flying off to Paris.

After our interview in Paris, the next day, we flew on to Strasbourg and our drive to Freiberg for a contact lens conference. We drove through very beautiful farm land and took a local inland route to the Rhine river and across into Germany at a local crossing. The border guards stopped us, took our passports, and searched our luggage thoroughly. They were puzzled by my voltage converter (European to 110v for my electric shaver), but after about ten minutes, finally allowed us to proceed into Germany and we went on to Freiberg and the CL conference.

I spent the weekend on my own, as my colleague took the train to Frankfort to spend some time with friends, after buying me a ticket for my Sunday train ride. Since I speak no German (although understand a little based on my Jewish background), I somehow managed to survive the weekend since I knew the word for chicken (hundchen!).

When I got to the train station on Sunday morning, I couldn’t figure out which track the Frankfort train was on, but luckily, some English gentlemen saw my dilemma and helped me out. It turned out that they were the world famous Amadeus Quartet and also going to Frankfurt. I thoroughly enjoyed my train ride talking to them.

Arriving at the Frankfurt station, I met my ADL colleague and we took the train to our next stop, Aschaffenburg. We arrived early in the evening, and after dinner, went to a movie and I saw Moonraker in German and didn’t understand a word of it!

Following our nearly all day meeting in Aschaffenburg, we took a taxi to the Frankfurt airport for our flight back to London. After leaving my luggage to walk to the gate, I thought I heard my name over the loudspeaker, but since the announcement was in German, I wasn’t sure. Sure enough, when we arrived in London, I quickly discovered that my bag was still in Frankfort.

I didn’t panic too much, but since we were going out of London the following day for two days of meetings, I decided all I needed was a clean shirt and some deodorant to get me through until my bag showed up in London. I quickly went out to try and find a shirt and the only store open had a dress shirt that set me back 27 pounds (or about $50). Finally, about 8 PM that night I got a call that my luggage had made its way to London and would be delivered to my hotel room. You can be sure I got up early the next morning, before our trip out of town and returned that $50 shirt! (I kept the deodorant.)

After a few meetings in London, we took the train to Birmingham, had a couple of meetings there and on to Loughborough.

After several meetings, it was on to Hitchins and then Hempel Hempstead. (Yes, I did get to see quite a bit of England on that trip.)

The next day was my last in England and after several more meetings, I made my way via the subway to the airport and finally got on my flight back to the States.

After what I saw of the beauty of Europe, I made a promise that someday I would return. (And, my wife and I did. A few years later we took a sixteen day tour of eight countries - “If it was Tuesday, it must be Belgium!” As it turned out, we did travel through Belgium on our way from Paris to Amsterdam on a Tuesday.)

We have since gone back to Europe several times, particularly to Switzerland and to Spain, and even took a river boat trip down the great rivers of Europe, from Amsterdam to Vienna, passing through sixty-six locks along the way.