Have a Merry, Moderate Christmas!

It’s Christmas time and I must confess, I do love this time of year. I love the smell of a pine tree in my living room and the pleasure of giving and receiving. I relish the excuse to listen to simple, traditional melodies and to partake in the sweet and savory traditions of the table. Christmas is a holiday for Christians but the season is really one for all human beings. It is no coincidence that Christmas coincides with the winter solstice. Christians consider Christ to be the light of the world so celebrating his birth at a time when the days are at their darkest is a fitting way to fete one who is a savior, who has illuminated the way. But even if you are not Christian, it is human nature to become more sentimental when the light of day is short and to feel a sense of renewal and joy when the days grow longer.

The holiday season is a great time to reflect on the first two aspects of yoga, the yamas and niyamas. These are moral restraints and observances as described in the Yoga Sutras, written more than 2000 years ago. The yamas are: non-violence, truth, non-stealing, moderation and non-possessiveness. The niyamas are: purity, contentment, austerity, self-study and surrender to higher power. Practicing the yamas and niyamas can help us to achieve the peace of mind and heart that in turn, help to keep our bodies healthy and our spirits calm.

I will write more in depth about the yamas and niyamas in a future posting but for now I will leave you with an affirmation on moderation (brahmacharya) from the Kripalu Yoga Center in MA that I think is especially useful for these wonderful yet hectic days: I am moderate in my lifestyle. I use my energy in ways that lead me closer to God. I treat myself and others with respect, recognizing the inherent Divinity in all people. When my energy becomes scattered I come home to my Source and to the primary relationship with myself.

Wishing you light and love this holiday season!

If you want to dance and be inspired, get this album: All Rebel Rockers

There is a singer/songwriter from the Bay Area you may have heard of. His name is Michael Franti and he leads a band called Spearhead. They’ve been around for a while but they’ve had some recent commercial success with their song, Say Hey (I Love You). Michael Franti is a yogi who provides a great example of bringing yoga down to earth. He weaves traditional spiritual wisdom into irresistible rhythms. He takes phrases that may sound like platitudes coming from another source but when these phases roll out of his microphone, they take on a power and passion that can inspire action.

Some of my favorite lyrics include:
From the song, Have a Little Faith - And when the rain falls down, you know the flower’s gonna bloom. And when the hard times come, you know the teacher’s in the room.

From the song, Life in the City - So if you love somebody better tell them so. ‘Coz you never ever ever know when they gonna go. If they love you back, just give them thanks. Can’t keep love like money in the bank.

From the song, Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong - War on the land and war on the seas. War is a painful thing. One argument that none of us can hide is the one that’s raging deep inside. Tryin’ to make a point or have the last word. But most of the time people just trying to be heard.

From the song, Hey World - You know you gotta put up a fight. Keep bringin’, it the rest of your life. There’s a battle going on in this earth; everyday work, school, death and birth. There are 6 billion people on this earth. Can you tell me what every single life is worth? You gotta let go of remote control. Don’t ever doubt the power of just one mind. Or the world wide power of just one rhyme.

He is a unique kind of activist. He is not an angry and cynical person just raging at the system. Rather he is an impassioned believer who uses his gift to try to change the world. And it is infectious. His music makes it impossible not to move. But the message of his lyrics speak to the need for a call to action: What will YOU do? How can you make the world a better place? The answer lies within. Recognize your talents. Realize your passion. Then take action!

Yoga, A Bridge to Better Health Care (Part 2)

OBSTACLES TO INCORPORATING YOGA
In spite of a growing body of evidence that yoga is an effective form of therapeutic exercise as well as an essential method to ease suffering, there remains a significant amount of resistance to practicing yoga in the fullest form. This fact is documented by a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that was published in 2003. The authors state that mind-body therapy (including meditation, imagery and yoga) was used infrequently by those who could benefit most from it. Less than twenty percent of those with insomnia, heart disease, headaches, neck and back pain and cancer used a mind-body method as a component of their treatment despite documented evidence that these conditions are positively affected by the practice of yoga.

Obstacles that may prevent people from exploring yoga include popular misconceptions that yoga is the pursuit of an extreme amount of flexibility in order to achieve poses with legs behind the head. Another misconception of yoga is that by chanting and meditating, one is practicing Hindu religion or invoking “false gods.” Greater obstacles to yoga include reluctance to self-exploration and denial of mental, emotional or spiritual causes of physical suffering. These obstacles may begin to erode as more health care professionals with a traditional, Western education and background understand and appreciate more holistic methods and in turn educate our patients, colleagues and students.

CONCLUSION
Yoga is the perfect bridge for linking modern health care with elements of mental and spiritual well-being. Yoga is not just a form of exercise. Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is a science that is based on more than 2000 years of observation and trial and error experience. Most health care professionals consider themselves rational, scientific thinkers and if we educate ourselves we will find that the ancient science yoga is holding up pretty well under the scrutiny of the modern scientific method. But we must go beyond the physical, beyond the measurable in order to fully reap the benefits of yoga, to know that the health of our physical bodies is enhanced not only by physical exercise but also by practicing mental discipline and a spiritual approach to life.

Yoga, A Bridge to Better Health Care (Part 1)

PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL THERAPY
The inclusion of Yoga in physical therapy practice results in enormous benefits to both patient and practitioner. For patients the physical benefits of yoga are many. Asana, the practice of physical postures, can be considered a form of therapeutic exercise requiring balance, coordination, strength and flexibility. Hatha Yoga is the practice that links asana, with the breath. The mindfulness of Hatha Yoga is a much more effective way to improve strength, posture and flexibility than simply going through the motions of exercise. Pranayama, the practice of control of the breath/life force/energy, can also be a method of physical therapy intervention. It may be used to teach breathing exercises for relaxation or for increased strength, power and endurance of the respiratory muscles or other muscles of the head, neck, trunk or pelvic floor.

Physical therapy is a part of the traditional western medical system and while therapists are often open to alternative and subtle aspects of care, we still must operate in the evidence-based arena of modern medicine and third party payers. Fortunately, we do have a small arsenal of evidence that the practice of yoga can make a statically significant impact on our desired outcomes of treatment. Studies include:
• Physical Therapy Journal 2004: Increased function of patients with
chronic post-stroke hemiparesis
• Med Col of PA 1998: Effective symptom reduction of carpal tunnel syndrome
• British Med J. 1985: Asthma patients with fewer attacks, greater lung capacity and less need for medication
• Indian J Physiol Pharmacology 2000 – 2003:
*Yoga improves lung function, muscle strength and endurance in healthy children
*Improved nerve function in mild to moderate diabetes with sub-clinical neuropathy
*Yoga reduces age-related deterioration of cardiovascular function
• J. Fam Practice 2004: Yoga increases speed of healing in patients with low back pain

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
The spiritual benefits of incorporating yoga into health care practices cannot be overlooked. Physical therapists are taught to focus on the attainment of measurable, objective outcomes of treatment. Research has begun to support yoga as a tool to achieve such outcomes at physical and mental levels but in order to recognize the more intangible spiritual benefits of yoga we have to temporarily let go of our figurative yardsticks that measure clinical outcomes. We have to let go of our orientation to diagnosis, management and prevention functional limitations, if only for a moment. We must appreciate the difference between curing and healing. By practicing all aspects of yoga, patients can transform their struggles with disease, injury, and disability into insight that is necessary for inner peace and self-acceptance.