Nadea Andreeva

Nadya is a yoga instructor and ayurveda enthusiast who grew up in Russia in a family of doctors. Nadya grew up practising yoga and learning about different healing approaches in Russia, India, and later all over the US. Trained in yoga therapy and ayurveda Nadya works to create a wholesome path to wellness through yoga classes and nutrition workshops. She holds an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from NYU and hopes to eventually bring her holistic approach to wellness into the corporate world. For more tips on healthy eating and yoga, follow her blog. 

http://spinachandyoga.com/

Check out her latest article for MindBodyGreen.com on the 10 Common Food Combinations that Wreak Havoc on Your Health: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3615/10-Common-Food-Combinations-That-Wreak-Havoc-on-Your-Health.html

Hot Yoga

HOT YOGA? Maybe not - What is YOUR appropriate yoga practice?

Don't get me wrong, I love yoga, but we have lost the core structure of this ancient sister science of Ayurveda. Bringing ourselves to the root knowledge of our unique selves will help enable us to find the appropriate yoga practice.

The book Yoga for your Type, Dr. David Frawley, outlines the many methods for a custom yoga practice based on the laws of the universe and the inner process of cosmogenesis that holds the keys to all our unique transformations. The two systems of Ayurveda and Yoga have maintained a long and intimate history, interacting upon and enhancing one another up to the present day.

Begin with researching what your body needs. By knowing your constitution (Prakruti), what are your imbalances (Vikruti) are and connecting with this chemistry will allow you to make better decisions about your yoga practice.

Things to consider:

• Body Type
• Time of day for yoga practice
• Yoga style
• Temperature of room

Once you have dertermined your personal element/doshic balance, you can begin to custom design your practice. Selecting a yoga teacher that is educated in Ayurveda will ensure your practice provides modifications for not just physical injuries or limitations, but also for your personal body type needs.

Ayurvedic Yoga Video Options:

Madhuri Phillips offers an Ayurvedic overview and custom guidelines on her video: An Ayurvedic Yoga Practice

Madhuri's video covers: 

• An introductory lecture on Ayurveda and how it is relevant to you!
• A 10 page booklet including a dosha checklist to analyze your own Ayurvedic constitution
• 3 different yoga classes for vata (to de-stress and relax), pitta (to cool and calm), and kapha (to invigorate and energize) 
• Pranayama breathing practices suited for each dosha
• Chanting and meditation for all doshas 
• This DVD is suitable for all levels 

Another great option by Juliet Jivanti: Ayurvedic Yoga For Your Body Type

Juliet's video covers:

• This DVD has three sequences: one for each body type (dosha), Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The Vata sequence is rejuvenating and grounding, the Pitta sequence is cooling and soothing and the Kapha sequence is energizing and uplifting
• Each sequence is approximately 30 minutes long
• These sequences are for all levels of yoga practitioners

One of my teachers, Mas Vidal, also has a new Ayurvedic Yoga video: Mas Vidal's Optimum Yoga & Ayurveda

Mas's video covers:

• Air - Fire - Water element based series
• Each series if focused on the unique qualities of a Vata - air - Pitta - Fire - Kapha - Water
• Appropriate for all levels of yoga practice

Hot Yoga Soap Box:

Hot Yoga most certainly can provide some benefits for some body types. Here are some lovely benefits that can be found on many Hot Yoga practice websites(along with some added Ayurvedic commentary:

"The heat has many benefits ..."

The heat means we can get into postures more deeply and effectively (Great for Kapha body types, possibly causing injury for Vata body types) - plus the benefits of the postures come quickly (take a look at a bell curve on progress and consider the downside of fast burnout). Like thousands before you, you will find that practising yoga in the warm room creates a satisfying and almost addictive feeling of achievement. (For some Kapha and Vata body types, depending on current imbalance state - the addictive feeling is called an imbalance)

The benefits are many:

• Your body burns fat more effectively, fat may be redistributed and burned as energy during the class. It is common to lose centimetres of shape in a very short time (for a Kapha body type this is acceptable, for Vata and Pitta this can be quite disruptive to cellular health and metabolism)
• The heat produces a fluid-like stretch allowing for greater range of movement in joints, muscles, ligaments and other supporting structures of the body (Correct, but it also may be vitiating for Pitta predominates)
• Capillaries dilate in the heat; more effectively oxygenating the tissues, muscles, glands and organs and helping in the removal of waste products (True, but this can be achieved without the addition of external heat, through the asana practice itself).
• Your peripheral circulation improves due to enhanced perfusion of your extremities (Also achieved through a yoga practice which does not have increased external heat)
• Your metabolism speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids (Correct, this is not a result of the hot room though, it is from the yoga asana practice)
• You benefit from a strengthening of willpower, self control, concentration and determination in this challenging environment (State of mind, yoga asana provides this without the heated room)
• Your cardiovascular system gets a thorough workout (Great! same same)
• Your muscles and connective tissue become more elastic and allow for greater flexibility with less chance of injury and improved resolution of injury (Yes! Just as any non-heated yoga practice provides)
• Sweating promotes detoxification and elimination through the skin - which is the body's largest eliminating organ (It sure does, but some Pitta body types perspire enough on their own and may experience dehydration from a heated practice)
• Just as when your body raises its temperature to fight infection, the raised temperature in the room will assist in improving T-cell function and the proper functioning of your immune system (Also achieved with a standard yoga practice in a non-heated room)
• Your nervous system function is greatly improved and messages are carried more efficiently to and from your brain (Because of a heated yoga practice? I am pretty sure that message is, "If you are a pitta predominant, you are going to be light headed and nauseous very soon.")
• Metabolism improves in your digestive system and in the body's cells (that is food in the gut and nutrients in the cells) (Once again, this is not due to a hot room while practicing yoga. This is the natural physical response from a proper yoga asana routine). 

With the current day world of yoga that we live within - it is important to know that there are many patented versions available to us that might be worth exploring. The best way to begin is by knowing your personal needs and chemistry. Ayurveda will provide this knowledge for you and allow you to safely proceed with your yoga journey. Explore your personal body type through one of the many wonderful books we have today (recommended reading section of this website) or see your local Ayurvedic ND/ARNP/MD/BAMS/Practitioner.

Thyroid Health

 

Times like these raise our awareness on the value of optimized thyroid function. Through diet and lifestle we can manage the health of our thyroid. 

Regardless of what you do on a typical day, go to school, work, or stay home, in each case you are being exposed to radiation. Whether you know it or not you are being exposed to radioactivity everyday of your life.

Nuclear radiation is all around us in the environment. Low-level radiation is found in the oceans and waterways, the rocks and soils, the plant materials and in the atmosphere surrounding the planet. The radiation that we are exposed to can be said to come from two sources, that which occur naturally and that which is due to the activities of man. More information can be found here: http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/nuclear/exposure.html

Our daily routine should include thyroid strengthening breathing exercises and foods. The thyroid gland is controlled by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the pituitary (to be specific, the anterior pituitary) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produced by the hypothalamus. The thyroid gland gets its name from the Greek word for "shield", after the shape of the related thyroid cartilage. The most common problems of the thyroid gland consist of an overactive thyroid gland, referred to as hyperthyroidism, and an underactive thyroid gland, referred to as hypothyroidism.

The thyroid is composed of spherical follicles that selectively absorb iodine (as iodide ions, I^-) from the blood for production of thyroid hormones, but also for storage of iodine in thyroglobulin, in fact iodine is necessary for other important iodine-concentrating organs as breast, stomach, salivary glands, thymus etc. (see iodine in biology).

Twenty-five percent of all the body's iodide ions are in the thyroid gland. Inside the follicles, colloid serves as a reservoir of materials for thyroid hormone production and, to a lesser extent, acts as a reservoir for the hormones themselves. Colloid is rich in a protein called thyroglobulin.

The primary function of the thyroid is production of the hormones triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄), and calcitonin. Up to 80% of the T₄ is converted to T₃ by peripheral organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen. T₃ is several times more powerful than T₄, which is largely a prohormone, perhaps four^[21] or even ten times more active.^[22

More on the Thyroid function and disorders from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid

Ayurveda offers the tools for keeping your thyroid function in top working order.

Pranayama breathing exercises that strenthen the function: http://www.yogamax.net/pranayama/ujjayi

Yoga asana's: http://www.holisticonline.com/yoga/hol_yoga_pos_shoulst.htm

Products to add to your diet:

http://www.bragg.com/products/seakelp.html

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsAlphabetically/M100308.htm

http://www.kelpnoodles.com/products_mixed_sea_veggies.html

Throw out the poor quality table salt and purchase pure sea salt and add the kelp flakes in yourself!

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135

The Benefits of Massage - by System

General Massage Benefits 

• Massage is a pleasurable experience
• Massage restores stress, tension and anxiety levels
• Massage calms the nervous system and has produces equilibrium
• Massage relaxes, focuses and clears your mind
• Massage boosts self-esteem and a general feeling of well being
• Massage restores self-awareness

Muscular system

• Massage relaxes muscles, effectively reducing spasms, tension and cramping
• Massage reduces and breaks down adhesions (knots) and fibrosis
• Massage helps to re-establish proper muscular tone
• Massage relieves muscle and soft tissue pain
• Massage increases the vascularity and nutrition to various muscles
• Massage helps muscles recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue
• Massage supports increased work capacity and encourages your metabolism
• Massage helps to wasting from injury and paralysis

Skeletal system

• Massage reduces joint strain and compression through releasing tight muscles and tendons
• Massage increases the ease and efficiency of your movements
• Massage helps to increase the retention of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulphur in the bones and this aids in fracture healing
• Massage improves the circulation and nutrition of the joints and helps increase range of joint movement

Circulatory system

• Massage enhances the elimination of the waste products of metabolism
• Massage helps to reduce any swelling and contusions
• Massage increases the number of red blood cells in circulation
• Massage has the overall effect of lowering your blood pressure and reduces pulse rate
• Massage facilitates tissue healing through the enhancement of circulation
• Massage increases tissue fluid and assists lymphatic circulation thus reducing swelling and enhancing the immune and filtering activities of this system
• Massage increases both venous and lymphatic flow
• Massage increases the nutrition of the tissues via an increased exchange of fluids and materials
• Massage, via the mechanical actions on the soft tissues, produces a dilation of the blood vessels, which helps to improve circulation
• Massage helps to reduce the lack of blood and by direct pressure and stimulation reduces pain due to the irritation of nerves that control circulatory system

Nervous system

• Massage relaxes the muscles
• It helps to re-establish proper tonus through its effect on the neuromuscular reflex pathways
• Massage is known to affect the neurotransmitters of the brain and increase endorphin secretion in particular by means of natural painkillers
• Massage can help reduce nerve entrapment through the release of soft tissue or muscular binding
• Massage can reduce nerve root compression caused by muscular tension
• Massage can have a sedative, stimulating or even exhausting effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of treatment given

Excretory system 

• Massage can facilitate elimination through the large intestines by mechanically stimulating peristalsis and improving tone
• Massage stimulates peristalsis and can reduce cramping or spasm in the digestive tract.
• Massage aides the normal movement throughout alimentary canal assisting with many dysfunctions through its stress releasing effects
• Massage increases the excretion of fluids and waste products from protein metabolism, inorganic phosphorous and salt in normal individuals

Skin

• Massage helps to reduce tension in the skin and adjoining tissues as well as increasing its circulation and improve its nutrition
• Massage depending on the medium used to apply it can help to re-moisturize, and soften dry skin
• Massage can help with some skin conditions like eczema 

Respiratory system

• Massage deepens and normalizes the breathing pattern
• Massage can help to relieve congestion from respiratory organs like lungs through percussive and compressive movements
• Massage increases the action of the heart, stimulating the blood flow to different organs and peripheral vascular system, helping with the elimination of waste and the absorption of oxygen

Yoga Can Help Manage Holiday Stress

Dr. Sodhi's Newsletter

We are now in the mist of what can be the most hectic part of the holiday season. We just enjoyed the thanksgiving holiday and now we’re on the run to find that perfect gift for our friends and family. Compatibility is a major issue and we may find that we cannot get along with even our favorite relatives, creating stressful times. In this part of globe holidays are in winter, unlike Australia and New Zealand where December is the midsummer month. Cold weather and stress aggravates the Vata, which can further make you prone to anxiety. Cold weather also aggravates Kapha, which can make many people feel slow, sluggish, isolated or depressed. Holiday feasting on sweets will do more to imbalance Kapha which results in weight gain. Conversely, Vata will become wired, with variable energy, increased anxiety and fear.

Time tested yoga practices can provide hope for these issues. In a study released this year, teenagers with cancer and their parents were given yoga instruction, which resulted in a decrease in their anxiety scores.1 Even though the subjects were under the tremendous stress of dealing with cancer, they found yoga to be a positive experience.1 In another study published this year, 80 patients with chronic lower back pain (CLBP) were divided into two groups. Half were given physical therapy exercises. The other half were in a yoga group, receiving instruction on asanas (physical postures), pranayama (breathing practices), meditation and lectures on yoga philosophy. The yoga instruction resulted in better stress management and greater mobility improvement than the physical therapy exercises.

Members of the yoga group improved their perceived stress scores significantly more than the physical therapy group.2 Yoga group members also exhibited a 31.1% increase in right leg mobility in the straight leg raise, compared with 18.7% increase in the physical therapy group.2

One very simple way to release stress is the sighing breath: Take a deep breath in to full lung capacity and then hold for 3 seconds. Exhale out slowly with word HA. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 minutes, you will feel noticeably relaxed.

1. Thygeson MV, Hooke MC, Clapsaddle J, Robbins A, Moquist K. (2010). Peaceful play yoga: serenity and balance for children with cancer and their parents. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. Sep-Oct;27(5):276-84. Epub 2010 Jul 16.

2.Tekur P, Chametcha S, Hongasandra RN, Raghuram N. (2010). Effect of yoga on quality of life of CLBP patients: A randomized control study. Int J Yoga [serial online] [cited 2010 Nov 17];3:10-7. Available from: http://www.ijoy.org.in/text.asp?2010/3/1/10/66773