Meditation Does What?!

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Do you know about the many benefits of meditation?

On a physical level, meditation:

  • lowers blood pressure
  • reduces anxiety by lowering the levels of blood lactate
  • decreases tension-related pain
  • improves mood by increasing serotonin production
  • improves the immune system

Other benefits of meditation include:

  • reduces stress
  • emotional stability increases
  • increases in creativity
  • improves concentration and intuition
  • sharpens the mind
  • encourages a healthy lifestyle
  • gain clarity and peace of mind
  • problems seem smaller
  • increases happiness
  • increases acceptance
  • slows aging
  • benefits cardiovascular and immune health

Have you tried meditating?  What have you found? Do I leave off your favorite benefit?

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New Year, New Possibilities

Does anyone else out there have the tendency to overthink things? Couple that with a dramatic flair and oh boy, it can get scary quick!  I have to remind myself life doesn’t have to be complicated.  I know some of you are with me on this one.

I’ve decided to make things simple whenever I can. It doesn’t get much easier than focusing on breathing. I’ve been breathing for years and I bet you have too. 😉 Find a comfy seat, take just a few minutes and start breathing.

Don’t make it complicated. You can do this.

 

 

Look at you – you’re meditating! Great job, yogis!

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Meditation for People Who Can’t Meditate

I know, you’re too busy to meditate. Maybe you’re too stressed to do it. Maybe you have a whole bunch of other reasons why this won’t work for you. That’s ok – try this video anyway.

If you can breathe, you can meditate. It’s really that simple.  Don’t make it complicated. Don’t make it stressful. It’s just breathing after all and you’ve been doing that you’re whole life. You’ve got this!

 

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How Do I Connect Through Google+ Hangout?

It’s easy but like many tech related things, it sounds very complicated. You’ll need a Google+ account that includes me in your circle (more on this in a moment) and a computer, laptop, tablet, or cellphone with a camera.
Start here –> How to join Google+. When you get to step 6, adding people you may know, find and me under my married name, Laura Gordon (Peskoe). If you can’t find me, send me an e-mail letting me know and I’ll add you to my circle (Google+’s version of having a Facebook friend).
You’re almost done!  Now you need to find the Hangout button and add that program. It should be on the right hand side of the screen. After that, you’re set.
About 5-15 minutes before a class, I’ll set up the Hangout and send the invitations to those who have signed up. You just click on it and we’re ready to start practicing.
A word of warning – as with most technology, we, non-techies, may need some extra time to make sure things are set up correctly or to resolve issues. Don’t wait til right before the class to do this. I’m just an e-mail away if you need help!
See you in the online studio!
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My Favorite Stress Buster Move

This is one of my favorite poses! Janu Sirsasana is a hip opening, one-legged forward fold which calms the central nervous system making it perfect for when you have too much stress.  Let’s admit it, even the most zen of us have to deal with real life which can be, well, less than zen. Due to it’s asymmetrical fold, this pose also helps to stretch the side of the body. Hello, QL & Psoas!  The Psoas muscles are the “fight or flight” muscles so if we can help them, the whole body and mind can finally breathe a little deeper and relax.
I LOVE this pose!  I hope you will too!

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TMJ Tension Tamer

Problems with your TMJ can cause tension and stress and not just in the jaw. Here’s a simple technique using a YTU Therapy Ball to release the tension and bring ease into the jaw, neck and shoulders.

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Suck it Fibro

For the last few months, I’ve had a lot of new things occurring or going to occur soon. Almost all of them are ultimately good but they are stressful. Stress leads to me not taking the best care of myself, usually through poor food choices. Poor food choices kicks my fibromyalgia into high gear. Once that starts, it’s a horrible downward spiral into major painville, population me. 🙁

Yesterday was a really bad day. I had trouble walking to/from classes and if I had  a choice I would have curled into a fetal position and eaten potato chips or mac and cheese in bed all day. I’m sure that would have helped … Not!

Instead, I decided to take control of my health again. Here’s my list of go to self care tips…

  • Rest and recharging myself in specific positions/places
    • I curl up in a fetal position on the couch.
      • The bed doesn’t work for me like the couch does. It took me awhile to figure out why but I finally did. Even as a child when I’m in pain, I want someone to push against me. I used to ask my mother to push against my back when she would say goodnight to me. I think it has to do with my nerve endings being “on fire” from the fibro. I need to calm them down. The same principles that apply to my dog, Maisie, when she wears her thunder shirt.  I need to lie against the back of the couch and get the pressure. Lying in bed doesn’t cut it.
  • Quiet & dim lighting
    • I have difficulty going to malls, concerts, or anywhere I feel sensory overload. Fireworks freak me out.
  • Deep breathing
    • Thank goodness I know about deep breathing. Belly breathing calms your system. Something as simple as a few deep breaths can have incredible results.
  • Relaxing the jaw & the tongue thing
    • This is weird but folks with fibro tend to have swollen tongues and we clamp down on them often – not as in biting your tongue. Our jaws clench and the sides of our tongues get caught in our teeth. I often wake in the middle of the night because of the pain. I have to make an incredible concerted effort to relax my jaw and put my tongue in a different position. (I told you it was weird!)
  • Eating right & and not eating wrong
    • I can’t go too extreme quickly but I start adding in anti-inflammatory foods and get rid of the processed foods. I learned what foods I was allergic to and eliminated them too. It’s hard to stay away from beef, chicken, corn, soy, wheat, dairy, corn, cane sugar and chocolate but that’s what I have to do to be pain free.
  • Magnesium oil
    • Most of us are magnesium deficient due to today’s soils. Spray yourself and leave it on for at least 20 minutes. (You can leave it on for longer but it feels like salt water) It does tingle so don’t spray it anywhere sensitive. It relaxes me like nothing else. Some people spray their feet, put socks on and go to bed.
  • Epsom salt bath
    • I love baths in general. Water feels so good against my skin. I honestly don’t know if it’s just the bath or the epsom salt bath but it certainly doesn’t hurt so I do it.
  • Drink lots of water
    • I never drank “juice drinks” (I do make my own juices but when I’m not feeling well, I don’t have the energy). I no longer drink soda. I drink tea often but try to keep it decaf.  Drinking lots of water helps with cleaning out the bad stuff.
  • Ingesting Magnesium – Natural Calm
    • Pooping is really important and this helps!
  • Small glass of red wine
    • It may not work for everyone, but this relaxed me just enough.
  • No negative nellies
    • I’m too sensitive. My body tenses when I’m around people complaining. I cut them out when I’m having a flare up. (I probably should limit my time with them in general but …)
  • Gentle movement
    • When I can, however I can.
  • Forgiving myself when I don’t do EVERYTHING I think I *should*. (Grr, that word!)

So, this is my go to list. Did I miss anyone of your favorites?

 

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Office Yoga

Got Stress?  Tame That Tension!

Multi week series designed to give you basic and not so basic ways to cope with stress, tension, and workplace injuries

Learn

  • proper sitting posture
  • simple movements to ease “office pain”
  • breathing styles to decrease stress
  • basic mediation techniques to increase concentration, facilitate ease and promote overall wellness 

 

Laura Peskoe, MSW, E-RYT has been practicing yoga for 20+ years and teaching since 2001. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999, Laura understands how pain and stress can impact your body and life. Referred to as a Body Wizard by her clients, Laura has spent years researching the body and how to best promote good health and overall wellbeing. Other yogis, personal trainers, physical therapists, and even orthopedic surgeons refer their clients to her because of her innate understanding of the body and ability to work with issues, large and small.

No yoga experience required. All levels of fitness and experience welcome!

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Tame the Tension

Tame your Tension!

Yoga Tune Up® Therapy BallsMelt Muscular Pain with the Use of Therapy Balls 

 

Sunday, July 27, 9:00-10:30 am

Cost: $50 (includes a set of Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls)

Limited Space – RSVP to laura@yoga-tonic.com

 

Learn specific techniques to instantly roll out tension, break dysfunctional movement patterns, and provide valuable insight into your own anatomical architecture with the Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls.

These easy and effective self-massage techniques will provide you with tools to reduce and/or eliminate pain and prevent injuries from the top of your head to the bottom of your baby toe.

A regular self-care practice helps to keep you in the game – whatever that may be, and augments your yoga and other movement practices.

Plan to leave this workshop feeling revitalized and happier!

Taming the Trapezius Tension

Taming the Trapezius Tension

Join Laura Peskoe, MSW, E-RYT as you uncover your Body’s Blind Spots – areas that have gone underused, overused, misused or just downright abused, and take your pain into your own hands. Laura has been practicing yoga since the early 1990′s and teaching since 2001. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999, she understands how pain can impact your life.

No yoga experience required. All levels of fitness and experience welcome!

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Balls to the Wall!

Balls to the Wall! 

Melt Muscular Pain with the Use of Therapy Balls

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Saturday, March 29

1:00-2:30 pm

Cost: $35 (includes a set of Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls)

Limited Space – RSVP to laura@yoga-tonic.com .

 

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Targeted self-massage penetrates through layers of skin and muscle to massage deeply into your high tension areas

Free up body congestion, increase circulation, and unbind unnecessary knots

Reduce or altogether eradicate pain and stiffness due to chronic tension, injury, or other traumas

Beginner friendly!

Plan to leave this workshop feeling revitalized and happier!

Laura Peskoe, MSW, E-RYT has been practicing yoga since the early 1990′s and teaching since 2001. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999, she understands how pain can impact your life. Drawing on the many schools of yoga and movement she has studied, Laura helps you find your individual way to living with as little pain as possible.

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