Yoga for Brain Health -- Part Five (Stress Management)

Ever feel stressed out? Yes, that was a rhetorical question. Of course you’ve felt stressed out. For many of us, this seems to be a normal state of mind. I recommend talking to your health care provider if you find that the stress in your life is overwhelming. But if you are looking to supplement the ways you currently deal with stress — or would like to dip your toes into yoga as a form of stress management — keep reading.

Research has shown that moving mindfully (e.g., taking a yoga class) can lower stress levels. Movement can lower your heart rate which in turn helps you to relax. I can’t think of one person who ever said, “I sure wish I hadn’t gone to that yoga class!” As Dr. Vanika Chawla, a board-certified psychiatrist at Stanford University said, “Yoga can counteract the harmful physical effects of stress and lead to changes in the body, brain, and mind that increase resilience and adaptability.” (https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2023/10/03/how-yoga-affects-the-brain-and-body-to-reduce-stress/)

According to Harvard Health Publishing, breath focus (known as pranayama in the yoga world) helps you concentrate on slow, deep breathing and aids you in disengaging from distracting thoughts and sensations. There are also numerous breathing techniques that have been proven to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system that tells your body to rest and digest. Square breathing, longer exhales, physiological sigh, and 4-7-8 breathing all are breathing techniques to help you destress. You can find tutorials on my YouTube channel.

Did you know that meditation is a form of yoga? Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer are apps that offer guided meditations. Listening to a guided meditation can be a terrific way to wash away the day’s stress and settle in for a good night’s sleep. I love to offer brief guided meditations at the end of some of my more vigorous yoga classes. Breathing techniques and meditation can lead to a continuity between heart rate patterns and breathing patterns. This coherence is associated with reduced stress and improved emotional well-being (Khajuria A, Kumar A, Joshi D, Kumaran SS. Reducing Stress with Yoga: A Systematic Review Based on Multimodal Biosignals. Int J Yoga. 2023 Sep-Dec;16(3):156-170. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_218_23. Epub 2024 Feb 9. PMID: 38463652; PMCID: PMC10919405.)

Curious to try yoga for stress management? Contact me and set up a free 15-minute consultation.

Yoga for Brain Health -- Part Four (Mental Stimulation)

You probably already know the importance of challenging our brains to improve memory, focus, concentration, and cognitive skills. It may surprise you to learn that yoga is one way to do this! Here are some examples:

  1. Challenge your proprioception. Proprioception is your awareness of your body in space. Seem obvious? Try this: while standing take your feet wide apart. Then turn both feet to the right. Next, bend your right knee. Press into the outside edge of your left foot. Raise both of your arms to shoulder level and take your gaze over your extended right hand. You just took the Warrior 2 yoga pose. Feel a little strange? Good: you’ve just challenged your proprioception!

  1. Body awareness. I start every single yoga class and private session by inviting people to mindfully tune into how their bodies are feeling. I’ll mention a variety of areas of the body that often are tight, sore, or neglected. I encourage everyone to acknowledge the areas that don’t feel so great, while also celebrating the areas that feel pretty darn good — even if that’s just your earlobes! Taking the time to truly notice your body can be a real mental challenge. Yoga teachers are great guides for this.

  2. Most yoga teachers will then encourage your to notice your breathing. According to the American Lung Association, we each take about 22,000 breaths per day. Yoga gives us the opportunity to focus and concentrate on this automatic activity. No need to change it at first. Sometimes I’ll ask people to notice the coolness of their inhales, and the warmth of their exhales. Or I’ll ask them to place their hands on their abdomens and concentrate on the expansion of that area as they breathe in, followed by the softening as they breathe out. It takes practice!

  3. Breath work. After we’ve taken some time to focus on our natural breath, I introduce my students to a breathing practice. Yogis have practiced pranayama for centuries. Focusing on the breath and manipulating it is a great mental exercise — and the effects are calming or energizing, depending on the practice. There are a variety of practices out there. Feel free to check out a few on my YouTube channel. There is a playlist called Breathing Techniques.

  4. Meditation. Did you know that meditation is a form of yoga and that it is terrific for your brain health? Now don’t worry: meditation doesn’t require you to sit on a special cushion and “empty” your brain for 30 minutes. If you’re new to the practice, start by sitting comfortably and taking five gentle breaths. See if you can keep your attention on those five inhales and exhales. There: you just meditated. Of course, you can work up to focusing on your breath for longer periods of time if you’d like. Guided meditations are also a terrific place to start if you are new to meditation. For those, you can sit, walk, or even lie down. Open a meditation app (e.g., Headspace, Insight Timer, or Calm) and have a listen.

These are some of the fabulous ways that yoga can stimulate your brain and help you keep it healthy. All you need is your brain, your breath, and the willingness to give these suggestions a try!

Yoga for Brain Health -- Part Three (Social Engagement)

Most of my yoga students are seniors. Most of these seniors living in retirement communities, assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care communities. Research has shown that it is critically important that seniors engage with others to help lower the risk for dementia-related symptoms and other serious medical conditions. Often this isn’t easy when a senior lives alone, has a chronic illness, or is experiencing hearing loss.

Helping seniors engage with others (and with me!) is one of my primary goals as a yoga teacher. Often when I arrive at a community, many folks are sleeping, watching tv, or staring into space. While none of these activities are bad for short periods of time during the day, I do my best during my 30 minute yoga classes to offer activities that encourage participants to not only stay awake, but communicate with me, move their bodies, and interact with their fellow participants.

I meet my goal of social engagement with my seniors in a variety of ways. It is when Larry smiles at me. It’s when Nicole helps Sandy shrug her shoulders. Or when Nancy sits quietly during most of class, but then belts out “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when it’s time to sing. And it’s when Susan and Anthony ask when I’m coming back (I always come back!)

I truly believe that all humans need interaction with other humans — and that during the later stages of life it becomes even more important. Even just 30 minutes a week with a yoga teacher who specializes in seniors can do wonders for older adults’ brain health.

Yoga for Brain Health -- Part Two (Quality Sleep)

Whether you have gone through menopause, have a high-stress job, are an anxious person, or are a parent (or all of the above!), quality sleep is often elusive. Some folks have difficulty falling asleep (hello brain that loves to worry). Some awaken frequently during the night (why do our bladders seem to shrink as we age?). And some “lucky” folks experience both. If you see yourself in any of the above descriptions, keep reading.

Yoga has eight limbs (or branches). The limb most people are familiar with is asana, or yoga postures. These are the movements you take in a yoga class (e.g., mountain pose, the warrior series, balance poses.) Like most forms of exercise, mindfully moving through a variety of yoga postures is a wonderful way to prepare the body for sleep. If you’d like to quietly move your body before bed (a terrific idea after sitting all day or when feeling agitated), try this seven-minute sequence. These movements can be done in bed — does it get any better than that?

If you’d like to warm up your body before a workout — or perhaps let it serve as your workout — here’s a five minute standing sequence for you. While you could do this in the evening, I prefer these movements earlier in the day. Prefer to stay seated during a yoga sesh? Try this 15 minute video. All of these videos get your body moving, allow you to s-t-r-e-t-c-h, help you release some tension, and just might help you sleep better.

A second recognizable limb of yoga is pranayama, or breathing techniques. Thankfully, modern medicine is now learning what yogis have known for centuries: that manipulating the breath can have a powerful effect on the mind — and that effect is almost always calming. Easier to fall asleep when you’re calm, no? There are a variety of breathing techniques — you can find several tutorials on my YouTube channel.

I invite you to explore the movements of yoga, as well as a variety of breathing techniques. You just might find that you sleep better — and thereby give your brain health a boost.

Yoga for Brain Health -- Part One (Exercise)

Google “pillars of brain health” and different lists appear. This series of blog posts will discuss the five pillars that I focus on in my yoga classes for seniors.

First up is regular exercise. Duh, right? It would be hard to meet a person who thinks exercise is useless. But just because most of us know that it’s good for us, doesn’t meet we all do it! I think people have good intentions: they want to move their bodies; they know they would feel better. But what if you are one of millions of people living with chronic pain that makes movement difficult? Perhaps you had a joint replacement recently and are hesitant to do anything too vigorous. Maybe you’ve led a rather sedentary life and don’t know where to begin.

Before you do anything, talk to your healthcare provider. Are there certain movements that you should avoid? Have you been screened for osteoporosis? Did you complete your last round of physical therapy exercises and have been cleared to resume exercise? These are important questions to ask before embarking on any new movement regimen.

Once you’ve got the green light, try a yoga class made for your needs. Gentle yoga is a fabulous way to gain greater body awareness, stretch out those tight areas, strengthen a bit, and maybe even raise your heart rate a little. However, if you are one of the folks mentioned above, I do not recommend popping into just any yoga studio. Most yoga classes geared for young, bendy bodies. Call the studios near you or stop by and talk to someone who can explain what goes on in each class. Ask if the instructors can customize yoga poses for various ailments or physical limitations. Ask for details about the instructors’ trainings. Just because a yoga instructor has some fancy letters and numbers after their name, doesn’t mean that they are adept at working with folks with special needs! (I am one of those teachers who has an extensive background in anatomy as it relates to yoga and can come up with a customization of just about every yoga pose.)

If you feel comfortable trying a group class, have a few yoga props nearby to help you make the most of the class. Most studios will have a variety of props such as yoga blocks, straps, and blankets that you can borrow. Or you can purchase them pretty inexpensively at stores like Target and Marshalls.

When class begins, resist the temptation to look around at other students. Everyone is on a different part of their yoga journey! Some folks’ yoga poses will look much different that yours — at least at first!

You’re welcome to give all of the yoga poses a try, but stop attempting a yoga pose if it doesn’t feel right for your body. If the class is small, you can flag down the teacher and see if they can come to your mat and offer guidance. A good teacher will also respect a student’s decision to skip a pose. Honoring your body is much more important that doing something just because the yoga teacher says so!

As one of my first yoga teachers Gretchen Schutte said, all you really have to do during a yoga class is breathe. Yoga poses are great. But if you are having a day where one or move yoga movements isn’t suiting you, you have full permission to sit or lie down and breathe. Resting and breathing can be one of the most important parts of a yoga practice.

Yoga isn’t the most cardiovascular form of exercise — and you certainly won’t win any bodybuilding competitions. But it is a terrific way for people new to exercise or who are living with a range of physical challenges to feel better in their bodies — and help their brain health.

Luck of the Irish

I'm 75% Italian. But I'm also 25% IRISH! So you know I had St. Patrick's Day-themed yoga classes this week! We did rainbow breathing for calming, took Surfing Leprechaun pose to challenge our balance, played an imaginary harp to get some blood flowing to our fingers and hands, tossed coins into the Pot o’ Gold, and even did an Irish jig! In one memory care class, folks enjoyed singing "My Wild Irish Rose" (this was my Irish grandmother's favorite tune).

While I don’t have a theme for every yoga class I teach, it sure is fun when there is one. Often the themes coincide with a national holiday. But sometimes I connect them to the seasons or popular places to visit (e.g., the beach or the mountains). Whatever the case, you can be sure I will be dressed-up, have a fun music playlist, and lots of silliness woven in!

Where's My Pelvis?

This week I've got a *30 second video* introducing you to your pelvis! I'm 52-years-old and have birthed four children, yet I had minimal pelvic awareness when I did my first yoga teacher training back in 2016! Your pelvis holds so many important organs, is the starting point of your spine, and is one of the most stable parts of the body!

Check out this super-short video and let me know what you learn!

Hope you can take a little time to notice what's going on in your body this week!


Happy Hips

Do you enjoy going for a walk?

Maybe you're an avid hiker or runner. Or perhaps your hips just feel tight a lot of the time (hello Zoom calls that seem to last forevvvvvvver.)


If you relate to any of the above, your hips could benefit from some rotation. Circling the femur (hip) bone in the hip socket is an important movement for good hip mobility. Kate -- one of my dedicated students -- takes the below movement after every walk or hike. She has noticed a marked improvement in her hip pain as a result!

Click below and see if your hips are a little bit happier afterwards!

Rotations for Hip Pain

Just Show Up

Aaaaand, it's November:  the holiday season has “officially” begun.  Shopping, cooking, entertaining (maybe), wrapping gifts, houseguests (possibly), travel (who knows), social engagements (am I ready for that yet?).

Do you feel your blood pressure rising or your breathing becoming short?  Same here.  I'm going to set one goal for the next two months:  just show up. Just Show Up. It really doesn't matter if you've bought the perfect gifts, cooked perfect food, or bought the perfect outfit.  What does matter?  Your presence.  Being there for friends and family (even if this year it is -- again -- over Zoom).

Maybe this month is when you finally decide to carve out (pardon the turkey pun!) some time to take care of yourself for just a few minutes a day. Like five minutes. I would like to invite you to Just Show Up -- in your comfy bed, on the couch, in a chair, next to the kitchen counter, wherever! Here are some ideas:

1. Before you stumble out to the kitchen to make your coffee or tea in the morning, can you sit up in bed, re-close your eyes, and take five mindful breaths?

2. Before you pour that glass of wine and fire up Netflix in the evening, can you sit on the couch and take a few side body stretches?

3. Is it a chilly Saturday morning, your body is stiff, and you can't seem to get going? Come to your hands and knees and take a few rounds of Cow-Cat (you can also do these seated).

4. Maybe it’s Sunday afternoon and you are starting to stress out about the week ahead. Take your legs up the wall or settle into child’s pose for a minute or two. Breathe.

Just. Show. Up. You'll be glad you did!

Want some more suggestions? Contact me at jennie@jenniemacgoyyoga.com. I’ve got a gigantic list I’d love to share!


You Do Not Need Fixing!

“You don’t need fixing.”

-- Greg Lehman, physiotherapist, chiropractor and strength and conditioning specialist

I studied with Greg Lehman as part of a yoga and strengthening course I took with Kathryn Bruni Young. I learned so much about pain science!

How often have you struggled physically (or mentally) and thought, “My body (or brain) has got to get fixed!”? I’ve been there many, many times.

Now obviously, if you have a broken bone, tear, or severe sprain, you’re gonna want to get that fixed! Likewise, if you are dealing with mental health issues, please see a qualified therapist. But once you’ve done those things and have them under control, what if you are still struggling a little bit? Your yoga practice can help you build resilience to a variety of physical and mental challenges.

How, you might ask?

Well, a thoughtful, mindful, slow-paced physical practice can help you gain greater body awareness and truly learn what movements make your body feel good. This awareness can perhaps help you better manage persistent pain. For example, when trying a variety of yoga poses, you might discover that folding forward really helps with your low back pain. Or that externally rotating your shoulder is what hurts your arm. And if you are truly present in your body physically, your mind focuses on that instead of some of the intrusive thoughts rattling around in your head! 

Breathing techniques and meditation are also forms of yoga: it’s not just the warrior poses and slow stretches! Calming breathing techniques help settle the body and the mind, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Meditation takes practice, but over time can truly help you pause an unhelpful train of thoughts. Meditation does not have to last for several minutes to be effective! Focusing on your breath for five seconds is a great place to start. You can always build up to longer periods of time. 

So please remember that you do not need fixing. You are a perfect human being who just might benefit from some yoga to help live your life to its fullest!





Me? Meditate?

I’ll admit it: meditation did not initially appeal to me. When I heard the word, I pictured a person sitting with a very straight spine on a cushion, eyes closed, chanting, and in a trance. I would think to myself, “I’ve got no time for THAT!”

But as I started to practice the physical side of yoga, I began to explore the mental aspect. Yes, meditation can look like the image I described above. But it doesn’t have to.

Want to know what my meditation practice looks like? Well, it looks different every time! Sometimes, I wake up, make my coffee, and sit for a minute on my sofa with my eyes closed. I start the Breathe app on my Apple watch and try to keep my attention on my breathing for one minute.

Other days, I do a walking meditation. Whether it’s around the neighborhood or along the shore, I try to spend several moments noticing each time my foot connects with the ground. Or I stand gazing and the waves and try to keep my attention on them. Or I walk on a nature trail and try to keep my attention on the sounds of birds singing.

All of this is meditation: anytime you can interrupt your thoughts, or tune into your body or breath, you’re meditating. Does it have to last 30 minutes? Heck no! Sometimes my meditation practice lasts only 1 minute: it still “counts” and it still helps me calm down, redirect my thinking, or just pause and breathe.

Want to give meditation a try? We can spend part of a private yoga session learning how. I’d love to introduce you to this type of yoga (and it is yoga!)

Yoga is Like an Onion

Every time I peel an onion, I am reminded of my yoga journey: more than the poses, more than the meditation, more than the resting, yoga has given me the space to learn about my true self.⁠

Over the years, I've peeled back layer upon layer upon layer of walls, false beliefs, and stories about myself -- similar to the layers of an onion!⁠

It didn't happen magically on my mat one day. In fact, I wasn't even aware of it as it was happening (and it continues to happen!).⁠

Upon reflection, I can now see that it was in June 2015 that I truly began to uncover the real Jennie that slowly got buried over the years.⁠ Over the past six years, yoga has allowed me to open up to my true self.

Here are a few of the biggest revelations I've had:⁠

~ I'm braver than I thought.⁠
~ I have more patience than I imagined.⁠
~ I'm not as risk-adverse as I used to be.⁠
. ⁠
I can't say these thoughts were revealed in some spectacular way during a yoga class. But I do believe that spending time (whether it was five minutes or 60 minutes) connecting to my breath, body, and mind gave me the chance to ALLOW these truths to be revealed. ⁠

Would you like to explore tapping into the real you? Click on the Private Sessions tab and find a time for us to work together!

What Instagram Reels Taught Me About My Yoga Teaching

Have you heard of Instagram Reels? Have you heard of TikTok? Both are platforms for sharing short videos about practically anything!

I learned recently that Instagram was really encouraging its users to try Reels. As a small business owner trying to grow her yoga business in a new part of the country, I thought I’d give them a try. What have I learned after posting several Reels?

I LOVE TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOGA POSES FOR THEIR UNIQUE BODIES!

I’ve never been a typical yogi: I didn’t discover yoga until my mid-40s. I’ve never been very flexible. And I deal with various aches and pains on a daily basis. But guess what? I fell in love with yoga! The more classes I took, the more I realized that I just had to share yoga’s goodness with others. From helping to keep my joints mobile to learning calming breathing exercises; from listening to teachers’ soothing guided meditations to working on my balance, I knew so many people that could benefit.

But I wasn’t very interested in reaching the young, thin, bendy crowd. I wanted to share yoga with folks who were like me — and thankfully there are many! I use all the props when I practice, sometimes skip poses entirely, and love brief, guided meditations to help me de-stress.

Are you anything like me? If so, I’d love to share with you the many benefits of yoga. You can check my availability at https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/BWJHSG.

It's Hard to Get Down to the Floor

I have many students tell me that they find it very hard to practice yoga on the floor. Some folks are seniors. Others are dealing with knee or wrist pain.

Guess what? They can still have an amazing yoga practice! We just move to a sturdy chair. You’d be amazed at how many yoga movements can be done while seated. And you don’t have to wait for a yoga session to do them! I love to remind people that they can take the movements while on a Zoom call, while watching Netflix, or anytime they are seated (well, maybe not while driving!)

In fact, today I had a student currently in physical therapy for back pain. She shared her exercises with me and I adapted them all to a chair. She loved it!

I truly love to customize yoga poses for each person’s unique needs, whether that be taking movements in a chair, using a variety of props to assist, or accommodating larger bodies!

Examples of Self Care to Inspire You

Self Care.

What comes to mind when you hear these words? My guess it is different for everyone! Is self care selfish? A luxury that only the rich and famous can do? Too time-consuming? Nope, absolutely not, and doesn’t have to be!

Neil Pearson, a pain science specialist, had this to say about self care in his book Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain:

“Self care isn’t selfish. It’s healthcare. It’s empowerment. It leads to real, measurable, physiological changes.”

Take a moment to read that again. And then take a few moments to consider what self care looks like to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Yoga (of course!)

Massage

Nap

Walk in the woods

Walk at the beach

Play with your dog or cat

Read a book

Buy some flowers

Garden

Do a craft

Go to your favorite coffee shop and savor a cup of something warm

Sing out loud

Go for a drive

Make your favorite meal or dessert

Dance

Buy and use a fancy pen

Stroll around the mall or favorite store

Light a scented candle or diffuse a favorite essential oil

Watch the sun rise or set

Manicure or Pedicure (or both!)

I hope the above quote and list inspire you to take just a few minutes for self care. You’ll feel better — and you’re loved ones will also benefit!

Looking for a Chiropractor Who Cares?

I just got off a Zoom call with Dr. Alex McMinn, owner of Potomac Family and Sports Chiropractic Center. Had a fabulous conversation. We share many of the same goals: helping the people who come to us get out of pain, empowering people to take control of their situation so they start on the road to healing. As a chiropractor, his focus is on biomechanics, neurology, and circulation. He is passionate about offering truly personal attention to his patients and working with other health care providers for a truly well-rounded approach to healthcare. During the pandemic, his office is extremely diligent in keeping patients safe. I am looking forward to a long partnership with him!

Learn more about Potomac Family and Sports Chiropractic Center at www.dr-alex.com .

Classes are BACK!

Are You Worth $65?

 

Can you find ONE hour a week to get pain relief?
 

If you answered "yes" to both of these questions, I invite you to register for one of my special mini sets of live, online group classes in August! You have three choices (you can choose one, two, or all three!) Each set of four weekly classes costs $65. Classes meet in August. 

Option 1: Slow Stretch Sundays from 4-5 pm. All movements taken in a seat or lying down. Often includes a brief guided meditation (all you have to do is listen while I take you on a "journey" to the beach, the mountains, the forest, etc.). August 2, 9, 16, and 23.

Option 2: Gently Vigorous Tuesdays from 7-8 pm . Be ready to get your sweat on! Spend an hour building lower body strength, back bending, cworking your core, and enjoying the flow of the warrior poses. August 4, 11, 18, and 25.

Option 3: Strength and Stretch Thursdays from 7-8 pm . Take a variety of mindful movements focusing on gently strengthening your body (e.g., shoulders, hips, back). We will follow with some lovely seated and reclined slow stretches. August 6, 13, 20, and 27.

Each session class size is limited to 10 people so grab your spot soon! Yes, you can apply your current class pass to these sessions. Finances a struggle? We can absolutely work something out.

Click here to register!