Inform yourself of the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame and Saccharin with our new article by nutritionist Joan Ullyett.  Find out the history of these dangerous sugar substitutes and discover healthy and natural alternatives.

Many of us over the age of 30 will remember the Sweet n Low craze that seemed to reach its height in the 1970s. Messages were all around us about the evils of sugar: it caused cavities, made us gain weight, wreaked havoc on blood glucose levels and was simply unhealthy. To the innocent, media-bombarded bystander this seemed a logical enough argument and prompted millions of North Americans to jump on the artificial sweetener bandwagon.

Sweet'n Low was the sugar substitute of the day and could be seen on restaurant tabletops everywhere; it tasted virtually the same as sugar with no known unhealthy downside. Thanks to modern science we thought we could finally have our cake and eat it too. Between 1903 and 2002, a handful of artificial sweeteners were introduced to the North American public, each with its own promise of low-calorie, guilt-free goodness.

Despite the healthful, natural options that are available to us, they can never be patented. Thus, the quest to create yet another patentable, artificial sweetener that will bring huge profits to one of the drug/chemical companies from the ignorance and fear of a sugar-phobic public, will no doubt continue. Trying to outwit Mother Nature however can be a dangerous game, and when it comes to artificial sweeteners, as the old saying goes, you pay your money and you take your chances.

Click below to read the entire article:
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_185_Artificial_Sweeteners_Exposed.html


Joan Ullyett BA, RHN is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.  She has worked in the field of natural medicine for 7 years as a consultant, writer and health educator. Joan is dedicated to helping people understand how their bodies function from a holistic perspective and through this knowledge, empower them to take control of their health. To consult online with Joan please visit www.thehealthnerd.com

For more articles addressing your sweet tooth:
To Eat Or Not To Eat Dessert
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_91_To_Eat_Or_Not_To_Eat_Dessert.html
Calorie Restriction
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_90_Calorie_Restriction.html
How I learned to stop worrying and love chocolate
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_59_How_I_learned_to_stop_worrying_and_love_chocolate.html


Rosalee
MYO Ambassador
My Yoga Online
     
     
   
   

We have a new article by Insiya Rasiwala-Finn with some great health tips on working with nature to keep our body healthy through seasonal cleansing. 

So, it is that intermittent season, autumn, replete with rain and dampness. The perfect time to reminisce about summer, to catch that cold that is going around, (the constant temperature variations do not help); and to begin to accept the inevitable approach of winter.

The fluctuations of late fall and early winter also make it an optimum time to go on a detoxifying dietary cleanse. It is easier in this season, say most streams of alternative medicine, to change our habits and inject new life into our tired routines.

Simply put, a cleanse can give your body a short break from the effort it expends digesting food (40% of your body's energy goes into digestion-that's a lot) and instead, divert some of that energy into expelling toxins and healing.

To read the rest of the article, click below:
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_184_Fall_and_Winter_Cleansing-A_Tune_Up_for_Your_Body.html

To read more on Ayurveda click blow:
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_182_Calming_your_Vata_Dosha_this_Fall.html
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_106_Ayurvedic_Medicine:_Anti-toxification_vs._Detoxification.html
http://www.myyogaonline.com/healthy_living_82_Ayurveda:_Indias_Science_Of_Longevity.html


Insiya Rasiwala-Finn teaches vinyasa yoga and writes on health, yoga, eco-travel and spas for publications such as the Vancouver Observer, Vancouver Magazine, vancouveryoga.com, Shared Vision, Asia Spa and Luxury Latin America. She has been a frequent commentator on the topics of health, wellness and sustainability for Canadian media such as CBC, Shaw, Global and City TV.

She has traveled frequently to Costa Rica, Bali and Mexico to lead YES (yoga.ecology.surf) retreats with her partner Eoin Finn and avidly seeks out eco-travel options wherever she happens to be. Insiya is currently completing a creative writing program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada and writes a blog on the sustainable yoga lifestyle: yoguestyle.blogspot.com

Namaste, MYO

I am 33 weeks pregnant and still doing your prenatal flows as best as I can manage.  It's become very clear to me that my range of motion and stamina have both decreased as my baby and I increase in size.  Are there any particular modifications I might find helpful through the end of my pregnancy?

Also, I get these pinches in my lower back/hips every time I do either flow.  They can be really painfull after I get up from savasana but I never feel them happening.  Am I doing something incorrectly?  Is there anything I can do to avoid this?

Thanks for your time and helping my baby and I have a wonderful, mindful pregnancy.

Heidi

If every person on this planet made conscious choices to do laundry with the least environmental impact on the planet, this world would be a greener place.  The top three going green with our laundry tips are to:

1. Use cold water-Warm water uses three times more energy.

2. Use environmentally friendly soap that dissolves in cold water.

3. Hang your laundry to dry whenever possible.  Dryers set stains into the fabric, while the sun helps to naturally    whiten clothes.  You will have a significantly lower electricity bill.

These small steps have huge planet renewing rewards. 

Here are some links with information on how much energy you can save using cold water, and chemicals to avoid in your laundry detergent:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-laundry/
http://ca.lifestyle.yahoo.com/home-garden/articles/green-tips/greenliving/homegarden--household_chemicals_to_avoid_in_your_laundry_detergent
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/household-chemicals-to-avoid-in-your-laundry-detergent/

Rosalee
MYO Ambassador
My Yoga Online

Q: I try to practice everyday and now that I have found "my yoga online" I have no excuses! Monotony will probably be my only problem so I'm always looking for good classes online with Ashtanga being my favorite.
Here is my question. When I practice regularly, I tend to get soreness in my wrists. It's as if I need to find a class which is spent entirely in the sitting position! I did trip in the dark the other day and gently fell on my hand/wrist so that is contributing. I've seen Anna Forest wearing wrist braces.  They look weird but would you recommend them?
Thanks from Rhode Island

A: Thanks for your question - glad you've found myyogaonline!
 
Wrists are a tough one. We use them alot in our daily life, and we just weren't built to walk on your hands.
 
Firstly, if you've had an injury to your wrist (your fall) you need to allow it to rest before you go back to your full practice.  Be sure to rule out anything serious by a visit to a health practitioner if it doesn't seem to be getting better.  Don't forget that you can still do all the standing poses, but just eliminate the vinyasa portion.  You could try taking a break from Ashtanga for awhile and do a more intermediate hatha series that targets standing, seated, and lying poses and if you have to use arms, try to replace the hands with elbows (ie cat on elbows, held plank on elbows, downdog on elbows etc.).

Second, I am not familiar with the wrist braces Anna Forest wears.  Perhaps you may be able to contact her through her website to see what see has to say.

Here are some things I have found to be helpful if we are experiencing wrist pain.  What do you do during your day?  Are you using a computer alot, or using your hands for your work?  It is important to stretch out the wrist flexor and extensor muscles.  Simply extend your arm with palm up and use your opposite hand to gently pull your fingers down towards the floor (flexor stretch).  Then flip your palm to facing down and bring your fingers down towards the floor (extensor stretch). Hold for at least 30 seconds, and stretch a few times a day.
 
If you feel discomfort in downward facing dog, make sure you are rooting to the floor through the mounds of all of your fingers (where your finger meets your palm) and your thumb.  From there, press into the palms, allowing the arms to 'float' up towards the sky, lengthening into the side body so that you can distribute weight into your feet, allowing your hips to move up and back.  You can also try modifying your downdog by making it shorter (feet and hands closer together).  It is possible your wrists are bearing the burden of tight shoulders.
 
If you feel discomfort in chaturanga (lowering from plank), make sure you are using the strong and powerful muscles of the shoulders.  Come into plank, setting up your wrists shoulder width apart under the shoulders.  Again root into the mounds of your fingers.  Look at your elbows - are they hyperextending/bending the opposite way?  Keep a slight microbend in the elbows.   Allow your heart to move towards the floor without changing your arms.  Feel how this brings your shoulder blades onto your back body.  Next look at the front of your shoulders.  We want the tops of the shoulders to be in line with our neck (not tipping down or forward).  Tip the shoulders up/back.  Feel how this increases the feeling of the shoulderblade on the back body.  Keep this feeling of shoulder blade engagement and lower to elbows bent at 90 degrees - not lower!  If you lower further, you are asking your wrists to deeply extend.
 
If you feel discomfort in upward facing dog, be sure that your wrists are stacked underneath or slightly in front of your shoulders, again avoiding that excessive extension at the wrist.  If you seem to be coming into upward dog with that misalignment, make your plank longer before lowering into chaturanga, or before coming into upward dog send your heels back in chaturanga so that you are not as far forward over your hands.
 
Hope this helps!
Dr. Robin Armstrong (Chiropractor and Yoga Teacher)

Click link to learn more about Dr. Robin Armstrong: http://www.myyogaonline.com/studio_Dr_Robin_Armstrong.html

Additional Articles on Yoga and Wrist Issues:
http://www.myyogaonline.com/blog/2007/08/30/protecting-wrists-in-downward-facing-dog-and-yoga-poses/
http://www.myyogaonline.com/blog/2008/04/01/ask-our-yoga-teachers-wrist-support-in-yoga/

As I was walking down the street today I saw a Christmas Tree in a store window.  With the holidays just over a month away people are preparing for the busy season, making plans, decorating, and shopping.  This started my mind thinking along those lines and I felt both excited and overwhelmed.  I am excited to spend time with family and friends, uplifting performances, and a chance to get into the kitchen to make some home made treats. 

What repels me is the thought of all of the mass produced goods crossing the oceans on huge freighters to be bought on impulse by us, the privileged, only to end up in a landfill shortly there after.  At a film festival last year I saw a documentary, The Planet, which stated that we are currently using five planets resources.  That statistic is utterly appalling and has inspired me to totally curb my spending, I think twice before buying something, then consider my choice again. 

So this holiday season I am going to bring out my decorations that I already own, but will not be buying any more.  I vow to crank up my inner light.  I will spend time with loved ones doing something meaningful and put less emphasis on buying presents for the sake of it.  I am going to be asking for 'presence' from loved ones, hand paint some holiday cards from recycled materials, dare to go deep within. 

I know for many it may be early to be thinking about the upcoming holidays but as I find many people feel overwhelmed during December, it may be beneficial to set some healthy intentions. 

I would love to hear your ideas on how to create a positive, uplifting, and sustainable holiday. 

The Planet http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0950758/

Rosalee
MYO Ambassador
My Yoga Online

Q: Hi, I love this website and the flexible way of practicing Yoga, but I have two questions as a person who is interested in Yoga but has no idea at all. 1, I noticed there are many videos on the web, how can someone like me know which one to start with and which one to follow? Coz these videos does not look consistent to me, not like beginner one, beginnger two... 2, i was told once by a friend that breath and poses are important to Yoga beginner and need some help externally to make sure you are doing them correctly. How to deal with this? Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks and best regards

A: Thank you for contacting us and for sharing your kind words. 

Answering your first question: when starting a yoga program online (with many videos and many levels available), we recommend that you find a service that offers a selection of beginner practices that emphasize the building of foundation and understanding of the yoga poses, the breathing techniques, and meditation concepts.  Without this foundation, progression in your practice will be challenging.

Depending on your current health and fitness level, you may find that you can readily move past beginner practices in a short time.  Some people, on the other hand, find that beginner practices are an ideal level to remain for an extended period of time.

What is important is that you both understand the how’s and why’s of the practice as well as listen to the responses of the body before transitioning into higher level practices.

Also note the type of practice you are entering. A yoga practice can be labeled ‘beginner’, but can actually advanced in terms of your fitness level.  For example, a beginner Ashtanga / power yoga class will be very challenging (and likely inappropriate) for someone who has done little or no exercise prior to starting this type of program.

This would be in stark contrast to a beginner restorative hatha yoga class that would be quite gentle and slow in pace. So, educate yourself on the type of yoga practices available online and note whenever this beginner practice is actually suitable for your level of health and fitness.

For My Yoga Online, we offer a selection of Beginner Hatha classes and introductory Power / Vinyasa classes.  We always recommend that members perform a good number of hatha classes before attempting the Beginer Power yoga classes so that they have a foundation to work from.  To help move forward through the various levels, we offer a search function on the video library pages that will help you filter through the classes and quickly locate the practices of interest.

For your second question:  yes, yoga and breath are intertwined.  In Yoga, the breath is the passage of Prana, life-force energy that surrounds us and is within us.  Through conscious breath-work, we can manipulate the flow of Prana and revitalize the body and mind while working towards greater connection to the Inner Self.

From an exercise science aspect, the breath work in the poses and meditation regulate the state of the practice.  Slow breathing creates a calmer, more controlled physical practice.  The focus on breath brings enhanced attention to what we doing in the postures and helps us listen better to the feedback that the body provides.

The deep breathing fuels the body with oxygen and nourishes the cells for healthier metabolism.  This meditative control of breath relaxes the nervous system bringing balance to the organs and hormonal systems.  Without the attention to breath, the practice will greatly lack in receiving the potential benefits.

Learning to do the basic breathing for yoga is not complicated.  There are advanced breathing exercises (called pranayama), but these exercises should only be performed by those who have been doing yoga consistently for many years.

To start basic yogic breathing, lie down on your back comfortably.  Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest bone.  Relax your face and jaw as you close the lips and begin to breath calmly through the nose.  Relax the edges of the nostrils and feel a smooth steady flow of air passing through the nostrils.

Begin to slow this pace of breathing.  To help you slow this pace, send your next inhale gently into your belly and noticing the motion go into that hand. Exhale and allow your belly to relax.  Again, slowly breath into your belly and while keeping the belly full let the breath continue up into the chestbone (into the other hand).  As you exhale, allow the breath to leave your chestbone first and then release the breath out of the belly.

Continue this wave of filling from the belly up. And then releasing from the chest-bone down.  Once you have this motion in place, as you move to the end of the exhale, slightly press the belly in imagining that you helping clear out a little more air out the bottom of the lungs.

Practicing this breathing pattern on your back for a couple of weeks.  This is perfect just before going to bed.  Once this breath work becomes familiar, try this breathing in a comfortable seated position.  You still may need to place your hands on the belly and heart area for guidance.

This basic breathing will enable to you to direct long consistent breaths into your yoga poses.  With the proper instructional cues, you will be guided when and where you should take this breath into poses.  From a simple perspective, ‘just breathing’ in yoga poses is a great step forward in the practice.  Using this breath work will also be a great tool for establishing your capacity to meditate, reflect, and gaze inwards.

Thank you for your questions.

Namaste,
Kreg Weiss
My Yoga Online

Neck pain and discomfort is experienced by most people, especially for those who spend extended periods of time sitting at a desk or computer. This neck pain is often generated by poor posture habits and head positioning. To relief this discomfort, we have a few simple and quick yoga exercises that can help restore the balance needed for neck health.

Cause of Neck Pain While Sitting
Prolonged sitting with activities that position the arms forward of the body (like using a computer) have a tendency to collapse the spine forward. This forward collapse is most prevalent by the head.

The vertebrae of the neck (cervical spine) are designed to carry the weight of the skull in a balanced fashion. The musculature of the back of the neck are primarily classified as phasic muscles meaning they are designed to generate voluntary, short-duration contractions. This is the opposite to tonic muscles that are designed for long-duration (and often ‘unconscious’) postural support.

When we allow the head to float forward off the balancing point the cervical spine, the posterior neck muscles are forced to function with endurance thus requiring them to act like tonic muscles. Since these muscles are not functionally designed to be tonic muscles, they elongate and weaken transmitting a cascade of disfunction throughout the neck and upper back.

This disfunction becomes exacerbated by the development of tight anterior shoulder and chest muscles. With the arms chronically reaching forward, these anterior muscles shorten and tighten, thus deepening the collapsing posture. This chain of weakening and shortening progresses into further neck problems, reduced energy, reduced quality of life, and poor work performance.

How Do We Reduce the Effects of Poor Sitting Posture on the Neck?

1) First eliminate factors that generate poor posture as much as possible:
*Insure that your chair has proper support and height. Your hips should be slightly higher than the level of the knees as this will encourage you sit up into the center of the sitbones.

*Position your keyboard and mouse closer to you and at a level slightly lower than elbow height. With you arms kept closer, the anterior muscles become less dominant and the upper body can remain more extended.

*Position your computer monitor or any other primary work materials directly in front of you. Looking to one side chronically will develop muscular imbalance in the neck and back. Also position monitors at a height and angle that prevent the eyes from dropping. When the eyes move down, the skull drops forward which again shifts the neck muscles into that undesirable tonic state. If you are required to type constantly, learn to type without looking at the keyboard-again, this will help prevent the gaze and head from falling down. There are many free online learn-to-type tools available.

*Stand up and go for brief walks as much as possible. Set a timer to tell you to get off your chair and refreshen up the spine.

---

The main effect of collapsed head and back posture is the loss of the natural curve in the cervical spine. These following exercises will help return body memory to where the upper vertebrae and skull should sit in order to have healthy balance:

*Neck Retractions- neck retractions will help shift the upper neck vertebrae back into place and restore the balance lines of the head over the body. Sitting or standing tall, take a slow deep inhale. As you slowly exhale, feel like you are sliding your head backwards over the neck ending with the chin tucked in. The sliding back motion is not large, but easily felt. The tucking of the chin will create a ‘double chin’ effect. Inhale to release the head into a neutral line, and again, exhale slowly as you retract and create the double chin. You can do 6-12 of these breath-guided retractions.

*Shoulder Blade Squeeze-because the collapse of the head and spine creates weakness throughout the back, you will benefit from restrengthening key back muscles. Again, sit or stand tall, and slowly breath in. As you breath out, contract the muscles between your shoulder blades (rhomboids) causing the shoulder blades to slide together. Your chest and anterior shoulders will automatically expand and release open. After briefing holding the squeezing motion, inhale to release the contraction and continue to exhale sliding the shoulder blades again together. Again, you can do 6-12 of these exercises with the pace of your breath.

*Mobilizing and Stretching Muscles-after energizing the back body, continue breathing slowly and roll the shoulders up and around in circles moving circulation through the upper back and sides of the neck.

Into gentle stretching, begin with the front portion of the neck. Relax your arms and shoulders as you sit tall. Slowly breath in, and as you exhale, turn your head to the right and look slightly up and over the right shoulder. Relax your jaw and focus on expanding the neck muscles that start at the proximal edge of the collar bone up into the front portion of the neck and base of the jaw (you may need to play around the angle of your skull and gaze). After holding for a few breaths, slowing release and repeat on other side.

Shifting into the sides of the neck, bring your head into neutral position. Breath in slowly, and as you exhale, gently allow the head to float down and over the right shoulder. There is no need to pull or contract muscles. Allow gravity to generate the stretch. After holding for a few breaths, exit by slowing turning the chin down over the chest. Then inhale the head up to neutral, and exhale to send the head to the other side. You will feel the upper trapezius muscles opening with this stretch (across the top of the shoulder line into the sides of the vertebrae).

Another beneficial stretch is opening the chest by standing at a door frame, placing one hand on the frame (slightly lower than shoulder height), and with your elbow slightly bent turn the chest and body away from the hand. This targets the anterior shoulder and chest muscles that become heavily dominant when sitting too long.

There are many more stretches and yoga exercises that can elevate neck discomfort, but these are a few easy and adequate exercises that can be quickly incorporated into your work day. Listen to your posture and the signals that the body is echoing back to you. Recognize the signs of discomfort and low energy. Explore tools to remind you to correct your posture and employ proper biomechanics to facilitate natural neck and spinal balance. Your neck will thank you for it.

With a passion for sustainability, the environment, and all things video related I would like to share a new documentary in the works, Green Dream.  Green Dream is a unique film and media project in which filmmaker Maia Iotzova explores social and environmental issues in her latest project, Green Dream, a poetic and playful personal documentary. 

Green Dream is a story about a young filmmaker, who sets out to explore our everyday interactions and attitudes towards GREEN, in her search for the root of our conflicting relationship with nature.  As she struggles to create her dream film with an intuitive approach she keeps running into walls.  But as ordinary life starts unfolding in front of her camera she starts seeing patterns in our incongruent perceptions of nature, in Canada and in her native Bulgaria.   As the film develops she realizes that the answers to her questions lie in a place she least expected.

You can go to Green Dream’s website and learn more as well as check out Maia’s blog on this project.

http://www.greendreammedia.com/

Rosalee
MYO Ambassador
My Yoga Online

I just came across NATUREBAG, a company that structures outdoor nature activities for children. 

We live in a world where electronics play such a large part in children's lives that staying connected with the outdoors is all the more important to maintain a psychological, physical and spiritual balance.  Naturebag helps you reconnect with nature.

Contents of the NATUREBAG are organic and fair trade when possible.  The activities are sure to keep children active and connected to the Earth, a valuable connection. 

The natural world offers a vitalizing alternative to the activities and distractions of the modern world. Naturebag prompts hands on, curiosity led explorations and encourages engagement with and respect for the natural world.

There is no better reason for helping children develop a positive relationship with the natural environment or we risk future generation's  being alienated from nature. A Nature Conservancy funded study found that direct experience with nature is the most highly cited influence on environmental attitude and conservation activism.

Play and interaction with the natural world has been seen to help calm a person both physically and mentally.
In a world where electronics play such a large part in children's lives, staying connected with the outdoors is all the more important to maintain a psychological and spiritual balance.

http://www.naturebag.ca/