LYT

Category: Friday with Friends

  • 155 | Scariest yoga poses I see taught

    155 | Scariest yoga poses I see taught

    As it’s almost Halloween, today I’m talking about the scariest yoga poses that I see being taught. Scary poses are ones which carry a lot of potential risks, especially when they’re taught in a class consisting of people with different experiences, histories, body shapes, sizes and conditions – pretty much any class! I’m particularly talking about poses which put a lot of stress on joints and poses which are risky to get in and out of. 

    So here’s my list of potentially harmful poses in order of least to most hazardous.

     

    Bridge pose with clasped hands underneath

    This pose is not super scary, but I’m not a fan of it. Your feet are on the floor and you’re lying on your back. You lift your hips up, walk your shoulders in underneath, clasp your hands, and then a lot of instructors will tell you to really press the elbows straight. The reason I don’t like to see this pose being taught is that very few people can do this in a balanced way. What happens is that most people overextend their shoulders because they just don’t have the thoracic extension. This creates tension in your shoulders, lower back and neck. So I really prefer bridge pose with the hands by the sides or somewhere else.

     

    Reverse plank

    Again, not a super scary pose, but there are just so many better ways of accomplishing more extension in the spine, hips and knees. Reverse plank is a version of reverse table but with the knees straight and the head thrown back. You have your feet on the floor, hands facing in the same direction as your feet, and then you lift your hips up, put your legs out straight if they aren’t already, and drop the head back. The shoulders and the knees are put in a kind of wonky position. 

     

    Fish pose with the top of the skull on the floor and the legs straight up

    In fish pose you lie on your back then prop yourself up on your elbows, thrusting your chest up. If you just have your head dangling, that’s not actually too bad. But when you put the top of your skull on the floor, and then lift the legs straight up, I don’t like that at all. Your cervical spine is hyperextended and there’s weight placed on it. And then you place even more of a load on your cervical spine by lifting the legs straight. Some people then put the palms of their hands together, and that makes me really hold my breath. It’s dangerous to get in and out of because your neck is hyperextended and you’re putting weight through the skull. 

     

    Kurmasana

    Kurmasana is where you are sitting down on your butt with your legs wide in a straddle position and then you slide your arms under your upper thighs and try to lower your chest to the ground. So it’s a huge hamstring and adductor stretch. And then what are you doing with the shoulders? Holy moly. You’re loading the shoulders with your legs, and can anybody get out of that pose? I’ve literally heard someone’s hamstring pop in that position. 

     

    Headstand

    I don’t teach headstands at all. I want to keep my cervical vertebrae in alignment as much as possible. I do not want to load my head. Right underneath the skull is an artery where this massive huge blood supply to the brain comes in, so I don’t want to put putting weight anywhere near that in case of injury. 

     

    Kapotasana

    Kapotasana starts off like camel pose (I’m not against camel pose, by the way. I like to get into it very carefully so that the curves of the spine are balanced. It’s a bigger backbend so it needs a lot of prep work.) For kapotasana you’re on your knees, leaning back for camel, but then you continue to bring your head down between your feet and your hands to your feet. So you’re in this massive backband. There are some people who can get there. And those are the people who shouldn’t be getting there because most likely they’re getting there from their hyper flexibility. And getting out of that is really challenging. It’s almost like you’re a rubber band that’s been popped. I get scared anytime I see somebody working on this because there is a risk of things not going mechanically well.

     

    So for all these scary poses, you might have a short-term ability to get into the pose, but long-term you can create biomechanical stress and I want you to preserve your ability to practice for as long as possible. If you wanted to work on any of these individually one on one, I wouldn’t be so worried (except for headstand and fish pose with the weight bearing on your head – I would never recommend anything with weight bearing on your head.) But if you’re teaching or learning yoga in a class setting, you cannot account for all the different bodies and injuries in the class, so I don’t recommend any of those poses. 

     

    Lastly, Happy Halloween! It’s a really special day for me. Check in with me tomorrow, and you’ll see why.

     

    Resources:

  • 153 | Top office ergonomic tips

    153 | Top office ergonomic tips

    Ergonomics is the study of designing the working environment in a way that makes people safe and more productive. Six to eight hours is a lot of time to be sitting in a position where the instrumentation is not really skillfully placed in accordance with how our biomechanics work. Use the following tips to avoid carpal tunnel and other workplace hazards.

     

    • Find an adjustable chair that’s going to position you well. Have the cushion of the seat positioned so that it’s not tipping you back at all. You want your weight bearing through your sit bones and no rounding in the back. Your feet should be flat on the floor, not dangling into space. The more you can get to 90 degrees with the knee and the hip, the better. 
    • Move your feet around in a variety of ways to help with circulation.
    • Arrange your work surface so that the height of your desk is not going to put a strain on your back. You don’t want to feel like the desk is far away from you or far below you. You want to feel like you can rest the elbows easily by your sides and type. 
    • If have a standing desk, adjust it so your elbows are bent at 90 degrees and your hands are a little lower than that.
    • Have your eyes so that they’re at the height of your screen. This is tricky when your computer screen is connected to your typing keyboard so a wireless keyboard is a great investment.
    • Get up and move frequently because sitting or standing at a desk in one position for a long period of time will put a strain on your body. Roll the shoulders and go and visit a workmate to check they’re remembering to move around too.

     

    Lastly, I would love to hear what you’ve done that has really changed your ergonomics at work. Email me at lara@movementbylara.com.

     

    Resources:

  • 152 | Spread your wings | with Lesley Murphy

    152 | Spread your wings | with Lesley Murphy

    Lesley Murphy is a travel journalist and former Bachelor contestant. She hosts adventure retreats in places like Patagonia and Bali for people who crave community, movement, purpose, exploration and change for the greater good. After traveling for a long time, Lesley recently bought a house in Los Angeles. In this conversation we talk about the wonders of the world, finding your roots, furniture shopping with your other half and why her Australian boyfriend keeps a surfboard in their kitchen.

     

    We also cover:

    • Lesley’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia
    • Creating intimate space during retreats
    • Lesley’s work with breast cancer awareness
    • My recent posture challenge
    • Living with grief

     

    Resources:

  • 150 | Enchanted Connections are everywhere | with MJ Grant

    150 | Enchanted Connections are everywhere | with MJ Grant

    Today my guest is a wonderful human being, MJ Grant. She is best known for her viral video ‘Dementia Can Be Beautiful’. In the video MJ’s mother, Carmen, realizes that she’s speaking to her daughter. MJ says she would never want to embarrass or belittle her mother by telling her she’s forgotten what her daughter looks like, and lets her make the connection herself. 

     

    MJ’s parents were both Deaf (her father recently passed) and MJ grew up seeing them treated differently to other people. Neighbors once called the police because MJ’s sister was crying. The police attended, only to find that MJ’s sister was crying because she wasn’t allowed to sleep in her parents’ bed. From an early age MJ knew she wanted to be a sign language interpreter. When she asked her dad where this idea came from, he said that the first interpreter she saw was when social workers came to assess if MJ’s mom and dad were fit parents. 

     

    MJ is a proud CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). She loves connecting people, which fits really well with being an interpreter. And she loves that her videos have connected millions of people to her mother, who worked in a factory even though she has a college degree. 

     

     

    Resources:

  • 149 | Be your own advocate for your health

    149 | Be your own advocate for your health

    We’re so lucky to have modern medicine, but we also need to be advocates for our own health and remember that one person’s point of view, even if they’re a doctor, may not always be right for us. 

     

    I’m a triplet. My brothers were both diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease in their 20s. This means that their thyroid is underactive. They were put on a synthetic thyroid medicine called Synthroid. Because of this and other thyroid disorders in my family, my doctor decided to check my thyroid every year when I went in for my annual check-up. 

     

    I started experiencing a couple of minor symptoms and one year my thyroid numbers came back low, meaning hyperactivity in my thyroid. My doctor sent me to a specialist, who recommended two treatment options. Option one was to be on antithyroid medication for a year, with a risk of damaging my liver. Option two was to take radioactive iodine, which essentially kills your thyroid. And then you take a synthetic thyroid medication for the rest of your life. You can’t be around kids for a weekend because you’re radioactive!

     

    Because my symptoms were very minor, I had the luxury of researching other options. I found that bugleweed plant can normalize thyroid function for those who have hyperthyroid. I purchased a tincture from Herbalist & Alchemist and, when I had my blood retested the next month, my numbers were much better. I took some more of the bugleweed and had some acupuncture and, when I went back for tests again, my thyroid levels were normal. 

     

    My doctor proclaimed me to be one of the 2% of people that heal for no apparent reason. He wasn’t willing to listen to what I did.

     

    I discussed it with some doctor friends and they said people generally want the quick fix and are not willing to try alternative treatments that take longer and require more follow-through from them. 

     

    So my point is, let’s advocate for ourselves. I’m not recommending that you don’t see your doctor or that you reject modern medicine. But investigate and be a critical thinker. You are ultimately the best advocate for yourself.

     

    Resources:

  • 147 | How to cleanse if you’re feeling like you need a food reset

    147 | How to cleanse if you’re feeling like you need a food reset

    When we cleanse we’re giving our digestive system a break so it’s not overloaded with the work of digesting, metabolizing and excreting all the stuff that we put in there. If our digestive system has less to deal with, it frees up energy that can be used in other parts of the body. Cleansing is also a great time to reframe our ideas about food and make sure we’re really seeing it as fuel. 

     

    My intention with cleansing is to reset after I’ve had a period of time of not eating as well as usual, for example if I’ve been traveling, on holiday or out of routine.

     

    I tried a juice fast, but it didn’t work out for me, so I’m not going to tell you how to cleanse that way.

     

    My tips for cleansing are:

    • Increase your water consumption by at least double because we can resolve a lot of cravings when we’re well hydrated.
    • Eat food as close to its natural form as possible. For example, eat a potato rather than potato chips.
    • Eat a potato daily when you’re trying to reset. It will satisfy all sorts of cravings. Don’t load the potato up with all kinds of junky stuff, add flavoring like salt and pepper or a little bit of ketchup. 
    • Eat a ton of greens and a variety of other seasonal, local vegetables.
    • Eat when you’re hungry and not when you’re just bored.

     

    There are other ways to cleanse. I know lots of people have wonderful cleansing rituals where they just drink water and nothing else. There’s a lot of studies that have shown that fasting is great for your digestion. There’s also evidence that it’s great for suppressing cancer cell promoters and boosting immunity.

    What are your favorite ways to cleanse and detox? Send me your comments to lara@movementbylara.com because I love hearing from you.

     

    Resources:

  • 146 | Create your own happiness | with Greg Berzinski

    Greg Berzinski is a full-time producer and cameraman for Movement By Lara. He also manages my podcast and updates my website and people love seeing him on my Instagram. 

     

    Before joining my dream team Greg was working in pharmaceutical advertising as a project coordinator/manager. He was driving at least an hour and a half each way to work, he wasn’t feeling inspired and he didn’t get to do much camera and production work.

     

    Now he says he gets to do what he loves and is inspired every day. On the physical side, he’s learnt better body mechanics. He can lift more, has zero pain and stiffness in his back and has also developed a booty!

     

    Listen to this conversation to hear all about why it’s so important to find something you love and make it happen. Plus hear Greg explain how he creates videos and live broadcasts for Movement By Lara.

     

    Resources:

  • 145 | Less waste; more compassion | with Amelia Barnes

    145 | Less waste; more compassion | with Amelia Barnes

    Today I’m talking to Amelia Barnes. Amelia is a yoga teacher. She also is the creator of PranaVida, an eco-friendly clothing brand, a passionate vegan and a pioneer of the no waste lifestyle. And she’s doing it all while raising two young children. 

     

    Amelia became interested in no waste after she read Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Figuring out what she didn’t need was really appealing to her so she started exploring that further and stumbled upon the next level – not just throwing away a ton of stuff, but actually not buying that stuff in the first place.

     

    In this episode we chat about how we are sold the idea of convenience, but producing unnecessary waste is going to cause a lot of inconvenience in the form of landfill and environmental problems. We also cover how the zero waste movement is largely led by women, the benefits of veganism, how Amelia relied on her intuition and maker skills to start her clothing business and how she got through the worst of her grief when her infant son died. 

     

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