LYT

Category: Friday with Friends

  • 25 | Sustainability

    25 | Sustainability

    Today is in uplifting, but serious topic about the concept of sustainability. This topic came up because my daughter was writing an essay and wasn’t sure which relevant topic in today’s news she should write about. I mentioned sustainability because of a study done recently about our efforts in sustainability being not that great. The study stated that we have about 15 years to really fix things before global warming gets past the point of no return. I thought it would be great to talk about this on today’s episode because I talk about sustainable movement on the mat, and living on and off the mat in a sustainable way.

    What is sustainability?

    The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

    How do we stay present and also  think about the impact we have on the future?

    Isn’t it interesting how we don’t really think of how our actions now are already affecting the future? This goes for everything from emotions and credit card debts, to environmental impact and beyond.

    How can we be sustainable in yoga with our movement?

    We need to think about our ranges of motion, because we don’t want to cause damage to our bodies by going outside of our range. When you keep pushing to your end range, you are dulling your receptors, and they eventually won’t be able to warn you when you’re close to being injured.

    How do we pay attention to sustainability in our lives?

    Think of this as a calling, not a burden. This could be an incredible time in history if we all decide to do better and be better with sustainability.

    Here’s what I’m working on:

    • Rewiring some of my habits
    • Less plastics
    • Paying attention to labels
    • Using my voice and vote

     

    Resources:

  • 24 | The Intricacies of Shoulder Movement | with John Frank, PT

    24 | The Intricacies of Shoulder Movement | with John Frank, PT

    Today my brother, John Frank, is back to discuss the shoulder complex. John is a physical therapist, athlete, and fellow lover of movement. So often, we think that the shoulder is simple, but the shoulder is, in fact, quite complicated!

    When you see people, what are the main complaints people have in their shoulders?

    The complaint usually comes from the front and / or top of the shoulder, so your bicep or your rotator cuff. There is never a blanket diagnosis, because the shoulder is so intricate. When you have pain when reaching overhead, you have to look at the whole complex of the shoulder, not just one place.

    What is a good exercise that would help people re-educate their range of shoulder motions between the different parts?

    Face a wall and put your arms overhead, and move the arms slightly out to the sides. Relax the arms completely, and pretend as though someone took their fingers on the lower part of your shoulder blade, moving it upwards. Be sure to keep your neck neutral in this position.

    What do you see in the shoulder when people have a sloped shoulder? Is this something that can be helped?

    Even though there are a lot of genetic features, a sloped shoulder is mostly acquired. The top of the shoulder blade and the bottom of the shoulder blade should be pointing straight down as vertical, parallel to the spine. People with sloped shoulders tend to have pain in their necks as well as tingling down the arm.

    What can people with sloped shoulders, or conditions like that, do?

    Definitely do the wall exercise described above, but also look at your posture. Shrugging the shoulders, and even raising the arms above the head periodically can help as well.

    Resources:

  • 22 | Why I Never Teach Seated Forward Folds

    22 | Why I Never Teach Seated Forward Folds

    Today I am discussing the forward fold! Seated forward folds specifically are a move that I do not do, nor do I teach, and today we are going to explore why. Yogi or not, this episode will be very beneficial to listen to, as I explain my movement patterns outside of my studio and off the mat as well.

    Resources:

  • 20 | Small Shifts to Expand

    20 | Small Shifts to Expand

    This solo episode is dedicated to small shifts that can lead to BIG changes. This time of year can really be overwhelming, and this episode today will hopefully serve as a reminder that small shifts in life, mindset, your body, and your practice can truly make big differences.

    This week I launched Movement By Lara, the platform for all things movement, which is a BIG shift for me.

    How have I created this world that I’m in?

    I started my journey small as a Physical Therapist, which led to teaching aerobics, which then led me to teaching yoga. All of the things I learned and practiced in my P.T. world, I carried over to my teaching world, which is what helped me create this method of moving. I wanted to create something that would allow people to fully immerse in the methodology I taught. This is where the platform, Movement By Lara, enters.

    What will Movement By Lara consist of?

    It will house many things! Online training for yoga teachers, information for sessions with me, and online classes (LYT Daily).

    Now, let’s talk about overwhelm and what small shifts in your life can do to help with this difficult feeling!

    When you start to feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath, create a plan. Don’t just take that and push it to the next day, because that only extends the feeling of overwhelm. I am cheering for you!

    Resources:

     

  • 19 | Our Journey, Humane Education, & A Silent Retreat | My Husband, Mark Heimann

    19 | Our Journey, Humane Education, & A Silent Retreat | My Husband, Mark Heimann

    Today I have a very special guest joining me on the podcast! He is an actor, activist, educator, parent, and an amazing partner: my husband, Mark Heimann. I’m thrilled to have Mark on the podcast, and have him answer questions that you all sent in.

    What is it like to be married to a yoga teacher?

    “Disclaimer: I am not a yogi.”

    Being married to a yoga instructor doesn’t mean he’s taking yoga classes, but when he does, he take Lara’s and happens to truly enjoy his time there!

    How did we grow together in our conscious yoga practice?

    When they met, he had no idea what even vegetarianism was! But, Mark wanted to honor Lara’s values while they biked across the country together. After the trip, the two read Animal Liberation, and started to further explore being vegetarian, and once married, we attended a conference that really gave us the want to fully commit to veganism.

    Mark was so moved by the conference at Farm Sanctuary, that he decided to study for his Master’s in Humane Education, this way he could learn more about the farming and agricultural system, and help teach others.

    Our journey into our eco-friendly home:

    Mark did a lot of research on how to make their home a reflection of their core beliefs, and found a way to create an eco-friendly home. They also wanted their new home to be a sort of model so people could view and walk through an eco-friendly home, therefore seeing that it was a tangible option for them as well.

    Any relationship advice?

    “Trust your instincts.”

    Your heart knows, and the main reasons we tend to go wrong is when we aren’t listening to our inner voice. Also remember that communication is key.

    Resources:

     

  • 18 | Questions for Lara

    18 | Questions for Lara

    I reached out on my social media platforms and asked all of you what you’d like to hear, and the response was great! So many of you had questions for me, so in today’s episode, I’m going to answer them. I want to help as many people as I can, so I’m honored to be able to answer what I can with the best of my knowledge.

    How do you best move through stress, fatigue, or exhaustion?

    The best way to move through it, is to move. I try to cultivate a day of “blob” in my week, but it is difficult since I’m so used to moving throughout the week. The lymph system actually depends on movement, so I do recommend some form of movement in your day. Schedule something like a date with a friend, taking your dog on a walk, or something small like that.

    Does text-neck affect jaw-clenching at night?

    There is fascial tissue that connects both the jaw and the neck, so yes, they both can affect one another. Try breathing and / or relaxation techniques prior to going to bed.

    When I open my shoulders, I can’t stay in a neutral pelvis position. How can I help this?

    The area between the shoulder blades does have a tendency to become blocked. I recommend bringing your hands straight out in front of you, interlacing the fingers into a fist, now push this farther away so the shoulder blades begin to pull apart. Now punch your chest back, almost like a cat position. Do this a few times to feel a release of that tight feeling.

    How do you deal with people who are not aware of their own emotional issues and blame other people?

    You can only change your response to people. Ask them questions that acknowledge what they are talking about; “What happened?” let them feel heard.

    How do I lead and create an atmosphere in a class?

    Let’s apply this to any leadership position. I’m a big believer in being yourself. People want to be led, therefore you need to come prepared. Be clear and have a perspective for the class / time ahead that you are leading.

    How do you queue the body into alignment without confusion?

    Talk clearly and don’t worry about getting flourishy. Never make assumptions with your class, always teach as though everyone has no knowledge of what you are teaching.

    What does your vegan holiday food look like? Any traditions?

    For Hanukkah we make latkes with egg and sour cream replacements. For Christmas we don’t really have a tradition, we just eat whatever we want! For winter time, I love making vegan soups. The corn chowder is my favorite.

    • You’ll need: frozen organic corn, two stalks of chopped celery, chopped red bell pepper. Saute the celery and red pepper, then add the corn, salt, and a bay leaf. Cover with vegetable broth. Blend about 80% of the corn with a cup of vegan milk, then add back in.

    What’s the best sleeping position? How do I position my neck when I’m sleeping?

    You don’t want a mattress that’s too soft, or too hard because you’ll have little support or just not enough. Try to get a pillow that is thin enough to hook under your skull, but so your chin can still drop down. If you are a side-sleeper, keep your neck in the same plane.

  • 17 | Working the Wrists & Why Weight-Bearing Can Help Heal Them

    17 | Working the Wrists & Why Weight-Bearing Can Help Heal Them

    Today’s topic is all about the wrists. I tend to hear a lot of complaints about the wrist in yoga, though I’m sure it’s across the board. Wrists are actually in the top 5 of complaints and injuries in yoga practice! We are using our hands in repetitive motions (think: cell phones) a lot more than we have in the past, so I thought it would be a great subject to talk about with you today. In this episode, you will hear why I teach a more weight-bearing class, and tips and exercises so that you too can create stronger, more adaptable wrists.

    What?

    When you look at the wrist joint, it may seem small, but it’s a relatively complicated joint. If you look at your arm, you’ll see two parallel bones. These bones meet up at your wrist, and where they meet up is what allows for the different movements the wrist is capable of.

    Why?

    The benefits of working the wrist and forearms are numerous. Practicing warm-up exercises can actually help prevent injury, and can strengthen your wrist, allowing more flexibility for you. If you want stronger shoulders, you need optimize your strength in your hands, wrists, and forearms. There is an energy exchange within your body as well, and having strong wrists will only charge that energetic current more to reach other parts of your body.

    How?

    In a seated position, rest your hands on your lap, palms up. Take your right hand and grand your left arm, right below the elbow. Begin to gently squeeze the forearm, from the elbow down to the wrist and back. This will help identify areas of tightness.

    Now grab the two sides of the bones at the crease of your wrist. Move the bones just a little to see if you can stabilize the bones, then move the forearm around. Squeeze and roll at the same time.

    Take your hand and make a first, and then open up the hand as wide as you can. Continue this for sixty seconds. Notice how this feels. Are your fingers getting tired? Hold your hands open, bend your elbows, and turn your palms upward as if you are holding a tray. Use your right hand to grab your left fingers, and gently pull them downward. Repeat on the opposite side, then straighten your elbow and repeat.

    When?

    You should be doing this daily in order to strengthen your wrists.

  • 16 | Manual Therapy & Myofascial Release

    16 | Manual Therapy & Myofascial Release

    Movement is not necessarily always the end all be all, and that means that we need to apply more to movement in order to feel our best. That is where today’s episode topic comes in: manual therapy! We are going to talk about just what manual therapy is, and why it’s great if you have different issues within the body that movement patterns aren’t fully addressing.

    What is manual therapy?

    Manual therapy is when someone manually comes in and helps you with the way you move, and address and release any of the restrictions that might be in your underlying tissues.

    What is fascia?

    Around your muscles, you have fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue that runs around the muscle and through the different muscle connections. Once you get a feeling of your tension, you can start to learn how to help the area soften.

    How do you do manual therapy?

    Begin by feeling where you get senses of tautness on your body. What I teach my students helps them feel the mobility of the tissue. This can help people relax and increase their range of motion.

    What is your comfort on being touched?

    Human touch is so needed. Touch is so healing! As a yoga teacher, I provide adjustments, but I do not provide adjustments to go deeper into a pose. Rather, I suggest learning how to provide light pressure into a tissue.

    Resources: