Face Yoga for Jaw Tension

Did you know that your jaw muscles are the strongest in your body for their size? These small but mighty muscles have the ability to chomp a human finger clean off.

The jaw muscles are comprised of four major muscles: the masseter, the temporalis, and the lateral & medial pterygoid.

A recent Chicago Dental Society survey reported that 1 out of every 4 Americans tense their jaw muscles excessively. This number was an all-time high and believed to be the result of increased stress in our daily lives.

If you're like 25% of the population, including me, you might find yourself tightening your jaw muscles without even noticing. Often when we are faced with a difficult task we tense -- whether it occurs at home or in the office, or even in our yoga practice during a particularly long hold or challenging pose. Excessive jaw clenching and tooth grinding can also cause headaches and tension in other areas of the body.

So let's put a stop to this, shall we?

It begins now, with our own awareness. It continues the rest of the day, and tomorrow, and the day after that. It is a constant reminder to care for yourself and remain aware of what's happening inside of your body.

5 Minute Face Yoga for Jaw Tension 

• Begin with 5 round of Lion's Breath (Inhale through the nose; Open the mouth & eyes wide as you stick your tongue out as far as it goes and exhale out the mouth, somewhat resembling the roar of a lion)
• Remove the tongue from the roof of the mouth
• Relax the very base of the tongue
• Keep the lips together, but slowly begin to separate the teeth
• Imagining that the chin has a pencil tip in the center, begin to draw figure-8's with your lower jaw. Do this for about a minute, reversing directions halfway through
• Keep the teeth separated, now curl the lips over the teeth and open the mouth as wide as possible, extending outward into the cheeks. Try not to let any other facial muscles tense. Hold for 5 breaths, then release
• From a tall supported spine, begin to circle your head clockwise with a loose neck 5 times, then 5 times in the opposite direction
• Come to stillness with a tall spine through the crown of the head
• Silently (or loudly) mouth your vowels (AEIOU) ten times
• Take 5 more rounds of Lion's Breath and relax the face

Repeat this sequence as many times as necessary to feel relief.

Another effective stretch is allowing the head to fall backward and the mouth to open as wide as possible. I like to use Supported Fish Pose for this stretch. Be careful not to place any discomfort on the neck or crunch the cervical spine with this one.

Tension is who think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. (Chinese proverb)

Yoga for Runners - Yin Yoga for Shin Splints

Let's start out with a little bit of brutal honesty here: I am not, nor do I claim to be a runner of any sort. I've got a tough enough time with a steady jog - more of a hop, really - to ever consider actual RUNNING to be a pleasurable activity. Bless those of you that find a joyful release and peace while running because that will never be me. I wish I could love running, I really do, but I just really don't... like, at all.

Post-Color Run 5K Fun

I've had flat feet for as long as I can remember which has caused me to have chronic foot, knee, and low back pain. I wear orthotics in my awesome pair of Asics running shoes, but no matter what my body just does not like the feeling of running. My asthma likes to kick in when I start noticing the soreness in my lower body. All around, just not my recipe for fun.

While enthusiasts might enjoy that runner's high, if I had to think of one feeling to attach to my running career it would be this:

SHIN. SPLINTS. 

Goodness gracious. Every. Single. Time. And it really sucks.

So why on Earth would I even consider running, then? Well, for one I really should try to run, I mean it is good for you. My lungs and heart could use some toning. But honestly, the only reason I'm writing this is because my girlfriends put together a team for the Color Run and it just so happens that "Run a 5K" is on my bucket list. Not sure why, but it's written in ink so it stands.

So I ran that 5K.

Was it fun? Hell yes.
Did we finish? Of course!
Would I do it again? Nehhhhhh....

I have not run that much since high school, I can guarantee that. Hips, hammies, and OOHHHH WEEE those shin splints. It's 2 days later and I'm still sore.

So here's a sequence I've been practicing at home to help ease the pain of shin splints, tight hamstrings and hips that I hope you can enjoy with me!

I like to think of this as a "Yinyasa" flow; meaning that there's a small bit of vinyasa-style flow before slowing it down to take it deep. The muscles have a chance to get warmed up and I find that it just feels better. I know many of you high-energy runners out there might crave a hot sweaty flow to make things feel better, but it just won't. Here's the thing -- whether or not running is your thing, you need to slow it down to get relief.

Enjoy.

Yoga for Runners (1 Hour Yoga Sequence)

1. Begin standing with 10 rounds of Breath of Joy
2. Surya Namaskar A 2X
3. Hang dog to Warrior 1 3X each side (5 breaths)
4. Vinyasa through
5. Bound angle with zipper toes
6. Down Dog, raise R leg
7. Low Lunge hands to thigh - lengthen upper body (3 min)
8. Stay in Low Lunge, bring L hand to knee/inner thigh and pivot upper body toward inside of leg to twist (2 min)
9. Runners Lunge, toes tucked (2 min)
10. Lizard (3 min)
11. Ardha Hanumanasana w/ blocks (3 min)
12. Pigeon (5 min) *If mermaid/king pigeon is in your practice, enter this first for a juicy quad stretch*
13. Childs (2 min) 
14. Repeat steps 6-13 on L side
15. From a kneeling position, tuck your toes underneath you and spread them as widely as comfortably possible. Sit your hips onto your heels, applying as much pressure as comfortably possible. This is an intense stretch, but it gets the job done. This stretch is so intense for me that I have to close my eyes and do nothing but breathe. If I stick with it long enough, I'll start to see colors on the insides of my eyelids. So don't hate me for this stretch, you may release a lot of stuff. It's good though. (2-5 min, depending on how long you can take it)
16. Reclined fish on bolster, legs straight or in bound angle (5 min) 
17. Legs up the wall

If this sequence still leaves you needing more relief, try my favorite natural cure: Deep Blue Rub. You can find it here on My doTerra Shop.

Spotlight Pose: Supported Partridge

This endless Chicago winter has left my midsection feeling pretty crunched, scrunched, stiff and just sad. When fresh air is not an option, we often end up in squishy furniture, cramped in a stiff car seat, or hunched over a screen to occupy our time.

So it only makes sense that we've been working on side bends a lot during our vinyasa classes, and partridge has got to be one of my favorite side stretches -- not to mention the sheer beauty of the pose itself. Side bends help to free the stiffness in the midsection and create more room to breathe. Partridge can be sort of intimidating, but can also be taught to beginners in a very simple way.

Here's one of my favorite ways to introduce beginners to this relieving bird pose:

Come onto the knees, hips stacked just above and tailbone pointing downward. Take the right leg straight out to the side and plant the foot. 

Come into Gate pose by sliding the right hand down the leg and opening up the left side of the body. Left arm can reach overhead unless it causes the front ribs to jut out, in that case bring the forearm to the lower back. Concentrate on creating space between the left hip bone and the lower ribs. 

Come back to center and look down to your left. Bring your left hand down to plant underneath your shoulder while keeping the lower body in the same position. 

In your Supported Side Plank, elongate the right side of the body by reaching the right arm overhead and turning the palm to face down. 

Bring the right hand to the hip and lift the right foot off the mat, heel extending straight out from the hip. 

Now, bend your right knee and bring the heel as close to the booty as possible.

Grab a hold of the foot and begin to lengthen the foot away from the booty. Use the backward pressure to open the right shoulder and chest. 

If Supported Partridge or any of these kneeling poses are tough on your knees, bring a blanket underneath you or try doubling up your mat for extra padding.

Beat the Desk Potato Blues: 5 Ways to Stretch Your Way to Better Posture

Our modern day society simply does not support proper posture. We walk around hunched over, scrunched into small desks and cars, and slouched into cushy couches that are more appealing to the eye than the lumbar support. 

Try these simple exercises that can be done at home or even at the office to help correct your posture and get that stagnant energy back into a healthy flow.

• Neck Rolls -- in a seated position where you feel stable, drop the chin to the chest while keeping the shoulders back and sternum lifted. Allowing the head to feel heavy, inhale and roll the left ear to the left shoulder. Let the weight of the head open up the side of the neck. If you need an extra stretch, bring the hand to the side of the head, just about the ear, and give yourself a gentle stretch. Hold for several breaths, then roll back to center and repeat on the right side. Repeat as many times as necessary to relieve tension, remembering to pair movements with breath.

• Cat/Cow -- from a neutral tabletop position on all fours, take a deep breath in. On the exhale, tuck the tailbone and begin to arch the spine up toward the sky. Use your hands to push the mat away from you and drop your head. Once your exhale is complete, begin your inhale as your tailbone comes up and start to unroll your spine. The belly will drop toward the floor, chest will broaden, shoulders will come back, and gaze will tun slightly up (without putting any strain on the neck). Repeat at least 5 cycles. 

• Thread the Needle -- From tabletop, gain some stability by drawing the belly in slightly toward the spine. You should feel balanced here. Inhale and lift the right hand up overhead and turn the chest toward the right as much as possible. Keep the shoulder back and avoid hunching into the left shoulder. You should feel a good lateral stretch here beginning in the chest all the way out the fingertips. Feel free to look up toward your fingers, to the side, or keep the gaze down toward the mat. On the exhale, bring the hand down underneath the opposite arm -- "threading the needle" and reach far over to the left. Inhale and repeat 5-10 times. On the last set, allow the side of the right shoulder, side of the head and top of the hand to plant on the mat for a gentle twist.

• Pendulum Swings -- In a stable standing forward bend, allow your knees to bend as much as you need to feel comfortable. Stretch the belly long against the thighs and relax the hinge of your jaw. Grab a hold of your elbows or the back of your head and let the entire weight of your upper body just hang. Begin to rock your upper body back and forth while maintaining the feeling of weightlessness. Repeat for as long as necessary for a good release. This is a wonderful exercise to recharge on those lethargic afternoons. 

• Cow Face Pose -- From staff pose, bend the right knee and scoot the foot close to your left sit bone. Then, bend the left knee and try to stack the knees on top of one another. If the bottom leg complains, straighten it like in staff pose and keep top knee bent. Sit up tall and, if your body allows, scoot the feet a bit further away from the body. Now reach the right arm up over head and bend the elbow so that the side of your pinky rides along your spine. Reach the left arm out to the side and bend the elbow again, this time reaching the fingertips toward one another. If you can, hook the fingers and bring the top elbow to reach straight up and the bottom to reach straight down. This can also be done with a strap in hands in the fingers do not touch. 

Favorite Flows: Archer's Prayer or "The Katniss"

From High Lunge, reach both arms straight in front of you, keeping the wrists in line with the elbows and the shoulders. Elongate each arm by hugging the shoulders back and reaching out through the fingertips, while still keeping the elbows slightly soft as to avoid locking the joints. Keep the midline zipped up, belly in toward the spine, and spread the collarbone by slightly lifting the chest. Spread the fingers wide and stretch the palms open, imagining tiny rays of energy shooting out the fingertips.

Bring the elbow straight back on an inhale as if you’re stringing a bow. Allow the shoulder to stretch back and upper back to twist, spreading the ribcage open. Exhale and reach the arm back in front of you. Repeat on opposite side, and continue 5 times on each side.

Back into high lunge, reach the arms up overhead while letting the shoulders be soft but stretching out the armpits. Bring the arms to a 45 degree angle, imagining a straight line from your back keel all the way up the leg, the torso, and out the fingertips. Keep the belly hugged in and hips square to the front of the mat as you breathe here for 2 full breaths. Now bring the hands to prayer and push the palms together to encourage the shoulders to relax and the chest to open. Twist the upper body toward the bent knee, so far that you can hook the bottom elbow on the outside of the bent knee. Encourage the chest to spread and roll the top shoulder back, aiming the elbow up toward the sky. Stay for 5 breaths, attempting to lengthen out the crown of the head on the inhale and twist the spine a little more on each exhale.

Twist back to center, then straighten the front leg and drop the back heel to the floor. Swing the arms around the back and bring the palms together. Interlace the fingers and squeeze the palms together. Roll the shoulders back as you spread the chest and stretch the collarbone. Take a deep breath in, then leading with the sternum, begin to bring the chest forward. Try to keep the back straight and midline tight as long as possible. Drop the upper body long against the front leg, stretching the belly long against the thigh. Allow the fist to follow, aiming to point the knuckles up toward the sky. With every inhale, stretch the crown of the head toward the foot, and allowing the upper body to relax on each exhale. 

Stay for 5-8 breaths, then drop hands to floor and front foot back to meet opposite, take a Vinyasa before repeating on the other side.