yoga for hips

Went to an excellent workshop on the hips and hamstrings at Prajna yoga center in San Carlos CA today.  The hips DVD in this set seems to have similar material, will try this for keeping up the work.  It's cheaper to get in this 3-DVD set, I have shoulder issues so that DVD sounds good and the core one has the following description which sounds very relevant for those of us working on fibroids and fertility:   "a unique Yoga-based practice specifically addressing physical, emotional and spiritual issues lodged deep inside your core. Unlock the power of your center and reconnect to the natural vitality buried within. This series of extraordinarily deep abdominal exercises strengthens you from the inside out and is designed to penetrate weak muscle tissue, awaken sluggish organs, stretch scar tissue and cultivate vibrancy throughout your nervous system."

free exercise videos online

I'm really working on getting in shape, and vigorous exercise is supposed to help with fibroid shrinking too.  I  find that buying lots of workout tapes tends to clutter up the house, and also I get bored doing the same ones over and over.  So delighted to find this resource of good quality free fitness videos on the web, BeFit.  Also there is a very nice collection of free full-length yoga videos at YogaYak.

Trauma releasing exercise class

For those of you near San Francisco, I'm going to a cool-sounding trauma releasing exercise and yoga class next Sunday.  Details here.  More information about the exercises here.  There is also a DVD available.  All about releasing stored trauma, especially from the pelvis area.  Sounds like something useful for us fibroid shrinkers!

womb yoga

For those in the U.K. this womb yoga sounds really cool.  Wish she would make a DVD on it.

free hip opening yoga sequence online video

Check out the free video at www.yogatoday.com for this week -- it's a challenging hip opening sequence.  It's up until 9/12.

yoga for hips and pelvis

Just signed up for this interesting sounding class in Mountain View CA on August 20th.  Details here.

yoga for fibroids

Here's an article that mentions some specific poses said to be helpful.

a yoga pose for the second chakra

Second chakra is related to fibroids.  Post here.

more on yoga for fibroids

See link here.

yoga for fibroids

Just found this post on yoga for fibroids.  It mentions a couple of similar poses as in my post yesterday on yoga for menstruation, plus the excellent book Yoga For a Healthy Menstrual Cycle.

yoga while menstruating

I wrote the other day about Yoga Journal's 21 day challenge.  Wow, what a great collection of fabulous free videos, offering terrific variety.  However, I am going to need to wait to do them until a few days from now, because right now I am on my cycle.  And it's important for reproductive health to not do an overly rigorous yoga practice while menstruating, especially the heaviest days of the flow.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't do yoga while menstruating.  You should, just another kind.  In Yoga For a Healthy Menstrual Cycle they lay out a nice practice sequence for menstruation (as well as one for shrinking fibroids).  However, messy me couldn't find my copy yesterday, so I pulled out a little book that I had bought awhile ago but never delved into, called Luna Yoga.  Very gentle and relaxing, it was just the thing, combined with a couple of poses from a menstrual yoga page I found online recently.  That page suggested that by doing the proper releasing poses during your flow that it would help shrink fibroids.

Today, since that book still hasn't turned up, plan to do this menses series from the Yoga Circle site.  It's really excellent.  I take this with me when I travel, as it's also perfect for when you wake up in the middle of the night with jet lag.

To accompany this kind of practice, I put on my wish list a Lisa Thiel CD recommended in the Luna Yoga book.  Today in the meantime plan to use one of my old favorites, Natural Thing by Poi Dog Pondering.  Sensual and relaxing.

Yoga Journal 21 day challenge starts today (but you can start anytime)

Yoga Journal magazine came up with a cool way to help people keep their resolutions -- a free 21-day yoga challenge.  It started today but you can sign up anytime to start your 21 days.

The idea is that the way to make your yoga practice really work for you is to do it every day, and 21 days is a good time frame to make a new habit.  There's a free program every day, plus extra meditation practices, and a daily newsletter with recipes and tips.  Lots, of fun, and can't beat the price! 

Here's the site.

article that discusses yoga for menstruation, fibroids

Link here.

yoga for the pelvic floor and hormone balance

Ran across the page of a woman in Germany who specializes in the above.  Sounds interesting.  Link here.

if you're going to be in the Bay Area on 12/19

I'm going to this cool-sounding yoga and energy healing workshop in Palo Alto.

Felt Sense Method

For strengthening the pelvic floor, helpful for women with fibroids.  Developed by a former Playboy Bunny who became a yoga teacher.  Info here.

interesting article on yoga techniques for fertility

From yoga journal, here.

Kundalini yoga for women

Have been going to an excellent Kundalini class at a nearby yoga studio.  Tonight noticed that the instructor was teaching from kriyas described in a book called I am a Woman.  It looks interesting.  There's also a DVD called  I Am a Woman - Vol 1and a series of lectures called I Am a Woman (General Reader) (Selected Lectures from the Women's Teachings of Yogi Bhajan).  All are going on my wishlist.

One of the kriyas we did the instructor said was good for evening out menstrual problems.  You lay on your back with legs extended in front of you.  Raise one up to the ceiling 90 degrees, then lower it and raise the other.  Alternate back and forth.  It's harder than it sounds.

Also important Kundalini yoga information -- do not do breath of fire while menstruating, and also not during the second half of your cycle when you are TTC.

Acroyoga and Thai massage workshop

My husband and I went to an Acroyoga and Thai massage workshop this afternoon at Yoga Kula in San Francisco.  While we learned the yoga and massage techniques, a crystal bowl artist played healing tones (along the lines of this).

We had gone to an Acroyoga class awhile ago, and sometimes practice with the "Flight Manual" at home -- so called because in this style of partner yoga you pick up your partner and it feels like flying!

The Thai massage was fun and easy to do.  I'm going to put a couple of Thai massage resources -- this and this -- on my wishlist!

a yoga pose to help prevent fibroids

This talks about prevention, not sure about helping already formed fibroids, but since it "nourishes" the uterus certainly can't hurt to try this pose! (In my "can't hurt why not" category...)