Holiday Over-Eating

Let's face it -- we all eat too much during the holiday season. If we're struggling with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this craving for comfort foods can turn into an all-out food orgy. So now that we're headed into the new year of 2010 here's a few yoga tips to help deal with these seasonal food cravings.

According to the ancient tradition of Ayurveda (a sister science to Yoga) our digestion is strongest during the mid-day meal. Try eating your biggest meal at mid-day then follow up with a brisk walk after lunch. Fruit and nuts are a good mid-afternoon snack. If at all possible, eat a light dinner on the earlier side. This will allow time for the food to digest properly before going to sleep. A snack is okay before bed but keep it on the light side too.

Choose yoga postures which emphasize the exhale... abdominal strengthening, forward bends and twists. This will have a cleansing effect through the stimulation of digestion and elimination.

Find a friend who also wants to cut down on their his/her food intake and support each another in changing habit patterns of eating and exercising. If we feel understood and supported we're more likely to make positive changes in our lives and stick with them.

Getting out of the house

This blog,and the ones that follow will explore how to address the signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) from a yoga perspective.

I'm going to begin with the symptom of "social withdrawal". It's quite natural to want to withdraw or "hibernate" during the cold winter months here in Canada. However, when this natural inclination causes us to feel lonely or depressed it's helpful to take some initiative to get out and socialize. Many of my students who suffer from SAD say the enjoy coming to a yoga class because it provides them structure and motivation to get out of the house. This is the power of what is called "sangha" which is roughly translated as community. Community, in this instance, is found in a yoga class where you feel comfortable with the teacher and the other students in the class. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find a class you enjoy. Once you find a class you like, stick with it. Many of the benefits of yoga gradually accrue over time. You'll find it's well worth the effort.

See you in class!

Yoga for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

November and December are months where we all notice the rapidly decreasing hours of daylight. Often the days are overcast with rain or (gasp) snow! For many of us, the lower light levels make us feel out of sorts or "blue". If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms you may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD:

- depression
- oversleeping
- loss of energy
- loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- craving for "comfort foods" high in carbs
- social withdrawal
- anxiety

As an AVI (American Viniyoga Institute www.viniyoga.com ) Certified Yoga Therapist, I teach a course at the North Lanark Community Health Centre in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada using themes to address the different signs and symptoms listed above. My goal is to to help yoga students suffering from SAD find yoga tools to better cope with this condition. In 2008 I presented my findings at the International Asssociation of Yoga Therapists (www.IAYT.org) at their conference in Los Angeles, California.

Over the next few blogs I will share some reflections and a few tips to help SAD sufferers everywhere.

Yoga and H1N1

In the last few days, the number of cases of H1N1 in Lanark County has increased considerably. Just a reminder that breathing is central to the practice of yoga -- it is the primary tool used to link the body and the mind in the present moment. If a student comes to a yoga class who is unwell with the flu then everyone else in those close quarters is vulnerable to becoming ill as well. If you are experiencing any symptoms of the flu -- sore throat, cough, fever and body aches -- please look after yourself and stay at home. The local health unit has lots of good tips to help you through the illness at www.healthunit.org . We will make sure that you can make up the class when you are feeling better!

Yoga Connection Fundraiser October 18, 2009

It's time to get back on board with blogging. The summer was great and largely spent outdoors with the vegetable garden, landscaping, canoeing, and visits with family and friends. Now, it's time to turn towards yoga classes and yoga therapy. To that end, there is a yoga fundraiser that is being spearheaded by a couple of my peers at the Yoga Connection (Sandy Prentice and Nancy Williams) this coming Sunday. We're supporting two local causes, the McGarry Girls and and Dignity House Hospice. Check out www.yogaconnectionperth.org for more information. We hope to see you there!

the garden

i mentioned in a previous post that i'd rather be in the garden. well, here it is. andy and i have put a lot of work into the raised-bed garden in our second year here. this year we took an organic gardening workshop with jeremy dutton, a local market gardener. the experience was invaluable as he taught us how to start transplants from seed. our plants (so far) are stronger and healthier. andy and i also feel more "connected" to the plants having seen them grow from tiny seeds. in the picture you can see a big black tank beside the garden shed. we collect rainwater from the roof of our house to water the garden. with climate change we anticipate more drought (though not this summer!). this tank will hold 1500 gallons which we hope will carry us through periods of drought with careful watering.

through being in the garden so much we've also discovered that we live in a birder's paradise. the birds that we share the land with include the: eastern phoebe (nesting), indigo bunting (nesting), rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, baltimore oriole, catbird, whip-poor-will, veery, hermit thrush, red-eyed vireo, great crested flycatcher, pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, flicker, wild turkey, broad-winged hawk (ate a baby robin the other day), goldfinch, common redpoll, robin, chickadee and many more i'm probably forgetting. yoga is all about using tools to connect to the present moment. birds are some of the best teachers for this -- through their song and beautiful colour.

My first blog -- ever.

So here it is...my first blog. It's a rainy day here at Surya House. It's ironic that I have to spend time setting up this blog when, in fact, i'd prefer to be in the yoga studio actually teaching or practicing. Either that or spending time in the garden. Such is the way of the world these days.