Keep Your Back Healthy With An Ellenville NY Chiropractic Office

By Ma Lillibeth Coper Incipido

Therapy with a natural basis and non-invasive approach is the focus of chiropractic and assists in maintaining spinal health. Lumbar pain and limited movement requires corrective care to prevent the damages from becoming worse over time. An Ellenville NY chiropractor will advise on methods for recovery to maintain the flexibility, balance, and full function of the back.

Acute and chronic back ache can restrict normal movement, cause severe pain, and may become worse over time. Resting damaged areas is important, but spending long periods of time lying down can cause stiff joints and muscles making it difficult to move normally. Applying corrective therapy and natural technique can assist in alleviating severe symptoms and improving daily rigor.

Visiting a chiropractor can assist in having a professional examination of the spine performed. An assessment can reveal whether the spine has become misaligned and causing nerve compression. The therapist will advise on manual therapy to realign the vertebrae and to reduce the pressure that is placed on the surrounding nerves and soft tissues.

The creation of individually based exercises can support muscle function to minimize limited operation and enhance range of motion. When the spine is strengthened by muscle tone and flexibility, it may protect against severe injuries. Improving the soft tissues can prevent the spinal column from deteriorating and compromising the ability to move normally.

Naturally based therapy can assist in better managing painful symptoms. Severe back ache may radiate towards the limbs making it increasingly difficult for individuals to walk or stand after spending extended periods in a state of rest. Inflammation and swelling can be addressed with the use of cold compresses that will aid in decreasing the discomfort.

Therapy aims to relieve back pain, restrictions, and mobile strain. Joint stiffness, misalignment, and muscle strain can be improved with non-invasive support strategies. Natural practice can assist in achieving balance and minimize lumbar problems for health and wellness.

About the Author:

You can get fast and effective back, leg, heel and toe pain relief through chiropractic care. Get more information about an experienced Ellenville NY chiropractor at http://www.lonstein.com now.

Yoga Classes That You Can Enjoy While Keeping Your Body Healthy

By Maria Stone

People today are doing their best to fit and healthy wherein they continue or start doing activities that are helping them. They wanted that things will work the way they wanted it to be and put on the effort they got to apply. This must be done in a safe manner wherein you could ask experts to help you for this thing.

There are a lot of classes and sessions you consider joining but make sure that it shall be suitable to your taste. Make some time to work on it and allow yourself to learn them properly without hurting yourself. There are several yoga classes Toronto that you may enroll yourself with and start practicing it properly.

They are not hard to find because they are keeping up with the trend that were seen in the present day. There is a need for you to prepare on what are the ways to handle them so it will make you feel safe on this situation. Be sure that you can work this thing out properly for you and make it reliable to start with.

It is nothing new but you should be afraid to try this out even if you are still new to this routine because it does bring positive results to anyone. It is not harmful because they take things slowly so students can adjust with it. They might be difficult, but the moment you get used to it, this will give you greater chances.

They would ask the participants to wear the right clothes so nothing will be harm while they are working on it. This must be use during their class since it shall be giving them comfort and secure their safety. Try to observe and follow these rules because it surely will bring in great results for you on this matter.

It will depend to the skills that a person have and secure that this shall meet to the standards they provide. The instructor will not leave any harm to anyone and make the most safest routine no matter what level they are in. It should be giving them ideas on what way to start with the progress needed there.

There are routines that can be done at home wherein they encourage them to try these out and practice them. It will make them feel comfortable and relax when it is done correctly by the moment they have to deal with it. This surely can resolve all issues that are needed to be prevented during the routine.

A perfect combination for this is maintaining the food you eat so it will give a great results towards your body. The kind of food you eat are affecting everything about you, so better start changing your diet plan. This will help you perfectly when you are willing to open yourself to this kind of situation and try them you.

They shall not waste a single situation that have to be applied there and solve their issues on this matter. They keep on practicing it and make it their own deals for this concern as well so people can adjust with it. They shall not cause other concerns that must aid you for this work at the same time.

About the Author:

You can get valuable tips for picking a provider of yoga classes Toronto area and more information about an experienced instructor at http://createyourawesomeness.com now.

What is Healthy Aging

by Nina

Despite the horrifying vision of “exergames,” Brad’s post on Tuesday ("Successful Aging and the Thinking-Moving-Feeling Triad") got me interested in Dr. Dilip Jeste’s work. After all we’re all blogging away here about “healthy aging” without ever having really defined what it is. And that’s exactly what Dr. Jeste, Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging and Director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego, is currently trying to do. In an interview on Medscape (here), he said the following: 

“Successful aging has not been consistently defined; that is one reason why this area is ideal for research. There have been some studies funded by the MacArthur Foundation beginning in the mid-1980s going on through the mid-1990s. But the [scientific] literature is limited, and there is no consensus on what is successful aging. Our research goals include developing a definition as well as criteria for successful aging.”

Jeste and his colleagues observed that while the components of successful aging typically include: longevity, life satisfaction, absence of physical disease, freedom from disability, mastery/growth, active engagement with life, high/independent living, and positive adaptation, sometimes only physical functioning and disability are considered. But most importantly, very few scientists include “self rating” in their assessments (that is, to put it bluntly, they don’t bother asking the subjects how they feel about their own experience of aging). So they decided to do a study in which “participants’ subjective ratings of successful aging were contrasted with sets of researcher-defined criteria, and correlates of subjectively rated successful aging were examined.” (See "Correlates of self-rated successful aging among community-dwelling older adults".)

One result of this study was this: “Nearly all the study participants rated themselves as aging successfully, but far fewer met researcher-defined criteria for absence of illness and physical disability.” (Note that only participants with higher levels of cognitive functioning were studied.)

Dr. Jeste concluded, as he said in the Medscape interview, “It is also important to say what is not an essential part of successful aging—absence of either physical diseases or physical disability is not necessarily a part of successful aging. I want to stress that people who have physical illnesses or physical disabilities can be aging successfully.” Instead he lists the components for successful aging as:

• Higher level of cognitive functioning
• Adaptation to changes associated with aging
• Socialization—that is, some kind of social activity and/or social contacts
• Life satisfaction

And in the very same interview, he gives two examples of people he considers to have aged successfully, and they are: Franklin Roosevelt and Frank White, a well-known Los Angeles yoga teacher. Hmmm. It appears we're not on different wavelengths after all. You may want to watch this video of Dr. Dilip, in which he speaks about wisdom and successful aging. Around the 12-minute mark, you can hear him speak about the Bhagavad Gita.

For some time now, I’ve been going around saying that yoga provides two out of the three of the requirements for healthy aging: exercise and stress reduction (the third is a healthy diet). As of today, I’m going to add a new one: wisdom.

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Benefit From The Healthy Spine Tips Offered By Peabody MA Chiropractor

By Clinton Gunia

For Massachusetts patients looking for relief from sore backs, doctors are often the first choice. The sad truth, though, is that most doctors have very few options available to them when it comes to dealing with these issues. In order to obtain real relief and renewed health, these patients need to visit the offices of a competent Peabody chiropractor.

Yes, chiropractors are primarily known for their skill in correcting spinal imbalances using manual adjustments and other chiropractic techniques. What most people do not know, however, is that these professionals are also extremely helpful when it comes to dispensing the type of advice patients need to maintain better spinal health.

Chiropractic care is based on the principle that the body can heal itself when the right factors are in place to facilitate the process. Things like nutrition, physical exercise, and proper posture all contribute to the facilitation of proper self-healing.

A sound dietary regimen is important to ensure that the body has the nutrients it needs for strong muscles and bones. At the same time, exercise is vital for developing and maintaining the health muscle and bones needed to support a properly-aligned spine. Together, these lifestyle elements can improve body strength and mobility, and help patients avoid injuries.

Posture is just as critical, especially when you consider the sedentary lifestyles many modern patients enjoy. All too often, people slump over computers or slouch over their phones and other electronic devices. Those poor posture habits can wreak havoc on the spinal column, leading to imbalances that will eventually require chiropractic intervention.

Believe it or not, most chiropractors are not anxious to see patients in need of spinal care. Their actual preference is for patients to recover from existing conditions and then implement the lifestyle changes needed to make future visits unnecessary. The good news is that the advice they dispense to patients can help make that possible.

About the Author:

Get excellent healthy spine tips, right now. You can also get more information about an experienced Peabody chiropractor at http://www.blomerthchiropractic.com today.

Happy Anniversary! Five Years of Yoga for Healthy Aging

by Nina

It was our five-year anniversary yesterday! Celebrate with us this year by enjoying a virtual cake and ice cream by my daughter Rosie Gibson and by listening again to "Float," one of my favorite songs by Flogging Molly (I love the video, too). I still think that the chorus for this song, “Ah but don't, don't sink the boat/That you built, you built to keep afloat,” works perfectly as a theme for this blog. That, and the ending to the song:

A ripe old age,
A ripe old age,
A ripe old age,
Just doing the best I can! 



We’ve had a very productive fifth year! We now have 1,2689 posts on the blog, covering a wide range of topics, including aging theories, asana practice and individual poses, pranayama and meditation, stress management, brain health, cardiovascular health,  medical conditions, ayurveda, yoga philosophy, and mindfulness. If you are interested in reading earlier posts, you should know there are three different ways you can search the blog for particular topics (or authors). See How to Search for details on how to do so in our new format.

We had changes in our staff, too. We added a new regular contributor, Beth Gibbs (see Beth Gibbs Joints Yoga for Healthy Aging for information about Beth). Love you, Beth! By the way, our blog strictly non-profit, so this means that Beth as well as our ongoing staff (Baxter, Ram, Shari, Jill, Bridget, and me, your Editor-in-Chief) are doing this work out of love. I’m so grateful to be working with such an extraordinary group of people! 

We started our Yoga for Healthy Aging Teacher Certification program in 2015 (see Yoga for Healthy Aging 2017 Winter Intensive for information about our next intensive/teacher training). And we now have certified YFHA teachers throughout the USA and Canada (see Certified Teachers). 

Finally, Baxter and I found a publisher for our book on Yoga for Healthy Aging: Shambhala Press. The book will be released in the fall of 2017. Many thanks to Senior Editor Dave O’Neal for "discovering" us when he attended our first intensive!

I'll end by saying that as always we're grateful for and appreciate all our readers, and we love hearing from you. 

“Tomorrow smells of less decay
The flowers quick just bloom and fray
Be thankful, that's all you can” —Flogging Molly

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A Personal Trainer Los Gatos Provided Tips On Achieving A Healthy Look In Your Workplace

By Tammy Walker

Los Gatos is considered as one of the richest cities in the United States. This can be proven by the fact that Bloomberg has once ranked the city on the 33rd spot when it comes to the list of the most well-off neighborhood throughout the US.

One of the reasons why a lot of residents of Los Gatos are becoming wealthy is because they tend to work really hard. If you are a working professional from Los Gatos, remember that being healthy is also one of the keys to success. So check out these tips on attaining a healthy atmosphere in your office as shared by a top personal trainer Los Gatos.

Eliminate Unnecessary Noise

Unnecessary noise can certainly lead to stress and some people end up feeling so irritated if they hear a lot of noise in the background. Aside from that, unnecessary noise can cause headaches and other illnesses. Therefore, when it comes to designing your office, the personal trainer Los Gatos recommends that you make the division of your office walls as thick as possible. Your windows must also be designed in a way that it will prevent the noise from the busy streets outside to get inside your working station.

Eliminate Unnecessary Noise

Unnecessary noise can certainly lead to stress and some people end up feeling so irritated if they hear a lot of noise in the background. Aside from that, unnecessary noise can cause headaches and other illnesses. Therefore, when it comes to designing your office, the personal trainer Los Gatos recommends that you make the division of your office walls as thick as possible. Your windows must also be designed in a way that it will prevent the noise from the busy streets outside to get inside your working station.

Make Use Of Natural Materials

In order to effectively achieve a clean and healthy atmosphere, the personal trainer Los Gatos advises the use of natural materials in the furnishing and fixtures in your office. A great choice would be a wooded desk, brick or stone walls, cotton made curtains and many more. You can hire an interior designer for this because they know where to source out natural made materials and furniture for your office.

Stay Away From High Voltage

Try to position your desk away from the high voltage electrical wirings and transition lines. You might not see or feel it, but electromagnetic fields can actually affect your health in one way or another. Too much exposure to these can lead to constant headaches, disturbed sleep, poor memory and several other conditions.

So these are the tips from a personal trainer Los Gatos when it comes to achieving a healthy look in your workplace. Aside from helping you to concentrate on your work, having this type of atmosphere in your office can also help to motivate you to live a healthy and stress-free life.

About the Author:

Getting in top shape with the help of Personal Trainer Los Gatos not only enhances your physique but also your overall health as well. The rewards that one could get from The Perfect Workout are endless

Making Sure Your Kids Stay Healthy

By Carey Ruscitti

These days, ensuring that your children are healthy is very hard to do. There are so many temptations for kids to sit in front of the TV or computer for hours, while munching on unhealthy snacks all day long. As their parents, you should do all that you can to persuade your kids that exercise and a good diet are needed to ensure that they will lead happy and healthy lives. The suggestions in this article will help you to keep your children as healthy as possible.

There is hardly any doubt that junk foods are a big contributor to children being overweight or unhealthy, and the lack of exercise is another. Your child's school is probably offering junk food, as unfortunately it's everywhere. Teaching your children about this particular issue is something you should do in addition to cooking healthy meals at home and giving them nutritious snacks.

You should tell your children that eating too many sweets and drinking too much pop can have bad effects on the human body, even when it is done at a young age. Even though kids might not seem to be listening or interested in the long term effects, repeating it over and over may allow it to sink in. You probably know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is at least as true for kids as it is for adults. There are studies that prove that the children who take the time to eat breakfast every morning generally tend to score higher on math and reading tests than the children who overlook eating breakfast. They also do not have as many health problems to deal with. Studies have also shown that children reduce their risk for becoming obese if they eat breakfast every day. This is because when breakfast is eaten, it stabilizes your blood sugar and metabolism for the rest of the day. Breakfast should be something nutritious, not a sugary cereal. Ensure that you give them foods that are filled with nutritious grains and whole grains. This will help to keep them going for the day. This will be good for their health as well as their test scores.

Having a conversation with your kids is very important if you want to help them pick the right things in life.

Staying clean is an important regimen that every child should learn, as it will keep them happy and healthy every year. A good way to prevent infections, especially on your hands, is to wash them every day and to keep them clean. Kids often have to be reminded of this, so don't hesitate to repeat it until it's drilled into them. Daily bathing and showers, and washing the entire body, including the hair is also important for health. Another habit they should have is reporting any cuts that they have to the adults in charge so that they can be taken care of immediately. Kids that learn how to do this early on will be a lot more healthy than those that do not learn these rules of hygiene.

Making sure your kids are as healthy as possible requires parents to keep a watchful eye on what kind of habits their children are developing. It is not too difficult to change a habit that they just developed. So, the best way to start your child with a healthy lifestyle is to teach them early.

About the Author:

Find out more on how to maintain your kids healthy teeth, visit kids rechargeable electric toothbrush , Read article on Kids Electric Toothbrush Recall by clicking here braun electric toothbrush

Tune into Healthy Place Mental Health Radio Show for an interview on OCD

I was honored to be asked to be a guest on Healthy Place's Mental Health Radio Show, this coming Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 at 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, to talk about my experience with having OCD and doing Exposure Therapy. Click Here to Listen.

It's also an Exposure for me to do the show, since it involves being on the telephone for 15 minutes! But I'm excited to share what has helped me in hopes that it will help others with OCD, particularly health anxiety, perfectionism and indecision.

I didn't know about Healthy Place Radio, and was interested to read their blurb:

. . .HealthyPlace is a privately held company started by people who are committed to the idea of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and who feel that making authoritative mental health information available to the general public is a key part of achieving that goal. We are based in San Antonio, Texas. Our revenues are generated through the sale of advertising on the HealthyPlace website. HealthyPlace is not owned or directed by companies that sell any products or medications. None of the articles are written or influenced by companies advertising on our website. All advertisements and sponsorships are clearly identified and labeled. (you can read our editorial and advertising policies)

So be sure to tune in! The show should also be archived so you can listen to it after as well.

Related Post:
My Experience with Exposure Therapy on Healthy Place Radio

An Overview Of Healthy Meal Plans

By Stephanie Richardson

In order to stay nourished, one has to eat and drink water once every couple of hours. When this does not happen over an extended period, starvation and ultimately death set in. But even having taken note of this fact, it is still common to find one occasionally engaging in unsafe dietary habits. Most foods processed these days have very little to almost no nutritional value. As such, one should always go out of his way and come up with a way of ensuring his family sticks to healthy meal plans all the time.

In essence, foods fall into specific categories. Some of the most common ones include proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. Basically, the food products that fall in these categories all have their own nutrients. When consumed, these nutrients get broken down by enzymes present in the human body.

To help their bodies function at optimum levels, people should always ensure they eat balanced diets. In other words, their meals should include products from each of the important categories. This is especially true for those suffering from all sorts of ailments. Medical experts always opine that the human body can heal itself. This is true to some extent. Certain conditions can be easily treated with the right combination of nutrients.

Today, obesity contributes greatly towards soaring mortality rates. An obese person stands a higher chance of getting heart disease or hypertension than one who is not obese. Children are not spared from it either. Sadly, many parents fail to keep a close eye on the foods their kids feed on.

It is the sole responsibility of parents to ensure they monitor the foods that their kids eat closely. The cost of treating some preventable illnesses can be high at times. Things do not get any better especially in instances when those affected lack reliable medical plans. In order to avoid such complications, it is never a bad idea to eat nutritious foods and exercise regularly.

One can never run out of alternatives when looking for a good diet plan. The recommendation that a nutritionist may give may be based on numerous factors. Common factors include age, the ailment that the person is suffering from and weight. Therefore, it is important to remember that people are unique in their own ways. Consulting a trained nutritionist before starting a diet is a prudent move.

Foods that experts usually consider nutrient filled include lean meat, fish, oatmeal, low fat milk, kale and fruits. Water is also essential for a hydrated body. For great results, one should take no less than eight glasses per day. With sufficient water, digestion happens faster. When food is metabolized faster, one is likely to feel energetic. There are several renowned nutrition specialists in Atlanta, GA.

One should ensure he can afford the entire consultation package beforehand. Many experts charge reasonable fees for the services they offer in order to attract more clients. To avoid running into inconveniences, one should make use of his medical insurance card if he has it.

About the Author:

Our informative blog contains tips and advice on healthy meal plans. To start reading the article, go to the related page at http://www.themeaningofcleaneating.com.

Friday Q A Why Focus on Yoga for Healthy Aging

Young & Old Irises by Melina Meza

Q: Dear Baxter, you're not that old yet—or at least you don't look it! So I was wondering why you decided to make yoga for healthy aging your area of specialty.

A: It is always hard for me to tell if I choose my specialty or the specialty chooses me! When I was in medical school, I thought I was going to choose to do a surgical specialty, as I was good with my hands and there was a kind of mystic healing that took place in the surgical suite. Yet, as I was exposed to all the different specialties of medicine in my training, I felt a new calling from family medicine. I realized I could affect so many more people, and of all ages. I enjoyed working with infants, children, teenagers, young adults, and older adults, so family practice kind of choose me.

With yoga for healthy aging, there was a similar draw. As I finished my yoga training, I was again thinking of how my new passion, yoga, and its health promoting and healing potential could reach the largest audience possible. And as I worked with yoga for the first 16 years of my practice, age itself may have been choosing this path.

And isn’t the concept of aging intriguing? At face value, from the day of conception, each of us is aging each and every day. The first 18 years or so of our lives are mostly about growth towards our adult bodies and brains, so aging is exciting, as we get closer to becoming mature adults—often considered a desirable threshold. Then, as we enter our young adult years, finding our place in society, and our first careers and important relationships, age seems have a neutral reputation for a while. And somewhere in mid-life, we realize we have been around a while and even begin to contemplate if and when this life might be over, and age’s reputation starts to tarnish. But all the while, we are getting one day older with each spin of the planet. And sometimes we are in good health, and sometimes we are faced with the myriad of physical, mental and emotional challenges humans fall prey to. Life.

I added yoga into the formula of my life around age 34, and have been reaping the rewards ever since, the ones we write about each week—flexibility, strength, balance, and agility, as well as the stress managing benefits and the sense of equanimity in the face of ever changing circumstances. But I have also seen these same benefits in the very young, the teenager, the young adult, and the much older adult who take up the yoga practice and make it a regular part of their lives. It’s quite powerful! So I want to inspire and teach as many people out there as possible about the wonderful potential yoga has for us as we travel our lifetimes. So, that is at least part of the reason why I have chosen to “specialize” in yoga for healthy aging. Thanks for asking and prompting me to sit and reflect in this immensely gratifying journey I am on with yoga.

—Baxter

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Liver Detox Tips Which Herbal Treatments Are Best To Keep Your Skin Healthy

By Kim Moser

In many cases, herbal treatments can greatly improve psoriasis. One of the ways to work with psoriasis is by correcting liver function. When the liver is not operating adequately, blood may be full of toxins and this can manifest on the skin. Episodes of psoriasis can also be triggered by trauma, emotional stress and infection. Often immune system problems have some involvement. So it is important that any herbal mixture contain herbs that target these factors. Psoriasis has a habit of coming and going and the longer you have had it, the longer it may take to clear up. So you need to have some patience.

A typical Psoriasis herbal treatment mix contains Yellow Dock, for chronic skin conditions and is also a liver stimulant. Cleavers assists with lymphatic circulation and stimulation of kidney function. Liquorice for its anti-inflammatory qualities. Gotu Kola helps with connective tissue repair and regeneration of normal tissue and Bupleurum assists liver detoxification and is also an immune system stimulant and corrective.

Psoriasis is the result of over-active skin cell replication and is characterised by scaly patches that are often a silvery colour. Itching and bleeding often occur as skin cells grow faster than they can be shed. To soothe the skin, applying a cream of Calendula, St Johns Wort and essential oil of Tea Tree and Lavender twice daily will help. Although this will relieve symptoms, balancing the body is the best way to get long lasting results.

Your liver is one the largest and most amazing organs in your body. The liver has come under increasing levels of stress in modern times as it attempts to rid the body of toxic environmental substances. The liver detoxifies the body using two main pathways. The initial phase attempts to convert harmful chemicals into more benign ones. In carrying out this process free radicals are released. Liver cells can subsequently be damaged by too many free radicals. The liver cell can break apart, releasing enzymes that can be measured in the blood and show problem tissue damage. Herbal treatments high in antioxidants can reduce the accumulation of free radicals.

The conjugation pathway is the second detox pathway in the liver. In this process the liver uses the bowel or kidneys to eliminate toxins as waste products by joining special substances to the toxic chemical. If the processes of the bowel or urinary system are impaired, the conjugation pathway can fail. Amino acids like cystine and taurine contain sulphur and are needed in the conjugation phase.

In conjunction with herbal treatments, Glycine, glutamine, choline and inositol are also required to take you through phase two detoxification of the liver. Phytoplex is a product that will assist in this phase. Products such as Biological Sulfur will aid by providing the much-needed sulfur for the catabolism of these amino acids and assist with liver detoxification.

It is important that the herbal also has herbs such as dandelion to help the kidneys and the bowel to eliminate waste effectively. Cleavers, St Mary's Thistle, Shizandra,Tumeric, Globe Artichoke, and Gentian all work together to provide antioxidants and or to stimulate elimination to help the liver to detoxify your body.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on pure herbal treatments, then visit www.herbhub.com.au to find the best advice on herbal remedies for you.

Yoga for Healthy Aging Our Philosophy and Our Tools

by Nina

Philosopher in Meditation by Rembrandt

I always tell everyone, including Brad, that my husband is my worst employee. I mean, how long has it been since Brad has even written a single post for this blog? I don’t even want to know. But the reason I don’t just fire Brad—besides the fact that writing for our blog isn’t really a job and no one gets paid for their work anyway—is that when he does write a post, it is always really outstanding.

I’m bringing this up today because I just went and reread Brad’s very first post for the blog Full Disclosure because I’ve been thinking about how to express our basic intentions for teaching yoga for healthy aging. Just last week, Baxter and I discussed what we meant by “yoga for healthy aging”, and we agreed that “yoga for healthy aging” was both a set of yogic tools and a basic attitude or philosophy. You know, we said, that thing Brad wrote about the first week of our blog about acceptance and active engagement. 

And lo and behold! When I went back to see what he wrote, I found he expressed our basic philosophy so well, there was no reason even to rewrite it in any way.

So as a scientist who studies the biology of aging and the many diseases that are associated with aging, I have come to my own personal conclusions on the importance of practicing a mind/body discipline like yoga. And as I approach my 59th birthday, the immediate realities of physical and mental loss become more apparent. And I am not one of those people who think I can avoid this. I do believe, however, that we have the capacity to regain some of theses age-related losses, and if not, at least slow down their progression. Regaining or maintaining a higher level of balance, physical dexterity, and cognitive function and resolution is therefore something that is attainable and has the capacity to make huge impacts on the quality of our lives. The aging component that works against all this and drives these declines, however, is scientifically and mechanistically poorly understood. This is what makes my scientific life and work so interesting. But as far as I can tell, the basic processes underlying human aging are largely inescapable, at least as we currently understand them. That doesn’t mean we can’t intervene or we have to give up, nor that some of the losses we associate with aging can’t be mitigated. We probably need to practice both acceptance and active engagement as we confront our own aging—part of the underlying philosophy of yoga that I am still struggling with. In any case, it can’t hurt to strive to feel better and think more clearly. There are few things that I would consider more important.

At the time, I felt what Brad had said was very important, so I went ahead and expanded on the yoga philosophy he alluded to in his phrase “part of the underlying philosophy of yoga.” In my post Acceptance, Active Engagement, and the Bhagavad Gita, I explained that the main message of the Bhagavad Gita—one of the most important of the yoga scriptures—was about the benefits of acceptance along with the need for action. This is what is meant by when Krishna tells Arjuna to work “not for a reward” or, as in another translation, without being “attached to the fruits of your actions.”

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.

Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure.

Yoga is evenness of mind—a peace that is ever the same. — trans. by Juan Mascaro

Krishna explains to Arjuna that work is a necessary part of human existence, so the only way to attain equanimity is to do your work without any thoughts of results, remaining open to success or failure. And that this approach—this letting of all results, whether good or bad, and focusing on the action alone—is the essence of yoga. 

But how does this yogic attitude relate to healthy aging? Although we recommend that you practice yoga regularly with the goal of attaining a longer health span and maintaining your independence (see What is Healthy Aging, Anyway?, Yoga for Healthy Aging is Not Science Fiction, and A Declaration of Independence), we also believe it is important to keep in mind results are never guaranteed. As Brad said, the basic processes underlying human aging are largely inescapable, at least as we currently understand them. So we feel that at the same time that you work toward staying healthy by using the tools in your yoga toolbox you should try to let go of all thoughts of success or failure and simply focus on your practice. Then no matter what happens, you’ll be prepared to handle it. (See Acceptance, Active Engagement, and the Bhagavad Gita for background information about the Bhagavad Gita and its basic message.)

In my post Opening Your Yoga Toolbox I provided an overview of the basic tools in our yoga toolbox, saying we had divided them into three groups.

1. Physical health tools for body and brain
2. Stress management tools
3. Equanimity tools

All of these tools—including asana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga philosophy—are exactly what you will use to do to do your daily work, which is your yoga practice. And this set of yogic tools plus a basic attitude of acceptance combined with active engagement is what yoga for healthy aging is all about.

In this wisdom, a man goes beyond what is well done and what is not well done.

Go thou therefore to wisdom:

Yoga is wisdom in work. —trans. by Juan Mascaro

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Healthy Bones for Men and Women Alike

by Baxter

Man and Woman by Marie Lossky

Upon reviewing our blog this morning on the topic of thinning of the bones or osteoporosis, and its precursor osteopenia, I found we had discussed the condition quite a few times, with some posts looking at the very technical aspects of diagnosis, Wolff’s law and other helpful concepts (see What is Osteopenia? And How Can Yoga Help?). However, my motivation for investigating the topic one more time arose out of preparing for a Teacher Training workshop I led over the weekend in Berkeley.  I was teaching to a group of 18 yoga teachers attending a post-graduate program in yoga therapy at the Niroga Institute. Over the course of the weekend, we covered topics ranging from basic skeletal anatomy to diseases and illnesses like arthritis, scoliosis and osteoporosis. And in preparing for the seminar, I purchased Yoga for Osteoporosis by Loren Fishman, MD and Ellen Saltonstall, and read, with great interest, the first several chapters that lead into their recommendations of yoga poses for osteoporosis.

There were several points that jumped out at me that I feel are worthy of repeating or, in some cases, sharing for the first time on these pages. First off, there is the perception that I believe still exists among the general population that osteoporosis is primarily a problem for women, and so men immediately tune out when the topic comes up. I’d recommend you tune back in, fellas! The following statistics are compelling for me as a man to start addressing prevention of osteoporosis in my own life:

While it is impressive that one in two women over 50 have an osteoporosis-related fracture, it is still quite impressive that one in four men over 50 will also experience an osteoporosis-related fracture.  More men over 50 will sustain a hip fracture due to osteoporosis than will develop prostate cancer (this was shocking to me!)  How come this is not being announced all over the country! And the mortality rate in the first year after a hip fracture is 25%! That’s right, one in four adults who sustain a hip fracture will be dead and gone within the 12 months that follow the break.

So, it is now clear to me that this condition is of equal concern for both men and women and has profound and serious consequences once it develops. The typical recommendation, still found on all of your standard info outlets, is for patients with osteoporosis or at risk for osteoporosis to do weight-bearing, impact exercise ( like walking and running) to stimulate bone growth.  The trouble with this, as Nina notes in her evaluation of the Fishman early protocol for osteoporosis (Friday Q&A: Is Loren Fishmans Osteoporosis Sequence Safe?), is that this approach can actually worsen other conditions we often have as we get older, like osteoarthritis.

But the great news that I shared with my aspiring yoga therapists is that low-impact practices like yoga asana may be as effective as older, mainstream recommended practices, like walking, hiking, aerobics and such, with less chance of worsening conditions like arthritis. The research data that shows that we can stimulate new bone growth along lines of stress by holding poses for between 8-72 seconds is, for me, the pivotal nuance to add to the yoga practice you are already doing. Because of this, I have been working recently with holding postures for 30-60 seconds, depending on the physical demands of a given pose (for example, holding Downward-Facing Dog for 60 seconds while holding Hand to Foot pose (Hasta Padangustasana), a much more demanding pose on many levels, for 30 seconds).

Remember that engaging opposing muscle groups while doing the pose increases the stimulation of the underlying bone cells that make new bone. So, in Downward-Facing Dog I consciously engage the muscles around all the joints I can think of: wrists joints (the third most commonly fractured joint in osteoporosis), elbows, shoulders, hips (the second most commonly fractured joint in osteoporosis and the one with the gravest consequences), knees and ankles. And because the vertebrae of the spine are the number one area of fracture in osteoporosis and often lead to chronic, debilitating pain, I have been adding in accessible back bends, like Locust pose, low Cobra pose and Bridge pose, which engage the extensor spinae muscles that attach along the entire length of the spine, and therefore each vertebrae, and holding these poses for 30-60 seconds.

Fishman also notes that while the mainstream medical community has often warned about twisting actions for osteoporosis, as they could lead to vertebral fractures, he and Saltonstall have continued to include simple, basic twists, like seated Sukhasana twist, in their protocols. He believes they may actually be stimulating vertebral bone strength. And the main caution in doing yoga if you already have osteoporosis or osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis) is avoiding or modifying deep forward bends, which can increase your chances of vertebral fractures.

So, the take home messages for my trainees and all of you:

• Osteoporosis affects both men and women as we age, and it is easier to prevent than it is treat it, so get your yoga going, especially you fellas!
• A well-balanced yoga practice, done on the feet or hands or both, is a “simple, silent, inexpensive, and impact-free (for those with arthritis) way of applying force…” to build bone. 
• Holding your poses for 30-60 seconds is the key adaptation in transforming any yoga asana practice into a bone-building practice, even for your limbs that may not be bearing weight (such as your arms in Warrior 2, for example).
• If you already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia, minimize or avoid forward folding poses.

Live long and have strong bones!

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How To Have Healthy Gums With A Brooklyn Cosmetic Dentist

By Erika Hertol

If you want to maintain a health and attractive smile, you have to make sure to take good care of their gums. While many people regularly brush their teeth, they are not doing all that they can to preserve the integrity and health of the soft tissues that surround their teeth. Fortunately, Brooklyn NY affordable dentistry services can help you learn more about optimal gum care.

Flossing is something that people should do each and every day. This removes trap food and plaque that tooth brushes cannot reach. Not only does it prevent extensive tooth decay, but it also keeps the gums from drawing back and exposing the soft dentin that lies beneath them.

Rinsing out the mouth is also an important step in good oral care. This should be done once you are finished flossing. It will eliminate all of the debris that has come loose when you brushed and flossed. It is possible to do this with saltwater that you have made yourself or you can buy a special rinse at the store.

Many professionals are also suggesting that their clients start oil pulling. This is a great practice for eliminating toxins and harmful bacteria in the mouth. Simply place a teaspoon of all natural oil like coconut or sesame oil in your mouth and then swirl it around.

After pulling the oil through the mouth for up to fifteen minutes, you should spit it out rather than swallowing it. You should immediately brush, floss and rinse to clear out the toxins. Oil pulling lubricates and cleans the gums.

After you have done all that you can at home to restore good gum health, you may want to consult with a cosmetic dentist for corrective surgeries. This may be important if the gums have drawn back from the teeth or show signs of infection. Oil pulling and good hygiene can correct these issues and even reverse them. Your provider can also help you regain healthy, plump gums that protect your teeth and enhance your smile.

About the Author:

Find a review of the benefits and advantages you get when you consult a knowledgeable cosmetic dentist and more info about a reputable provider of Brooklyn NY affordable dentistry services at http://www.bushwicksmiles.com now.

Cultivating Healthy Posture with a Simple Restorative Pose

by Timothy

Poor posture is a common problem that people of any age can have but it is one that tends to worsen over time. Particularly common is the rounding of the upper back into a C-shaped curve, aka Slumpasana. People often hold their heads several inches forward of the body’s plumb line, which can lead to neck and upper back discomfort, among other problems. I’m just back from teaching workshops on therapeutic yoga at Kripalu and the Himalayan Institute and several of the people I worked with—some despite years of yoga practice—still had this postural habit. So I thought today I’d share with you a simple technique that in a number of cases has proved helpful for improving posture.

You might not think poor posture would be a factor is serious health problems, and we certainly weren’t taught much about it in medical school. But if you read medical textbooks and search out relevant studies, you will see that poor posture can contribute such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoporotic fractures, and even heart disease and depression. From a yogic perspective, this combination of slumping posture and the less-than-ideal breathing that accompanies it is also believed to contribute to anxiety, insomnia, digestive difficulties, etc.

When your back rounds, your lower ribs compress the top of the abdomen so it’s not possible to fully move your diaphragm, the major muscle of breathing, and take a full breath. As a result, people take shallow breaths, primarily bringing air into the upper parts of the lungs. Such a breathing pattern is not as efficient in bringing oxygen into the body, and more importantly for many health concerns, is agitating to the nervous system. I won’t go into the physiology here, but suffice it to say that I have repeatedly seen that improving your posture in a way that allows you to take slower, deeper breaths can lead to an improvement in overall health and well-being.

When you’ve had a long-term habit of slouching, however, it may not just be as simple as remembering to sit up straight or to pull you shoulders back when standing. Long-term slouching leads to shortening of muscles in the front of the upper body, as well as of the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates the muscles, and which can limit movement. It’s said that longer holds of poses are necessary to help lengthen the fascia, and while people differ on what the ideal holding time is, I believe staying in a pose for a few minutes may be ideal. That’s hard to do in most regular asana, particularly the backbends, which open up the back. The pose described below is a supported backbend, which like a regular backbend helps correct the postural problem, but because it’s restorative, it’s easy to stay long enough to have the desired effect on the fascia.

To do the pose, you’ll need one blanket and something to place under your head. Take a standard folded yoga blanket and unfold it once, so that you’ve got a long rectangle. Roll the blanket from the longer edge into a thin cylinder. Place the cylinder sideways on your mat a couple of feet from the head of the mat, sit in front of the blanket, and lie back so that rounded edge comes to your mid-thoracic spine.

Thoracic Spine, the portion of your spine to which your ribs attach—
between your cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine

You can play with the placement, maybe a little higher or lower to get the region of your upper back that seems the most stubborn. Most people, particularly those who tend to slouch, need a pillow or folded blanket under the back of their heads, so that the chin can be more or less at the level of the forehead or slightly lower.

Once you’ve got your props in place, come to a supine Mountain pose with your back on the blanket roll, your head on the head support, and the tops of your shoulders on floor between the head support and the blanket roll. Now, take your arms out to your sides in a T-position, externally rotating your upper arms so your palms face the ceiling, which will help counteract the tendency of most slouchers to internally rotate them. Engage your leg muscles and lightly flex your feet. After  you’ve established your alignment, let go of all effort and lie back into this restorative backbend and let the blanket do all the work. Your only job is to remain mindful, trying to breathe slowly and deeply for the next several minutes. Titrate the time you stay to your comfort levels and schedule. For most people, I’d recommend starting with a minute or so then working up to 5-15 minutes a day. The longer you hold it (as long as you remain comfortable), and the more regularly you do it, the better the results!

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