• 5 ways physical therapy can change your yoga practice.

    By

    Dr. Camille Foster, PT, DPT, ATC, cert DN, RYT-200

    According to the APTA: “Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on-care, and patient education.

    Physical therapists diagnose and treat individuals of all ages…Many patients have injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions that need treatment. PTs also care for people who simply want to become healthier and to prevent future problems. Physical therapists examine each person and then develops a treatment plan to improve their ability to move, reduce or manage pain, restore function and prevent disability.”

    Yoga is the union and harmony of the body, mind, and interaction with the internal and external environment. Yoga represents a systemic practice of physical movement, breath control, relaxation and meditation. The physical practice of yoga helps with strength and flexibility, however, when pre-existing muscle imbalances and underlying instabilities exist in the body there is an increased risk for injury with repetitive movement patterns.

    Physical therapy is designed to identify these imbalances and movement dysfunctions and, thus, a PT and yoga practitioner who is knowledgeable in postures, can really be an asset to preventing injury in your practice. Yoga instructors with a physical therapy background can assist your practice as they are:

    1. equipped to adapt or modify a practice to a person’s condition or disability due to their knowledge of the human body

    2. skilled in manual therapy techniques, and utilize tools and clinical knowledge to individually assess and treat limitations and restrictions in a specific poses

    3. skilled at identifying muscle imbalances and poor movement strategies that put your body at risk for injury.

    4. trained in identifying pathological conditions that may require additional medical attention and avoiding risk of damaging joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments further.

    5. able to assist with identifying methods for cross training in order to avoid repetitive strain or load due to constant movement patterns and identify exercises and activities to help strengthen specific muscle groups for optimal alignment and movement strategies.

    Physical therapist’s can really be an asset to keeping you safe and helping you understand your body during your physical yoga practice. Ask a Yogi PT like myself @ alignrightpt@gmail.com how we can help you with improving your practice today.

    Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this article are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.

  • 3 Important benefits of yoga: It’s more than just stretching

    By

    Dr. Camille Foster, PT, DPT, ATC, cert DN, RYT-200

    As a physical therapist and movement specialist, I have a different experience with body awareness and was searching for a way to release tightness and tension in my own body. I quickly realized that the passive stretching I gave my own patients didn’t quite work in my own body and that lead me to the question???…how many of my patients felt the same way? This led me on search for a movement practice that would offer different results. Aerobics didn’t do it, Zumba was fun but not quite what I needed, TaeBo was getting a little warmer but still not there. Finally, I discovered P90x. P90x was great in the beginning, but I started to lose interest until I got to the yoga video. It was 90 minutes of torture and it seemed impossible…but how could that be? It was only a series of positions to stretch. This led me on a journey of discovery on what is yoga and what was all the hype. Years later after an on and off again practice I decided to join a yoga teacher training and bam….here we are! Here is what I have learned and experienced in my time as a practicing yogi and yoga instructor that I would like to share with those of you questioning the hype around yoga.

    Yoga is a system, not of beliefs, but of techniques and guidance for living an enriched life. Yoga is defined as the union of mind, body and soul and, thus, so much more that just a movement practice. Unfortunately, it is common for yoga to be considered just a form of exercise, but a true understanding of all it’s facets reveal a guide for wellness and living a life of purpose. Yoga is guided by 8 limbs, which are the individual road maps to guide our lives. This information revealed to me that yoga is much more than just being able to stretch and possibly do a split.

    Asana (poses), Pranayama ( breathing techniques) and Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses/meditation) are three that stand out to me as daily foundations and should be non-negotiables each day. These three limbs embody some of the main benefits of bringing yoga into your life to help you access your own ability to heal and preserve your health. When you create a connection with your mind and body, it creates a better sense of body awareness that allows you to honor and respect your body. You can use that connection to put you on the path for physical, emotional and mental self-healing.

    1. Movement: Through asana practice, yoga is a great way to create stability through your joints, strengthen muscles and improve core strength. Learning to move safely with proper mindful alignment and coordinated breath translates to a strong and mobile body. Focusing on stability and alignment will inevitably lead to improved flexibility, better posture and balance, no matter your age, body type or physical condition. Asanas can be adapted and modified to make it accessible for everybody.
    2. Breath: Coordinating breath with movement and simply resting and focusing on breathing techniques is a great way to work on lung function and breath control. Pranayama is the practice of using your breath to purify the mind, body and spirit. Breathing is an involuntary function, but we also have voluntary control that is overlooked. This voluntary exploration of breath allows for better lung expansion which improves oxygenation of the blood and breath control. Slower and deeper breath control helps calm the nervous system and allow for more efficient function of your body systems ( such as the cardiac, nervous, gastrointestinal, reproductive systems). Calming the nervous system allows for stress reduction, managing anxiety and improving receptivity of the immune system
    3. Meditation: Yoga also offers the ability to foster spiritual growth. Spiritual growth comes from awareness of self and your surroundings without distractions. Traditional yoga asana practice typically infuses feelings of gratitude, empathy, forgiveness and self-love, which allows for introspection and thoughtfulness. Dealing with pain is a difficulty experience, but the yoga mindset have been found to helps with suffering that is associated with pain. Pain can’t always be avoided, but how much you suffer as a result of the pain depends on your state of mind. Thoughts and emotional reactions to painful experiences fuel suffering and learning to quiet the mind through mindful meditation and movement can transcend suffering.

    The practice of yoga goes beyond flexibility. It goes beyond being a tool to help my clients move. It is away of life that has allowed my clients and most importantly myself live with purpose.

    Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this article are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.

    Resources

    • McCall, Timothy. 2007. Yoga as Medicine, the Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, A Division of Random House, Inc.
    • Garner, Ginger. 2016. Medical Therapeutic Yoga, Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation and Wellness Care. East Lothian, United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing Limited