injury prevention Archives

“Bootcamp Yoga”, “Yoga on Steroids”,”Kick Ass Yogi”, and “Military Yogi” are some names used to describe me and my yoga classes. I take them all as a compliment because I admit…I do have a very unique and somewhat intense style of teaching.

I started my fitness career as a personal trainer then later received my certification as a yoga teacher. I have crazy love for high intensity sport and training which explains a lot about my style of yoga teaching. Many yogis would disagree with the way I teach but I can give 3 poops about it. There are so many schools and styles of yoga. Some offering a grounding and more spiritual practice and others a more physical and anatomical approach. I am not about chanting or preaching about life lessons (I’m still learning my own so I’m not about to teach someone else) nor do I touch the topic of chakras or energy work. I love and believe in all of the above but it’s just not in me to teach them.

What I strive to teach my students is what most teachers didn’t teach me when I started yoga. And that’s how to prevent injuries from happening when practicing. Students come into class throwing themselves into a flow and jamming their bodies into poses, causing more pain in the long run. I want my students to understand each pose, what muscles to engage, which are lengthened, how to breath and stay focused, and the importance of full body integration during a practice. Most students will rely solely on their flexibility and fail to use their muscles. It’s so important to build strength when practicing. Have a solid and strong foundation in the basic poses and the more challenging (+ pretty) ones such as inversions and arm balancing will come easier.

So YUP…with this in mind, my sequences are intense and chock full of ab/core work, full body strength focused exercises, and long held poses. So what are the benefits to my “power yoga” teaching?

Here they are!
1. Gain a strong understanding of what muscles to engage when holding poses
2. Learn the alignment structure of each pose
3. Build full body strength when holding poses and flowing through them
4. Break a sweat and get the heart pumping
5. Increase flexibility through strength to avoid over-stretching attachments (tendons and ligaments)
6. Prevent injuries and keeping the body safe and efficient for years to come
7. Learn full body/mind connection and awareness

Here’s a quick power sequence that I love to teach and one you can do at home. Use this sequence as your own yoga practice or before a workout to get the heart going, the muscles working, and your body flowing. 😉

I totally get it…a power yoga sequence is not for everyone. Well that’s the beauty of yoga…it’s never a one size fits all. Because of all the injuries in my early years of practice, it’s become the main reason I teach with focus on alignment and strength. I beg of students (especially those who are just beginning yoga) to take the time to understand the poses as you flow through them. Work with a teacher that will demonstrate and explain the alignment and foundation of each pose. It’s an invaluable lesson that will save you from future injuries and to enjoy a life long yoga practice.

It has taken me almost 8 years to find one…and now I have found her! Holistic physician, chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, and naturopath, Dr. Gabrielle Francis is a “one and only”. Currently I see her monthly for massage, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. She is truly talented and extremely effective in her sessions.

Chiropractic practice is known for its controversy. Through its history, it’s been named quakery, mystical and known for fraud in the healthcare profession. Health care industry say that chiropractic adjustments and spinal manipulations may cause disability, death, or major complications to the spine. There are several chiropractors that hold water to these accusations. Some snap and crack your joints in less than 5 minutes without any preparation. Some lay 7-10 patients on beds lined up in a small room and hardly touch you but say that their energy is adjusting your spine from within. I’ve experience both and will say that these doctors commit a crime. Charging over $200 per session for 15 minutes of your time while possibly causing misalignment and more pain in your body.

It’s a pretty scary line to walk on – entrusting your body in someone’s hands, knowing that they have the opportunity to change it for the the good or bad. It’s just like working with a fitness trainer or body work specialist. You have hopes that you will be safe and they’re not going to injure you or put your body in a state of pain or disability. At least with a trainer or massage therapist, you will feel discomfort and make a choice to not continue. But with a chiropractor, your body lies in their hands (literally) before they twist and pop you.

When you exercise, you want your body to move in full range of motion. When it’s limited, your muscles will grab on your bones and joints, begin to pull in other areas and compensation occurs. So before you begin any exercise, you want to make sure your body is warm and your muscles are stretched and released. Dr. Francis begins her sessions by checking my alignment, she then props my hips up on wedges and waits until they set in proper alignment (my pelvis is a bit torqued from an old injury) . She then works on tight muscles in my glutes, back, trapezius with massage to warm and prep my body for her adjustments.

Adjustments, when done properly, can reset your body’s alignment. Let’s use an example we all do daily: sitting at the computer in poor posture. Most desks are not set up ergonomically so the most common posture would be a protracted head (image below).

In this posture, known as cervical kyphosis, your cervical spine is overloaded forcing your upper back and neck muscles to work so much harder than they should. Your spine begins to mold itself into this position. The forward weight of your head compresses the nerves in the base of your skull into your upper spine causing headaches, respiratory issues and possibly leading to psychological and mental disorders. Who would have thought sitting at a desk can create these health issues?

In correcting this, setting up your desk is the first step to avoid having to poke your head forward to look at the screen. The next step is awareness and trying to retract your head (give yourself a double chin) which relaxes the neck muscles and straightens out your spine. Consistent stretching of your neck and upper back muscles help to release tension and bring your head back to alignment. Chiropractic adjustments will help to fast forward the reversal of this posture.

I’ve been spending more time in front of my computer so I was beginning to develop slight cervical kyphosis. Dr. Francis would massage all the tight muscles in my traps, up my neck and all the way to the base of my skull to prep for a neck adjustment. This particular adjustment unnerves me and she knows this. One wrong move can misalign your spine and create all sorts of issues from disability to possible death. She relaxes me with breathing queues and assures me with full explanation of how she is setting my body up so that her adjustment will release only needs to and with minimal force. Once it’s done, it is the most relaxing feeling. I automatically breathe better and feel this openness in my neck. A symphony of cracks (nitrogen released in the joints) occur and we can all agree that that sound is release alone. She proceeds through my body and when I finally stand up, it’s a whole new me.

She informs me that I’m now moving in a different posture. So taking time in this new posture is important and not doing anything that will disrupt it’s adaptation to new placement is key. She sends me on my way with a neck traction block so I can do my homework until my next visit with her.

Dr. Francis’ holistic approach in medicine runs parallel with my beliefs and I can’t wait to explore all the ways she will teach me about the healing power of nature and how to work in harmony with my body. Her 17 years of medical education has taken her worldwide and back to NYC offering a unique approach to medicine and healing.

* I’m proud to have Dr. Gabrielle Francis a part of my Community.
Please visit her site at The Herban Alchemist.

Tag Archive for injury prevention

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