Events:

Join us Friday, May 16th, 2008 for Backyard Yoga.

Sprout Yoga is hosting a backyard yoga event featuring a yoga lesson and refreshments afterwards.
$20 will pay for your lesson and your food. RSVP on the Sprout Yoga website, www.sproutyoga.org.

Since the mission of the organization is to bring yoga to everyone, everywhere, the Sprout’s first event will be a fundraiser open to the public. “Backyard Yoga,” to take place on May 16, 2008, brings the joy and freedom of yoga out of the studio and literally into the backyard! With a short, easy class appropriate for all levels, followed by a backyard cookout and healthy vegetarian meal, Backyard Yoga is one step in bringing yoga to all who need it in a way they can access it.

Watch for Sprout Yoga to hold a gentle morning class at 7:00 am, location TBA. All proceeds go to furthering the mission of Sprout Yoga. For more information, contact Maggie, at Maggie@sproutyoga.org.

Research Review:

Sprout Yoga’s mission is to educate and advocate about how yoga can be a useful tool in healing eating disorders and post traumatic stress disorder.  While we are still growing and moving, our plan is to provide grants for research into these areas. Sprout Yoga will provide grants for research purposes to counselors, therapists and social workers for development of empirical evidence indicating the relationship between yoga and (1) post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (2) eating disorders (ED); and (3) dissociation.  Sprout will also fund grants for the development of a curriculum for yoga teachers based on the empirical research provided by the grants above.

Legislation to Watch:

Eating DisordersAwareness, Prevention, and Education Act of 2007, HR 88. Sponsored by Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL), this bill would create education programs in elementary and high schools.  No action has taken place on this bill since May of 2007, and there are no co-sponsors. Call or email your legislator today to get this important bill moving!

Sprout Yoga’s mission is to educate and advocate about how yoga can be a useful tool in healing eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. We plan to feature reviews of books that help mental health professionals better understand the effects of yoga so that they can use yoga as part of their therapy. We also plan to feature books that help yoga teachers understand how to create classes that assist those with ED and PTSD better, as well as how to incorporate general therapy ideas into a mixed level class that may have people with ED in it.

Pose Focus:

This picture was downloaded from flickr and appears here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cchiopris/2261205795/

Every month we will feature one asana, describing its benefits and attributes. This month’s asana is the ardha matseyndrasna – or half lord of the fishes pose. It is a twisting pose, which brings attention to the spine and can be helpful for treating sciatica. Like most twisting poses, this asana stimulates the digestive system, assisting in elimination. Because the pose stimulates the digestive system, it was traditionally thought that it increased appetite.

Please, if you have a back injury, discuss this pose with your health professional.

It may seem odd, but this twisting pose can actually create a sense of comfort and security, as the shoulders and chest are opening, creating space and freedom, but the lower body is gently wrapped around itself, protecting the self from feeling vulnerable or exposed, as some heart opening poses can create.

To do ardha matseyndrasasna, begin by sitting in staff pose, with your back straight and your legs reaching long in front of you. Bend your right leg, placing your right foot by your left knee. Now carefully bend your left knee, keeping it on the ground so that your left foot is by your right hip. If this bothers your left knee, you can place a blanket under the knee, as your hips may not be able to open as far as needed to have the left knee comfortably bend.  Your right hip should remain on the ground. If that is not possible at this time, place a blanket under your hip.  Now its time to open the chest and stretch the back. Raise your arms over your head, and rotate your torso towards your right hip, so that your shoulders are trying to align themselves with the right knee. Lower your left elbow towards your right knee. Lower your right arm so that it is parallel to the floor, keeping the extension in your shoulder, lower your right hand to the ground. By raising your arms above your head to begin this pose, you will keep the focus on twisting the torso, allowing the twist to begin in the core, not torqueing yourself with your arm strength. Keep the focus on the core as you inhale sitting up a little straighter, and exhale gently twisting the spine a little more. When you are ready to come out of the pose (three to five deep breaths should do it), gently release your arms, bringing your torso and shoulders into alignment with your hips and gently unwrap your legs. Then repeat this series on the other side of the body.