Welcome to the Living Practice July 2001

 

 

Contents of this month’s eNewsletter

 

1    Going Deeper by Jillian Pransky

2    Openness and Emptiness by Megan Lurie McCarver

3    Interview with Erich Shiffmann

4    Website Review by Dr. Kev

5    A Relaxing Breath Exercise by Patrick Kelly

6    How to Choose a Chiropractor by Dr. J. Lisella

7    A Note From Yogaeverywhere.com

8    Yoga eCommerce and eVents

 

 

Dear Lovely Internet Readers,

One afternoon Rose, my two and a half-year-old daughter, my Keeshound and I were at the park practicing yoga. After my third sun salutation, I was staring out into the ocean resting in a runner’s lunge when Rose decided to climb on my extended back leg. A few breaths passed by as Rose dangled off and on my back leg. Next I eased into Adho Mukha Svanasana, downward facing dog. During this transition, she fell off gently landing on the grass. Flowing into Chaturanga Dandasana, little ambitious Rose (perhaps not so little weighing thirty-five pounds these days), returned trying to balance on the back of my legs. With get joy and admiration for my daughter’s persistence and challenge of life, I glided up into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, upward facing dog. A sweet couple walked by smiling and the woman commented, “Ahh, a new form of partners yoga”. I smiled and relayed “You could call it that, however I call it my daily yoga practice with Rose”.

 

My message to you this month is to continue your practice. It may be five minutes a day, could be two classes a week or twenty minutes a day with a child dangling from your waist. Your yoga practice is naturally designed to meet your personal needs, if you see it as a creative activity with very soft edges, yet precise form and mindful breathe.  It will continue to unfold and as you listen, your answers will be told.

 

Much love and appreciation for you,

Megan

 

Going Deeper by Jillian Pransky

Last week I was 9300 feet high... At a retreat center, nestled in the aspen covered mountains of southern Utah where I studied with Yoga Master John Friend. John developed a system called ANUSARA Yoga. I explored new alignment techniques and experienced the power of intention, willingness and grace. With John's expert guidance, I was able to work with a tendon injury in my hand and cultivate the courage to go deeper than I've gone in a long time.

 

Going deeper in poses (safely, with the help of a teacher) can bring great feelings of aliveness, strength, and confidence. With the heat and playfulness of summer, it is a perfect time to adventure deeper into your yoga and/or meditation practice; conditions are ripe to bloom wide-open. It is also an ideal time to stay committed.

 

Even if you are vacationing frequently this summer or spending more time socializing (which is all good) don't lax on your practice. Find a class on vacation or develop your personal practice at home. Invite your friends to practice with you one the beach or in the park. In addition, come to one of the workshops listed below for extra inspiration.
 
Jillian Pransky is a Senior Yoga Zone teacher in New York City, Director of the North Hudson YMCA, Yoga Program in Hoboken, New Jersey and on the faculty at the New School University.  In addition to instructing Yoga, Jillian write articles on yoga, which have been printed in Simplicity Magazine, Vivianlives.com, and various newsletters. She runs Yoga Tropical Vacations and retreats, which includes an annual trip to Mexico in March. Please visit her at www.YOGAJILLIAN.COM and check out her free eNewsletter on yoga. PS. See Jillian free class coupon in the Yoga eVents and eCommerce section.

 

Openness and Emptiness by Megan Lurie McCarver

I have experienced the greatest feelings of openness and emptiness around life transitions. The day after my stepmother and dear friend Peggy died, her hospice worker told our family a story that comforted my heart and still warms my soul. I will now share that story with you about openness and emptiness.

 

The story begins telling of a young mother of four very young children who died from breast cancer. The father was devastated from the loss of his love and the mother of his children. He could not find the words to tell his children and asked the hospice worker to do so. Sitting the children down in the living room floor, she told them that their mommy is no longer suffering and that she had gone to a better place. After a long pause, the five-year-old began to wear a great big smile and replied … “Mommy did not go away. She’s right here.”  Pointing to her own heart she confidently walked out of the room saying, “She’s right here … in my heart”.

 

Interview with Erich Schiffmann
Here is one of my favorite teachers. http://www.yogasite.com/freedom.htm

Students always ask me if I have a video. I don’t yet, however Erich’s video is the one I highly recommend. His book entitled Yoga The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness is a valuable teaching tool for students as well as teachers. Please check out his site. http://www.movingintostillness.com/

 

Website Review by Dr. Kev
www.yogaclass.com

This month I'd like to share with you a video recorded in 1994 of a talk by
Ram Das at Chapman College in Orange County, California.
http://yogaclass.com/tape/das.ram

 

A Relaxing Breath Exercise by Patrick Kelly 
An easy, relaxing breath exercise. It gently relaxes
our breathing, with refreshing results. Give it a try. Thank you, P. Kelly
http://www.respire.net

 

How to Choose a Chiropractor by Dr. J. Lisella

Here is some basic information you should know when choosing a chiropractor in America. All chiropractors must take a test for each state they practice in. So if you want to find out any background, you can call the chiropractic state board in your state. To find out if your doctor is part of any special council such as neurology or pediatrics you can call the American
Chiropractic Association (ACA) at (703) 276-8800 or the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) at (800) 423-4690. Each assoc. has different councils which means that we do continuing educational courses to study a particular subject.

 

Then there is the matter of technique - we all do different treatments and all are valid and work - it just depends on what the doctor likes to do. I will use myself as an example - I have studied over 100 hours in Applied Kinesiology and have 50 hours in cranial work and over50 hours in pediatric studies. I do nutritional work, soft tissue work and diversified adjusting. Because of the techniques I have studied it gives me a lot of tools to work with. It's good to look for a doctor who is constantly studying and using different techniques.

 

When calling their office, ask them what techniques they do and do they have a specialty. A good doctor won't be afraid of referring to another chiropractor. I refer out patients that require or want solely cranial work or more neuro-emotional work to doctors specializing in that specific filed.

The other service the ACA or the ICA can do for you is to refer you the numbers to the different technique associations. Another group is the Sacral - Occipital association, which I've taken courses from because it is closely related to Applied Kinesiology.

The most important factor is that your goal and the doctor’s goal for treatment are in agreement. The communication is always clear and you've gotten your questions answered. What I do on the first visit at the end of the consultation I will ask the person what are their priorities, the back
pain, loosing weight or other problems - on the first visit I need to know why they are coming to me. Periodically I give out a questionnaire and one of the questions is do you feel that your health issues are being addressed. It is a checkpoint for me too because sometimes I need to work on the acute problems and then get to the bigger issues.

 

Lastly, as a chiropractor, I am the teacher to show people about better health and how they can do it. I help heal the body but you yourself are the real healer.

Dr. Jeanne Lisella is a local Santa Monica chiropractor in family practice for over 10 years. She specializes in women's health issues (PMS, menopause, pre/post natal care, and osteoporosis) and children's health. Dr. Lisella’s goal as a chiropractor is to allow her patients to feel their best and to avoid needless disease (310) 396-5014.

 

A Note from Yogaeverywhere.com

A few exciting growth spurts to share with you from Yogaeverywhere.com. We are honored to be listed in the consumers’ review of Forbes.com. Please check out the other yoga sites reviewed too.

 

Please continue to contribute your stories from the heart, the body, the mind or the spirit to the Living Practice. Growing steadily from the good word of mouth or should we say luck and clicks, there are over 1300 of us reading the Living Practice today. Let us always connect at the many levels of life and recognize the blessings of physical life that we share.

 

Thank you again for the opportunity to teach and learn. Pranam, Megan, Gary and Rose.