Whiplash and Yoga

Common Whiplash Symptoms

Whiplash is not an uncommon injury in our culture. Unfortunately, it is quite frequent. According to the Whiplash  Prevention Campaign  nearly 200 rear-end collisions occur a day in BC alone. With rear-end collisions being the main cause for Whiplash it is safe to say that many people are effected.

For many individuals with a yoga practice already or those who haven’t tried yet, a physical practice is generally taken off the table as am form of rehabilitation. Pictures of big twists and memories of shoulderstand can understandably send someone running the other direction. Thankfully I am able to work with individuals in various stages of a whiplash injury sharing asana, pranayama, and meditation practice to aid in the stages of healing. And for those patients and physiotherapists who have been willing to give it a try have seen the great benefits.

Some benefits of Yoga in the various stages of a whiplash injury:

-Aids in easing anxiety and calming the fight or flight response

-Improves propreoception and overall body awareness

-Can gently maintain mobility and function while the body heals

-Balances energy levels

-Improves sleep

-Strengthens posture

– Aids in improving immune function

– Increases overall strength and core stability

The list goes on….

The most important and long-term benefit that I have noticed, however, is people getting back in control of their body. Often, those that come into the clinic for treatment are not at fault for the collision. They also usually have lawyers or family and friends telling them to “hold out” for larger settlements and they very quickly fall into the role of the victim. Some even hold tight onto the strings of entitlement, believing that they are “owed”.  According to a study by the NHS, it generally takes 32 days to recover, but one in five sufferers continue to still have symptoms up to a year later. Not surprisingly, this can lead to depression, anxiety and a range of other stress-related illnesses.

It is clear to many in the rehabilitation setting that people very quickly give up the right to their body and get stuck. Believing that it is someone else’s responsibility to make them better and deciding that they won’t be happy until they can feel “normal”again. All the various aspects of Yoga practice truly play a vital role in showing people that they can be in control of their breath, their body, and their thought patterns. It puts individuals back in the drivers seat and  creates a more realistic template for setting goals and moving away from being the victim to the victor.

 

So how should you go about adding a yoga practice in safely with physiotherapy/RMT treatment when suffering from whiplash?

1. If you don’t have a physiotherapist already look for a clinic or rehab center that is associated with a yoga studio or employs someone who does Yoga rehab/therapy so that it can be an option on your recovery road. Some insurance companies will even approve active rehabilitation by a physiotherapy assistant or kinesiologist so use this to your advantage and find one that also teaches yoga.

2. Schedule some one-on-ones with a therapeutic Yoga instructor. Sometimes (not always) more pricey but a great way to get some insight into  moving forward with a yoga practice independently. Just one or two sessions can make a world of difference and keep your body safe in the class setting.

3. Once you have moved beyond the acute phase of your injury and your health professional gives you the okay, check out a restorative or gentle hatha yoga class. ***Also let your instructor know your injury*** Most instructors know how to provide students with props and modifications to suit every body.

4. If your budget is a little tight from paying for all your treatment and possibly loosing time from work, the internet is a great source for meditation tips and gentle yoga videos. Find something that resonates with you. Also websites like YogaGlo are a great source for at home practice.

 

For more information on Yoga for rehabilitation or how to enhance your practice after an injury please don’t hesitate to contact me .

 

Namaste

 

x Carly

February Food Foundations

Eating in

Good news : February is almost past

Bad news: I am afraid of loosing all that I have gained from this last months resolution.

We chose “No Eating Out” for the second month of the year primarily because we wanted to be healthier and it only had 28 days in it so we wouldn’t to deprive ourselves of restaurant food for very long. It also seemed like such a daunting task since I probably average 1 meal out a day. Our lives are busy ones … along with everyone else … and grabbing a sandwich here and a burrito there just seemed easier then carrying around a bunch of food with me all day long. The benefits of this all, however, have expressed beyond those initial intentions as all of our resolutions do.

First, I noticed a drastic change of energy. I felt more awake and stronger after my first week of preparing all of my meals by my own hands and with fresh ingredients. Many “Well Duh!” ‘s may follow that last comment but it really took doing it myself for an extended period of time to realize the importance of making our own food.

Second, I am saving hundreds of dollars! For some, another “Duh!” moment. For me, I expected to save some money but I truly had no idea it would be this much. I am terrible with money. I never really know how much I have, how much I owe, or where and how it gets spent. I have always been completely hopeless and happily delusional and this has been a surprising wake-up call as well as new-found motivation into being better with where my money goes.

Third, our relationship has improved. Along with the “eating in” resolution we also decided to eat every meal at the kitchen table instead of the usual Netflix 1-2 hour dinner watch-a-thon. Now, I will be honest. On those nights when I got home late from work and wanted desperately to never sit in a chair again, we did end up cross-legged on the floor in front of the TV, zoned out and unconsciously shoveling food into our mouths. But the majority of the time we ate at the table and would stay there talking well beyond our plates had been emptied and cleared. My partner even started helping out with meals (Despite our “I cook, you clean” arrangement) which I really appreciated on those nights when I would usually vote for take out sushi.

Now as we munch our way into March this coming week I want to stay connected with the foundations that we have cultivated. New habits of making lunches, brining snacks, and creative cooking are always available and in a city where it is incredibly easy to forget these things I think its important that we keep ourselves reminded on all that we have gained from this months experience. And as always, even though I have always known this was the better way, it took actually doing it to make the difference. Practice makes for more practice. Horay!

Happy Eating In !

Namaste

xo Carly

Its a Resolutionful Life

After a year of a different resolution every month it seems completely bonkers not to continue doing it. It is also easy to be inspired when I hear that friends and family members are also taking on our challenge along with us. (If you didn’t see our resolutions for 2013 check out “December Giveaway” for a re-cap)

As we roll into the New Year of 2014 my motivations for resolutions are less about “fixing” myself and more about enhancing my experiences. Despite my intention of guilt-free resolutions, there still was a lot of guilt attached to my goals and it took a whole year of trying new things and various challenges to see the resolutions that really made me grow and those that just made me feel bad. There is always going to be a bit of give and take for any new intention and I believe I can enter into any new goal with a bit more understanding an love knowing that more deeply.

So what is January 2014’s Resolution you ask?!

January is “Take a Picture Everyday” month.

My partner and I have a pretty lovely little life together. Lots of trips, lots of laughs, and lots of love. We also live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Surrounded my sky and sea and in the 2 years that I have lived here I don’t have much documentation of the beauty in our day to day as well as the spectacular.

Secret look-out beyond English Bay

We are constantly making new memories but so rarely have evidence of those memories afterwards. “Hey remember that time we went to that place? It was May and it was hot out. Where was that?” Even looking back in old journals are lacking in my actual life events and instead I only tend to write when I am feeling bad or lonely.

I am all about living in the moment which is why I am in this position in the first place but hopefully a month of documenting our life a wee bit better can help me get more into the habit of doing it in the future.

 

I always love to hear about other’s experiences and ideas on the topic of resolutions. Please feel free to share yours.

December Giveaway

Here it is. A whole year of resolutions coming to an end. I can’t believe that I have made it this far and have learned so much from offering myself 12 different goals for 2013. Choosing resolutions in this way has removed the guilt, the shame, and the disappointment.  Of course it wasn’t all fun and games and there have challenges and judgements towards myself and others. But through those rough weeks and more difficult resolutions I have found my rhythm of self-improvement and I feel strong and capable and better able to achieve goals on the road to being a better individual for myself, my family, and my community.

In case you haven’t been along for the whole ride her is a list of 2013’s Year of Resolutions:

January No Complaining- pretty simple.. no complaining

February Unplugging from electronics – no cellphone or ipods in social situations

March Compliments – Giving 5 compliments a day

April Writing – Journaling everyday

May Goddess Appreciation – Loving and honoring all women and letting go of jealousy and judgement

June Truths – Only speaking the truth to myself and others

July Sugar-free – No refined sugar of any kind

August Strangers – To speak to more stranger.. cultivate more friendships

September Reflection – To spend the month in reflection about my Burning Man experience and goals for the future

October No Alcohol – No drinking alcohol of any kind

November Clean up – Picking up one or more pieces of garbage on the ground each day

Its not totally over yet though…. in honor of the Christmas Spirit as well as the all powerful Burning Man principles we decided that December is to be the month of giving. Today is the 12th and we have already spent these past 11 days giving as best we can. Here are some of the ways we have offered gifts:

Making sandwiches for the hungry souls that we pass on the way to work

Giving change to familiar faces holding up a cup

Buying a friend a drink

Giving compliments to co-workers

Gifting myself a day of rest and recovery

Bringing the whole office chocolate bars

Giving students an extra long savasana with neck massage

Sending our sponsor-child a Christmas present

It doesn’t always have to be a monetary offering nor does it have to be big and lavish. It is just about taking the time to give to someone as well as cultivating the awareness that giving to each other can happen all year round. It is fun to be creative and wake up in the morning thinking… “What can be my gift today” till eventually I don’t think that at all and giving becomes a natural side-effect of moving through the world. We don’t need to have an ‘excuse’ or an event. We can just give.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”
― St. Francis of Assisi

Thank you to all the people who helped me in this year long journey. Those who gave me ideas, inspiration, and encouragement. It has been an amazing challenge.  2014 is coming. Time moves swiftly and it is beautiful.

November Pick-Up

It is hard to believe that the year of resolutions is coming to the end. It has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride of emotions, failures, successes, and allowing myself the opportunity to be an honest human. Honest about my habits (good & bad), my expectations, my judgements, and my willpower. I am proud of how far I have come and the variety of resolutions that my partner and I have taken on. It has inspired some extreme self-awareness and acceptance of others. As November makes its way around the bend I am feeling almost sad about the end of this year. But it is not over yet and I still have 2 months to take what I have learned and share it out into the world.

November clean-up

Inspired by a foggy evening by the ocean, Burning Man, and a community clean-up program I decided that I wanted to help keep the earth cleaner more than just once a month. So for November I have made the choice of picking up some form of garbage off of the ground outside everyday. Save your “ew’s” and “yucks” for someone else as well. It doesn’t have to be a lot and just once a day. I try to pick-up things like pieces of plastic, coffee cups, etc. I have yet to pick up anything extremely dirty and most of the stuff on the ground is just needless trash (accidental or otherwise).

My intention for this exercise is not to judge the reason for the trash but instead try to do my part in my community and to show that if we work together we can help keep our home a little cleaner.

The first couple days I did not pick up anything. I was talking about it but somehow had never “gotten around to it” which is barely an excuse. It was clear to me then that it needed to become a part of my routine and after 4 days in a row it has become a valued part of my day as well.

So if you see me on the side of the road picking up garbage its not because I am trying to cheat my own jail sentence but instead hoping to the reduce the death sentence we are creating on our  planet.

Swimming in Soda

This change of season is bringing many changes along with it. Changes in my work, diet, habits, temperature. My resolution for the month of October has also been a surprising change. No alcohol. “Sober October” is what people keep saying to me. We had actually decided to do No alcohol for one of our resolutions at the beginning of the year but then kept putting it off. “Oh, we have that party to go to” or “July is in the middle of summer, we can’t do it then” and “Well, we need to be able to drink at Burning Man”. So when October rolled around I decided to take action. This is the  month! People said, “What about Halloween? What about Octoberfest? What about those concerts that you are going to?” It was shocking to me to see people’s reactions of “what about….” rather than support or encouragement.

I have not drank alcohol for a couple weeks at a time in the past. Granted, it was when I was living alone and didn’t have a lot of friends. But I did it without thought or concern. Yet, when it comes to planning out a period when I am not going to include alcohol in my life it is suddenly challenging. I was taught that drinking was a natural part of everyday life. A beer with friends, a glass of wine at dinner. If your going to a show its always better with a beer or two. I also love to try different things and attend tastings. Its fun to discuss varieties with other people and learn more about the process and care that goes into making every bottle of wine. I don’t consider my intake a problem and now that I am older and wiser binge drinking doesn’t really occur. None-the-less, its still a habit.

To break the habit we replaced our wine with tea and soda water. On a weekend when we might go and have an afternoon beer and snack we drank water and went hiking. I have also been eating a few pieces of dark chocolate after dinner. While out with friends for drinks I will still partake in something fancy but the virgin version or stick with a water. My partner said over the thanksgiving weekend “It feels like something is missing in my life”. Almost to the end of  this resolution and I am beginning to see what he means by that. Its the routine of it all.

I like to take my time when choosing a wine. Whether it is at the store or a restaurant, I slowly pursue the choices thinking about what I am in the mood for and what would go best with my meal. I like chatting with staff about what is available and learning about a region and year so I can share it with others. When it is eventually in a glass I enjoy the smell, examining the color and how it rolls around the glass. Finally, the tasting.  Although exciting, not necessarily my favorite part.

Move forward 22 days and my routine has changed. I like the way it has changed as well. Still going out and being social. Able to sit and have dinner and conversation while my friends partake in the stronger stuff. And since I am not staying up late and waking up refreshed I am more motivated to spend my mornings joining community clean up and cultivating that sense of routine in my yoga practice. It is freeing to remind myself that I don’t “need” alcohol to enjoy dinner out, to have fun at a concert, or to celebrate accomplishments and holidays.

 

Now, the end of the month quickly approaching and I am considering taking this particular resolution with me just as I do with the rest. Keeping present that awareness that I am enough…. without all that extra stuff.

Sharing the Fire

We may not know it at the time but deep awakening is possible around every corner and on every new road that is traveled. When it came to my first Burn I knew about the journey and the benefits of positive surroundings. I was aware of the other possobilities as well. Those being fun, acceptance, and happiness. I was very much prepared for the beauty that was the desert and to share the experience that I already had as well as what I was about to learn. One thing that I was not prepared for, however, was the complete cleansing that took place in my soul. I was not prepared for the unstoppable tears that fell for hours on the night the man burned. I most definitely was not prepared for the sudden awareness of the pain that I was holding on to.

The day of the burn was a lovely day. Hot, dusty, and terribly fun; as most days at Burning Man are. Our fantastic camp (The Space Gnomes) gathered, we put on our matching space hats, grabbed our space ray guns, and hit the playa as one. The walk over was full of excitement and anticipation. I had no idea what to expect and was ready to cheer and dance and run around the desert in celebration of our new freedom. I was in awe of the fire performers and reveled in the fire works. But as soon as the first explosion of true flames erupted the tears began. Without warning they fell with such force that I could barely cheer when the man finally fell from his Spaceship throne.

I am incredibly content in my life, but I still cry. Most often in happy moments, at the end of yoga class, during a good song, or watching a commercial about how awesome the world is ( http://youtu.be/at_f98qOGY0 ). So it was disconcerning to be crying out of discomfort, pain, hate, and fear. I experienced all those emotions as they left my body. It was like the Playa dust filled every single nook and cranny. It was in every inch of my being, inbetween my breaths and my thoughts, surrounding my hopes and my dreams, and there was no room left for pain. No space for expectation. And when the last bit of microscopic volume in my cells was filled with dust there was no capasity remaining for fear.

The next day when I awoke… I was completely cleared of any of those emotions and was whole again with love, acceptance, peace, contentment, and dust… of course. I took a deep breath as I sat out on the deep Playa Sunday watching the sunrise and remembering the night before. It was amazing to feel that whole of a human for the first time in my life. Weightless, yet steady. Excited and calm. Loving myself and the man next to me who supported me the whole way to our home the night before. I realized then what a powerful and nessesary experience it was that I had and how lucky I was to have that experience along with 67 000 other souls. That everyone, not just my partner, supported me through that challenge of release. And I know that my energy helped sustain someone else’s journey as well.

I am incredibly grateful for this this moment in time. An unexpected release and the chance to return to the world with a new perspective and the inspiration to share and encourage others to take the 10 Principles of Burning Man http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/about_burningman/principles.html#.UjaKNxzkMjU into their hearts.

Life is full of spectacular moments, but we cannot plan for them. All we can do is wake up. Go outside and smile.

Dropping the Ball, Picking up the Goggles

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4094/4814018597_55705da5bb_o.jpg

August is quickly coming to an end and my resolution for the month is also quickly fading away. What started out as good intentions to speak to more strangers and ready myself for the openness of Burning Man ended with my complete consuption with new resonsibilities at work and getting physically ready for the iconic gathering. I have even attempted writing this post more than once and more than once I have been pulled away by other things that appeared more important.

At first, I gave up on my resolution blogging for this month. Other things were happening and I had felt such success with July that I offered myself a break. Wes and I had decided to talk to more strangers for August and I figured I would still do it, but not have to write about it right away. Very quickly my resolution was forgotten in Wes and my minds and the space made for bridging the gap and creating connected began to fill with negativity, judgment, and stress.

This was foolish I have come to realize, and that the physical preparations (food, water, money,etc) are only a small part of nessessary readiness. As much as costumes and Emergen-C play a significant role, cultivating the right intention is going to make the all the difference in my experience. Not to mention the experience of my amazing partner in all of this. Clearly, this realization is not only about Burning Man but life.

Life is a glorious adventure and instead of getting caught up in the things I “Should” be doing I intent to put passion, purity, and dedication into the things I am doing in the moment. This means writing more about my human experience and not giving into uninspired apathy. I have discovered more about myself and life within the letters on paper or screen than I ever have trying to get ahead at work or being mad at someone for saying “I can fold them” in the wrong way. The enjoyment of writing is a gift as is the ability for everyone to have the chance to share.

 

So what is the August Resolution at the end of all this reflection? Continue to speak to new people and surrender to the shared experience that we are cultivating.

Rolling Without Sugar

I generally have a hard time writing these “half-way” points in my resolution month because the moment I sit down to translate my thoughts and feelings I realize how terrible I am doing at my resolution. Now, here I am, halfway through July’s sugar-free month and I also am having a hard time writing but for a different reason. There is just too much I want to say about the subject.

 

In a nut-shell… not eating sugar (basically cutting out anything that isn’t a naturally occuring sugar) is tough, but I have been doing half decent at it. Despite it being the most challenging resolution so far for the first week… its a lot easier now 16 days in.

Why ? Well, I have a lot of help. The internet is filled with all sorts of nice little tid-bits on how to cook without it, what products to avoid, and meal plans. It was time consuming for the first couple weeks, I won’t lie. Grocery shopping took me at least 50% longer  as I read every single label trying to find where they have snuck in the sugar, but now I know what I can and can’t eat so its a quick. My partner is doing it with me and its so awesome to have someone on the same journey to help support and encourage. I also feel amazing. … but this could have to do with a lot of things. I have also majorly cut down on my coffee intake – only having one when I actually have time to sit and enjoy it and not just drink it as a stimulant or out of habit. Also, meat of any kind doesn’t grace our table very often which seems to work for my body.

So what does that leave to eat? A variety of amazing veggies, fruit, and other delicious items that don’t need sugar to sweeten them up.

Its not all sunshine and roses, however. I still get cravings, eating out is pretty challenging, and once July is finished I am nervous that I will just fall back into old patterns. Depsite those fears, as with all of my resolutions, I believe just culitvating awareness plays an important role and helps me make better choices in all aspects of my life.

 

Loving the journey!

Namaste

x Carly

Yoga: What is your perception?

As I was prepping for a one-on-one session with a patient I found myself intercepting a conversation. I am a fairly obvious eavesdropper at the best of times but my ears and heart always will perk more at the mention of yoga.

A couple women who do private Pilates sessions at the clinic were discussing their current injuries. One was complaining of back pain and said something along the lines of “I should maybe try doing more yoga” . I smiled as I gathered my props feeling the warmth of triumph at the statement. My feeling was short-lived, as most triumphant moments are, when the other women replied “No, yoga will make it worse. I get worse when I go to yoga. My boyfriend won’t even let me go to class. He just tells me to do more Pilates because that doesn’t hurt me. All yoga will hurt you.”

Now usually I am pretty non-bias when it comes to people’s opinions on things but to hear this blanketed statement being said about yoga really aggrevated me. Taking it too personally ….?  most definitely. I make a living primarily teaching yoga as a form of therapy for individuals with acute or chronic issues. This women’s statement immediately effected me because I felt like it was a attack on MY profession as well as MY abilities as a health-care worker.

I did not hesitate to make myself a part of the conversation by adding “It depends on the type of yoga” … I then turned up my nose, gathered the rest of my props and went into the treatment room where I let my patient quickly jump to MY and yoga’s defense.

Okay… so I as tempting as it is to decide that this women is ignorant and I am the one who “knows best”  I need to look at the bigger picture here. Who or what is really at fault? Inquire.

-The words MY, I, ME played a big role in this whole exchange. Enough said. It was only a perceived personal attack because this women doesn’t know who I am, my patient’s, or what I do.

-I don’t know anything about this women, her body, or her previous experience with yoga.

-The perception of yoga varies from person to person due to experiences, history, and the media and not everyone is aware or fully understands of the different aspects of it.

-Perceptions can be dangerous and extremely limiting. I strongly believe that there should always be an open inquiry about our lives whether things are good or bad, whether a type of treatment hurt or healed, whether a certain food felt nurturing or inhibiting.

-In the end, we all have a choice and we all have to be conscious on what we are stating as FACT to people. I try to be really careful about “preaching” the benefits of yoga because its not every individual is going to resonate with it. There are many different forms of exercise, breath work, meditation, and therapy that work for different folks.

What are your perceptions?

*Remember this is merely an inquiry into my own thought process as well as the space & people around me. The world is not black and white … its full of color.

Namaste

x Carly