Seattle Yogini

Accurate Portrayals

I was recently poking around on the interwebs when I came across a photo series of celebrities. It was the usual "here's what they 'really' look like" photoset, comparing studio photos for magazines/ads/etc to random at-the-beach photos of the same celebrities (unsurprisingly, all women). What struck me about this was that - in an unusual divergence from the mass media's tendency to encourage self-hatred - there were no captions declaring the "faults" visible in the at-the-beach photos.

For me, the take-home message was: "See what special lights, photoshop, body make-up, and weeks of prep for the photo shoot create?" None of this was a mind-blowing revelation, but sometimes it takes a visual tool to underscore what I already, intellectually, know.

The closest I have to a "before and after" photo series. This is pre-makeup for a bellydance performance last December.

Here's the "after". No photo-shopping, but I was careful about the angle, the lighting, the make-up (obviously), and making sure I had a nice smile.

In my 1000+ hours of clinical work as a student midwife, I've seen a lot of female bodies. Do you want to know what all of them had in common?

They looked human.

Seriously. Not one woman had plastic-smooth skin, perfectly symmetrical features, or anatomically incorrect proportions. Even women who have had some sort of "work" done still look humanly flawed. 

Perfection lies in our imperfections. They are part of what make each person unique!

In the wild, we are diverse, we are textured, we are beautiful.

This morning, I came across this article by a personal trainer showing how easy it is to fake "before and after" photos. My favorite part? His closing remark:

"We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don’t waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else."

Wouldn't it be awesome if we all embraced our bodies just as they are? Even if you're working on a particular health or fitness goal, it doesn't mean that your body is "wrong" until you reach that goal! If we sucked in our guts a bit less, maybe more people would appreciate that human bellies are not designed to be concave. Heck, no creature has a concave belly! Those 6-pack abs on the cover of fitness magazines are one-offs, the product of photo-shoot prep such as diuretics, short-term starvation, recent exercises to get a "pump" just before the shoot and, of course, the awkward contraction for the pose in addition to the professional photographic voodoo magic. Even the strongest, leanest bellies are slightly concurve when the abdominal wall is not contracted.

In order to truly appreciate the diversity of the human form, individual people must be willing to demonstrate, acknowledge, and appreciate accurate portrayals.

So here's to the human body, in all its un-photoshopped glory!

New Ongoing Yoga Class

Hey, friends! I am offering a new, drop-in, All Levels Yoga class at m'illumino (6921 Roosevelt Way NE). It runs from 5:45 - 6:45 on Wednesdays. The cost is $15 (cash or check). You can read about on-going class opportunities on the new page that I made (in the right side bar, under "Host Arya...").

This class is a great opportunity to unwind from the work week so far, shift your perspective, and head into Thursday and Friday feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready! This class focuses on building endurance through static poses and some flowing sequences. While all levels are welcome, I highly recommend you have some familiarity with yoga asanas (i.e. an Intro to Yoga series under your belt).

Note that as an E-RYT 500, my classes count as Continuing Education Credits for yoga teachers who are registered through Yoga Alliance.

Class will not be held on Wednesday, July 24.

Best Strawberry & Rhubarb Crisp Ever!

A friend sent me the link to this fabulous recipe. Knowing that rhubarb tends to be too tart for Rob's taste, I made it while he was out of town last week, thinking it could be my breakfast for a few days.

Recipe: BIG EATS...tiny kitchen

It ended up being breakfast, lunch desert, dinner desert, and breakfast again. It didn't survive the weekend. It is ridiculously good, especially made with our sweet local strawberries.

I made a second batch so Rob could try it. He likes it! In fact, he likes it a lot and suggested I make it when his family is visiting for July 4th. Now THAT is saying something, because we pride ourselves on feeding our guests very well. I'm delighted this healthy, delicious crisp has made the cut!

It's paleo-ish, meaning it has no dairy or grain or refined sugar. It does have maple syrup and almond flour, though. Both of those borderline ingredients are in the topping, so one could probably tinker if needed. For a cheaty treat, though, just go for the gold and enjoy it. That's why it's a treat!

Doula FAQs

Did you know that I have a new website that details the Women's Health & Wellness services that I offer? It's www.aryapretlow.com

Here's a tasty tidbit from my Doula FAQs page. To read the whole thing, click here and then click on Doula FAQs in the right sidebar. Enjoy!

4. Yes, okay. But what do you actually do?
It’s hard to imagine birth if you haven’t seen or experienced it first-hand. There is plenty of work to do! As a doula, I always tailor what I do for the woman I’m serving. Generally I think of my work in categories:

• I tend to your physical needs. This means everything from rubbing your feet and squeezing your hips, to helping you get to and from the bathroom. I remind you to eat, and make sure you always have something to drink. I fan you if you’re too warm and keep a heating pad on your lower back if it aches. I hold the vomit bowl.

• I tend to your intellectual needs. This means not only answering your questions, but also helping to ensure that you feel like you have the information you need to make decisions. I help you understand the process of labor, your progress, what’s “normal”, and what you can expect. I am also adept at helping you “get out of your head”, if that’s your tendency, so that you can get into a labor groove and flow with your body.

• I support your labor progress. This means that I provide you with options to help keep your labor progressing as smoothly as possible. Labor cannot be predicted. Long labors require a lot of patience, endurance, and lifting of spirits. Fast labors require a lot of emotional and physical support because so much is happening so quickly. I know the “tricks of the trade” to help ease your discomfort, get you some rest, help contractions pick up, and even encourage a poorly positioned baby to turn.

• I am trained in childbirth-related complementary modalities. This means that I can suggest herbal teas, homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, stretches, exercises, and massage techniques to help you cope throughout your labor.

• I support your postpartum transition. This means everything from helping you with breastfeeding, to making suggestions to help with the after-pains. My work is not over just because the baby was born. I continue to offer all levels of support as you get settled in, falling in love with your new baby.

In the end, my work is to be as active and present as you want me to be while ensuring that you (and your partner) remain the focus of the experience. This is about you and your family. I am simply here to help.

Breakfast, the Paleo Way

It seems that, in general, when people think of Paleo, they think of bacon. Now, don't get me wrong, I am a lover of bacon, but when you are "allowed" to eat it all of the time it doesn't quite hold the same appeal as it did back in the days when it was a special or naughty treat. We probably eat one or two pounds of bacon per week, generally as a breakfast item. We don't want bacon every day, though. That would get boring.

So, if we don't eat grains or dairy, and bacon isn't on the menu for that day, what does a Paleo eater have for breakfast?

All kinds of awesome things! This morning we basically ate a "clear out the fridge" kind of breakfast. We had leftover salmon, some smoked turkey, and pepperoni as meat/protein options, as well as a dozen eggs. I made us a high fat shake from coconut milk, some coconut butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a spoonful of honey, and about 1.5 cups of frozen mixed berries. Rob made a 3-egg omelet with the pepperoni, and I had a 2-egg omelet with leftover Sockeye salmon flaked in. Yum!

Photo source: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/non-dairy-smoothies-1899.html

We tend to have the bulk of our fruit, in the form of berries, at breakfast. We pretty much eat vegetables (rather than fruit) for the rest of the day unless there's a banana included in a post-workout meal. One of the reasons for our approach is that I believe, and we have observed through trial and error, that our bodies do better if we eat a (relatively) higher carb load in that first meal after fasting through the night. Then we keep it low carb for the rest of the day. Another time for purposeful higher carb intake is on a heavy workout day.

How do you refuel first thing in the morning?

It Takes Two

The way I see it, there are two attributes that help a person meet their health & wellness goals:

Motivation

and

Discipline

This morning I lacked motivation. Thankfully, my discipline kicked in and I carried myself to the gym. Now, sweaty, red-faced, and pleasantly fatigued, I am reminded of how strong, capable, and amazing my body is. I feel very satisfied that I cared for it today with challenging exercise.

What gets you going when your motivation is lacking?

Breastfeeding Tips: Preventing Nipple Soreness

Nipple soreness is one of the most common issues faced by breastfeeding women. Here's a helpful handout that I created for a breastfeeding class.

Download NippleSorenessPrevention

If you had similar challenges while breastfeeding, what helped you the most?

ETA: first file wasn't opening properly, re-linked it as a PDF

 

Want to go Primal/Paleo? Here are some resources!

I just bought the Primal Life Kit, over 30 e-resources for Primal/Paleo eating & living for $39. Holy cow! That's cheaper than buying two e-books. If you've been thinking about going Primal or Paleo, or want a way to learn more (recipes, workouts, lifestyle tips/budgeting/meal plans, and health insights like autoimmune and PCOS protocols) this is a great way to do so. The offer ends tomorrow.

I'm sure a lot of Primal/Paleo bloggers are connected to this. I bought mine through Melissa's blog, The Clothes Make the Girl. I know that you can also get it through Liz's blog, Cave Girl Eats, as well. Bloggers get a commission, so choose whomever you wish. I'm just passing the word because it's such a great deal for some really great resources, with cookbooks such as Well Fed, 30 Day Intro to Paleo, which make it worth the price just on their own. I'm particularly looking forward to reading The Autoimmune Paleo Plan, PCOS Unlocked, and trying the recipes from Paleo Crock Pot Entrees and Awaken: 30+ Egg Free and Grain Free Breakfasts (because I love eggs but holy moly do I miss variety in my breakfasts).

Anyway, I just wanted to spread the good word because people are often looking for good resources. I can't vouch for all of these offerings, but I have personally read (and cooked from) some of them or I often visit the writer's blog (the PCOS lady is the bomb). Rawr!

Fighting Illness Naturally

 The bug that's going around seems to have found me. I awoke this morning to a fever and scratchy throat. Ew. Thankfully, I'm still on spring break, so I cancelled the plans that I had and took to resting. Hopefully I can nip this thing in the bud, because come Monday school's back on and I need to be on my game.

So what's a "back-to-basics" gal who eschews cold meds to do?

Simple, really:

# 1: Rest, but don't grow moss. Hopefully this is self-explanatory. A fever is a good sign that my immune system has identified an intruder and is taking it to task. This requires a good deal of energy. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the fever, I want to avoid putting additional stress on my energy stores. Since I feel  like poo, that isn't very hard. Sitting on the sofa all day, however, could work against me.

Here's why: The lymphatic system is one of the ways that white blood cells travel around in the body. We want white blood cells to get around because they are integral to fighting infections. The lymphatic system has no pump to move the fluid (lymph) around unlike, say, the cardiovascular system which has the heart to move the blood. The lymphatic system relies on muscular activity to open and close the valves inside the lymph vessels, effectively moving the lymph through the system of nodes, ducts, and vessels. Lymph nodes like the ones in your neck, armpits, and groin are clusters of white blood cell-rich tissue where the bacteria and viruses get filtered out, collected, and killed. You know that your body is working on filtering a lot of stuff when these nodes get swollen (like the ones in my neck are right now).

SO, in order to help my body move lymph (and, therefore, more white blood cells), I need to move around a bit. It doesn't take much. If I were too sick to get out of bed, I could just do some arm movements and ask my sweet hubbie to massage my legs to help push the lymph around. Since I am not that sick, I decided to take a slow, short walk in the fresh air.

Other low-threat activities will include a couple of slow, deliberate Sun Salutations followed by some chest-opening restorative poses like the one shown below. The Sun Salutations will give my whole body some gentle movement and stretching. The chest-opening restoratives will give the opportunity for rest with my body in a position that encourages "roominess" of the armpits, neck and groin - and, therefore, room for internal movement of energy and  lymph. In addition, chest-openers particularly support the thymus gland, which is a central player in the immune system. The thymus deserves its own post, though, so I'll leave it for now.

Supported Supta Baddha Konasana

# 2: Stay warm, inside and out. This continues the concept of conserving energy. My body is working hard to increase its temperature in order to kill off infection, and I don't want to make that job any harder. By drinking warm, nourishing beverages - think homemade chicken broth (I like Healing Nettle Chicken Stock and also the broth portion of Healing Chicken Ginger Soup), and herbal teas such as lemon & ginger, or peppermint & licorice.

Herbal teas have a lot going for them. Choose teas that contain "warming" herbs such as ginger, mint, cinnamon, or a chai that has black pepper (though I advise avoiding a dairy-based chai). This way the tea will be warming due to its temperature as well as the effect of the herbs you brew. Aside from the warming quality, the herbs I mention above offer their own health-supporting properties, such as being anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and even helping balance blood sugar. Note: You must brew herbal teas properly, otherwise you just have a nice-tasting cup of water. Generally speaking, to get the most out of an herbal tea you need to brew it, covered, for about 10 minutes. Try it next time you want some chamomile to help you sleep. The brewing makes a difference!

Where was I? Oh, yes, so it's warm fluids to warm me on the inside, and lots of cozy layers to warm me from the outside. I am a big fan of neckwarmers, probably because I knit them like winter is coming. We lose a lot of body heat from the back of the neck, so do consider wrapping something around your neck. If I have a high fever, I use a hat as well. Today just called for wool socks, wool sweater, and wool neck warmer. Well, that, and a lapful of cats while I watched the season finale of "Downton Abbey" (OMGIdon'twanttospoilitforanyonebutholycowhowCOULDthey?).

# 3: Supportive nutrients. The reason I specifically linked to two chicken broth recipes is that they both offer a great deal of nutrition aside from the basics of chicken and aromatic vegetables.

Nettles are great for liver support and general detoxification, which is another way of saying nettles help your body clean house. Drinking nettle tea (properly brewed, of course) or chicken broth made with nettles is a nice way to support the fever's efforts. I wouldn't suggest going overboard, though, as it can move your body into a full-on "cleanse". This could make you feel a lot worse before you feel better. On the other hand, it's possible it could make you feel better sooner, but the symptoms would be more intense. It's sort of like having a massage when you're coming down with something. It might make you feel worse but then you should be over the ick faster (massage = moving lymph = cleaning house).

Garlic & Ginger are both "warming herbs" that are also anti-microbial. Shitake mushrooms stimulate production of white blood cells. Together, these ingredients create a powerhouse illness fighter and a great tasting broth. I specifically recommend this broth to breastfeeding mothers, as well, as a means of fighting off mastitis (caveat: clearly if a first-line herbal defense doesn't work, antibiotics should be considered).

Nature abounds with resources to support natural healing. I encourage you to find what works for you, what you feel comfortable, and what gives your body the support it needs while fighting infection rather than simply masking symptoms and carrying on with your day.

Resources:

Coad, J. & Dunstall, M. (2011). Anatomy and physiology for midwives. Edinburgh, Scotland:

    Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Mills, S. & Bone, K. (2005). The essential guide to herbal safety. Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill

    Livingstone Elsevier.

Romm, A. (2002). Natural health after birth. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.

Streich, Emily. (2012). Top 10 postparum healing foods. Teaching material from Pharmacology &

    Treatments 2, Dept. of Midwifery, Bastyr University.

 

 

Check Out This Interview!

Hi friends. My friend and colleague, Gordon Kaplan (E-RYT-200, RYT-500 and founder of Team Yoga), has a fresh interview posted on yogacurious.com. In it, he shares a great overview of yoga (as distinct from asana), what it takes to be a yoga professional, what to look for in a yoga studio, and the most accessible asanas for home practice.

Well done, Gordon!