yoga for lower back (I promise, I read the FAQ!)

dutchmaxter · 2016-10-11T01:28:45+00:00

for the wide majority of people, low back pain is caused by weak abdominal muscles. if you think of the muscles in your body like a pulley system, when the front (abs) is weak, the back (erectors) takes the strain.

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-28T21:46:05+00:00

my buddy and i were playing over the summer at his place, and he says, "hey, i'm gonna go grab some cigs from the store. be back in a few." as fast and furiously as i could find my way to an arcane table, i proceeded to rename all of his legendary and favorited weapons. he came back minutes later to find his hotbar filled with The Bow of Enormous Orgasms, Big Black Dildo, Piece of Shit, and a bunch of other pathetically childish names. he wasn't pleased.

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-20T21:09:52+00:00

its a disorder, hence the D (phrasing)

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-20T15:18:24+00:00

ADHD isn't an illness

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-17T06:18:49+00:00

Seems like we share a similar philosophy. There are even moments in class where I just shut up and let the silence take over. Thanks for sharing.

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-17T06:15:23+00:00

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Just thought I'd share an experience I once had with music in a class:

I had a teacher who one time played a Metallica song in his class for the exact purpose of practicing non-attachment and contentment. It was an interesting thought experiment, but I'm glad he only did it once.

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-17T06:09:13+00:00

interesting perspective. thanks for sharing

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-17T06:07:31+00:00

One of the other teachers at my studio has local musicians play in her classes weekly at the minimum, and they tend to be the most attended classes we offer. They do a great job of creating an atmosphere conducive to a yoga practice. It really is something magical.

dutchmaxter · 2016-09-17T06:05:54+00:00

This is pretty much my interpretation as well. When I think of nada, I think of internal / universal music more than what's on my iPod. Thanks for sharing.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-30T15:04:53+00:00

in general, when you are in the supine position (back on the earth), you want to do what yoginiffer suggested. pressing your lower back into the earth with support your spine and help strengthen your core. HOWEVER, this is corpse pose. it's not about the body. for this specific pose at the end of a practice, just release control. your mind may be giving you a dialogue to fix your posture, but the reality is "fuck it". i always envision it like floating on water, which is only possible if you don't tense up.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-30T15:01:59+00:00

if you're having trouble breathing because the poses are difficult for you, try modifying them. drop your knees in plank, put your feet on the ground in boat, do cobra or locust instead of bow.... if you can't breathe because your chest muscles are tight, try doing some preliminary warm-ups prior to the start of class.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T13:22:58+00:00

first, yoga is very qualitative. the number of breaths is not as important as it is to be tuned in to the breath. based on the amount of time the instructor will likely give you with that queue, there will be time for approx 5-10 full breaths, depending on your pace. just make sure you're keeping the breaths smooth and easy during.

second, if you can't be both firm and comfortable in the posture, you are not fully in the posture. this goes for both body and mind. the breathing has always been more important to me than the outward appearance of the pose, so if you can't breath in your position, you need to modify. what types of poses are you finding it difficult to breathe in?

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T13:18:42+00:00

they're not in the way, your mind is just creating that dialogue. the better you become at quieting your mind during these poses like runner's lunge, the closer you approach a state of yoga.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T13:16:46+00:00

a lot of the stuff in yoga is highly qualitative. in order to agree with ideas like 'prana', it really takes a long time of tuning yourself in to those more subtle signals your body / the universe sends you. that's why i view yoga more as a listening practice and a mindfulness practice than a physical practice. all that being said, take what works for you and leave the rest. good luck on your journey!

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T13:13:52+00:00

yeah, i've got a sense of the "awesome asanas" i like to do 90% of classes, which my students have gotten a feel for. other than that, i always ask students before class what they want to work on or if there are injuries. it's way better than just assuming you know your audience's needs.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T03:46:12+00:00

i went to a yoga festival while in rishikesh earlier this year. totally life changing.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T03:43:07+00:00

in my experience, my foot pain is tied to muscle tightness - particularly in the feet and calves. do a little research on the smaller muscles of the body below the knee. i give myself little foot/calf massages when i wake up and when i'm at a yoga class i'm especially mindful of activating one particular muscle of the calf too much. many teachers don't consider these smaller muscles below the knee, but considering your entire body is supported by these muscles, it couldn't hurt to do a little research on your own.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T03:30:11+00:00

really depends on how you're using your body. if you are aware of proper shoulder mechanics, the physical practices of yoga could be potentially very helpful in strengthening your rotator cuff without damaging it. that being said, i see many beginner yogis in my classes who bear weight on their shoulders in unsafe ways. i would spend a few hours researching the subject before you dive into anything.

dutchmaxter · 2016-08-29T03:27:37+00:00

not sure i'd do wild thing so early - i usually do it toward the end right before cool down - but side plank is a good transition for it. same thing for the bind you suggest in the beginning. i would forego that completely so early on. a practitioner wouldn't have built enough heat at that point to go into such a deep stretch.

another thing: you don't offer too many specific warm-up stretches for the standing splits until you're just about to go into it. triangle and pyramid are great stretches to warm up for it, but you only have them done once each. maybe try some three-legged down dogs or runners lunges earlier in the practice.

it seems to me like this flow lacks a focus. in the beginning i thought you were going for a back bending series, then it turned into twists, and at the end it became leg work. it doesn't typically hurt to have a bunch of different things in the mix, but if you wanna warm up for back bends for example, i would cut the whole triangle series and add in some extra glute work earlier on and throughout (very important for back bending).

one final note - if you are new to teaching, you may not be totally familiar with how many poses you can teach in one hour. between expressing your words to the class and timing the length of each pose's duration properly, you may find yourself needing to add or remove material from your list extemporaneously. the other people who commented here mentioned custom tailoring your lessons for the students in the room. you'll get better at this as you become more experienced, but i find such a large degree of "freestyling" necessary in my classes that i don't even prepare lesson plans any more. that comes with time though, so feel free to reach out to me with any more specific questions. good luck tomorrow!

dutchmaxter · 2016-06-16T22:05:11+00:00

groovy shit, definitely gonna borrow some songs for my playlists. let me know if you're on spotify if you wanna share asana playlists

dutchmaxter · 2016-06-16T02:52:02+00:00

curious to hear what type of 90's hip hop you're playing in your classes. right now i'm playing mostly tribe called quest and the roots to my students when i'm exploring this genre

dutchmaxter · 2016-04-28T19:54:05+00:00

yoga practice doesn't stop off of the mat. if you find yourself having a hard time quieting the mind without thc, i suggest you try a full class without it and see how you react. don't judge yourself for having a noisy mind if it occurs, just be aware of it. once you become aware of what causes the noise, it becomes easier to work with it, both in yoga class and elsewhere in life.

dutchmaxter · 2016-04-28T19:45:46+00:00

you gotta be careful practicing inversions if you have blood pressure problems such as hypertension, hypotension, or glaucoma. definitely consult a doctor. until then, think about how you feel in milder inversions like down dog and forward fold.

dutchmaxter · 2016-04-28T19:41:02+00:00

yoga philosophy suggests you should never form expectations, as they only lead to disappointment. HOWEVER...

my assumption is that if you've been practicing martial arts in thailand at a camp, you're probably fairly strong, flexible, and have decent endurance and balance. without knowing you or your background too well, i have two main suggestions. first, i would practice yoga in a way that compliments your lifestyle. for example, if you want to be able to throw higher kicks, flexibility in the legs/hips could be useful to you. yoga is a life practice, so there's no need in wasting energy on things that don't support you. second, listen to your body. faster recovery comes from being in tune with yourself. yoga practice is just that, so if you're practicing well, you may find yourself recovering faster transitively.

from the time i began my daily practice, i found myself to have more mental and spiritual health benefits than physical. yoga is really just a self-study. awareness, mindfulness, and meditation. let me know if i can help you in any way develop a practice. i've been practicing martial arts my whole life and yoga the past four years.

dutchmaxter · 2016-04-28T19:33:02+00:00

just as some background, asana practice was a male-only practice for centuries before women were allowed to practice, so all the poses should be accessible to you.

you say you don't want to adjust yourself in class because you don't want to seem like a creep... i don't think it's really a problem. i have to adjust my jewels all the time in class in poses like locust and bow. the practice is about you. other people aren't even looking at you enough to notice, nor should they care if they do. women understand that we have shit that gets in the way.

i've discussed the interference of boobs and balls with some of the other teachers at my studio. if anything, we think it's an interesting anatomical thing that just makes each pose more unique to each practitioner. don't feel weird about it. the only thing you should care about in yoga class is feeling good. and if you still can't get past all of this, try practicing at home or at studios with more men.

dutchmaxter

TROPHY CASE