Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (2 page)

everything from depression to anxiety; from old sports injuries and back pain to allergies, PMS, and

even hangovers. I can’t think of any reason why someone shouldn’t at least try it, considering all of the

incredible and practical benefits that come along with its regular practice. And that’s what this book

means to encompass: easy, fun cures using yoga in a fresh way to help alleviate or cure common

complaints.

Exhaustion cure? I’ve got it.

Suffering from “couch-stination” (a lack of desire to get off the couch)? Yep, that’s here.

Feeling like the hunchback from hell after a week at the office? Your back is cramped, neck hurts,

shoulders ache, and eyes burn? Check.

Suffering from desk fog (an overstressed, frazzled, and fried brain)? A few simple poses and deep

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breathing can help.

If you are in need of a little panic attack intervention, help for a droopy booty, saggy shoulders,

mom-jean body, or bulging belly, or if you’re suffering from “I can’t touch my toes syndrome,” there’s

something in here for you. But
Yoga Cures
covers the usual suspects as well: high blood pressure,

colds, flu, vertigo, depression, thyroid imbalance, PMS, arthritis, and much more.

If you’re feeling stretched to the limit, let these fifty-plus cures and the correlated routines unbind

and de-stress you.

ZENSPIRATION

Imagine having your own personal room to breathe in that keeps expanding every time you practice. That’s yoga.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

I’ve always been a goofball, tomboy, hippie girl who is much more comfortable in sweatpants and a

hoodie than in fancy yoga gear. I don’t like to think of myself as a yoga teacher, because it sets up a

student/teacher thing that makes me feel like I need a ruler and a notebook to strut around the room. I

prefer “yoga guide.” I can help you get plugged in, but you don’t owe me anything. No pledge of

allegiance or donating your firstborn children. Nope. Just do the work. Be healthy and happy. That’s

cool enough for me. At the end of the day, you are your best teacher. I am just simply here to ride

shotgun on your journey back to yourself.

My aim is to connect you back to you, where you’ll find all the intuition you’ll need to help you

achieve your potential and live a healthy, inspired, creative, and joyful life. A yoga teacher once told

me that she thought it was useful and great that I connect with the “Average Joe.” That statement

illustrates one of the main problems with how yoga has evolved. The problem with that thinking is that

we are not separate from the Average Joe. In fact, we all are the Average Joe.

I’ve never thought of myself in any other way than interconnected with everyone on this planet. I

depend on you. You depend on me. We are all connected and that’s just how it is. Nothing woo-woo or

out there about it. That’s just nature. When we ignore the laws of nature we get out of balance. When

we operate in harmony with nature we feel connected and in a state of flow, where everything starts to

click and make sense. When we give over our power to others, yoga teacher or whomever, we stop

following our own intuition and we disconnect from ourselves. Not good.

My life has taken me from country hippie girl to ballet dancer to Ford model. Then from there to

YouTuber, blogger, and yoga studio owner. And now I am fortunate to call Deepak Chopra a friend, a

teacher, and a student, and I am surrounded by many amazing people who are living out their dreams.

If I can live my dream life, so can you.

If you were fortunate enough as a child you had at least one person who told you, “You can do

anything you want with your life!” And hopefully as a grown up, you’ve surrounded yourself with

many people who cheer you on and support you in all your endeavors. If not, let me be that person.

Any others along the way that tell you you’ll never make it, well, they are only right if you let them be.

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Ultimately you’re the only one holding yourself back or propelling yourself into your goals, desires,

and dreams.

What does this have to do with yoga and yoga cures? Well, it’s actually where the yoga comes in.

You do the work. You get the results. The more you dive toward your goals, the more you’ll realize the

process is the ultimate destination. The great news is you start from right where you are, so you’re

already right where you need to be.

Often we spend our lives striving to decorate and improve our surroundings—a bigger house, a better

car. We can spend our lives acquiring stuff with which to surround ourselves. But when we do yoga,

we turn our attention inward and remember that our first home—our bodies and minds—needs to be

dusted, remodeled, refreshed, and cared for if it is to remain strong. When we care for our inner world,

our outer world reflects that care, and it also has a solid foundation from which to grow. Again,

everything you need to know to build the life, health, and body you want is right there inside of you.

GET HAPPY, RIDICULOUSLY SO

We’ve all had moments where we feel absolutely fantastic. Better than fantastic, invincible. Cheesily

happy and full of life. Maybe that feeling is now a distant childhood memory, or maybe that type of

feeling happens sometimes, but not frequently and not commonly. When you do yoga regularly those

ridiculously happy moments begin to happen more often, until they link together and become your life.

Do you think I’m promising you too much? I’m not. We’re all “wired” to have great capabilities, and

that wiring can be enhanced based on how we live.

Your vagus nerve stretches from deep within the brainstem all the way into the belly.
Vagus
means

wanderer. The nerve wanders through the body carrying impulses, winding its way up through the

abdomen, diaphragm, and chest, up the neck outside the spinal cord, and into the brain. It’s the literal

stuff that makes up the mind/body connection. Vagus nerve stimulation therapy has been provided to

epilepsy patients since 1997, using a pacemaker-like device implanted in their chests. It is being

considered as a treatment for clinical depression as well. Fortunately, there is a noninvasive way to

stimulate the vagus nerve and get our mind-body connection working up to speed. Ujjayi breathing in

yoga, referred to often as Darth Vader breath, stimulates your vagus nerve, which literally sets off

signals that make you happy. When you breathe deeply in yoga the vagus nerve sends messages

between the central nervous system and the major organs; the hormone oxytocin is released, which

helps us relax and reduces blood pressure and cortisol (aka stress) levels. We have our own ready-to-go

anti-stress system within us at all times. We simply need to breathe deeply to access it.

We arrive in the world full of raw potential. Our life’s work is either to deny this potential and hide

under tension and fears, or strive to cultivate our individuality and refine our talents and see what we

can make of ourselves.

I firmly believe that when enough people understand and experience the transformative and healing

power of a regular yoga practice, we will become not only radiantly healthy as a culture, but more

compassionate toward ourselves and others—happier, joyful, and full of life.

Ready to give it a try?

YOGA’S SEVEN BIG BENEFITS

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Physical:
The movements of yoga will carve out a long, lean, strong, and confident body.

Mental:
All those deep breaths reset your mind back to its natural state: calm, focused, and sharp.

Psychological:
All the focusing inward illuminates our behaviors and tendencies. The same habits we have on our mat are the ones we have in our lives. We see this, and we gain the freedom of choice. Who do I want to be? We get to create or re-create ourselves each day. Regular practice gives you a clear mind and the inspiration and courage to be constantly expanding and improving your life.

Neurological:
When your brain is “on yoga” your neurological system is brought back into balance and is conditioned to steer you naturally toward a healthy lifestyle. Our bodies are constantly rewired to make whatever we practice get easier. When we practice healthy, balanced living we get more healthy, balanced living.

Intuitive:
When there is tension in the body and mind, your intuition gets buried and your body switches to survival mode. Your yoga practice makes space in your body physically, releases tension, and calms your mind, making room for your intuition to float to the surface and guide you.

Creative:
Creative juices start to flow when your body and mind begin to release mental blocks. Creativity doesn’t like to come out when there are stressors, whether from physical tension or mental cloudiness. When the stress melts away, creativity can come out to play.

Connected:
Yoga is the practice of getting connected. However you choose to view your spirituality, when you practice yoga, you remember that we all are connected, here to help each other, and that we have so much potential when we are kind to others.

Part 1

STRIKE a POSE

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Yoga is made up of a series of fluid poses that are designed to heal your body and mind, with the breath guiding the way. Poses are rich with movement, whether the action is you flowing into the next pose, or breathing while

remaining in one position. Your full, deep inhales and exhales bring the poses to life and connect you with your entire self.

ZENSPIRATION

There is no hurry. You have your whole life to practice, so enjoy being where you are right now. You’re somewhere
completely different each time you practice.

When you breathe through the movement, things can flow with ease. The body can open and strengthen without

resistance, and the mind will focus and settle. This quality of attention to the breath and calm awareness of

movement separates the therapeutic power of yoga from other physical forms of movement, like sports, gymnastics, and dance.

Yoga is a moving meditation that unites the inner and outer you. Focusing on your breath is the core of any state of meditation. And it’s true of yoga as well. Nothing is static or stuck in yoga.