Stress Relief From Yoga

Funny thing. When Jenny Hayo first started practicing yoga in 1996, she thought of it as "purely an exercise option." Within two years, she was teaching classes and digging deeper.

Her appreciation of yoga as a personal methodology changed with each new mentor. Hayo realized yoga is energizing in ways beyond the workout, and said she sees no reason why the rest of us can't tap into it for stress relief and everyday vigor.

"The interesting point of modern-day yoga is it is looked at as exercise by most people," says Hayo, who teaches at 8 Limbs Yoga Center in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, plus some classes at the downtown Zum health club. "Ninety-five percent of people get into yoga that way. But no one is complaining. It puts people on the yoga mat and that's great."

In fact, Seattle P-I venture capital columnist and blogger John Cook noted earlier this month in an item about the TeachStreet free online directory that there are no fewer than 984 yoga classes in the Seattle area.

That's a lot of yoga mats.

For her part, Hayo, 33, learned yoga is more than meets the physical plane and any form of the seemingly undoable lotus position.

"The name, '8 Limbs,' comes from the eight principles of yoga," Hayo said. "As you practice yoga, you can begin to feel the physical, emotional, mental and energetic benefits."

There are different interpretations, but fundamentally the "eight limbs" of yoga include body postures, breathing exercises or control of "prana," personal observances, control of the senses, concentration and inner awareness, devotion or meditation, universal morality and union with the divine.

Hayo acknowledged that most of us would recognize the body postures, breathing and meditation components. The remaining "limbs" are less familiar but powerful, even if you commit to just minutes of yoga daily or one session a week.

The ideal strategy for yoga novices is a one-on-one session with an instructor -- "it will cost about the same as an appointment with your massage therapist," Hayo said. But you can certainly get an energy boost from a beginner's class at your local yoga studio (look for a teacher who offers different versions of the same posture depending upon experience and fitness level).

Or you can begin with the "downward-facing dog" pose, which Hayo said is one of the "inversion" postures that can instantly energize the body.

Yoga brings balance, said Hayo, who works with numerous clients to match a customized set of postures to their needs. "The downward dog can help if you feel tired or anxious (or both)."
The downward dog is a more accessible version of the handstand or headstand, which likely most American adults have not done since, oh, fifth grade. Yet maybe there is more to those childhood handstands than just playing or showing off.

"I have teacher who calls headstands and handstand the 'yogi's coffee,' " Hayo said.

The downward dog pose looks, not surprisingly, a lot like a dog stretching its paws in front and its rear high in the air. For us humans, it starts with putting your hands in alignment with your shoulders and hips as you move to hands and feet on the floor. Novices often spread the hands too far apart and the feet too close together.

Next, as you come into all fours, place your knees under your hips and gently extend your spine. As you put your hands on the mats, spread the fingers a bit with the middle finger straight ahead.

Lift your pelvis toward the ceiling and pull the hips back. Your eyes look to the feet. The feet are even with the hips. Resist moving them closer to the hands just put the heels down. If your heels don't touch, they will if you do the downward dog regularly.

Hayo said a good practice is to hold the posture for five slow, purposeful breaths.
"Keep at it," she said. "You will get mental clarity while in the pose. I tell students to experience it until it feels right. You will know."

What keeps yoga regulars coming back is, to be sure, a combination of results. But one of the most satisfying is increased energy, not just after class but the rest of the day or week. You feel more clear-headed. You stand more upright. There is less tiredness midday. Who can resist that in today's hurly-burly?

Well, there is one problem. You might call it the Foot-and-Leg-Over-the-Head mental block.
To that end, 8 Limbs and other local yoga studios are eager to attract beginners with basics classes and special weekend workshops, such as the "Yoga for Men" class, 2:30 to 4:45 p.m. at the 8 Limbs center in West Seattle, on May 18. Instructor Greg Owen will be working to help reluctant men get past "what they feel is their lack of flexibility."

Owen plans to help men connect yoga movement and breathing with ways to ease the strain and pain of "sore lower backs, tight hamstrings and stiff shoulders."

A good deal for at least four limbs.