Here is what's brewing in Satori community this March

YOGA CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS:
~ Spring Yoga Session registration is now open. Please remember to register early as space is limited (there are only a couple spots left in each class as of Friday.) You will find more details and on-line registration here.
New This Spring: Beginner Hatha class is moving to Tuesdays; both beginner Hatha and Therapeutic classes will be starting at 6 PM, and intermediate class at 7:40 PM starting in April to accommodate 75 minute class.
~ Current Yoga Session is on till the end of March ( no classes on March 11 and 14).
~ Yoga Therapeutics For The Roots / Part 1 - March 9, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Sold out!
~ Private Consultations are on-going. Schedule yours here.

OTHER FUN THINGS:
Monthly SATORI COMMUNITY EVENT is yet another addition to Satori calendar. It is a free class, lecture or a workshop created to support sharing and community spirit. Here is the line up for the next couple of months:
~ Sunday, March 24th, 2  - 3 PM. Ayurveda And You: The Future Of Integrative Medicine.
 Twice a year Chopra Center gathers a panel of renowned Ayurvedic scholars and forward thinking medical professionals to discuss the newest developments in the field of integrative medicine. I feel very privileged to attend this March's conference (special guest speaker Dr. Andrew Weil !), and I am thrilled  to share the information with you. This will be an informal discussion, with any and all questions welcome.
Registration is available through Satori Facebook Page. Please join me, bring your friends and spread the word.
~ Saturday, April 20, 11:30 AM - 1 PM. Live music yoga class with special guest Janina Carlstad.

EVEN MORE FUN:
Have you heard about WANDERLUST?
Wanderlust is a celebration of everything yoga: it is a joining of yoga community; an opportunity to practice with master teachers like Shiva Rea, Eoin Finn, and Tias Little; a chance to take in some soulful music and art. This is the second year Wanderlust is coming to Whistler. Please join Satori tribe as we head down to West Coast this August for a huge helping of yoga inspiration. Drop me a line if you are interested (shared rides and accommodations are welcomed and encouraged.)

I was never an active child. In fact, when it came down to physical education class, I was the first one to find a good excuse. For a sickly child like myself, good excuses, as you can imagine, were abundant. I have successfully dodged a great number of those classes both at school and in university.  Now imagine my utter shock as I find myself not only teaching anywhere between 15 and 20 yoga classes a week, but also being extremely active in my off time - and, brace for it, LOVING IT!

Well, as it happens, over the last three weeks I loved skiing just a little too much and ended up with a hurt knee. While my active alter ego was slightly disappointed, the nerd in me couldn't be happier - what a perfect opportunity to learn more about knees and be my very own guinea pig.

As usual, you get to be the beneficiary of my learnings. Here is what I have discovered:

Knee is a mysterious place where 4 bones (femur of the thigh, tibia and fibula of the lower leg, and your kneecap - patella) meet; where ligaments and muscles crisscross each other in a myriad of intricate ways. In such a complicated structure, pin pointing the cause of knee pain can become a diagnostic nightmare. And indeed, for many years, aside from obvious knee-related disasters, whatever happened behind the kneecap has remained a mystery. Runners with sore knees were given a blanket diagnosis of " runner's knee", while the  less - active folk generally had "osteoarthritis" or " chondromalacia of the patella" (English translation - "chronic malady of the knee"), depending on the type of cartilage degeneration.

The beauty of Yoga Therapy approach is that the precise diagnosis is not required to heal whatever is ailing you. Therapeutic Yoga employs global approach to solving any problem. In this case, the health of your feet, ankles, legs and even the muscles of your torso can be contributing factors to how well your knees are doing. And what's more, Yoga Therapy programs are deeply holistic in their nature - all treatment options - be it dietary changes, massage, active release technique, acupuncture, or a cortisone shot - are integrated to create a recovery protocol that can amount the best and lasting results in the shortest time possible.

Here is where that approach took me:

•   First order of business: anti-inflammatory diet. In the past I have been prone to systemic inflammation. A lot of things have changed since then, yet I always err on the side of caution. Read more about anti-inflammatory diet in the AURVEDIC ROOTS section of this newsletter.

•  Take care of current discomfort: for a number of years now I have used Active Release Technique (ART) in combination with laser treatments for any acute injury, and with great success. So next stop - Anodyne Chiropractic Clinic for some TLC and ART.

•   Figure out why the injury has occurred: pay attention to how my knees are moving on the slopes, and also during the usual day. I discovered that when I step on my right foot, a little bit more weight falls onto the inner side of the arch. This, in turn, generates a slight inner rotation of the knee with every step. Continuous torsion through the knee creates favorable conditions for premature arthritis, wearing out of the cartilage and makes the knee more prone to overuse injuries.
  

•   Last crucial step: create a movement program that alleviates tightness, improves muscular balance and re - patterns my movement habits for healthier, less-injury prone knee. This is of utmost importance: while massage, ART, or physiotherapy can take care of current discomfort, true lasting results can only achieved by becoming aware of the faulty movement patterns, and changing them to more efficient ones.
  Here is a surprising fact: many forward thinking orthopedic surgeons are using  therapeutic movement approach before and after the surgery to reduce possibility of complications and re-occuring problems.
  

I hope my story and this article left you better equipped to deal with nagging aches and pains.  You can learn more about Yoga Therapy approach by booking a private consultation or joining one of the therapeutic yoga classes. And, of course, if you have a burning question, simply drop me a line.

As of now my knee is well on its way to recovery. In fact, I am mostly likely skiing as you are reading this newsletter. See you on the slopes and on the mat!

Tightness in the lower legs or feet can contribute to less than ideal knee movement, and, eventually, knee pain. Students in  therapeutic yoga classes love the wall lunge - it feels great and helps alleviate tightness in the backs of the legs and the feet. Remember to nurture relaxation, and practice calm, ease-full breathing before, during and after the stretch.

Wall Lunge:

• Stand facing the wall, about 1 - 2 feet away.
• Step your right foot forward and put your toes on the wall, while keeping your heel on the floor. Slowly slide the ball of right foot down so that your toes are still on the wall, but the ball of the foot is on the floor. Lengthen the undersides of your toes and equalize the pressure throughout the ball of the foot. Can you feel the stretch in your right foot?
  
• Bend your right ( front) knee.
• Now step your left foot directly back. Put your hands on your hipbones and check that your hips are level and facing forward.
• Look behind your left shoulder at your back heel to make sure it is pointing directly back.
• You can put your hands on the wall, shoulder height level for more stability; or you can leave them on your hips for more awareness.
• Spend 5 to 10 breaths here, then slowly make your way back to standing and compare how the two sides feel.
• Repeat on the left side. Enjoy!

See you on the mat!

Inflammation response is a vital part of our body's innate defense mechanism against harmful pathogens, free radicals or damaged cells. When your body detects foreign invaders or damaged cells of any sort, it rushes immune system agents to the affected site.
Many external and internal factors (shallow breathing, for example) can push this natural response out of balance, causing chronic inflammation. Left unchecked, chronic inflammation is responsible for inflammatory conditions of GI tract, joints,  and heart disease, amongst others. It even serves as a catalyst for cancer cell development.
Ayurveda recognizes abnormal inflammation response - whether it presents itself as chronic joint, bowel, sinus inflammation or skin irritation - as imbalance in fiery Pitta dosha. For centuries Ayurvedic physicians have used food as medicine to balance doshas, to nurture, nourish and rejuvenate the health of their clients. Here are some of their suggestions for anti-inflammatory diet:

• Add more lightly cooked green leafy vegetables to your diet.
• Reduce the amount of spicy, sour and salty foods, as well as red meat.
• Drink turmeric tea. In recent years science confirmed what traditional healers have known for ages - turmeric is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory agents known to men. 

Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder to a cup of freshly boiled water. You might choose to add some lemon juice or honey to taste. I like my plain.