Hello beautiful (and possibly slightly over-indulged) people,

Happy New Year!

As I've mentioned in December e-HUG, Satori's focus for the year 2014 is PURGE, DETOX, and DECLUTTER. In any cleaning process, the first order of business is to get things moving in the right direction. Read on if you are ready say goodbye to constipation and hello to regular poops! This short e-HUG talks about the life of your inner organs, what you can do to improve it, and some internal structural issues that you might not even considered - yet!

My own arduous journey into the inner works of organs started over 40 years ago when I was just a baby. Diagnosed with congenital liver disease, I grew not only accustomed, but also curious about my weekly acute attacks, poking and prodding of the tests, restrictive diets and other intriguing things that came with my illness. I snuck pickles out of Gramma's fridge and bought whipped-cream laden pastry on my way home to school, fully knowing that I will be in bed with fever the day after.  I was a kid...Some kids play with toys; I played with my illness.

Rewind 30-some years forward: at the very beginning of my yoga teaching carrier I realize that underneath the thin frame of my what looks like a healthy body is a myriad of structural faults. It is as if elastic bands are holding my insides taut, preventing me from bending, twisting and arching.

 I learn that because I was so organ- ill during my formative years, the internal structure of my body have adapted to fit in - not the way nature intended it to fit, move and breathe, but the way my illness dictated it. And so I work, carefully, patiently, tirelessly, to unwind those patterns so I can be better - in the art of teaching and in my life. I get angry and frustrated when the flare ups happen (they seem to pick most inconvenient of times - Xmas, holidays, vacations); I am elated when I can move into a pose that wasn't accessible to me before, hike for 45 K or link turns perfectly on even the steepest of ski slopes - feats I never dared to even dream about.

This has been my life's journey, and having embodied both illness and wellbeing uniquely qualifies me to teach what organ wellness really is all about.

As I have mentioned earlier, I haven't been a stranger to restrictive diets from the time I was very little. When any internal organ is unwell, fatigued or sluggish, removing foods that put strain on that body system (in my case - pickled, brined, fried, fatty, dairy, chocolate, mushrooms, eggs and the list goes on, and on, and on) can ease up the symptoms. Adding supporting herbs can make a difference, too.  Do those dietary changes go deep enough?  Here is the structural question we don't usually consider:

You hold the pose, and the waves of your breath move through your lungs, inflating and deflating tiny air sacs responsible for gas exchange, tugging on the pleura - connective tissue that surrounds your lungs and supports your shoulders and arms. Jelly-fish -like motion of your diaphragm massages your heart, stomach, liver and spleen, while the internal pressure in your abdominal cavity stabilizes your lumbar spine.

The mesh of connective tissue that holds the organs in place joins, intermingles and merges with postural muscles responsible for your mobility and stability. For example, if you are breathing bigger into one lung (which is extremely common), every breath creates a structural twist that puts strain on the muscles of your neck, shoulders, arms and hands, as well as your heart and digestive organs. The fallout of this breath dichotomy can often be felt as far down as your knees and feet.

"Moving From The Organs" class aims to answer two big questions -

How does your yoga or any other movement practice affect the health of your organs?

How does mobility of your organs inform your movement practice?

 -in experiential way - by feeling, sensing and embodying organ anatomy.
We will explore what happens to the liver in a side bend, how bowels respond to forward fold, learn how yoga can stimulate the colon (say goodbye to constipation and hello to regular poops!), and twist with attention to organs.