Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 24, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 24, 2014 10 HEALTHY LIFESTYLES Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 24, 2014 10 HEALTHY LIFESTYLES 
THE JOY OF YOGA 
GET UPSIDE DOWN! 
Going upside down is what we call the “anti-aging” and “anti-depressant” 
secret of yoga. Going upside down changes your mood in seconds and 
leaves you with a smile, every time. You do not need to stand on your 
head. There are surprising techniques that can help you get all the benefits 
with out the fear or the strain on your neck. Going up side down or 
inversions, change the way the prana flows. It gets that vital life energy 
moving upward toward the head and it lifts the corners of the mouth and 
the corners of the eyes. It lifts your spirits and it’s great for the immune 
system. Yogis have been doing inversions for years. If you are in a bad 
mood and need an immediate change, go upside down. I never dreamed I 
would be able to do a hand stand. I could not do one when I was a kid. But I soon learned it’s possible 
and fun! Shoulder stand is easier, especially with a block under your low back. But you can just do 
what we call legs up the wall. 

Sit right next to a wall, with your hip touching the wall. Roll onto your side keeping that hip at the 
wall, so you are in a tight little ball on your side with your bum at the wall. Then swing your legs up the 
wall and come onto your back. Close your eyes and slow your breath for 5, 10 or 20 minutes. Come out 
by rolling back onto your side and pressing to your hands and knees. ‘Legs up the wall’ pose is better 
than a nap. It will leave you feeling rejuvenated and fresh, not groggy like a nap. Everyone can do legs 
up the wall. It’s safe and relaxing. For other inversions you need the instructions of an experienced 
teacher. There are some medical conditions that are not good for going upside down. Be sure to tell 
your teacher if you have glaucoma or blood pressure issues.

 Going upside down gives us a new perspective. You will love it. It can be scary to those of us that have 
never done it. You are never to old to try it and you will soon learn that it is natural and fun.
Give ‘legs up the wall’ pose a try and let me know what you think. Namasté, René 


CHASE THE BLUES AWAY WITH GREENS

Frequent consumption of vegetables appears to cut one’s odds of 
depression significantly. A recent review in a nutritional journal suggests 
that eating lots of fruits and vegetables “may present a noninvasive 
natural and inexpensive therapeutic means to support a healthy brain.” 

To understand this research, we need to understand the underlying 
biology of depression. It is thought that depression may arise out of a 
chemical imbalance in the brain. In order for the billions of nerves in our 
brain to communicate with each other they need chemical signals called 
neurotransmitters. Nerve cells do not touch, there is a gap between 
them. When one nerve wants to communicate with another nerve they 
release a neurotransmitter into the gap. As soon as the first nerve has got 
its message across the gap it sucks the neurotransmitter back up to use 
again some other time. The nerves also produce substances that digest 
the neurotransmitters so just the correct amount is kept. If the levels of 

Dr. Tina is a traditional 

our neurotransmitter digesting substances is elevated, then our levels of 

naturopath and nutri


neurotransmitters drops, and we become depressed. 

tionist at Vibrant Living 

Wellness Center 
So why then would fruits and vegetables improve our mood? They 
contain substances that can be inhibitors of depression. Spices, such as 
clove, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg, can also inhibit the substance 
that digest neurotransmitters, but 
people don’t eat enough to have 
an effect by themselves. There are 
special nutrients found in apples, 
berries, grapes, kale, onions, and 
green tea that may indeed affect our 
brain biology enough to improve 
our mood. It has been shown that 
those with superior mental health eat 
a lot of fruits and vegetables. And 
who doesn’t want superior mental 
health… eat up!