Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 7, 2015

10

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 7, 2015


THE JOY OF YOGA

PRACTICE TIPS 


It occurred to me 
that few practice 
tips may be helpful 
to those new and 
seasoned students 
of yoga. First things 
first! Plan for class; 
treat it as an appointment that should not be missed. 
Try to arrive on time, and grab a few props as you lay 
your mat out. Second, prepare to let the teacher be 
your guide. Last, make sure you’ve chosen the class 
that’s right for you that day. Here’s a brief guide on 
choosing a class: 

Gentle: This class is designed to help those who may 
have limited mobility and need movement without 
undue pressure on the joints. The pace is careful 
and slower. It’s perfect for someone recovering from 
an injury (but doctor released for activity). Also 
appropriate for expectant mothers or for those brand 
new to yoga. Many of the yogis attending Gentle 
are not new to yoga, so you may receive the benefits 
of their experience and the teacher may introduce 
varying practices for the class including pranayama 
techniques and energetic practices. 

Beginning: This class is right for a brand new yoga 
student who has no significant trouble spots in the 
body. The pace of the class is slower, with much of 
the alignment of the poses explained in greater detail. 
Poses in this class may be challenging. Expectant 
mothers can also take this class. Many attendees of 
the Beginning level classes have been doing yoga for a 
while and appreciate the pace, challenge of poses, and 
relaxation techniques implored. 

Mixed Level or Vinyasa Flow: More advanced yoga 
poses and pranayama are introduced to build on 
our foundation laid at the Beginning level. This class 
is right for the practitioner who has been practicing 
a while and is ready to expand their practice. At a 
minimum, one should have attended a few Beginning 
classes before attending Mixed Level or Vinyasa Flow. 
Seasoned practitioners who attend while expecting or 
recovering from injury have a knowledge of their body 
and know how to adjust their practice. 

Restorative: This class is for everyone, beginner to 
advanced. Many props are used and poses are held in 
a deeper, supportive way. This class is a compliment to 
a more active or fast-paced practice during week. The 
challenge in this class, is the challenge to slow down. 
Many yogis love this class as it restores the body and 
gets them ready for the week. 

Cheers to the enjoyment of your next class! 

Namaste, 

Keely Totten 

7 SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE 

TOXINS IN YOUR LIFE

It’s a fact, we are 
exposed to toxins 
every day, from our 
food, from the air and 
even from water! It’s 
a good thing that our 
bodies have a built in 
detoxification system 
that works hard to 
eliminate these toxins, 
through the use of our 
liver, skin, gut, kidneys 
and lungs. 

 Our liver is our main 
filtration system. The 
liver detoxifies the 
body in 2 phases. 
Phase 1 breaks toxins 
apart so that hopefully they can be removed by the 
kidneys. In some cases the toxins can’t be broken 
down and can even become more toxic. The phase 2 
process repackages the parts of the toxins so they are 
neutralized and can be taken out of the body through 
the urine. If phase 2 is sluggish, we run the risk of 
building up toxins in the liver. 

 The best advice is avoid exposure to toxins in the 
first place. Here are some simple ways to reduce your 
toxin exposure and to eliminate the toxins that you do 
take in:

 Avoid plastic water bottles. Drink water, lots of 
water all day but not from plastic bottles as they 
contain harmful toxins called BPA (Bisphenol A). 
These toxins actually induce phase 1 to create more 
free radicals which in turn depletes the antioxidant 
reserves of the body.

 Stop eating canned foods (even if it’s low sodium or 
organic). Cans are also lined with BPA.

 Read skin care products carefully! Many skin care 
products contain chemicals that are absorbed through 
the skin and must be processed by the liver. Many 
are endocrine disrupters which means they mimic 
hormones. Your skin care products should contain 
only natural ingredients, meaning if you can’t eat it 
don’t apply it to your skin. 

 Make sure you are sleeping well. This is the time 
that your body takes the garbage out so to speak. This 
is the optimum time for repair and maintenance. If 
you are not sleeping well, get evaluated to help you 
determine why this is. Many people have nutritional 
deficiencies that hinder good sleep. 

 Keep the sewer system working! Our gut actually 
performs the 3rd phase of detoxification. Everyone 
needs to avoid constipation. Once the liver has done 
its job, the body needs to eliminate the waste via the 
stool. Constipation leads to recirculation of toxins in 
the body.

 Shake things up! Regular exercise or movement 
releases toxins through the skin via sweat. It also 
keeps our lymph system working well, promoting 
lymph drainage. Yoga is especially good for this. 

 Take deep breaths! Practice slow deep breathing 
a few times a day. This slow deep breathing releases 
toxins though the lungs.

 Hopefully some of these suggestions will help 
reduce the stress put on your body, especially your 
liver, to eliminate toxins. Look for part 2 next week. 

Dr. Tina is a traditional 
naturopath and nutritionist 
at Vibrant Living 
Wellness Center


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