Downtown Yoga Holistic Centre: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

International Women's Day London Ontario

Thursday 3 March

Adria Vasil – Author, Columnist, Feminist, Activist, Environmentalist

How Women are Leading the Charge to Protect Our Planet - And How YOU Can Too!

7:30 pm, Brescia University College Auditorium, Admission by Donation, Free parking

Sponsored by The Circle Women’s Centre

More info: www.thecircle.ca or 519-432-8353 ext. 28288

Friday 4 March

LAWC’s International Women's Day Breakfast & Auction…Speaker: Jennifer Morse - A Time for Healing

7:00 – 9:00 am; $40.00/tkt or $350/table; Best Western-Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Rd. S

Sponsored by London Abused Women’s Centre

More info: Christy Floyd christy@lawc.on.ca or www.lawc.on.ca

Friday 4 March

EcoFeminist Anti-Fashion Show

7:00 – 9:00 pm, APK Live (Wellington @ York)

Sponsored by Sexual Assault Centre London in partnership with the Amazon Collective

More Info: 519-439-0844

Saturday 5 March

Ecofeminist Vendor Fair: Socially Conscious Clothes, Accessories, Resources, and Feminist Materials

10am – 2pm, Brescia University College Auditorium, Free Parking

Sponsored by Sexual Assault Centre London and The Circle Women’s Centre

More info: www.thecircle.ca or 519-439-0844

Saturday 5 March

Celebrating 100 Years of Inspirational Women: Through the Past, Present and Future

12 noon, Hamilton Road Senior Centre, 525 Hamilton Road

Speakers, activities and inspirational stories; all ages are welcome; a store bought potluck

Sponsored by Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre

More info: Megan Dell or Jacquie Carr at 519-642-7630

Saturday 5 March

Journée Internationale Des Femmes – discuter des atrocités commises à l’endroit des femmes en temps de guerre, ainsi que de la disponibilité des resources adéquates pour les aider lorsq’elles vivent au Canada.

(IWD event – discussing the atrocities committed against women in wartime and the availability of resources to assist them once they live in Canada).

2pm – 5pm, 920 Huron Street, French language event; translation services available.

RSVP to Cynthia: 519-858-0954 or Cynthia.c@carrefourfemmes.on.ca

Sponsored by Carrefour des Femmes du Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario

Saturday 5 March

International Women’s Day Multicultural Dance

6-10 pm, South London Community Centre, 1119 Jalna Blvd, Women Only (age 11+)

Admission: Bring finger food & cutlery, More info: 519-686-8600

5 & 6 March

The Vagina Monologues & A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer

Shows @ 2pm & 7pm, $15 or 2 for $25, Althouse College Theatre

Info & tickets: vdaywestern.com & www.usc.uwo.ca/infosource/index.html

Pose of the Month: Upward Facing Dog

Aside from downward dog, upward facing dog is one of the most widely known and recognized yoga poses due to its numerous benefits and therapeutic uses. As cousin to the Cobra pose, it is considered one of the easiest of the back-bending poses and is usually performed during the Sun Salutation Series.

How to: Upward Facing Dog

Start by laying face down on your mat, legs should be long with a feeling of extension through the length of the toes and spread hips-width apart. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat to the ground, fingers spread, hands completely plugged into the floor and have your finger tips along side your chest.

Your wrist joints should be parallel to the front edge of the mat, with your wrists and elbows at a 90-degree angle. Elbows should stay tight to your sides.

From here, press down through the top of the feet; the top of all 10 toes should press into the floor. Press the palms down and gently lift your body off the floor. The ONLY parts of your body touching the ground should be the tops of the feet and the whole hand.

Once your arms are fully extended, double-check that your wrist joint is still under your shoulder-- aligning the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints together. (This positioning is critical and ensures a safe, less stressed lower back.) The most common mistake in this pose is having your hands too far out in front of you, creating tremendous low back pressure.

Safety First

It is very important to press down through your hands and lift through the top of your head during execution of the pose. Lengthening the neck and having the feeling of pushing down avoids the common "turtle head" mistake where the head seems to disappear into the neck.

Also roll your shoulders back, with shoulder blades facing toward each other. Never over-arch the back. (The action in the arms and legs collectively gives you this result.) Another point to remember is not to let your elbows bow or hyperextend. The bends in the elbows should face each other, remembering to open your chest.

To further relieve pressure on the low back, press your tailbone down with a tucking action. Look straight ahead--keeping a neutral neck to avoid compression on the neck and stiffening the throat.

Benefits of Upward Facing Dog

Strengthen the spine, arms and wrists
Stimulate the organs of the abdomen
Improve posture, by stretching anterior spine and strengthening posterior spine
Stretch chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen
Help to relieve depression, fatigue and pain of sciatica
Increase lung capacity to relieve the symptoms of asthma

Poses like this are critical for a healthy back, especially with so many of our daily postures and chores that induce the forward fold of the torso. When we are forward all day--whether sitting at our desks or driving for hours on end--we over-stretch our back muscles and weaken our abdominals.

Back-bending poses like updog counteract this growing problem. Once we are in better more lifted postures, it automatically puts our abdominal organs in a better functioning position. It is also a great pose to tone our arms and legs and open our hearts.

By Gwen Lawrence
For Active.com