May I comment? (A male perspective)

Submitted by Shambo on May 11, 2008 - 9:05pm
Body: 

Hello-my name is Shambo. I have been a Yoga instructor for twenty-one years and am the founder of YogaHealth. We run 70 classes a week across Australia. It has always been a concern for me that although 85% of our students are female-most Yoga was developed by and for males and the masculine body. I recieved an email from one of my fellow teachers today on this subject and with a link to this site and have registered here but am unable to locate the thread regarding women doing yoga.Maybe someone can direct me...(What! A man asking for directions!?!)

I am very pleased to see such a necessary forum online and would be happy to share my wifes experience (with her permission!) and my own, with any interested parties. My wife was diagnosed with a prolapsed uterus after the birth of our second child. Much to our doctors disapproval, she utilised Yogic methods to effect a complete recovery - (one that we were informed was impossible by the medical profession.)

Some years later the same medical scenario and dire prognostications when she developed fibroids. Again she refused surgery and used natural methods to reduce the fibroids. That said, we are certainly not against the medical profession.

As for myself,ten years ago I wrote a book on Yoga and Menopause which sold 5000 copies and is now unfortunately out of print. So, hoping to be of assistance......Shambo

Clonmacnoise

May 11, 2008 - 9:29pm

Shambo,

Welcome! There are many of us who do yoga for strength and balance. I'm 57 and still very flexible. I'd love to hear about the different poses you think helped your wife.

Christine believes that we should do yoga for women in a women's posture which is Whole Woman Posture. I'm a strong believer and have tried all my yoga poses this way and for me it's a lot easier. When it is suggested that I stand like a man, I simply respond, "No thank you."

I'd like to know more about your story of healing sans medicine.

Judy

louiseds

May 11, 2008 - 9:42pm

Hi Shambo

I'm from Australia too. I'm so glad the info has spread this far within the yoga community.

Put simply 'yoga' into the search box and you will bring up about 10 pages of results, among which there is an entry from Christine's Blog, entitled 'Why we need a new yoga for women', and some following comments. You can also reach it by going to the lefthand frame and looking in Recent Blog Posts.

There is also a very recent comment by Christine, talking about the DVD she is currently making of the yoga workout she has designed, along with her firebreathing.

Yay, I just found it. It is a comment entitled 'Firebreathing',
Submitted by Christine on May 8, 2008 - 10:49am. It is under the topic called
'Firebreathing/pelvic diaphragm' submitted by Blue. You can find Blue's topic by entering 'Firebreathing/pelvic diaphragm' in the search box. Blue's topic comes up as the first hit. Click on the title of the first hit and scroll down to Christine's comment.

We very much welcome your input. Christine has wanted input from as many yoga teachers as possible, so keep spreading the word and inviting other teachers to comment as well.

Cheers

Louise

Shambo

May 11, 2008 - 10:42pm

Ah yes, thank you.
I'm only guessing here of course, but I am assuming that this is the same as Kapalabhati or 'breath of fire'in the yogic tradition.I would be interested to hear of any adaptations that Christine has made to benefit prolapse..
..I have worked with the Gynos at King Edward Hospital in WA, Australia. They told me that around 60% of women who practice kegel exercises actually push out while believing they are pulling in! There are a number of ways to check this, but we worked out that if you pull the tummy in first, then it is much easier to draw the pelvic floor muscles the correct way.

www.yoga.com.au

Shambo

May 11, 2008 - 10:56pm

Thanks for that-I'll have to have a look at the Whole Woman Posture. My wife could no doubt give a better account of what she did. I know the principle textbook she used was 'Nawa Yogini Tantra' by Satyananda Saraswati. The formula, while appropriate for a yogini, did involve quite a lot of inverted positions (upside-down) as well as locks such as Moola Banda or Pelvic Lock which we spend quite a bit of time on in class. It certainly seems to be a beneficial way to balance the hormonal system. I would also recommend it for men as far as toning and balancing the prostate function..Its a shame that so much of this is used for remedial purposes rather than as a preventative in the first place, but what to do? SO many students come to class because of injuries and postural/medical difficulties...but then stay for the more subtle benefits.I'm not really complaining...I would be out of a job if there was not such an endemic lower back/pelvic/stress problems in our society....but it would be nice to bring more awareness to the preventative health benefits as well....www.yoga.com.au

louiseds

May 12, 2008 - 1:28am

Hi Shambo

It's not often a couple of sandgropers get to have a go on the Forum together. Christine is in New Mexico, USA, (14 hours behind Oz WST) and is probably asleep at the moment. No doubt she will chime in with her perspective when she is up and about late tonight (for us). In the meantime, have a look at the FAQ's on the Homepage, www.wholewoman.com so you have a bit of a grasp of the posture, then have a look at Christine's Blog post so you understand what she is talking about with Yoga for Women. This blog post is well illustrated, as well.

It would be great if your wife registered for the Forums too, and was involved in the discussion. She has so much to gain.

We like to think that young girls should be learning about Wholewoman posture preventatively, as soon as they reach puberty, and their proportions start changing. It is a time when so many of them feel uneasy in their bodies, but need to celebrate their emarging femaleness by wearing it proudly, without using it as the sexual come on that is usually associated with this type of posture. A hard call when we live in a society which thrives on outward displays of sexuality on one hand, but frowns on nipples and pubes on the telly! A society where much late night telly is police programs about sexual assault and murder of 'beautiful' women, and the news isn't much better. I find it quite ironic, and very sad. Actually I get quite angry about the hypocrisy of it too.

You are right, yoga, WW techniques, exercise programmes, staying a healthy weight, having a living spiritual side of your life, they are all much more effective as preventative measures than bandaids.

Looking forward to more discussion and seeing Christine's responses.

Cheers

Louise

virgo46

May 12, 2008 - 9:50am

Rose
Checked out your website, it looks very interesting. Please look at Christine's comments on
kegel and pulling the tummy in.

Rose

louiseds

May 12, 2008 - 7:48pm

Hi Virgo46 (Rose?)

I can't find Christine's comments on "kegel and pulling the tummy in" that you are referring to. Could you be more specific please? FAQ's? Which question? Forum? Paste the URL in if you can, then we can comment? What point/question are you making?

Cheers

Louise

virgo46

May 13, 2008 - 4:47pm

Rose
Hi Louise,
In Christine's new book page 170 she explains it better than I can. Kegel exercise want you
to tuck in which pushes everything down. I only know I stopped doing them and do Christine's
dvd and feel much better. I also try to maintain the posture (when I remember)

Rose

virgo46

May 13, 2008 - 4:51pm

Rose
Louise,
You can also find info at FAQ #18.

Rose

louiseds

May 13, 2008 - 9:35pm

Oh yes Rose

This is absolutely right. I am so glad you have taken in this deep truth about the real relationship between the bones, muscles and pelvic organs. i have been playing around with my pelvis and coccyx this morning before getting up
(cadaver position), and taking comparative measurements in finger lengths both lying down and standing, old vs ww posture, of length of pubic symphysis (ps), distance from back of ps to tip of coccyx. difference in height between tip of coccyx and back of ps, height measured against height of bathroom basin. geometrically measuring the angle of my own pelvic floor and how different it is in ww posture. feeling what kegels do as well, in all three positions. it made me realise just how much information gleaned from the existing (cadaverous) pelvic anatomy is totally wrong when applied to a living, vertically-oriented woman's body.

the problem is that these anatomists have never been able to get a cadaver to stand up. i just wish we could get leonardo da vinci back to convince them. he had the engineering brain and the interest in anatomy to get it right.

btw, have you ever tried sex in missionary position, lying on a firm, lengthwise pillow with your head at one end and your waist at the other, with your hips down on the mattress, producing a strongly supported, stable lumbar curve and internal pressure on vagina from locking effect of sacrum? pelvic floor goes tight as a drum. my husband just smiled and said "much better contact". my 55yo body loves it and reckons it is the ant pants. his does too. ;-)

cheers

louise

Shambo

May 15, 2008 - 1:09am

i cannot find the FAQs atall on this site unfortunately....

www.yoga.com.au

MeMyselfAndI

May 15, 2008 - 1:36am

Are here

http://www.wholewoman.com/faqs/index.php

Sometimes you are holding someone else's heart whithin your hands. You can drop that heart & bruise it. You can squash that heart & hurt it. Or you can stomp on it & totally annihalate it. You stomp on that heart or bruise it. It can forever be changed.

kit

May 15, 2008 - 6:29am

I did the shoulder release exercise per the video on www.yoga.com.au

I thought it might be helpful for those that recently stated they have neck issues...I think Louise and Christine were two, there may have been more.

I hope they post more short clips like that. Very nice to find. Thanks to them, Kit

louiseds

May 15, 2008 - 7:12am

Hmm, that was me in the video, who kept saying, "Wow!" (just kidding ...)

I have been looking for a way of mobilising my upper back for a while now. This might be it. The first one, the shoulder release, certainly showed me where the tightness is. Might have to do these every day and see what happens.

Oooo, I've just found the other videos under the thumbnails at the bottom of the YouTube window!

Good one Shambo. You are a generous man, who laughs well. Thankyou.

Louise