Sep
5
2023
Facilitated Stretching by Robert McAtee, Jeff Charland
Facilitated Stretching, Third Edition, provides a useful overview of PNF stretching—a safe and easy-to-use method that involves stretching the muscle, contracting it isometrically against resistance, then stretching it again to a new range of motion. These steps apply whether you are isolating one muscle at a time or using the spiral-diagonal patterns of PNF to stretch groups of muscles simultaneously. The third edition contains all the great features of the previous edition, plus the following: A companion DVD that demonstrates live stretching techniques from the book for a clearer understanding New stretching routines for a variety of popular activities including running, golf, swimming, cycling, and throwing and racket sports General stretches and stretches for older participants Stretching activities with added strength work using stability balls and elastic bands Stretching and strengthening tips for dealing with—and even preventing—common soft-tissue injuries
The third edition of is now revised, reorganized, and packaged with a DVD—surpassing its popular predecessor as the best source for the latest PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching techniques.
This book is available from: http://www.terrarosa.com.au/book/facilitated_stretching.htm
Sep
5
2023
A new DVD on restorative Yoga from real Bodywork is now available.
It features six sequences including a 12 minute meditation, a 15 minute morning session, a 45 minute mid-day sequence, two 55 minute evening routines and one 85 minute sequence for restful sleep. A total of over four hours of yoga practice!
Explore deep relaxation, rejuvenation and healing by experiencing restorative yoga. In this style of yoga, each pose is held for several minutes supported by blankets, allowing the nervous system to completely quiet and return to a state of balance, while gently stretching and opening the body.
Beautifully filmed in Santa Barbara, California in high definition, widescreen with over four hours of footage.
The DVD is available from http://www.terrarosa.com.au/yoga/restorative.htm
Sep
5
2023
Women undertaking a ten week program of 75 minute Restorative Yoga (RY) classes gained positive differences in aspects of mental health such as depression, positive emotions, and spirituality (feeling calm/peaceful) compared to the control group. The study, published February 28 in a special issue of Psycho-Oncology focusing on physical activity, shows the women had a 50% reduction in depression and a 12% increase in feelings of peace and meaning after the yoga sessions.
RY is a gentle type of yoga which is similar to other types of yoga classes, moving the spine in all directions but in a more passive and gentle way. Props such as cushions, bolsters, and blankets provide complete physical support for total relaxation with minimal physical effort, and so people in differing levels of health can practice yoga more easily.
44 women took part in the study, with 22 undertaking the yoga classes and 22 in the waitlist control group. All of the women had breast cancer; 34% were actively undergoing cancer treatment while the majority had already completed treatment. All participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the ten week program, asking them to evaluate their quality of life through various measures. The results clearly showed that the women who had been given the RY classes experienced a wide range of benefits compared to the control group (who were later all invited to attend identical RY classes).
“Evidence from systematic reviews of randomized trials is quite strong that mind-body therapies improve mood, quality of life, and treatment-related symptoms in people with cancer. Yoga is one mind-body therapy that is widely available and involves relatively reasonable costs,” said lead researcher Suzanne Danhauer, Ph.D., based at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “Given the high levels of stress and distress that many women with breast cancer experience, the opportunity to experience feeling more peaceful and calm in the midst of breast cancer is a significant benefit.”
The study found that women who started with higher negative emotions and lower emotional well-being derived greater benefit from the gentle yoga intervention compared to the control group. Women in the gentle yoga group also demonstrated a significant within-group improvement in fatigue, while no such change was noted for the control group.
“This was a pilot study to identify the worthiness and feasibility of conducting a larger randomized control trial on restorative yoga and women with breast cancer,” added Danhauer. “Our results are very promising and will allow us to embark on a much larger scale study.”
Wiley-Blackwell (2009, March 2). Yoga Provides Emotional Benefits To Women With Breast Cancer. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/02/090224230707.htm
Sep
5
2023
Researchers are reporting that two of the most commonly used scents in aromatherapy do nothing to heal wounds, relieve pain or enhance immune status, although one did briefly improve mood. In fact, in some cases, distilled water showed more of a salutary effect, the study found.
The study results are published online in the April issue of the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Used for thousands of years in countries such as India and Egypt, aromatherapy has many adherents who say the concentrated oils extracted from flowers improve health and emotional well-being, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Despite its widespread use, there’s little scientific data on the effectiveness of the therapy, the study authors stated.
“This is by far the largest and most comprehensive study of actual physiological outcomes,” Kiecolt-Glaser said. “There are different perspectives on why odors should work in terms of changing physiology, if they do. A lot of aromatherapy literature thinks of it as a drug-specific mechanism.” In other words, that scents work much like drugs work, with very specific effects.
Using this point of view as a starting point, Kiecolt-Glaser and her colleagues, who included husband Dr. Ronald Glaser, looked at the two odors that have been most researched: lemon, which is purported to be stimulating and a mood enhancer, and lavender, which is supposed to be relaxing and is used as a sleep aid. Distilled water was used as a control.
Potential study participants were first screened to see if they had an adequate sense of smell. Fifty-six people were then admitted into the study. During three half-day sessions, half the group was handed an envelope that explained the scent they were about to smell and what to expect. The other participants were simply told they’d be smelling a variety of fruit and floral odors.
Then the researchers taped cotton balls laced with either lemon oil, lavender oil or distilled water below the volunteers’ noses for the duration of the tests. The participants were monitored for blood pressure and heart rate, and the researchers took regular blood samples from each volunteer. The samples were analyzed for changes in different biochemical markers, including Interleukin-6 and Interleukin10, as well as the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine.
The researchers then tested the volunteers’ ability to heal by using a standard test in which tape is applied and removed repeatedly on a specific site on the skin. The scientists also tested the volunteers’ reaction to pain by placing their feet in 32-degree water. Finally, the participants filled out three standard psychological tests to assess mood and stress during each session.While lemon oil showed a clear mood enhancement, lavender oil did not, the researchers said. Neither smell had any positive impact on any of the biochemical markers for stress, pain control or wound healing.
Still, research in the field is limited, and it’s doubtful these findings will prove anything.
