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A “flow” refrain within an asana class can be

A “flow” refrain within an asana class can be more than chaturanga-up dog-down dog.

Find a flow phrase and keep coming back to it.

Repeat for as long as it’s interesting.
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#shouldercircles #shouldercars #yogaflows #yogasequencing

7 New Looks for Cat/Cow that I love! 1) arms cros

7 New Looks for Cat/Cow that I love!

1) arms crossed = new feels for the upper back!

2) thigh crossed = new feels for the hips and a constraint to lumbar movement/this one might mobilize your upper back more, too!

3) Wavy spine! Learn to differentiate your spinal movements with the wave and find stiffer segments you’d otherwise gloss over.

4) Tidal wave/shift forward and back and get your elbows and knees involved in the wave, too. This is a great precursor to spinal wave from down dog into plank pose and from plank to chaturanga. It’s also a rocking movement which in and of itself can be a rhythmic, soothing way to reset the nervous system.

5) Need an adjustment in your neck and upper back? This one’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, you’re welcome 🤤 IYKYK

6) Stair steppers bring in rotation and IMO no other movement feels better in my upper back than when I rotate (+ flex) or rotate (+ extend.)

7) Which is convenient because then we go cock-eyed and spend even more time flexing and extending while rotated. Suuuuper duper!

Sprinkle in some new looks for cat/cow from time to time. They can be surprisingly informative to certain movement themes and they often also feel so good!
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#catcowpose #catcow #catcowvariation #spinalmobility #neckmobility #upperback #lowerback #yogasequencing

A challenging movement brings us to the present mo

A challenging movement brings us to the present moment.

Challenging movement is not necessarily what you think it is.

It’s not inaccessible or fancy, particularly.

It’s not leg behind head while standing on one foot.

It could be something simple like coordinating bird dog with shoulder circles.

Or patting your head with one hand while rubbing your tummy with the other.

When you challenge your coordination in this way, whatever was stressing you out will get pushed out of your mind by a different problem to solve—the kind that stretches, lubricates, and mobilizes your shoulders, spine, and hips.

Simple movement that requires deep focus and concentration can be deeply therapeutic.
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#shouldercircles #shouldercars #birddogs

Wanna make a familiar, well worn practice novel?

Wanna make a familiar, well worn practice novel?

Work your angles.

We know that in thread the needle, typically the arm reaches straight out to the side, and then we sweep it behind the weight-bearing wrist to rotate the spine.

And that feels so good.

But we can take this general movement *template* and expand upon it without having to totally reinvent the wheel (or needle?)

When we do, these small changes can add considerable variety to how we move, which can in and of itself go a long way toward reducing pain (and increasing pleasure!)

To play with reaching your limbs to different angles in thread the needle, think of your arm as the hand of a clock that you can reach forward to 12 o’clock to the side to 3 or 9 o’clock and straight back to 6 o’clock.

There are many more hours in the day and angles with which to play than this!

Hit them all (or as many as you can) and feel what happens!

Same goes with the entire lower extremity.

Notice how it completely alters the movement, stretch, and muscle activation from your spine/core, as well as hips and shoulders.

Each traditional pose (or well worn movement) is really just one point along a continuum of possible directions of movement to play with.

Work your angles!
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#threadtheneedle #creativeyoga #creativeyogaflow #yogasequencing #upperback #upperbackstretch

I refuse to shrink away like I tried to do in my e

I refuse to shrink away like I tried to do in my early 20s with the endless pursuit of “smaller” for the benefit of the “male gaze” (which corporate interests made up.)

I will continue to send the cells of my body the message that I am strong.

This message, when it’s a little “louder” than they’re used to hearing, lands in a way where they respond and go, “oh, I guess this is what we do now.”

My tissues remodel at every level to be strong—bone, tendon, muscle, cartilage, self-esteem.

Heavy strength training is protective stress. Especially for women.

Who told you to stay small?

Who told you weak was pretty?

Who painted the tiny dumbbells pink?

Who profits from these messages?

Who’s trading your self worth for money?

On its own, down dog is a wonderful stretch, but h

On its own, down dog is a wonderful stretch, but have you tried targeting different areas of your body with some sly fidgeting?

One of my favorite things to do in down dog is fidget (and sneak in some multi-planar micro moves to an otherwise sagittal, static pose.)

Fidget #1: Cross your legs as much as possible, bend your knees (it’s a little like eagle pose legs) then flip your heels to one side of the mat (your knees will point to the other). Flip your feet (and knees) thenother way. Then change which leg is crossed in front and repeat.

Fidget #2: Step your feet to the midline and line them up. The knee of the foot in front will naturally be a little bit more bent. Straighten it as the heel of the foot behind lifts. Then drive the heel of the back foot down and let the front knee bend. Repeat for as long as it feels good. Change sides.

Fidget #3: While in down dog, surreptitiously bend opposite elbow and opposite knee. You might notice the non-bent limbs feel really “plugged in” and your spine gets a chriopractic adjustment with no chiropractor needed!

Hold the pose but sprinkle in some fidgets!

This rockin’ (literally) sequence helps you work

This rockin’ (literally) sequence helps you work on back strength and teach your dog new tricks!

In this 90 second video, I show a build up to Urdvha Mukha Svanasana (upward dog) using passive, active, and breath-based strategies.

We work active and passive range in spinal extension and shoulder extension.

We use the arms to initiate a rock back and forth to highlight effort from the back body to lift the upper trunk and head higher, as well as effort from the back body to lifts the lower extremities higher.

Then we apply a sneakier trick with the breath to see how abdominal breathing on inhale (inhale the belly out and down into the floor) shifts the fulcrum lower to advantage a lift if the chest, and vice versa, how exhaling shifts the fulcrum to advantage lifting the legs.

Get rocking with your prone backbending and teach your dog some new tricks. 🐶

I’m happy to share this episode on the Practice

I’m happy to share this episode on the Practice Human Podcast!

@sarahcourtdpt and I sat down with @caitlincasella a few weeks ago to talk about scope of practice and cognitive biases.

Swipe left to hear a couple highlights from me on working with different types of people with unique interests and goals, and from Sarah’s clinical perspective on being able to read a person.

From the host (and my dear friend) Caitlin:

I’ve always admired Laurel as a colleague and friend for her mental malleability when approaching a broad array of ideas, beliefs, and questions. Thank you Laurel for your insights. I will always consider you an inspiration and valuable partner in learning.

As I mention in the episode intro, Sarah (unknowingly) served as a model for me of someone making the leap to go to PT school after a career teaching yoga. Sarah, I’m so grateful for your guidance still and the wisdom you impart in this talk.

Link in my bio @caitlincasella to hear the full episode. And check out Laurel and Sarah’s podcast and online educational programming @movementlogictutorials

#scopeofpractice #learningstyles #cognitivebias #cognativebiases #moveinalltheways #physicaltherapy #physiotherapy #physio #getptfirst #practicehuman

UPDATE: Shoulder Circle Flow turned into Let It Go

UPDATE: Shoulder Circle Flow turned into Let It Go Flow followed immediately by Savasana.

We learned shoulder circles.

Then we learned how to not take ourselves too seriously while doing shoulder circles.

Old news: shoulder circles are a fabulous way to m

Physio balls elevate the happy factor! We’re ro

Physio balls elevate the happy factor!

We’re rolling ours out for handstand practice these days.

I sort of sprung some optional physioball exercises on my Tue/Thu morning live class members and then quickly learned that many already have one.

If you also happen to have one sitting in the corner over yonder, here are 5 ways to use it!

Move more and make it playful! 😊

“Take the cookies and put them on the bottom she

“Take the cookies and put them on the bottom shelf.”

One of the better teaching analogies I’ve encountered. 😊

🍪 🍪 🍪

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