Jan has been practicing yoga since 2006 and
teaching since 2010. She feels that Yoga continues to provide her with the
tools to handle the “rollercoaster” of life and is passionate about sharing the
teachings of yoga with her students. Read below to learn more about her
practice (on and off the mat) as well as get a sneak peek into her newer class
“Yoga for Strong Bones”.
What is your biggest physical challenge in your
practice?
The greatest
physical challenge for me is my scoliosis, which manifests as a curve in my
spine and a rotation of the pelvis and shoulders. At points in my life this has
caused me pain and some physical limitations. As a result of my scoliosis I
have altered my yoga practice to one that is slow, deep and very mindful.
I learned early on to divide my body into quadrants or parts and learned
what each area needed to be doing so that the poses were comfortable, safe, and
beautiful. For me this awareness or mindfulness has been refining each pose so
that each time I practice, the asanas/poses becomes deeper, more meaningful and
I am able to explore my body just a little more. This mindfulness practice is
quieting for me and creates a feeling of calmness which brings me to my mat
over and over again. It even astonishes me sometimes how that if I focus on
what I need to do and where my breathe needs to be directed I can stay
balanced, safe, full of light and stability even with my physical challenges
and limitations. Scoliosis has shown me my gifts as a teacher as it helped me
find my passion for teaching yoga therapeutics and yoga for strong bones.
** Jan teaches Yoga for Strong Bones. Her classes are
creative and fun. In her class, she guides the student through poses that
are beneficial for building strong bones and shares which bones and parts of
the body are being nurtured and strengthened by the specific poses. See
below for more information on her class!**
Who
inspires you? Why?
I am inspired by poetry. I find my greatest
inspiration comes from reading poetry. I love the great works of Mary Oliver,
David Whyte, Rumi, and Jeffrey Foster. Right now I draw inspiration for my
life and classes from the beautiful words of David Whyte. Let's look more
closely at poetry. A good poem, or even a good line of poetry, can very swiftly
and deftly pierce the heart and I have found that both poetry and the physical
practices of yoga move me in deep and personal ways. My favorite poet David
Whyte expressed a similar sentiment on the NPR show “On Being” with Krista
Tippett. He said that poetry is "a language against which you have no
defenses." I feel like poetry provides me with insight and helps me to
live my life with an open heart. I read poetry in my classes hoping that my
students will feel or connect in with their own hearts. My intention is that I
am able to show my students that our yoga poses can be like poems that we write
with our bodies. The practice of yoga is an art if we practice it as such
and that art might be different for each of us.
Jan's Hydrating and Nourishing Sugar Scrub:
I have been making
sugar scrubs to nourish and hydrate my skin. It is very fun, easy and I love
being creative. Currently for spring I am adding in Eucalyptus, Lemon and
Lavender essential oils as I suffer from seasonal allergies. Eucalyptus helps
to open up the sinuses and air passages, Lavender has anti-histamine like
properties, and lemon is great at supporting the immune system. This simple
practice allows me to enjoy spring and all the wonderful beauty that comes with
this beautiful time of year.
Jan's Sugar Scrub
for Allergies
1/2 cup Organic
Sugar
6 drops Lavender
Essential Oil
4 drops Lemon
Essential Oil
2 drops Eucalyptus
Essential Oil
2 tbsp.
Fractionated Coconut Oil
YOGA FOR STRONG BONES WITH JAN
Even 10 seconds in a yoga
pose can help trigger chemicals in the body that build bone mass.
With yoga, you can protect and lubricate your joints safely for an
increased range of motion while building strong bones.
Osteoporosis
A disease characterized by
weak, thinning bones that can lead to fractures — affects an estimated 200
million women worldwide, and one in three women over 50
experience osteoporotic fractures. Classic risk factors for
osteoporosis include being female, age, low body weight and smoking. Forty-four
million Americans suffer from low bone mass. Osteoporosis leads to painful
fractures due to loss of bone mass; yoga strengthens bones without
endangering joints: it stands to reason that yoga is the perfect therapy for
osteoporosis. Drugs and surgeries can alleviate pain, but study after
study has shown that exercise is the best treatment, specifically low-impact,
bone-strengthening exercises―hence, yoga.” (Yoga for Osteoporosis by Fishman MD
and Saltonstall). Studies show that with consistent careful yoga
practice, Osteoporosis can be arrested and even reversed.
Viparita Karani is
often called Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, but viparita actually means
"inverted," and karani means "in action." We can interpret
that to mean that the pose inverts the typical actions that happen in our
bodies when we sit and stand. There are many benefits to inverting the
actions in your body. Here are a few: When you put your legs up the wall
with your pelvis elevated on a folded blanket, lymph and other fluids that
can lead to swollen ankles, tired knees, and congested pelvic organs flow
into the lower belly; this refreshes the legs and the reproductive area.
This pose also gives blood circulation a gentle boost toward the upper
body and head, which creates a pleasant rebalancing after you have been
standing or sitting for a long time.
Alignment: Start on your
side as close to a wall as possible. Swing your legs up onto the wall and your
shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. Lift and release the base
of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Take
a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your neck if the
cervical spine feels flat. Release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms
up.Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in
place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly
deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes
and turn them down to look into your heart. Stay in this pose
anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
If
you are concerned about your bones and would also like to reduce stress and
move with more freedom then join Jan for this slow therapeutic class to
heal mind, body, and bones.
Gentle
Therapeutic on Tuesday 1:30 to 2:45 PM
Yoga for Strong Bones on Friday 12:30 to 1:45 PM
**This
week only, bring a friend to their first class at Shree and they get to take
the class for free and learn Jan’s remedy for bone mass building. **
