When Pregnancy Hurts, Part 2: Hyperemesis Gravidarum

A stubbed toe. A horrid headache. Or an inconvenient throbbing in your back. When we say, “My_________ hurts”, we envision specific parts of our body in pain, or we might think temporary twinges throughout our limbs or muscles. Hurting is more than physical pain though, and often is a heck of a lot deeper. Sometimes our hurt is mental, emotional, or even physical exhaustion.

Sometimes, as with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or as it’s often called, HG, it’s a pain unlike any other. It is a debilitating condition that causes severe vomiting, dehydration, and weight loss and affects about 1%-3% of pregnant people. As horrible as the condition is, possibly more upsetting is the belief that it’s minor and that it’s the “simple” morning sickness we’ve all seen portrayed on TV. This invalidation leads many to prolong seeking help, and unfortunately to suffer.

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As one woman described her ordeal, it becomes clear that HG can often make people doubt their reality. According to her, she thought she needed to accept her agony and torture: “I felt weak. Like I was dying. I couldn’t see straight and I felt so hungry. It was awful, but I thought that it was normal because hey, morning sickness.”

Still another demonstrates the accompanying mixed feelings pregnancy brings, but that can be exacerbated by the effects of HG: “I knew I should have been grateful, but I hated every moment of pregnancy. Every day I had to field peoples’ well-meaning advice. ‘Try peppermint oil’, they’d say. Peppermint oil was disgusting, and rather than making me feel better, it made me want to throw the bottle across the room. I would just lay in bed and cry in-between leaning over the edge of my nest every 37 minutes on the dot, to puke my spirit out. I was a pregnant vessel.”

Hyperemesis Gravidarum has recently garnered international awareness thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge and her highly publicized struggles with it during her pregnancies. While her fame and notoriety certainly acts as a catalyst for public education, it simultaneously leads many to underestimate its severity by giving it a luxurious facade and intrigue. As one woman recalls, people acted as if her condition was fascinating, rather than the perpetual hell it was, “What’s weird is that people wanted to glamorize it! They would say that I was like a princess and ‘how cool was that’? Or that I didn’t have to worry at all about baby weight. All I had was blank stares.”

Minimizing HG or writing it off as a normal part of pregnancy is incredibly hurtful to pregnant people, but also especially damaging because these attitudes prevent many from sharing their experience or seeking support. As studies suggest, having support during pregnancy is vital to the well-being of the mother. Support for people suffering from HG is critical because of the decreased ability to move, much less perform daily tasks and functions, which affects every facet of the person’s life, from employment to relationships. Knowing the symptoms can facilitate quicker diagnosis and thus, treatment.

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Some basic signs to look for if you or someone you know is potentially dealing with HG are the following:

• severe vomiting
• food aversions
• decreased output
• extreme thirst
• weakness
• confusion
• extreme fatigue
• fast heart rate
• saggy skin (when pulling especially)
• weight-loss
• persistent headache

If you are experiencing signs of HG, please reach out to your OB. Let them know you will need help at home and ask them if they have recommendations for a support team so that you don’t have to suffer any longer than is necessary. Create a comfortable space so that you can get through HG as best as possible. There is a light at the end of the tunnel even if it is dim right now.

 

 

When Pregnancy Hurts-Part 1

Pregnancy is beautiful, exciting, and wonderful…until it’s not. What a lot of people don’t realize, until they themselves are pregnant, is that pregnancy isn’t always great. As a matter of fact, it often hurts. And sometimes, it hurts incredibly. What you may have expected to be relatively easy is surprisingly difficult and maybe even a source of guilt.

While everyone around you is asking, “how are you feeling?”, all you want to do is sneak out of the impromptu inquiry as your bones, stomach, and every living cell in your body scream and writhe in pain. The thing is-you can be honest. You don’t have to give the perfunctory or standard response. You are allowed to say, “well, not great”, “pregnancy is hard work and I am feeling it”, or “like crap”. There should be no guilt in honesty and transparency. You are a human growing another human.

Part of the reason why the general public envisions pregnancy as a time when people are absolutely drunk with happiness can be attributed to media representations but also to us. More specifically, our internalizing social mores that value strength and silence and disparage vulnerability are to blame. Therefore, we often suffer and “put on” for the comfort of others. We would rather shield others from discomfort (which, in itself isn’t bad!), but at the expense of our health and happiness. And so, we delay getting the help we need and we also uphold the facade of the majestic pregnancy.

In order to change the perception of pregnancy and illustrate it is as individual an experience as those who go through it, we need to be open about the realities of pain-real, actual pain. Everyone knows about morning sickness, even if it is laughed off as minor. But people don’t know about the debilitating pain that affects daily life and makes it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.

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There are multiple ways pregnancy can hurt and there are tons of reasons why it happens. Some of the most common reasons are due to weight gain, hormonal fluctuations, and shifting structural anatomy.

Common conditions that cause pain include:

• Acid reflux/GERD
• Hypermesis gravidarum
• Round ligament pain
• Sciatica
• SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction)
• Scoliosis and back pain
• Autoimmune disorders
• Antenatal depression
  

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All of the above will have different treatment protocols; however, it is important that you do talk with your doctor or midwife to explore options for relief. In the following weeks, we’ll detail each condition, its symptoms, its causes, and its treatment options. We will unveil and demystify them in hopes to educate and inspire you to seek relief.

Until part 2!

-Heather

Meditation Jars, Bottles, and More…Oh My!

You have probably seen tutorials for the sparkly, glitter jars making their way across the interwebz.  There are hundreds of blogs giving instructions on how to make them, but one thing I noticed is that there is not nearly as much information detailing why to make them or how to effectively use them.

In addition, they are all the sparkle-bottle variety, which is fantastic for us glitter unicorn-loving peeps, but some people don’t like glitter. What?! Hold UP! I couldn’t believe it either, but according to my sources, there are indeed parents who don’t enjoy picking little tiny bits of metallic confetti out of the carpet. So, included in this blog, I have listed three different kinds of meditation jars (and will later post the link to their tutorial because that is all too much for one lowly post) that are sure to be a better compromise and neat little tool for possibly, but not probably, staving off a tyrannical child.

Yes, I am still gonna include a glitter bottle because we do like glitter in this house. And, I am going to give you the why and how lowdown so that this fun craft turns into a useful, yoga-teacher approved method of dealing (for kids, and their parents.)

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Candle Jar

First up, is the tratak inspired candle jar.

This jar, painted with opaque, shimmery acrylics, uses an electric tealight.  Tratak is a form of meditation that involves staring at a single point…such as a light-filled jar. The point is to concentrate on it as you quiet your mind.  Young children will probably want to talk about it. That’s okay! Just redirect their focus and encourage them to think about those thoughts quietly as they look at the light. As the light flickers, instruct them to breathe in “big” as the light gets brighter (even electronic tealights have a swelling effect).

The candle meditation is optimal for the evening, obviously. You could even place it on a shelf in their room at bedtime so that they can fall asleep while looking at it and listening to calm music. It is one way to reduce night anxiety and establish a happy sleep routine!

Sequin Meditation Bottle

Next, is the sequin bottle.

The sequin bottle is just a variation of the glitter bottle, but both are used to get kids to chill.  They can be used to shush little ones mid-tantrum, but I find them most useful to prevent meltdowns, to increase focus, and to introduce meditation in a way they can understand. Also, they are pretty rad for curing the doldrums when you need them to not raise their voices higher than a librarian decibel.

Adults meditate so that our 60-mile-a-minute thoughts become more like 59 miles a minute. Kids may not always have the pressing worries we have (hello little pieces of mail called ‘bills’), but they certainly have their own issues. We don’t just sit to tune out, we sit in stillness to discern what is valuable and what is not. We can only do that when we have space to breathe, figuratively and literally. So, these bottles physically draw kiddos into just sitting. It’s like training wheels for meditation. Set aside three minutes in the morning to devote to meditating with your sparkle bottles.

Mantra in a Bottle..or Jar

(Note: you will need a die-cut machine such as a Cricut or Silhouette. Or you need to be willing to use scissors pretty intensively.)

Finally, the mantra jar is a little different because you don’t just look at it! It takes a little more effort and is used to monitor thoughts in *insert gasp* writing. It’s a great way to get affirming, inspirational, or even negative, crappy things off your chest. It’s like a “thought jar”. So, decorate your jar with your kiddo’s (READ: your) favorite quotes, words, or sayings and fill it with your thoughts or a goal or something that stood out to you that day.

Sit down and take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, release any tension. (Sometimes, kids like to do this lying down with a beanie baby on their bellies so that they can see their chest move.) Repeat, listening to your breath and feeling your chest rise and fall, three times. Then, take your paper, a pencil, and fill your jar. At the end of each month, empty that jar and imagine your mind emptying those negative thought patterns with the contents. And then, start afresh. Little kids can draw pictures if they are not yet writing.

Glitter Bottle

And as promised, the glitter meditation bottle! Use it the same way as the sequin bottle…or just decorate a shelf with it 😉

Hopefully, you now have some idea how to incorporate these meditation jars into your life and know that they aren’t just for shaking…or are they? Check back for the tutorial and photos and let me know if you have any ideas! How do you use yours? What do you find most beneficial? Share in the comments!

How Can Prenatal Yoga Prepare Me for Birth?

Prenatal yoga is beneficial for many, many reasons. Among them? It can help prepare you for birth. In addition to bridging friendships and providing a sense of community, promoting bonding between you and your little one, and just giving you something to do that is specifically modified just for you, prenatal yoga can and does help prepare your body and mind for birth.

Prenatal yoga prepares you for the big day in a variety of ways.  Teaching pregnant people for the last three years has shown me that it is extremely effective at equipping expectant parents for birthing a new human and parenting said homo sapien. Even for the flightiest and spontaneous among us (I’m surely not talking about myself, cough cough), being even a little bit prepared is never a bad thing. And I can say “never” with about 98% confidence in this instance!

We don’t really acknowledge what goes through our minds or our bodies.  It is sort of just a passing glance in-between other thoughts or tasks.

 

So, how does it get you ready? Here’s how:

• The asanas, or poses, prepare your muscles by conditioning them. Squats, cat/cow, modified pigeon, and a slew of others exercise and strengthen your muscles so that they work a little more efficiently throughout your pregnancy and birth. In addition, the fatigue that they go through from being pushed a bit prepares you for the sensations associated with discomfort while simultaneously building endurance. Particularly, in the poses that generate heat, such as goddess (Grow clients love this one), the body becomes accustomed to the rising temperature and the work it takes to continue in the pose. In poses that rely on opening, or stretching, the body cools. This pattern of heating/cooling introduces you to the cyclical nature of pregnancy and birth, especially of the peaks and falls such as in contractions.
• Prenatal yoga increases body awareness.  Because most of us live hectic lives, we are often out of touch with our bodies and the different thoughts, feelings, and sensations we experience any given day.  We don’t really acknowledge what goes through our minds or our bodies.  It is sort of just a passing glance in-between other thoughts or tasks. You may not even recognize it between greeting customers, caring for other children, or taking your patients’ temps.  The brain barely registers it until…you try to sleep and then all of sudden, you are feeling anxious or restless, or else in pain.  The root of it all seems to escape you.  Prenatal yoga helps you get to the root by giving you the tools to catalog these rogue thoughts and feelings in an effective way.
• Breathing is the single-most important tool you can use on the big day, or any day really! Prenatal yoga classes should always spend ample time breathing. You have to catch your breath and learn how to regulate it for maximum benefit.  Breathing exercises are different and each one has an intended purpose with specific effects.  A lot of people hear “breathing” and automatically think Lamaze-you know, the old-fashioned “hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo hee”. What Lamaze got right (and it has been updated to reflect modern sensibilities), is that breathing is paramount to dealing with labor and non-laborious birth. Meaning: the breathing techniques are incredibly useful for both vaginal and cesarean birth, if for possibly different reasons and with different results. Whether you are seeking to reduce pain or reduce anxiety, practicing some ujjayi breath could be a big piece of the pie.
• Birth and parenting absolutely require adaptability. Prenatal yoga gets you closer to the type B than to the type A.  You’ll learn that one of the tenets of yoga, Aparigraha, or non-grasping, teaches us to question what we hold dear, what we identify with, and why.  Sometimes, what we clench with our metaphorical fingers the tightest doesn’t do us any damn good, other than giving us a sense of pride that really, is irrelevant. This is not to say that ego, preferences, materials, ideas, etc. are bad.  It just means that we often like or want things, even immaterial, that are not based in objective or subjective reality. When we realize that we hold steadfast to something that goes against our nature because it is “cool” or “right”, we learn to examine our internal motivations.  This all translates to becoming more adaptable because we begin to let go and allow new knowledge and new feelings to guide us in the present moment. So maybe you plan to have an unmedicated, vaginal birth but then baby turns breech.  Having practiced aparigraha on the mat might just prepare you to accept the current reality with little to no feelings of regret.
• Lastly, prenatal yoga can prepare you to relax. Like, really, truly let the mind become quiet and the body become still through meditation and yoga nidra practice. Not only is relaxation crucial to encouraging labor to start and progress, to pushing, to undergoing a cesarean section, to changing diapers, and to living somewhat peaceably for the next 18+ years, it is imperative for a healthy mind and body.  Knowing how to relax, knowing when to find a time-out (or time-in?), and letting yourself take care of you is a skill that is necessary. When you near the end of the practice in supine butterfly or side-lying savasana, your body will thank you by resting, and yet, simultaneously setting things up for you mentally and physically for birth.  Your muscles, bones, nervous system, emotions, and thoughts all “reset” so to speak, so that you are one step closer to being a little more prepared by simply being relaxed!

Of all the different ways you can prepare for birth, prenatal yoga is, or should be, at the top of the list for its multi-faceted approach and because it is, put simply, fun!

Solstice and Summer (A Salutation for Kids)

Summer is upon us! The Summer Solstice this year is June 21st and with that, the longest day of the year. For parents, this may be entirely unwelcome-the prospect of a longer day possibly means less sleep. We feel ya.

But-it can be a fun day with a little bit of yoga! This practice and activity should pass a good hour of time thereby effectively making your day, feel like, five minutes shorter. A bit of exercise, some breathing, a craft, some music, and a bit of science makes this day a learning experience and honestly, a fun day with our most favorite star, the sun.

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So, the basic outline is as follows-we’ll get into detail later:

• A song
• A sun salutation
• A story
• Another sun salutation
• A craft
• Another song
• A meditation
• A final rest

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The song: This video is perfect to do a few poses to and to warm up! When they say “sun”, open the arms wide and breathe upward. When they say “tree”, be a tree. When they mention “friends”, hold hands and outstretch the arms and legs.  Alternate each time by reaching upwards towards the sun, touching the toes, and side to side. Get moving!

For the sun salutation, begin by inhaling then reaching up, followed by exhaling and reaching for the mat. Jump (or step) back into downward dog.  Inhale, do a push-up into upward dog. Breathe out again, back into down dog. Hop (or step) forward.  Kids will be able to do this infinitely more times than the adults!

Teach kids a little about the sun, while inspiring their imagination. This book is perfect for kids of all ages because it is short, sweet, and colorful! You can even ask questions at the end to assess for comprehension and get them thinking about how it all connects to solstice and their yoga practice!

If you don’t want to do the same exact salutation, you can play Sarge Salutations and salute the sun with the Sarge, call and response style!

Scout Pinterest or come to Grow’s class to do a fun sun craft! (We have an adorable sunny face planned!) It is easy, cheap, and oh so fun to celebrate the sunny sun with crafts. Not to mention, it increases attention, focus, and mindfulness.

The last song is more subtle and gets you prepared for the final meditation and rest. Grow uses this album quite frequently. But we love the celebratory feel of our favorite ball of gas!

Lastly, the meditation is meant to feel thankful for the life-giving force that is the sun, while also increasing feelings of warmth for ourselves and our friends.  Imagine the sun rising, breathe in slowly. Next, imagine the sun at the top of the sky, making everything light and bright, while the belly is full of breath and the skin is warm as can be. Then, imagine the sun setting, ready to see us again tomorrow as we let go of all the breathe in our belly.

Put your own spin on it, but use this template for a fun solstice inspired practice!

Happy Solstice!!!

Stop and Smell the Roses

Summer is almost officially here and everywhere you look, flowers are in full bloom, trees are leafy, and the weather is just beautiful. Well, all that is true if you are in Southeast Georgia 🙂 If yoga teaches us one thing, it’s that we should stop and smell the roses. We need to stop the hectic and mindless movement that we do throughout the day, and become, if only for a few minutes, mindful to appreciate the beauty and awe around us.

Today couldn’t be a more perfect day. Why? Because, as weird as it sounds, today is National Red Rose Day!

So…go outside and look around you. Go to a local garden and admire the beauty of the Earth and the hard work, tenacity, and tenderness that the gardeners bestowed upon each bud.  Paint a picture of a rose or go to a butterfly sanctuary and spot out the magnificent floral.  Just take a minute to stop and breathe in the aromatic goodness of the rose.

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Speaking of breathing, try this mindfulness and pranayama exercise to fully engage your olfactory senses as well as the limbic system of the brain, which in turn increases awareness, relaxation, and feelings of happiness and love:

• find a rose, or any flower if there are just no roses around
• pick it up (but don’t take it from its home, please!) and look at it. Look at each petal, each vein, and each thorn. Notice your thoughts in regards to what you are seeing.
• Now, feel the petal, the stem, and the leaves. Notice your senses in your hands and on your skin. Is the rose soft? How does it feel when you touch each part of the plant?
• Lastly, smell the flower. Notice your emotions and feelings when you whiff its floral scent.  Do you feel happy? Do you feel present? Do memories return to the forefront of your eyes, real as the flower in hand?
• Keep smelling the rose. Let your chest and belly fill with the sweet air of the rose’s identity.  Close your eyes and imagine yourself blooming and opening with each breath while your feet (or bottom) stays firmly rooted.
• When you are done, share this experience with a loved one, a friend, or your children!

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While the above may seem cheesy, taking some time for a form of self-care, for a silent and simple experience, can do wonders for your health and for your day.  It is vital to stop and smell the roses!

Wishing you a happy day!

-Heather

Grow Yoga is for EVERYbody

It may not seem like it, what with all the cool Instagram pictures, Pinterest links, and general visuals that make yoga seem like some incredible contortionist feat, but yoga is for everyBODY.

I hate it that so many people have heard that yoga might help them in their endeavors to better health, but then become discouraged because they don’t think that yoga is for them or their body. I get so sad when I hear from interested folk that they simply can’t go to yoga because they are too old, too big, too weak, too…different. Different from what they have seen as the newfangled brand of yoga fitness.

I am not opposed to evolution, growth, and change. By no means, am I a yoga purist. And truth be told, there is still worlds to learn about yoga philosophy and history. That said, one of the prevailing tenets and gems that can be found in modern yoga, is that yoga is for everyBODY.

• There is more to yoga than poses. Modern yoga includes breathing techniques that are meant to improve physical and emotional health as well as meditation (which isn’t as abstract or as difficult as it may seem) that enables us to more fully relax and calm ourselves in a fast-paced world. In fact, many classes, such as Grow’s Gentle Restore class, spends equal amounts of time focusing on breathing and beginning meditation. Of course, these practices aren’t as easily photographed, so that’s why we don’t see them.
• Yoga isn’t a competitive sport.  Unlike soccer, basketball, or gymnastics, yoga is not a sport in which one competes.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with competition. Yoga just isn’t it.  Yoga is about the individual; about the self, but not in a narcissistic, egotistical way. No, it is about gaining body awareness and appreciating ourselves as we are, or rather, accepting that there are some things we can’t change. And that’s okay because we get to honor our unique differences by listening to ourselves, becoming more body positive, and resisting the urge to put our feet behind our head and thus, avoiding hip dislocations. As we practice empathy to ourselves, we do so toward others.
• Yoga shouldn’t be about looks. Again, to repeat: yoga is not a spectator sport. While those photos of people back-bending over the Grand Canyon can be inspirational and really freaking cool, it is not necessarily something one should feel that they have to aspire or that they have to be able to do in order for their practice to be “real” yoga.  Note: I am not admonishing these practitioners, but I do feel that it should be acknowledged that this behavior can make yoga unnecessarily exclusive and maybe even dangerous.

So, if you have been thinking about attending a yoga class but have held back because you think that you need to look a certain way or need to have specific abilities, I encourage you to seek out a teacher in your area who is inclusive and encourages you to find a practice that works for you. Yoga is, and should be, for everyBODY.

Kid’s Yoga is NOT Kid’s Fitness

Sometimes when I am talking with people and they ask what kid’s yoga is, I hesitate to answer because honestly, I suck at elevator speeches and because going for the succinct answer doesn’t always supply the clearest picture!

Many people automatically imagine a bunch of calm kids stretching and meditating on their respective mats in a room as adults would. Well, this isn’t exactly the case. While one of the goals is to encourage a sense of stillness within kid’s bodies and minds through consistent practice, a kid’s yoga class is hardly a quiet, seated retreat like adult classes are. In fact, they are quite rowdy and full of rambunctious kiddos ready to get their wiggles out.

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Naturally, they must be the same beast of a different name, right? WRONG!

So then, what is the difference between a kid’s fitness class and kid’s yoga class?

Naturally, they must be the same beast of a different name, right? WRONG!

Kid’s yoga has three important components, just like adult yoga does. The only difference is in how it plays out during class. Those three components are asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing), and meditation (relaxation and mindfulness).  Kid’s yoga is about maintaining health in the body, mind, and spirit rather than just the body alone as in kid’s fitness classes. I want to make it clear that there is an absolute need for fitness classes! They tend to be more cardiovascular in nature and fulfill the need for our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Kid’s yoga fills an entirely different need and is complementary to other kid’s fitness classes and sports.

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So, what does a kid’s yoga class look like and what results from regular attendance?

A typical kid’s yoga class with Grow Yoga includes fun music and follow along poses, games to increase flexibility, cooperative skills, balance, and self-awareness, activities that inspire kids to think about the world around them and their impact, as well as stories, crafts, and relaxation exercises.

All music, books, and arts and crafts supplies are provided, as well as special props and materials for games and activities.

What results from regular attendance is kids who become more physically and mentally “fit”

What results from regular attendance is kids who become more physically and mentally “fit”. Kids who are more emotionally intelligent and spread their compassion and empathy to everyone around them. Kids who have extra tools in their box to face adversity and develop skills to alleviate anxiety and stress. In short, kids become happier and calmer. Pair yoga with their favorite sport or favorite fitness class, and you are on your way to setting your progeny up with a toolbox filled to the brim.

If you’re curious, come to The Language Learning Center on Saturday at 10:30 AM to find out what all the hype is about!

Prenatal Yoga in Camden County? YES!

Prenatal yoga is here, yay! Starting Friday, May 26th, pregnant people will be able to have a place to practice in Camden County, Georgia. I’d call that a win!

So, two questions you may have and two answers you shall receive:

What is prenatal yoga?

Prenatal yoga is what it sounds like! It is yoga adapted specifically for pregnant people! We practice the asanas (poses) more carefully and with the intention of realizing the changing dynamics of our bodies. We practice breathing techniques that release anxiety and that prepares us for the duration of pregnancy and birth. We meditate and learn to find moments of calm and stillness while remaining content in the present moment so that we can connect to our evolving mindset and to our babies. Pregnancy requires a unique approach to…well, everything!

Why should I go to prenatal yoga?

Because of all the changes associated with pregnancy, many people experience pain, discomfort, stress, and isolation. Prenatal yoga helps us to relax and rejuvenate like other forms of yoga, but it (and particularly, the teacher) recognizes the challenges we endure and the support we need from other expectant persons and from our entire care “team”.  When you go to a prenatal yoga class, you’ll will be respected, heard, and supported in your pregnancy and parenting journey. You’ll be embraced, (literally, if desired!) with open arms! You’ll, hopefully, learn ways to alleviate any discomfort, reduce anxiety, develop self-awareness and compassion, and get prepared for the Big Day emotionally and physically. You might even find your tribe!

Class begins this Friday, May 26th in Kingsland. I hope to see you there.

-Heather

May the 4th Be With You: How Prana is Like The Force

Star Wars and yoga go together like peanut butter and jelly. Huh? Well, I was watching Star Wars the other day with my young padawans and as I was listening, I immediately saw the analogy between The Force and yoga (addressed by a certain Jedi). Specifically, one of its driving principles, prana and its relation to our lives.

Have you ever been in a yoga class and heard the teacher say the word, prana? What the heck is that? What do they mean by feel your breath and ignite your prana? Or, with each breath, you are inhaling prana? It may sound hokey, and sometimes can be, but at its most basic level, the concept of prana is actually very interesting and is legitimate.

So, what is prana and how the heck does it have anything to do with Star Wars? Obi Wan Kenobi explained it the best:

It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.

Just as The Force is within us, all around us-just as it is responsible for creation and life cycles, so is prana. It is more than the air we breathe or the blood rushing through our veins. Prana is our life…force.  The same star stuff that has created and sustained the universe resides in each of us. We are all connected by the very simple atoms that comprise everything. Prana, or The Force, can be chaos or calm, happiness or despair. It drives change, feels compassion, and mobilizes our bodies and minds. In some theologies, it is called the soul. In science, it is called electricity, physics, and chemistry (and more). In yoga, it is called prana.

Even R2-D2 feels The Force..err… prana. His are just electrical!

And also just like Jedis and Siths, we can channel prana. We feel it best and can more easily recognize it when we take a step back, remove our egos, inhale deeply, and become cognizant of our physical, mental, and emotional bodies through yoga asana, meditation, and service to others. We may not be able to wield a lightsaber, but we can direct the flow of energy within us and around us to be beneficial for all parties!

Go forth and be a yogi Jedi! Move like Yoda, breathe like Darth Vader, and be a badass warrior for good like Princess Leia. For more great Force knowledge, visit this site.

May the 4th Be With You ❤

-Heather