THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

Can you tell us about your own experience with inversions and how it inspired the design of this tank?

Getting into Form Stand or Handstand pose requires deep breathing and focus. I have been practicing yoga for 14 years and I still can’t do a handstand without support. I designed this tank with a high cut in the front so that I could practice without feeling like I was going to fall out it.

What makes this tank yoga ready?

This tank is designed with high coverage in the front and an open back so you still have room to breathe and sweat. The adjustable straps and the slim fit also help to ensure it won’t flip up.

Why is this tank made with two different fabrics?

We used luon® fabric in the top so you will get a really supportive feeling in the bust. The body of the tank is luon® light. This lightweight luon® fabric feels less restrictive through your core. I sweat a lot in my classes so I like to choose fabrics that are breathable and can wick moisture.

What is it that makes you love high coverage yoga gear?

I have been teaching yoga for three years and I teach mostly Flow style classes. Wearing high coverage gear means I don’t have to worry about cleavage when I am doing a Chaturanga demo.

you asked...

I am looking into alternative therapies to help me get back on my feet and a number of people have suggested yoga. I’ve done yoga minimally in the past as cross-training but I’d like to hear now about the therapeutic benefits of yoga and if you think there is a way that I could ease myself into it to the benefit of my back health. - Kim

a yogi answers

Hi Kim,
Without knowing details of your physical condition or being qualified to give medical advice, I can only provide you with general information regarding yoga which should be secondary to your doctor’s advice and your own knowledge of your limitations or injuries. I definitely believe that if you select the right class and practice safely and properly on a regular basis, yoga will help you regain your physical health.

Yoga helps the spine stay supple, promotes circulation in all the organs, glands, and tissues, increases flexibility, improves balance and increases strength in the entire body. I believe yoga is the perfect system for maintaining and balancing the whole body, not to mention all of the incredible mental benefits, and can be a great therapeutic tool if it is utilized properly. However, if you have an injury, do not be over-aggressive, modify poses to avoid reaggravation, and most importantly become knowledgeable about your injury so that you understand what you can and cannot do.

There are many different types of yoga, and with a little research, I am sure you can find the perfect class to put you on the road to physical and mental well being. You'll also enjoy meeting all the other students, many of whom are also dealing with physical issues.
- Danielle

A recent tripod headstand at lululemon Banff.

you asked...

At the end of most classes, we do plow pose or shoulder stand. For some reason plow and shoulder stand give me an INSTANT headache. Any reason why? - Kelly

I was wondering what to do if my head starts to hurt during headstand. I know it sounds stupid, but it prevents me from practicing the pose and I really want to master it. - Bianca K.

a yogi answers

Hi Bianca and Kelly,

Even though I am not a doctor, I know headaches can be a serious and complicated problem. My initial reactive answer to both of your questions is to tell you to stop doing these poses that give you headaches, until you figure it out with your yoga teacher or (if it is persistent or bad) your doctor.

There are all kinds of possible causes. I have also learned that headaches during or after practice can be due to a number of other causes, such as: dehydration, sinus congestion, allergies, hunger, lack of sleep or many other possibilities.

Regarding Bianca's question: I want to tell you what one of my teachers preached about headstands: Do not attempt headstand until you have mastered Shoulder Stand (Holding Supported or Unsupported Shoulder Stand for 10 minutes). Once you have a regular practice of Shoulder Stand, you can try Headstand A, but make sure you are able to keep most of the weight on your forearms with minimal weight on the top of your head.

Headstand is an intermediate/advanced posture and should be practiced under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Remember, your cervical spine is meant to only carry the weight of your head.

Regarding Kelly’s question: you should spend several months working on a variety of other postures to help strengthen your back and neck muscles. For Shoulder Stand or Plow Pose you need a great deal of flexibility in your neck. Forcing your neck into this posture where it is in full flexion can lead to injuries. Try supported Shoulder Stand, where your shoulders are on blanket,s to maintain a natural curve in your cervical spine. Your neck should not be pressing down into the mat. Make sure that you place the blankets under your shoulders and not your neck. Have a certified yoga teacher check your alignment in the pose and check to make sure the back of your neck remains soft.

- Danielle

Read the other Ask a Yogi posts:
Introducing... Ask a Yogi!
Ask a Yogi: How to Begin

Lara challenges herself and gets into a headstand for the first time.

Tonight was a landmark in my yoga practise. I got into a headstand for the first time on my SECOND try. On my FIRST try I enthusiastically flung my sweaty legs into the air. While they made it up to my intended vertical position, my lower body then continued on, collapsing to the right of my Manduka Mat, legs flailing and knocking over the woman in the calm and steady headstand beside me. In the end we both ended up in a heap on our respective mats.

I was mortified. This woman is the yogini with the perfect full lotus I had admired in my last class. I was the newbie who only recently touched her toes without bending my knees. I apologized to sink back into child’s pose and lick my wounded ego.

After the class I turned to her to apologize once more. “Think nothing of it! Ask anyone, we’ve all been there!”, she said to me laughing. Feeling like she was someone that could understand, I explained this feeling that I've been having, like I am on the brink of being able to push to that next level in my practise, that I KNOW my body can do it but I just need that extra little support (and room around my mat) to get there.

The woman asked me if I wanted to try again with her help. I said “Yes!”

I set up my arms and placed my head in between them with my new yoga buddy standing by, ready to catch me. I raised my left leg, then right leg halfway up. Feeling confident, I slowly raised them up to vertical once more. I tried! I did it! It felt amazing to do something that had scared me! And I made a new yoga friend!

Tonight I was reminded to not be satisfied with things as they are. If I want to grow as a person, as a yogini, I need to take more risks. I will fall again when I try a headstand, once, twice, likely a whole lot more - but that’s ok. The worst thing that my mind could conceive of happening when I envisioned trying to do a headstand happened tonight. But instead of it being a bad thing, it opened up a door to an opportunity where I made a new friend that helped me to experience my yoga practice at a whole new level of engagement.

What are you afraid of doing? Who do you need to help you get to that next level?