Skin and Bones

Muscles come and go, healthy bones give you longevity,” often said by one of my yoga teacher’s Matt Schwartz.

I appreciate strong and toned muscles just like the next person. However, do we live in a society where there is too much emphasis on the outer body instead of what’s inside?  What about your bones, tendons, and organs?  Today we are focusing on the bones.

I was able to learn just how important your bones are after spending time with my partner’s mother. Let’s call her Angie (she likes her privacy). My partner and I decided to move Angie out to LA a year and a half ago soon after she was put on hospice.

Everything about her condition said she had a small chance of surviving one year. The Universe had other plans for her.

Angie got kicked off of hospice for LIVING longer than expected.  For a few months she was in between caregivers.

I ended up helping Angie take several showers. If you were to see Angie, it seems she is skin and bones.  She looks frail, she has very little muscle.  You may look at her and feel sorry for her situation.

A I helped Angie with her shower, I was surprised when she asked me to scrub her back harder. She literally asked me if that is as hard as I could scrub because it was not good enough.  I truly had to use my strength! She mentioned how her previous caregivers responded the same way. They did not want to hurt her.

The strength of Angie’s bones was astonishing! There was not a frail bone in her body. I understood on a deeper level how strong bones gives you longevity.  Bone strength gives you quality of life.  Powerful bones rewards you with more independence as you age.

When I told Angie we had portable shower railings she said, “Oh no, I trust my legs and my feet more than that portable railing.” Mind you, she’s never had a yoga or Tai Chi class in her life. In spite of all her physical conditions, instinctually she knew to trust her own body. Impressive.

I wish the same for YOU. To TRUST that body is a self healing mechanism. To be kind to your body. To move your body in ways that break your body open, NOT break it down.

Take this in.  Bones support your health by protecting your brain, heart, lungs and other organs. Bones serve as a storage facility for calcium. If you don’t keep your bones at their maximum strength, they will be more susceptible to breakage.

Various yoga poses are essential for bearing weight.  Next time you practice Downdog, lengthen your forearms and shins.  Press your hips up and back.  Although your muscles are engaged, there is no need to grip and tighten.

Love your body and it will love you back.  Bearing weight on bones has been an essential part internal art forms like Tai Chi and Qi Gong for centuries.  Bring it back to your yoga practice too!  It is important to release muscular tension and allow your bones to take your weight.  You will experience more ease in your practice.

Yoga Tip

Another way to keep your bones healthy is to warm up the body rolling your joints.  Roll your joints every morning and throughout the day.  Especially if you spend a lot of time sitting in your car and at a desk at work.  Word on the street is living a sedentary lifestyle is the new smoking.

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Image credits: Yoga poses with Cindi Lee photographed by Alex Vasilescu, middle picture google images-http://acttwomagazine.com/yoga-after-50