Bedtime Yoga Sequence: TMJ and Scoliosis Exercise

I've always wanted an easy bedtime yoga routine to do right before getting into bed. Last night, I decided to create one and my back more than thanked me for it.

I was inspired by this photo of a pigeon pose on the bed from Pinterest...

Source: fitsugar.com via Vicki on Pinterest

Bedtime Yoga Sequence:

1) Start in a table top position on all fours on the floor next to your bed. Give yourself an easy cat / cow pose from this all four position.

(Photo courtesy of this page.) 

I like to spend 2 breaths in each position - 2 breaths with a neutral pelvis; 2 breaths with an arched back in cat pose; and lastly, 2 breaths with a curved / hunched back in cow pose.

Really remember to physically move your belly with your 2 in-and-out breaths. It will really help to get the most out of the spinal mobilization that you will feel as a result of this movement. I know it's not sexy, but that's not the point of this yoga exercise. No one is watching other than your God.

Don't forget that your head is included in your spine and should therefore also move with your back as you do cat / cow, especially for scoliosis sufferers. 

2) After you finish your cat / cow pose, return to a neutral pelvis and flat back position. From here, I like to push my booty backward and upward to the sky while keeping my hands in the position they were in in the all fours. This is a variant of child's pose.


-or-
 

This position gives me a great lower back stretch and a great stretch through the shoulder blades and back of the neck. 

Spend about 4 breaths in this position because it is really easy and it feels really good. :) Try to picture pushing your breastbone to the floor to get a deep yet easy arch to the mid-upper back.

3) Next, ever-so-slowly, roll your spine up one vertebrae at a time to an upright seated position. Don't forget your head should be the last to roll upward and arch the crown of your head slightly back.

Notice how this yogi has a nice, slight arch to her back. 

You can either have your toes curled under your booty (like in this photo), or with your toes straightened (as pictured in the two poses above). I prefer to sit with my toes straightened.

For fun and an extra stretch, give yourself a seated cat cow yoga stretch in this seated position.

4) Return to all fours. Repeat cat / cow pose for 2 breaths in each pose. Now, go into an easy down dog with soft, bent knees.

Bent knees helps you to get deeper into a down dog pose for a better upper back and neck stretch. 

5) From this bent-knee down dog position, lift one leg and get into a 3-legged dog. See my posting on how to best get into this position for maximum pain relief: http://migrainesnomore.blogspot.com/2012/08/down-dog-yoga-pose-for-tmj-spasm.html .

Put your leg back onto the ground and go back into a bent-knee down dog pose. From here, pick up your other leg and perform the 3-legged dog pose again on the other side.

6) Return to a bent-knee down dog, then back to all fours. Give yourself a nice back stretch again (see Steps 2 & 3) and end up sitting on your heels.

7) Now, position yourself on the floor facing right next to the bed on your knees. Using your hands for assistance, place your heel on the bed in front of you with your knee bent and the hip open.

Bed-assisted pigeon pose 

You can either push up on the ball of your floor-foot (as pictured here), or you can remain on your knee. Or (like I do), try a on the ball of the foot followed by on the knee. The knee gives an incredibly deep stretch, yet the softness of the mattress prevents you from overdoing it.

Try your best to keep your hips squared (keep your nipples in a parallel line to the bed) to give your lower back and hips the best stretch possible. 

Try tilting the hips upward in this bed-assisted pigeon pose. You will have to use your deep abdominals to pull your booty inward and tilt your hips upward. It's harder than it looks! This offers and even better lower back stretch once you are already in this bed-assisted pigeon pose.

Repeat the bed-assisted pigeon pose on the other leg, of course.

7) To end the sequence, I give myself a nice, deep shoulder stretch, using the edge of the bed for leverage.

Source: yogajournal.com via Vicki on Pinterest

Now time for bed. You will sleep like a baby after this easy yoga sequence.

Namaste!

House Gym Part 1 - Sofa Squats: Home Scoliosis & TMJ Exercises

Incorporating scoliosis exercises into your daily routine is the quickest way to see results. I try to create a new way to use pieces of furniture around my house in a way that gives me a nice spinal stretch.

Sofa Squats for Scoliosis

When I go to a group exercise class at the gym and the time comes to perform squats, I always cringe. Squats should be performed in a manner that looks like you are literally about to sit up nice and tall in a chair. Unfortunately, most people at the gym look like they are about to pop a nice squat appropriate for primitive camping only, if you catch my drift. You do not want to have your shoulders leaning way forward; right before you reach the base of your squat, you should look at though are perfectly upright in an invisible chair. If this is not even a little bit hard, then you probably are not doing it right. :/

 

(Photo courtesy of this website.) 

So, where does the sofa come into play? Well, instead of just assuming that you are that person at the gym doing squats properly, try them on the sofa.

How to Perform Sofa Squats

From a seated position, push straight up with your thighs to a standing position. Don't use your hands! Can you do it? This was just your self test; adjust your difficulty level by leaning your shoulders every-so-slightly forward to give yourself the momentum to stand. You goal is to have your spine as straight up and down as possible while you stand from the sofa. 

This drawing nicely illustrates the upright shoulder position you should aim for when squatting. 

(Drawing courtesy of this page.) 

Great video demonstration of an easy couch squat

You will feel an amazing stretch in your lower lumbar spine, especially on the tight, scoliosis side, not to mention your booty will begin to look nice and toned.

Now, pop a squat!

Beyonce! Dancing for Scoliosis and TMJ Pain

Beyonce back bends her way through most of her music videos, which is great for us scoliosis sufferers! I decided to start gathering some of my favorite back bends from her videos to work on my spinal mobility while improving my booty-popping ability.

Music Video # 1: The The "Uh-Oh" Dance, Beyonce - Crazy In Love

You know you're as guilty as I am: we've all attempted the "uh-oh" booty dance from Beyonce's Crazy In Love video at some point.

(This is a clickable YouTube video link!)

Perfect instructional section on booty-popping @ 1:08.

Performing this "pop" mobilizes the lumbar spine right above the booty and below the ribs.

Music Video # 2: Beyonce - Green Light

This video opens with an easy visual of an easy spinal mobilization + scapular stabilization. To me, it almost seems as if all 3 ladies are almost stationary from the hips upward and they are only slightly moving their hips to achieve the complete body movement.

Screen shot of Beyonce's video Green Light 

(This is a clickable YouTube video link!)

You can see from this intro shot that spinal mobilization and also changes to the spine result from very subtle movements of the hips. A great representation of how easy it is to throw the hips and spine out of / into their natural position.

Music Video # 3: Beyonce - Kitty Kat

This video is apparently the extended intro to the above Green Light video. In this video, Beyonce acts and moves like a human kitty kat. To me, she appears to be employing an extended cat / cow without the cow part.

The video is only :58 seconds long, FYI.

Cat / cow yoga pose is wonderful for mobilizing every vertebra in the spinal column. An extended cat while moving the entire body dancing is an easy, fun, and sensual way to help your scoliosis.

Also, check out my posting on how to properly do a spinal stretch for scoliosis for some extra guidance regarding getting the most out of your extended cat pose!

May the bootyliciousness be with you.

Easy Yoga Inversions & Push Ups for TMJ & Scoliosis

I have been trying to work my way up to a pull up on my boyfriend's over-the-door home pull up bar. Boy, that is easier said than done. Suffice it to say, I'm still quite-a-way's away from achieving that feat. Frankly, I'm impressed anytime I see anyone do a pull up.

So, in an effort to improve my upper body strength, I have been employing a few specific techniques. 

Technique 1 For Lady Upper Body Strength Building: Push Ups

When I hear those 2 little words (push ups), I picture wimpy ladies falling out everywhere. I'm ashamed just thinking about it, especially since I was / am one of those weak ladies. 

Well, I'm tired of being a wimp.

I started by doing "wall ups" to begin to teach my body how to complete the required moves for a full push up. This is actually a simple AND effective means of engaging and building up the musscles required to do push ups. "Wall ups" are easily modifiable to any skill level. I mean ANY skill level. 

Example of "wall ups" done very well. I would call this level of execution a medium difficulty level. Start with the arms higher up on the wall to make the exercise easier. You will still feel the burn! 

Technique 2 for Lady Upper Body Strength Building: Pole Inversions

At the very first pole class I ever took, I learned this move. I can't remember what it was called, but as with most pole dancing BEGINNER MOVES, it is surprisingly simple to achieve. 

This is the ultimate position that I achieve when I do the handstand pole inversion.

The following You Tube video shows an instructor getting into this position. 

The language of the video isn't very helpful (it's almost self-defeating
for pole newbies), so I usually just watch it on silent. :/

See @ :40 for the best part of the video for TMJ pain relief.

This position is one that looks legitimately harder than it is to achieve. Go ahead and give it a shot with one leg and see how your jaw feels. For right jaw pain, focus on getting your left leg up and behind you. Work up to getting both legs up, then eventually grip the pole with your knees.

Technique 3 for Lady Upper Body Strength: Inversions on Any Wall

Pick a wall. Any wall. You might want to start with any bare wall in your house and become more emboldened as you increase your strength. Basically, do the exact same movement that you did (or maybe didn't) attempt on the pole in Technique 2: Handstand Pole Inversion.

Try to wear some footwear that has a bit of traction. You can use the traction to help hold yourself up by your feet, especially if this position is a new movement for you. Plus, if you begin to slide down the wall on your feet, you can use the traction to apply the brakes until you regain control of your body. 

Another great display of inverted antics.

• To make this exercise easier:
• 1) Start by putting up one leg at a time. Work toward getting both legs on the wall.
• 2) Start farther away from the wall and move closer as you become stronger in your upper body.

Happy inverting!

Go Swimming! TMJ & Scoliosis Exercises

Go swimming if you can to help with TMJ pain.

Here in Texas, in the dead of a long August summer, a swim sounds more than refreshing. Also, if you have kids... take them to the pool! Nothing knocks kids out better than an entire 8 hour day at the pool. For you moms out there, that means a decent amount of quiet in your home that night. Just saying.

I went swimming earlier today and it was so long overdue in this my bout of TMJ spasm. The water was the perfect temperature: not too hot nor too cold, so it did not irritate my jaw or teeth. Also, the MOTION OF SWIMMING involves the entire shoulder, upper back, neck, and jaw area. I used my right arm as much as I could, using the water as a type of muscular resistance training. Did a casual backstroke using only my right arm as the propeller. Felt great to be moving my right arm again with NO PAIN. I emerged a better-breathing woman.

If you can't find a swimming hole (or are just not in the mood to leave the privacy of your own home), you can also do "The Swim" a la 1960s American Bandstand.

I say do what you gotta do. No judgments.

I particularly like the left arm up + right hand pseudo-squeezing my nose as I shimmy down vertically. Feels great on the right TMJ spasm and clenching.

Before Olympic spirit wears off, head to the pool and channel your inner Michael Phelps. And doesn't each of these guy's back position look amazing for stretching out your neck and alleviating your pain?

 

Go for gold, however you can!

Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise for TMJ & Scoliosis

This exercise can be done in any position. My top 2 favorite positions are: 1) laying on my back in bed before bed; 2) sitting in the car, particularly at long red lights.

The Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise Goes Like This:

Step 1) Lay on your back (or any position that grounds your hips and should blades against a hard, flat surface).
Step 2) Put the tips of the inside edge of your big toes together. Push your toes together, trying really hard to pay attention to how much pressure each toe is contributing to the exercise. When I do this, my left toe is noticeably the weaker party. Eek. Anyway, figure out which is your weaker toe and make note.
Step 3) Put one toe slightly on top of the other (example: place left big toe about 1 cm over the right big toe).
Step 4) Push down with the top (left) toe on the bottom (right) toe. Simultaneously push upward with the bottom foot in an effort to keep both sides of leg muscles balanced. Try to realize which muscles you are working when you press down. Push down with the top toe for 5 in and out breaths.
Step 5) Change to push up the top (left) toe with the right (bottom) toe. Try to pay attention to how this tiny change feels so different in relation to your hips, inner thighs, and even your jaw. Push up the top toe for 5 in and out breaths.
Step 6) Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

I would recommend starting this exercise right before bed. It's the easiest time because you already have an excuse to be laying down and on your back most likely doing nothing. Also, if you are trying to be clandestine, you could always leave your legs straight and complete the exercise. Hardly even noticeable, really.

Thanks website for the great picture of the "yogi grip." Please note, this is NOT A PHOTO OF THE EXERCISE!! I couldn't find an exact representation of the movement, so I decided to include this 'yogi grip' photo in lieu of it. More knowledge about the practice of yoga couldn't hurt, I'm thinking.

Anyway, I do the Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise in the car at long red lights, especially during rush hour. During rush hour, I'm generally annoyed and may even start to get a headache. By employing the Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise, I'm balancing the muscles of my inner thighs, booty, back, and neck. This results in immediate relief of not only the physical tension but also the stress of the day.

Take some nice deep breaths for as many rounds as you can (until the light turns back to green).

DISCLAIMER: Do not attempt to practice this exercise in the car if you are not someone that most people would consider to be a "reasonably prudent person" or if you seem to always be getting moving traffic violations. Be sure to PUT YOUR CAR IN PARK if you decide to participate in this exercise while stopped at a red light. This blog nor I claim any responsibility for the activities of those who do not heed this warning or employ common sense!

Drinking Room Temperature Fluids During TMJ Spasm

Today has been my most pain-free day in about a week. I was starting to lose faith there for a minute, so I'm glad to be feeling some relief.

I decided to stay away from any 'ultra' temperature fluids today after a horrible spasm last night after combining hot soon after drinking something cold. All I have had to drink today is room temperature or slightly cool water with a splash of lemon. Why lemon? Helps the medicine go down. I love to drink anything with lemon in it, including water. 

 

Thanks this guy's blog that includes some interesting facts about lemon water.

When I drink, I try to push the fluid instantly down the center of my mouth and down the center of my throat. I try not to give the fluid time to linger in either the left or especially the right side of my mouth, particularly if the fluid is cold or hot. When 'ultra' hot or cold temperature fluids sit in the back right corner of my mouth / throat, I get a crazy spasm and instantly want to cry. When I push the fluid quickly back through my mouth, I'm using the muscles at the back of my throat to swallow the water; whereas before, I was letting the fluid linger on either side of my mouth and hence being swallowed on one side of my mouth or the other.

This movement strengthens my throat muscles that are weak as well as those that are in spasm. I feel my right jaw relax when I use this deliberate drinking method. 

Bottom's up!

Down Dog Yoga Pose Variations for TMJ Spasm and Scoliosis

Everyone knows the standard down dog yoga pose. I went to yoga this past week when my right jaw was in TMJ spasm. This slightly advanced down dog, open-hip position immediately relaxed my right jaw, thereby providing instant relief.

When my spasm are bad, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and employ this method on the ground next to the bed. :/ It happens.

So here is the down dog position that I strive to achieve for maximum right jaw pain relief. It is a "full" or advanced down dog yoga pose.

Bent-leg-open-hip-down dog yoga pose for TMJ pain relief:

I have a few variations and notes on how to make this pose easily attainable for any flexibility / pain level.

 

Variations - How to Get Into This Pose Properly for Maximum Pain Relief:

1) Start the position in a regular down dog yoga pose. To make this pose easier AND to get a better stretch through my torso and upper back, and jaw, I bend both of my knees and balance on the balls of my feet throughout the entire pose start to finish When I balance on the balls of my feet, I can raise my booty higher up in the air and give my back the slightest arch. I achieve a much better stretch than if both of my feet / heels were on the ground. I am WORKING UP to a good down dog pose on my heels, but my body is telling me that I'm just not ready for it yet. I also get a nice muscular release in my lower back if I really stretch all the way from the tip of my nose through my tailbone, giving myself the slightest of arches to my spine to achieve this great stretch. This stretch mimics the feeling I have after I leave the chiropractor. .

Here is a great instructional tutorial on how to get into an effective down dog position using bent knees. Apparently, this is caused by hamstring tightness.

2)  With both knees bent in a regular down dog yoga pose, I pick up my right knee and point my right heel to the sky. I straighten the right knee (knee that's in the air) while keep on aiming to point the right heel to the sky. I have to remember keep keep keep stretching through my upper back and through my neck. I stay high on the ball of my left foot for this as well. Here is the straight leg dog dog yoga position. 

Picture of straight leg down dog yoga pose variation for right TMJ spasm and left scoliosis curve.

 

In this photo from her blog, this lovely yogi has her head pointed straight down. In my variation, for maximum pain relief, turn your head slightly to the right and look out beneath your right armpit. When you begin to look under your right armpit, the force should hold the bottom half (mobile portion) of the jaw to the left. This allows my right jaw to instantly relax. The relaxation from this pose is easy to re-create. Simply look into and alternatively out of the right armpit. Re-creating self relief is always gratifying and encouraging. :)
3) Bend the right knee so that your heel sort of "kicks" your booty. Try your best to hold this heel-to-booty position. Left knee bent. On left ball of foot. If you're doing it right, you should be working a bit throughout your entire abdominals through your torso to hold this position.

4) Look out beneath your right armpit. Take some deep breaths while looking out under your right armpit. Remember: right heel-to-booty; left knee bent; on left ball of foot; slightest arch in the back; booty high in the air. When you breathe out, try to direct your outward stream of air through relaxed jaws in the direction of your right armpit. This would probably be a good position in which to employ the Gauze Roll technique from this post. This will ensure that your jaw is centered while you work on keeping your body relaxed. Even with the Gauze Roll in your mouth on the right side of your jaw, try as best as you can to keep both the left and right jaws relaxed. Also, once you are in an inverted position, gravity helps to pull your body into line.
5) Try to "open your hiPS." You can achieve this by moving your left hip closer to the ground and moving your right hip closer to the sky. You should feel this between your shoulder blades and one each side of your ribcage.

Hold the down dog open hip position for a round of 10 nice deep breaths. Breathe from the belly, forcing it to stick out with every "in" breath.

One thing that I really like about practicing yoga at home is the freedom is gives me to not try to impress. At a class in front of a group of [judgmental?] people, most people [including me] are less inclined to do the less-challenging ground-leg-knee-bent down dog yoga position because it looks too easy. At home, I am not afraid to look weak, because the fact is: I'm weak! I have to strengthen my shoulder, deep abdominal, and back muscles and right now they are too tight to achieve heel-to-floor down dog.

When I don't rush into the advanced version of a yoga position (by not figuring how to modify it to be as easy as possible), I keep surprising myself by how quickly I advance from the basic position to the more advanced version. I attribute this my body learning the intricacies of a movement instead of just trying to poorly mimic the end result or "look" of the advanced pose.

I'd recommend starting your down dog at the most basic down dog position with bent knees. Each time you practice down dog, practice moving through each variation listed above. The variations are listed in order of how they should / can be performed. Your body will tell you what flexibility / variation you should try for.

Take your time with this exercise. There's no rush. You weren't doing it 10 minutes ago, so there's no reason why another 10 minutes could make that much of a difference. Enjoy each variation and the instantaneous muscular releases that you will feel.

As always with any stretching exercise, switch sides. Perform the entire exercise from on the opposite side. Feel the difference between your right and left sides. This was a huge learning experience for me about where my body is weak and strong.

Happy down dog-ing.

Hip Circle Exercise for TMJ

I've started back up yoga again in and effort to curb both my ridiculously high stress levels and to help with my body tension. Yoga inspires me to figure out the root of my problems. Case in point: my yoga-inspired move of hip circles.

How to Perform the Hip Circles Exercise for Scoliosis: 

Step 1) I sit on the floor with my back against the wall for support. I sit either in a half lotus yoga position or with my feet straight out in front of me. If I choose the half lotus, then I always repeat the entire series with the other leg up on my inner thigh. Hands are to my side for stabilization and to make sure my body doesn't try to cheat.

Half lotus yoga pose (shown on left AND right legs)

Step 2) I take about 10 long in and out breaths arching my spine a tiny bit more with each breath to try and sit up as straight as possible. I try to end with my head  and lower jaw slightly upward from my own "normal" carriage.
Step 3) Picture a line going from your bellybutton to the bottom of your booty where you are sitting. Then, picture the tip of a red marker at the end of that line coming out of your booty (I know, weird; just go with it and judge later!)
Step 4) Picture yourself sitting on a large clock. Use the 'red pen' you created in your head to make a circle going from 12 to 3 to 6 to 9 and then back to 12. I feel myself using some DEEP abdominal muscles that I was not aware of until this moment. Be sure to use your inner-most muscles to do this exercise.
Step 5) Repeat the above "red pen" exercise; but this time, picture the line as starting at your belly button and going down and out of your left booty cheek. Do the clock exercise going clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Remember to use the muscles that are closest to the tip of your booty cheek and try your best to keep your pelvis exceptionally still other than the part of your right booty cheek line that you are working on.
Step 6) Repeat the exercise from Step 5 above, but this time use your right cheek.

Okay, so this movement description may seem weird at first... but give it a shot and you'll realize that probably no one can see what you are doing because the

Breathe easy.  is weird to write, but it is hardly noticeable to those around you, so give it a shot.

The spot that gives me the best right jaw spams relief is using "right booty cheek red pen exercise" going from 3 to 6 pm.

When you feel yourself using your deep abdominal muscles differently, try creating your own patterns of movements.

Cool clock (for inspiration):

My ultimate goal is to wine it like the sexy ladies in this Trini classic soca track "Roll It Gal" a la Trinidad carnival (akin to Mardi Gras for all you that are unfamiliar with the original Trinidadian carnival).

If you decide to take on the challenge of wining like the ladies in this video, then be sure to practice the movement in both directions while employing deep breathing from the belly.

Feels amazing. Wining 'till the end.

Sensual Movement to Treat TMJ Pain

In my quest to fix my TMJ, I have participated in more than my share of dance styles, yoga, and miscellaneous You Tube midnight pain relief excursions. One of the more promising styles has been pole dancing.

Should go without saying; this posting ain't for kids or for the faint of heart.

Pole dancing has been all the rage for a few years, and I gave it a shot a couple years ago. It was a great exercise; plenty of sweating and day-after lactic acid pain. But, it wasn't satisfying enough to stick with so it fell off my work out radar.

A few months ago, in my journey of self repair, I decided to give pole dancing another try since I remember that the movement encompassed you basically having to balance your entire body against itself (as a sort of self muscular resistance therapy?).

I'm glad I did. I've taken several classes in the last few months and always leave feeling much more balanced and physically strong. I always leave class with new inspiration for movements to emulate around the house or in the car.

You Tube has provided some additional pointers for pole dancing, including this video of FLOORWORK DONE IN SENSUAL DANCING.

The movement is very simple AND DOES NOT REQUIRE A POLE! 

Just by looking at the girl's position, you can tell that she is stretching the right side of her neck BUT ALSO bring the right side of her body downward at the hip (gravity pulling her right leg down).

Pretty sure your boyfriend won't want you to stop doing this one!

Raise the Roof! Exercise for TMJ & Scoliosis

So, for those of you who don't know what 'raising the roof' is, it is a very easy to execute dance move from the 90s where you use the palm of your hand to figuratively 'raise the roof.'

Everyone's done it before...

So, personally, my problem side is my right side (TMJ spasm and right rib hump); therefore, I turn my right palm upward (as though I am holding a serving platter) and try my best to keep my right wrist, elbow, and shoulder in one straight line from my field of vision. Then I start raising. I usually raise my hand for a breath of 2. Then, keeping my arm in the same position, I perform another round of in-and-out breaths to a count of 2 each. Then, I lower my hand to a count of 2.

When I do this movement, my right nostril opens up and I can breathe more freely. Also, my left teeth come together better and my right jaw pain is relieved.

Here's a video for your inspiration: House Party dance off courtesy of YouTube!

(@ time :40 for awesome 5 second sequence for my right jaw and back pain) 

Any of these moves from this YouTube video would probably be good to alleviate the pain from my right TMJ spasm.

Hope this helps and is maybe even a little bit of fun.

Yoga and Dance for TMJ & Scoliosis

As I would imagine a lot of young women in America, I participated in ballet as a young girl. During college, that translated into my becoming a casual yogi between chemistry and psychology at the campus rec center.

And now, as an adult, that has led me to be a very, very casual yogi with a dance background. This means that on my blog, I often attempt or create moves that are sometimes a bit more acrobatic in nature than your run of the mill stretches.

Basically, I fancy myself slightly more flexible than most ladies my age. But not by more than one Big Mac combo.

So, here's an easy yoga pose that can be adjusted to any fitness and flexibility. Stand with your heels about one foot away from the wall. Place your hands high above your head against the wall with the fingers pointing downward. Simply walk your hands lower on the wall based on your spinal flexibility. Don't push it too much. Take it easy.

Back bend walking down the wall from this woman's blog.

Namaste!