Entries by Robert Gardner

Thai seated back pt.3

This is the last in our series on Thai massage from a seated position. All three of these videos and the work can be viewed and performed in sequence to make a little routine your friends will thank you for. The value in Thai massage lay in its ability to use body weight effectively. It’s […]

13 pt.5

Andrea is in the car and on her way home. Now begins the healing process and medication to keep pain at bay till it’s gone. I suspect there will be naps, food and lots of Sherlock. 😛 Thanks for following the blog and giving me space to put my energy out online. There have been […]

13 pt.4

So Andrea’s surgery went well. She should be awake in a few hours. The doctor reported that all looked clear and that her ovaries stayed in. This was a debate with the original doctor. The original doctor was pretty adamant that from the time Andrea found out we’d come in for surgery in a week […]

13 pt.3

Hospital cafeteria food? Is it really food? It may be a touch better than what I remember being served in public school but I can’t consider it much in the way of health giving. Food is an extremely touchy subject for many people. I think I’ve lost more friends to vegetarianism, vegans or raw food […]

13 part deux

Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious. -David Williams, Ashtanga teacher The state of modern medicine is a constant source of confusion to me. How did we wind up here? Andrea doesn’t have a goiter. Andrea has had a nodule, a growth on her thyroid gland since time […]

Friday the 13th

I’m told that the number 13 is considered a bad omen due to Judas being the 13th disciple. Whatever the case we’ve all found it ironic that today would be the day that my wife is in the hospital to have her cervix removed. After an abnormal pap the word carcinoma came up on the […]

How to neti pt.2

In a previous post we discussed the neti and how it creates a softness and texture to the breath through cleaning, hydrating and adding nuance to respiration. The nose is the preferred place to breath from, not the mouth. Mouth breathing stimulates the fight of flight response and most breathing in yoga is through the […]

Rhythms in nature

I’ve been gardening for years now and still know nothing. Patience is acquired in gardening through the slow process of whittling away the unnecessary much like your yoga practice.   Over time I start seeds in trays and get a 50% hit or miss ratio on sprouting and transplanting.         Direct seeding […]

How to neti pt.1

A neti pot is something all people should have and use regularly. No other cleaning and hygiene regimen within yoga is as important to daily health in my opinion. As yoga practitioners know your breathing helps control many of the other functions in your body, having poor breathing leads to poor health in the long […]

Thai seated back pt.2

This continues our series on Thai massage in a seated position. The video shows work that’s used on an extremely common problem area, the upper back where it meets the neck. Levator scapulae are the muscles that go from the top of the shoulder blade to the base of the skull and they’re often tight […]

Is love difficult?

I stumble over my own thoughts at times. The logical inconsistencies that come with thought and logic often confound me and leave me wondering, what does that particular word mean? In a loving moment with my wife at a party I realized while I gazed down upon her face and stroked her hair just how […]

Thai seated back pt.1

This new video shows work around the scapula or shoulder blade. For people with constant upper back and neck issues this is a good way to begin the process of opening the chest and having that slumped forward posture start to change. This usually brings some relief from upper back pain albeit temporary. This particular […]