Blogs

Humble Beginnings of Blue Hills Yoga

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I was a Technology Analyst in my prior life. I recently updated my LinkedIn with the post below and the support I got was fantastic. I feel very grateful to my family and friends as I come up on completing 2 years since creating Blue Hills Yoga.

From LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/chandanagopal)

It has been a hot minute.  Well, 1,051,200 minutes, if you are one of those analytical minded people like me, since I decided to leap off the corporate ladder. I had turned 50 the year before, my youngest child was headed off to college, and I was at an intersection. The path I was travelling on was well-known to me having spent 15 years as analyst at IDC, researching the markets I analyzed, providing guidance to my clients, traveling to conferences, and watching the impact that AI was starting to have on our lives.

But there was a small path that was ahead that was beginning to call out to me. It wasn’t much more than a dirt road at that time in early 2024. I had started teaching yoga to a few friends and family members in my basement one evening a week. As time went by, I realized that I spent the whole week waiting to teach that 30-minute class and began to wonder what it would be like if I could spend more time teaching. But with a demanding work week, I could not figure out how to make it work.

After much soul searching and financial analysis, my husband and I decided that I could take the risk and quit my day job. It felt like I was jumping off the cliched cliff, but once I did, there was no going back. My landing was softened by the fact that I worked part-time as a contractor for a few months but by 2025, I was ready to officially launch my studio, Blue Hills Yoga.

Blue Hills Yoga was born as a need to give busy people some respite from a stressful lifestyle, where you can find a moment of peace to breathe deeply and let go. I discovered that I am fascinated by human anatomy and how beautifully connected our bodies are. Perhaps it comes from the fact that I am an engineer, that I love studying the mechanics of breath and movement. I have practiced yoga all my adult life but studying it and formally learning yogic philosophy gave me an appreciation for this ancient science that is more relevant than ever in our AI driven world.

So why this note now at my 2-year mark? I realized that I never officially let people that were a big part of my life know where I was headed when I left two years ago. Mostly because, I wasn’t sure yet of where I was headed! But now you know where to find me. On my mat or at www.bluehills.yoga   

Stay well and keep in touch at Chandana.gopal@gmail.com or 774-290-4279 or Instagram @bluehillsyoga

Stories behind poses: Ardha Chandrasana

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Many of the poses have mythological stories associated with them. Take Ardha Chandrasana for example. Enjoy the story below.

Images generated by Google Gemini.

What are your pain points?

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I had the pleasure of attending a Yoga Medicine training on Myofascial Release (MFR) and came back with a new appreciation of how incredible the fascia in our bodies is. Our fascia is a system of interconnected connective tissue that gives our bodies structure, allows us to move in all directions, responds to the demands of our daily lives and is full of sensory nerve endings that are feeling, learning and adapting.

At a very high level, there are two types of fascia. The superficial fascia layer is what is underneath our skin, like a bodysuit that stretches and contracts as needed. The deeper fascia connects our muscles and bones and surrounds our vital organs, providing a system of tension between our rigid structural elements like bones, without which we would collapse. Think of our body like a suspension bridge. Our bones are the hard supporting elements, the deep fascia layers are the tension cables between the bones, and the superficial fascia is the netting in between. If one of the tension cables gets loose, the bridge sags. If a tension cable gets too tight, the bridge is askew and if everything is in balance, we have a perfectly adaptive, responsive structure that moves with the demands placed on it.

What is MyoFascial Release?

MFR is a technique where we can use simple tools like rubber balls, foam rollers, blankets and blocks to apply pressure to common trigger points on our superficial fascial layer to relieve pain or tension that may be close to those trigger points or may be caused by trigger points that are along one of the fascial lines. Research has shown that consistently using MFR techniques even for a few minutes, can provide significant relief over time by allowing the fascia to heal, rehydrate and allow smooth gliding between layers and as a result increase range of motion.

Benefits from MyoFascial Release

  • Increased Range of Motion
  • Relieving pain
  • Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system
  • Injury prevention
  • Improved circulation

I incorporate MFR in my yoga classes and offer customized MFR sessions to clients that have been dealing with pain and reduced range of motion. Contact me at blue.hills.yoga@outlook.com for more information.

Thanks for reading!

What do you like to do?

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Take a minute to think about what you like to do for exercise without being told to. Do you like to do yoga? Are you a runner? Do you love weight days at the gym or maybe you are a swimmer?

It is human nature to want to do what we naturally are good at. The body type that we are born with predisposes us to have connective tissue that ranges from being soft to being rigid or something in between. People with softer connective tissue (fascia) like me are going to be naturally drawn towards yoga and dance, whereas folks that have more rigid fascia are better at weight training and activities that require strength. And it is important to continue to do the activities that we love and enjoy.

BUT … You also need to Do what is not Natural to yoU

If you enjoy doing a stretching and mobility-based activities, add in some strength training. You can start with body weight bearing activities, like holding planks, doing wall sits, doing push-ups and if you have access to equipment, incorporate weight training. As much as I would prefer to be in a yoga class, I know that to have strong bones and muscles as I age, I need to spend just as much time if not more, weight training and jump training. It takes time and consistent effort to build and keep muscle for people like me and I am super grateful to my coaches at Pinnacle Bootcamp that help me.

For those who would rather have a root canal than come to a yoga mat, try adding some easy stretch-holds to your routine. Making your body move in all directions and take slow deep breaths at the end of your weight routine. Continuously stressing your body with weight, without stretching and mobility work, can result in injury or loss of range of motion. People with rigid connective tissue usually have lower proprioception, or body awareness, which can also lead to injury. Use a foam roller at the end of a weight session to slow-roll your muscles to build suppleness in your fascia.

And for those lucky enough to enjoy both strength and mobility, keep doing what you are doing and add variety. Move your body in as many planes and directions as possible. Be aware of blind spots in your training. Maybe add a new skill or try a class that you have never tried before.

As we all get older (and yes, that means you too!), remember that doing only one type of activity even if it is really good for you (like walking) is not going to be enough to build strong muscles and bones. Bring some weights on your walk. You can start as simply as carrying a couple of water bottles in your hands on your walks. Bonus is that you can drink the water when you get tired! Graduate to a weighted vest and add some jump breaks, where you stop and bounce or do some jumping jacks after a mile. With consistency, you will get stronger without even realizing it.

SLEEP, HyDRATION and NutrITION

Aside from choosing activities that you would normally not do, sleep, hydration and balanced nutrition are things that will help us all feel better and continue to see improvement. If you have questions or comments on any of these areas or if you are curious about how to know what your fascial type is, reach out to me at blue.hills.yoga@outlook.com or 774-290-4279.

Much love,

Chandana

Guided Sleep Meditation

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If you are one of those people that can fall asleep with no trouble, you are incredibly lucky. One in four women and one in five men report that they have trouble sleeping. This guided sleep meditation is to gently guide you into relaxing your body, deepen your breath and calm your mind. Don’t have any expectations of yourself, don’t be disappointed with yourself and don’t give up on creating a routine that you develop before you go to bed. Sleep well.

Everyday Movement

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As we start a new year, many of us make resolutions of being healthy but have a tough time following through. Keep it simple and keep it short and you will have a much better chance of being consistent. If you have just a few minutes a day, think of how you can incorporate movement into it. Keeping your body healthy and moving is the greatest gift you can give yourself in the new year. Even a few minutes of moving every hour can have immense benefits for your long-term well-being

Here is a follow-along video of a session I did in a workshop at The Alchemist Baker in Canton, MA. You can do the entire routine, or just do sections of it whenever you have a few minutes. You can do it at work, between meetings or during a break. And if nothing else, just take a minute to breathe deeply. Your body will respond with gratitude!

Have a wonderful 2025!

Back pain? Try this.

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Our lives often involve long hours of sitting down, putting a lot of pressure on our lower backs. If you want to relax your back after a long day or feel tightness in your back, try this short workout. You can do it at the end of the day as you wind down for bed or just whenever you feel your lower back needs some TLC.

Feet are your Foundation

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Feet ground us, literally. The bones, ligaments and fascia in the feet work together to keep us upright, help us balance and bear our body weight day in and day out. A simple way to keep your feet mobile is by rolling the bottom of the foot with a ball. Tennis balls or lacrosse balls are a good size to use to roll the feet. Follow along in the video below. You will find that rolling your feet before a workout will help you move better. The fascia in the foot is connected to your entire leg. Roll it out and keep it healthy!

Balancing Act

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In the US, the CDC reports that one in four people over the age of 65 has an accidental fall every year and are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries. There are several risk factors that increase chances of falling: environmental factors (uneven surfaces, lighting, obstacles, etc.), medication, and physical fitness.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/index.html

Maintaining or building strength is key to mitigating the risk of falling as we all get older. One of the reasons that people fall is that that we all have asymmetric bodies — we have a dominant side and a weaker side. For example, we tend to favor bearing our weight on one leg when we stand, we lift heavy gallon jars of milk with the same hand, we climb stairs putting the same leg forward more than the other. All these small modifications over years of repetition results in an imbalance of strength. The weaker side becomes our proverbial Achilles Heel making us vulnerable to injury. And this imbalance in our legs and hips predisposes us to falling.

How can we help counteract the imbalances? Incorporate the following exercises into your day. Make sure you always have a sturdy support close by before you start.

ONE:

Stand sideways on the bottom step of the stairway, holding the railing firmly. With your outer leg do the following 3 movements.

  • Raise and lower the outer leg slowly bending at the knee each time; 5-10 times
  • Swing the leg at the hip back and forth slowly keeping your core tight; 5-10 times
  • Swing the leg side to side; 5-10 times

Take a break and repeat on the other side.

TWO:

Sit on a chair with feet firmly on the ground and with a tennis ball under one foot, press down on that foot and massage the entire sole of the foot.

  • Roll the ball from the bottom of each toe towards the middle of the foot back and forth
  • Roll the ball crosswise back and forth across the middle of your arch, pressing firmly on any spots that are sore
  • Repeat on both feet. You can do this exercise standing as well to increase the level of challenge

THREE:

Stand close to a sturdy support. Balance on your dominant foot and start counting. Note how far you count. Try to match that count on the other foot. Try to increase the count as you get stronger. Make sure you don’t hold your breath as you balance. Fix your gaze on a spot that doesn’t move.

Should you stretch tight hamstrings?

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If you have tight hamstrings and are experiencing lower back pain as a result of hamstring attachment issues, you may be tempted to stretch your hamstrings out in yoga. Because going into a deep forward fold and just pulling and pulling on the tight muscle should help it relax, right? Actually, no.

Our muscles are elastic, and they stretch and bend. But if you have an elastic band that is attached on either side to something rigid and is constantly being pulled in tension, increasing that tension by pulling isn’t going to help. Likely that elastic band will snap or will permanently lose its elasticity. Our hamstrings will not snap, but they can certainly get injured more severely if we overload them when they are already sore.

What we need to do instead, is work on strengthening the hamstrings without overstretching them. Slowly retrain them to get stronger and more supple. Bring more blood circulation into them by warming them up. Increase active range of motion of the hips and lower back. Once your hamstrings are more conditioned, then work on gentle stretches. Remember, there is no award for the best forward fold in yoga class.

Your back and hamstrings will thank you for your patience!