Heron Brockovich

I know, it’s a stretch. But I wanted to talk about two things today: Heron Pose (Krounchasana) and Drinking Water.

If you are from LA (or not from LA, but come to visit) you probably will notice the LA water. Being a Seattle native, I can say, it’s not the best water. Most people I know have Brita filters in their home permanently. If you have a metal sink, like I do, you can see the mineral (?) deposits (?) as they leave a white film around the edges of the faucet or anywhere the water has touched. If you have hair, it is the same- go anywhere in the US and after one shower, your hair and skin will feel remarkably… soft. It’s not like we live in a remote village in Africa. We have an abundance of clean water, thanks to the LA Aqueduct.

But truth be told, LA people are snobby about this stuff in their homes. Sure, we’ll order tap at the restaurant, but our own home? How dare we. So we buy Brita filters. Or in my case, I began subscribing to a water cooler service. I won’t mention the name of the company, but it’s a pretty standard group. And they did everything right, brought me new containers every month, had a friendly driver… the good stuff. It was an easy way to get a lot of ‘filtered’ water quickly. I even gave it to my pets.

The problem started when I took the dogs to the vet and myself to the doctor in the same month. We all had blood work done… and surprisingly… we all had low Thyroid. I started thinking about what we ingested in common… ah, yes… the water cooler water.

I did a bit more research and realized that the plastic containers I was receiving were labeled recycling #7- in other words, not the best kind of plastic to store water. Plastic #7 is one of the worst felons of BPA leaching… and can cause changes in the thyroid. I was not helping the leaching process by storing the full containers outside- as I didn’t have any space inside my house.

I immediately began researching alternatives and found several companies that could install a reverse osmosis spigot in my kitchen sink. Problem solved. Tons of water for myself and dogs. Still tap water, just filtered without having to refill a Brita. One year later, we were all back at the doctor/vet again. Blood test this go round- all clear. Not saying you should stop drinking out of a water cooler… and some companies aren’t using #7 anymore… just be aware.

Now, for the Heron part of this post.

Heron pose, Krounchasana, looks a bit daunting, but you can modify with a strap if need be. It is also best if you are warmed up.

Benefits: Stretches the hamstring and calf muscles.

Instructions (courtesy http://www.about.com):

1. Begin in staff pose – dandasana.

2. Bring the left leg into hero pose – virasana, taking care to keep the left foot pointing straight back and the knee hugging the midline.

3. Bend the right knee and bring the right foot to the floor close to your right sit bone.

4. Lift the right foot and hold onto it with both hands.

5. Lean the torso back slightly and anchor the shoulder blades onto your back and the arms into the shoulder sockets.

5. Slowly straighten the right leg to about a 45-degree angle.

6. Hold five to 10 breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Beginners: Use a strap around the raised foot if you need assistance.