Hello Everyone. This month I am expanding on lasts month’s newsletter to help you find ways to increase your enjoyment of moving your body. Press here if you want to skip my explanations and information and you will go directly to the exercise.
As you know, research shows that the most important thing you can do for your body is to get at least 20 minutes a day of movement. Here is a fun, short YouTube video about the healthiest thing you can do for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo?t=40s&feature=youtu.be
The main point is to move. Researchers suggest walking is the easiest and best. I am suggesting ways to add to and this for those of you that are interested. Being aware of posture and use not only improves your muscle tone but helps your brain as well.
This month I would like to introduce you to Naval Radiation. I first learned of this while studying Body Mind Centering. Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen work (http://www.bodymindcentering.com). You can also find it in Glynn MacDonald’s book Alexander Technique: A practical Program for Health, Poise and Fitness.
Navel Radiation is a way of moving your energy from your center (navel) equally to all the distal parts of your body. Distal refers to the points farthest away from the center of your body (from the top of the head to the end of the tailbone, from the bottoms of your feet out your arms to your fingertips). Energy usually ends up being felt primarily in the torso which then cuts off body connection to wholeness and a sense of alignment. When you understand how to have energy and aliveness equally in all parts of your body you will have more vitality. Understanding and sensing your distal ends as well your torso/trunk in an important start. This can bring in a sense of wholeness and a calming of the body/mind. With this awareness you will find any movement easier and more enjoyable. Your shoulders can relax and your body can feel long and aligned. The most useful place to start is with observation. Can you sense the bottoms of your feet, the top of your head, your tailbone, your fingertips? Do you have sense of the weight in your feet being equal? Or more on one side than the other? If you think about this does it bring a change? Using the image that you can move up your spine can add height. These are all small sublet movements, nothing big or forceful.
Start by standing against a wall with your heels touching the wall. Notice if your pelvis is tipped forward, or if your shoulder blades are touching the wall or rounded forward. Notice where your head is in relation to your whole body. It is often too far ahead or too far back. All this information can help you understand what you are doing that gives you support or what you are doing that causes misalignment and then pain. See insets from the book of Glynn McDonald.
You can imagine a starfish, all the energy radiating out to each distal point equally. Start sensing your naval and the connection of the center of your body to your head and the connection of your head and your tail, letting there be a lengthening along this line. Feel this line along your spine. Again, it is about embodying your muscular/skeleton system and letting yourself take up more space. Once you have that sense of your head-naval-tail connection, lengthening and moving up is easier. Now notice the connection of your naval to your right foot, then your left. Play with this for a while finding how the connection to one side supports the other, and visa versa. When you are ready add the movement of your arm. Start with one arm sensing the navel, and how the energy radiates out from the navel to the arm. When you do this there can be a widening in your back, thus giving you more support for your arms.
Exercise DVD Recommendations
If you like to work with DVD’s I have found one that is very well made and is 5 different workouts in 10-minute segments. Its called “Core fusion Body Sculpt.” You can get it by goggling Acacialifestyle.com. They pay attention to posture. The 10 minutes is fast and fun! Remember it’s all about finding something you enjoy doing!
I am available for sessions, or to answer questions and help you find what serves you and your health and fitness program the most. Call or email for a session, mention the newsletter and get a discount on your first session.
Until next month
The best to you all!
Elaine