Monday, December 21, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

How much can you trust?

Written 09/27/09

As life continues, everyday we are learning new things about ourselves and how that reflects into our outside world.

The loudest learning this week has been all about, "how much can I trust?" In my inner dialogue throughout the day, I at least touch on the intention of "trusting myself and my Source more and more in every moment; in every day." That is a strong desire within me. However, how can you know that you're trusting more unless there is an experience that requires more trust within you?

Low Back Pain?

Have Low Back Pain? 
Do some lunge stretches, to open the hip flexors (fronts of the hips).  Long stride walking can really help too!

The Psoas is the main hip flexor, a deep abdominal muscle that sits just in front of your spine.  It actually has strands of the muscle that attach onto each vertebrae from T12 - L5, then crosses over the hip joint and attaches onto the inside of the upper femur (thigh bone).  When the psoas gets shortened, weakened, or in spasm, it can pull the vertebrae it is attached to out of alignment creating low back pain.  Computer lovers that sit for the majority of the day as well as those that travel a lot tend to be prime candidates for low back pain.  "If you sit all day, you form that way."  Low back pain can often result from lifting heavy objects without proper body alignment, or lifting while twisting.

The great thing is that it can usually be easily reversed through stretching and massage.  When you open up the hip flexors (psoas), you can reverse the effects of the seated position.  You have to do it enough in relation to how much time you are staying in the seated position.  Once a week stretching, while sitting in front of the computer 11 hours a day will not do the job.

Stretching the hip flexors will keep your psoas long, flexible, and in better balance.  Therefore, it won't get into a state where it will pull your vertebrae out of place. 

If you are in severe pain, or the stretches don't seem to be creating enough relief, a massage by an experienced therapist is in order.  Depending on your daily activities and the state of your body, it may take several sessions to get your body back to a place of ease.  The therapist needs to work on the psoas to get it out of spasm and balanced out with the other side.  This can be done with massage to the abdomen, stretching the legs, and energy therapy.

Check out our online yoga studio @ http://www.thepostureproject.com/ to get to stretching!

Yoga and Massage are great ways to maintain healthy, vibrant bodies and minds!
A long, flexible psoas is a happy one!  Enjoy your health!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Our Works...

Our gifts and talents are to help people listen to their Selves through the practice of yoga and through the exchange of massage. Yoga teaches the mind, body, spirit connection. The breath leads us to stillness; to center. The movements help us feel connected to our body. The opening through stretching allows the energy of life to flow through us more freely. The strengthening allows us to tap into our inner power to stand strong in who we are. In our work, we are aware of the importance of strong, balanced posture and what that reflects in us. Yoga helps to lengthen what needs to be longer, to strengthen what needs to be stronger, to tap into our inner power and free our spirit through the breath. We then stand tall, balanced, centered, and strong.

The Massage we offer also assists people to be aware of their bodies. To accept loving touch with no emotional attachment. A great gift of love to your Self. We understand that everything is energy. Our bodies are the manifestation of the energy we are emitting, a reflection of our feelings and beliefs. We understand the way energy moves in the body, that muscles can turn off where the energy is not flowing well through it and throws the rest of the body out of balance. Together, we can simply turn the muscle back on and restore balance. If it has been a long-standing pattern, it may take a while before the pattern is reprogrammed to strength instead of weakness. We understand “The Amazing Balancing Act” the body does at all times. It is constantly seeking balance and always does its best with the tools it has to work with. (If a part of the body is not functioning to its fullest potential, the other parts will compensate to the best of their ability to restore balance in the body). It truly is an amazing feat. Knowing this, it helps us to understand what is going on when our clients come in with certain symptoms. We know better than to just “rub where it hurts”. If we did that, we would be doing you a great disservice. When we follow the great balancing act in the body, we find places that may be sore to the touch that a person wasn’t aware of, that wasn’t screaming as loud as the opposing muscles, but most likely is why the imbalance has occurred. All this we have gathered and mastered to help you feel better. Because “there is nothing more important than feeling better” as Abraham-Hicks says.

Emotions are very important when working with the body. When people experience a trauma and do not process through those emotions to a full release or complete letting go, the trauma remains in your body and Being until they do get released. These holdings (of emotions) create patterns in the body. They might show up as pain, as tension, as weakness, etc… Our work may be to assist one to become aware of this holding pattern and to create a safe environment to let it go, to fully release it. This may happen in a split second and it’s over, it may happen as a rush of emotions (crying, laughing, screaming, etc…), it may take several 'letting goes'. We have seen it time and time again, where after the release, the pain is gone, or is much better and it continues to improve through that awareness. Imagine the freedom! To let yourself be expressed fully! Creating more space in your body for joy and vitality to flow instead of being crowded with baggage. It’s cleaning house, your house!

With this knowledge and growth, a person is empowered to know "All is Well".  They can understand "the feeling I’m having in my body is trying to tell me this and I don’t have to get scared of what it might be. I understand my body better and I also know it’s OK to ask for help and get the help I need, but I can let go of the fear."

We are part of the great awakening that is going on on our planet. We are opening to our greatness as so many others are. We want to assist others that also want to experience and share their greatness. We are blessed and empowered as we continue to move forward and share our gifts and talents with the world. We are inspired everyday as we grow in every way. Shalem, Namasté.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Let your opinion of yourself be the most important opinion in your life!  Practice and mold your inner thoughts to those of self love and appreciation and then it matters not what the world does outside of you, or says about you, or thinks of you.  You can enjoy the life you've come to live and revel in your greatness!