Fascia is incredible

Pain is not just a physical sensation. It is influenced by attitudes, beliefs, personality, and social factors, and can affect emotional and mental wellbeing.

Although two people may have the same pain condition, their experience of living with pain can be vastly different—if you live with pain, you will already know this.

This article is focused on Breathing: Inhale deeply…… Hold….. exhale slowly while you relax your jaw. It can really be that simple! Read on!

As we move into Spring, it is a wonderful time to find opportunities for simple movement. As a movement educator, I believe that all aspects of health and well being are already present within our body – we have all that we need within us.

Moving is not only great for your body, but great for your mood. Exercise releases endorphins, also known as nature’s mood elevator, which has been shown to improve memory. When we exercise, serotonin is released, which can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

Mindful Movement – what is it?

It is feeling the body, the breath, our place or position in space and what we are touching, e.g., the floor with our feet, our spine on the mat etc.

We- can be very “yang”– which is awesome – the feeling of energy, puffing hard, workout our muscles and feeling our heartbeat is the reinforcement of our aliveness!

Moving into a more “yin” state, or slow form of exercise can be challenging to adapt to – we may not connect comfortably with some of the movements – we tend to enjoy moving the body quickly or not at all.

We thought we would post some information from the World Health Organization, on how to improve your immune system – which is particularly relevant in these times, but it also improves overall health and wellbeing also!

Simple Steps to Boosting Your Immune System…

Burnout Avoidance!!

Does our anxiety about the future create anxiety in the present? Do we feel this pressure to have all of 2020 figured out?

January is FUN!!! We get to spend time with my friends and family mostly distraction-free. We are able to take care of some life stuff that we may have been trying to finish forever. We get to go outside and have the space to feel very grounded, grateful, and reflective.

“I want to improve my posture.”

Many of our clients list “improved posture” as a goal – which is probably the best, and perhaps the only goal you need with regard to improving your body.

So, what is “good” posture? Good posture if not about being able to hold your body in a good shape when you think about it – having good posture is about having your muscles and connective tissue balanced with optimal resting length so the good shape is naturally embodied when you DON’T think about it – good posture becomes the “new normal”.

One of the goals that you may write when you start Pilates is “to get out of pain.”

Pain is a very broad word used to describe a variety of different unpleasant sensations. Because of this, is it almost impossible to accurately explain in words what pain is. Verbs such as “sharp, stabbing, tearing, burning, aching, throbbing, prickly and dull” are all frequently used, and it would be reasonable to say that our perception of what pain is, will vary from person to person.

Niksen is a Swedish term, which means “doing nothing.” It’s when you sit in a chair and breathe quietly by yourself for five minutes. It’s when you are driving in silence, without talking on the phone. It’s when you are going for a walk in nature with nothing but the sounds of the birds and the rustle of the trees, or sitting outside on the veranda all by yourself.

The Pelvic floor is a group of muscles which form the floor of your pelvis. Their function is to support the pelvis, control bladder, bowel and sexual function. These muscles work in conjunction with your other core muscles to provide stability and support the organs.

We always cue pelvic floor and breath while we teach, and we also check in with you “do you understand what I mean about engaging pelvic floor?” – and then “remember there is no such thing as a silly question – ask away – others will also benefit”.

When you start from the bottom – doing Pilates for the first time, running for the first time, or simply starting the early stages of exercise – it can be hard to see that the desired outcome is accessible to you. If you show up in pain, it can be hard to see a time without pain. If the work is really hard, it can be difficult to see a time when it will seem easier or less strenuous. So often we are focused on how fast we can reach the end or how long it is going to take to get to where we want. This forward projection takes energy from our present.

“Take a big breath!” “Squeeze every ounce of air out of your lungs, as though you are wringing out a towel!”

“Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth!”

“Keep breathing!”

With all this breath talk constantly, you might find yourself thinking, “well, how should I breathe?”

There is a reason why the word “pursuit” is there – it’s physics; a fundamental law of the universe.

Let’s look at a simple examples:

Cleaning – we clean our houses, cars, and weed our gardens. The more time we put into this, the more beautiful these are, and the more our garden produces for us! If we stop cleaning and tending – even just for 2 days – order quickly turns to disorder – even if left for a few days, the weeds start to grow, dust and dirt gather.

Modern motion is so limited and is based so much on repeated patterns that we have eliminated the shoulders from their designed function.

We assume our shoulders are working fine – because they are not working much at all. It comes as a shock when we ask the joint to do something simple and end up in pain instead.

Food for your Muscles, Joints and Bones.

One of the reasons we go to Pilates is to help with our muscle and joint health, and ensure they work properly for many years to come. In addition to movement, choosing the right foods or those with the right nutrient properties can help as well. Here’s where to start…

Do you feel like you can never stop the noise inside your head?

Did you know that 90% of our thoughts today, are the same thoughts we had yesterday?

What if you knew, that you could stop the endless noise, and have different thinking patterns, and create space for creativity, clarity, inspiration? We block ourselves from moving forwards because of the repetitive thoughts ….so, so much.

Feet… they’re easy to take for granted, but it’s hard to get anywhere without them. And when they hurt, it can be tough to concentrate on anything else.

When you locomote properly, you use your whole body more efficiently. Losing mobility in your feet, changes your gait and can have an impact on your knees, hips, back and all the way up your body.