Stretch, Structural Integration, Rhamnose

Tom Saulnier — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 22:27:01 +0000

IN THIS ISSUE: * Stretch Out – A few precautions can prevent future pain * Structural Integration * Rhamnose – Think you know sugar? Think again.

Stretch Out

A few precautions can prevent future pain – by Kelli Crosby

You brush your teeth daily because you don’t want cavities or gum disease, right? Well, what do you do on a daily basis to prevent tension in your neck? Brushing your teeth offers you preventive dental care, but what if you could learn to be preventive with the rest of your body?

We all have bad daily habits we don’t even notice until something starts to hurt. These bad habits are the root cause of many painful conditions. To help prevent pain, however, we can turn these bad habits into good habits that can be worked into our daily routine. Here is some general advice that can apply to almost every part of daily living.

Don’t Slouch.

Slouching puts strain on your neck and can give you a headache. Your head weighs roughly 10 pounds-about as much as a bowling ball. Your spine is designed to balance that bowling ball when you’re in an upright posture. If you slouch, your muscles have to do more work to hold your head up, which makes your muscles tight and angry.

Sit Up Straight.

Sit in a chair with your hands on your hips. Slouch. Feel how your hips roll back (if you’re wearing jeans, you’ll be sitting on your pockets). Now sit up straight by moving your pelvis forward and centering your weight over your pelvis and off your buttocks.

Sleep on Your Back or Side.

Sleeping on your stomach makes you twist your neck and body in order to breathe. This twisted position is terrible for your spine, especially for prolonged periods during sleep. Check your pillow and make sure it has a thickness that will support your neck in a position neutral to the rest of your spine. Try a …Click here for full publication Autumn 2013

Yoga=Calm, Preventive Care, Poor Vision

Tom Saulnier — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 22:09:31 +0000

IN THIS ISSUE: Breathe + Yoga = Calm * Bodywork as Preventive Care * Find out Why Your Vision May Cause Muscle Tension

Breath + Yoga = Calm

Hurried? Try these simple exercises before your session

By Mary Beth Braun

It’s one of those mornings. Your alarm didn’t go off and you have a massage appointment in an hour. You quickly shower get dressed, grab a protein bar, and dash to your car, only to realize your gas tank is nearly empty. Even so, you think you can make it to your appointment. On the way, you hit every red light and someone cuts you off just as you’re trying to change lanes. Finally, you pull into a parking spot, tense and frustrated— clearly not in the right mind-set for your bodywork session.

So, how can you collect and calm yourself enough to be fully present with only three minutes before your session? Breath and yoga.

STEP 1. BREATH

Once you enter the massage therapy room, it’s typical for practitioners to give
you a few minutes to undress and prepare for the session. Take this time to center and calm yourself.

Start by channeling your yoga instructor and begin with breath (pranayama): inhaling to the count of three and exhaling to

the count of six. Do this three times and move on to do a few yoga poses (asanas).

STEP 2. YOGA

You remember a few basic yoga poses from class, right? Try these three: simple seated twist, downward dog, and standing half moon.

Simple Seated Twist

Continuing to use your breath, sit on the floor in an easy, cross-legged pose and begin simple seated twist. Raise the crown of your head to the ceiling, elongating your neck and spine. Inhale and exhale, then twist to the left. Exhaling, move through center and repeat on the right, continuing to inhale and exhale.

…Click here for full publication Body Sense-Summer 2013

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Stretch, Structural Integration, Rhamnose

Yoga=Calm, Preventive Care, Poor Vision