Magical Moments

The gratifying result of being supremely healthy is that your body becomes barely noticeable, much like having your car in perfect running order. When your car is perfectly tuned, your driving experience is the ride, the scenery, and the people you are with. You are not worried about whether the car is about to break down or not. The way to alleviate worry and transcend "car-consciousness" is by taking care of your car, not by ignoring it and leaving its well-being to the whims of chance. The way to transcend worrisome body-consciousness is by taking care of your body. The idea is not to become obsessed with your physical form. Simply give it enough care and attention so that it functions as the perfect instrument and comfortable embodiment it was meant to be. 
                                                                             Yoga The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness
                                                                                   by Erich Schiffmann

I love this paragraph from Erich. It is what I've chosen to open our blog today because it's a perfect entre to a discussion about flexibility.


I love the feeling of lengthening my muscles (I prefer calling "stretching" either "flexibility training" or just lengthening muscles; stretching sounds unsafe and makes me think about something like taffy.

                                                                    YIKES!

Flexibility training feels so good that I consider it a reward after strength and aerobic training. 


When you lengthen a muscle, be sure to take a deep breath and exhale as you move into the stretch. Pause for a moment as you inhale again and then if you wish deepen the stretch by moving a little further into it. Then - just be there and breath and enjoy the quiet time.


As you free your body from tightness and become more flexible you restore natural movement and ease tension from your body. It will help to ease pain and free energy blockages. 

                                                                     YIPPIE!

                                                From Bob Anderson's wonderful book Stretching

Sitting at a computer, driving, reading for long periods often causes neck and shoulder stiffness and occasionally lower back pain. Do these stretches every hour or so throughout the day or whenever you feel stiff.


This is a quote from the paragraph in this picture. You might be wondering what the dude in #12 is doing - he's shaking out his hands... feels so good to get the circulation going in the entire arm. The rest of these are pretty easy to follow. Hold them for about 10 seconds and breath. It will be a magical few minutes for you and a nice break. Please note the shaded areas on the drawings - those areas represent the part of the body that is benefiting from the stretch.


Flexibility training has a calming effect on the mind too. That's why I love it so much.

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Another way of lengthening muscles is through movement. Below you will find two versions of a Qi Gong exercise called "The Rooster Spreads The Feathers".

                                                     The Rooster Spreads The Feathers # 1 

                                                       The Rooster Spreads The Feathers #2


AS WE AGE WE BECOME LESS FLEXIBLE. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES A DAY TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENDING. 


OPEN AND LIFT AND BE FREE! ENJOY MOVEMENT AND LIFE. EACH MOMENT IS SO PRECIOUS AND SWEET. 

Big Blog Hug to you!

Donna Rae