Hi Folks - Can you name all the gross posture faux pas here?
Standing on one leg - my left one (the one I favor), causing my hips to go wacky and excess weight on my left foot and knee
Crossing my arms in front, causing my shoulders to round
Lifting my shoulders toward my ears, causing my neck muscles to tense
You can't see this but....my back is rounded, causing the entire spine to be out of alignment
I wanted to use this picture as a visual representation of what I'd like to blog about today - Habitual Patterns. They play havoc with our bodies.
*How are you sitting at your computer right now? Is your spine straight? Is your head sitting on top of your spine or is your head forward of your body.
*When you watch t.v., are you sitting in a comfortable chair with your spine straight or are you slumped?
*When you bend over do you bend from your waist or from your groin area? Please bend from the groin and soften your knees.
*Do you cross your legs when you sit down? Do you always cross the right leg over the left or vise versa?
*Do you hold your jaw tight?
*Do you sleep in the same position all the time?
We all have a certain "holding pattern". Like when an airplane circles the airport waiting to land - there is a set holding pattern the pilots must follow. We have that too.
Unfortunately, our unique holding patterns can cause imbalances in our bodies.
Think of ways you can change your holding pattern.
-It's best to stand on both feet
-It's best to keep your spine straight (natural curvature) at all times
-It's best to leave your arms at your side or even cross them behind you every now and then to open your chest
-It's best to let your jaw be soft
I think you get the point.
It's all about creating and maintaining balance in your body. And also not holding your body in a rigid, tense way.
Like millions of people, I hold tension in my neck.
To relieve this tension and promote a healthy balance of energy, strength and flexibility I practice qi gong.
Qi is energy, gong is practice. The two words combined describe a system of exercises to cultivate and balance life energy, especially for health.
I love Lee Holden's DVD's - they are $19.99 and wonderfully done
Qi Gong for.....Low Back Pain
Upper Back and Neck Pain
For Weight Loss
For Healthy Digestion
For Healthy Joints and Bones
For Meditation
and more
The movements are VERY EASY. They are nourishing and healing. I use the one for Low Back Pain and Upper Back and Neck Pain often (and I don't even have LBP) and use the others regularly too.
Check out his website
http://www.exercisetoheal.com/?gclid=CJeFnMPK360CFdGP7QodxCHMTg
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Here's a yummie Hummus recipe. We eat hummus almost every day - it's a great source of protein and tastes so good. The drizzle of honey really MAKES this delicious.
RECIPE for PUMPKIN HUMMUS
with HONEY
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 2 cups
1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and
drained
1 cup (200g) cooked pumpkin (see notes)
4 tablespoons (55g) tahini
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (or lemon), plus more for
thinning
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
TO SERVE
A few garbanzo beans
A sprinkle of paprika
A drizzle of honey
If you like, set aside a few garbanzo beans for
garnishing the hummus plate. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. If the mixture is thick, add additional lemon juice to thin a
little.
TO SERVE Arrange a big swirl of the hummus in a flat
bowl, leaving a depression in the center. Scatter a few garbanzo beans over
top, then a sprinkle of paprika. Drizzle with honey.
So, what are your unhealthy habitual patterns? Over the next few days become an observer of your self. And then think of how you can improve your pattern.
Much love,
Donna Rae
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