Do You Think You Have Bad Posture? We all have ideas about how our posture should be (back straight, shoulders down, stomach in) and what constitutes “correct” movement (engage core muscles or never twist). We acquired a lot of these growing up. As an adult we continue to gain more from physical therapists, chiropractors, yoga… Read more about Are Your Ideas of What’s Right Leading You Astray?
Are You Bracing Against Pain? When we have pain, we tend to hold and protect the area that hurts. Initially this may be helpful, but over time, holding parts of yourself still creates more problems. When parts of ourselves are “on vacation” instead of participating in our actions, other places have to do more work.… Read more about A Little Can Help A Lot with Back Pain
Too Busy? Not Enough Time? My intention for the past year and a half is to have more ease in my life. This was going well. For quite awhile I had a steady meditation practice, got regular exercise, was eating well and maintained downtime between work and commitments. But then my schedule got busier and… Read more about A Simple Way to Shift from Stressed to Refreshed
My Change of Attitude About Walking I’ve always appreciated walks in nature, but it’s only since having a dog that I’ve really embraced walking. Before, other than occasional hikes in nature, I rarely walked. It just didn’t seem like an interesting activity in itself. And if I needed to go to the library or store,… Read more about One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Health: Walking
The Foot Bone’s Connected to the Shoulder Bone Many people come to me for help with neck and shoulder tension and pain after spending long hours at a computer. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is that recently, several of these folks had one thing in common—they don’t put their feet on the floor when… Read more about 1 Thing You Can Do to Relieve Neck and Shoulder Tension at the Computer
(originally written Nov 2016) How Much Do You Push Yourself? Recently, one of my Feldenkrais® students shared how she’s been applying principles from my class to other areas of her life. Specifically, she’s taken the idea of staying within a comfortable, easy range instead of pushing to the limit beyond movement. In her daily life,… Read more about Which is More Valuable: Being or Doing?
Last month I talked about ways we unknowingly keep ourselves stuck. In this post, I share useful strategies to get moving again and ultimately enjoy more of what you want! Simple Strategies for Un-Sticking Yourself The experience of being stuck isn’t pleasant. People tend to disengage with and distract themselves to avoid feeling this way.… Read more about 6 Strategies to Get Moving When You’re Stuck
It’s the End of 2018: Are You Where You Want to Be? As 2018 draws to a close, I find myself taking stock of things I’d planned to do this year but haven’t and places I feel stuck. The transition into the new year is a time many of us reflect on where we are… Read more about 6 Ways You May Be Keeping Yourself Stuck
Sit Up Straight! One of the most consistent complaints I hear from students is that their neck, shoulders or back hurt from sitting. Many then say, “It’s my bad posture. I need to stop hunching and sit up straight.” Our cultural idea of sitting “properly” is pulling our shoulders back and tucking our chin. While… Read more about Dare to Sit on the Edge: How Giving Up the Chair’s Back May Improve Yours
The Search for What’s Causing Your Pain When we experience pain, most of us look for one simple source to attribute it to. If we can find the cause, it can be fixed, hopefully with a straightforward solution. Alas, pain sources and solutions are rarely as neat and tidy as we want to believe. Modern… Read more about What Causes Pain? The Things You Didn’t Know Growing Up