Category: mindfulness

Is Your Body Screaming “Help Meeeee!”

Chronic ongoing pain is of course the most obvious sign.  But there are other not-so-subtle messages your body gives you when it needs more care and attention.  

Anxiety 

Dislike of you own body

Sleeplessness
Exhaustion
An Inability to Relax
Fidgetiness
Grouchiness or Short Temper
No Desire to Socialize
No Desire to Get Out of Bed
Can’t Exercise 
And more….

The biggest problem I observe is that most people are not listening to the screams or cries for help from their bodies.  They push through, take pain medications, don’t rest, work harder and scream back a their bodies.   

This aggressive approach to the body does not heal pain.  Your kinesthetic sense, aka your body awareness, is a messenger.  If you are in the habit of not listening to your body, you will only become aware of hurting yourself at the end of the day when you are tight, can’t move, and even breathing feels difficult.  

Sooo… What’s the solution, Sharon? (Click on the photo for a video demonstration) 

325416_10150523405786909_1139693074_o-2

In every Alexander Technique session, I have my clients spend time in Semi-Supine position (laying on back with knees bent). During this time, my client is learning how to listen to their body, how to quiet and calm the nervous system, and how to release muscular tension related to their response to pain.  

Semi-Supine is supportive of a long spine, a balanced body, and free and easy breathing.  This makes learning to listen to your body easier.  Sometimes, just in the act of spending quiet, still, awake time with your own body, pain messages can quiet down and you experience stress relief as well.  Ignoring the “screams” from your body ensures that your body will get “louder” meaning stronger pain sensations and more discomfort.

Alexander Technique offers a kinder and gentler approach to the body.  You learn to move gently and with mindfulness.  You learn to be aware of how you are moving your body and how you are holding painful patterns of tension so that you can release them.  With the gentle hands-on guidance, you learn to soothe yourself and soothe your body.

As you go through your day, take the time to STOP and listen to your body.  Follow your body’s guidance. It is time for a kinder, gentler approach to our bodies.  If this sounds right to you, then sign up for our free video series:

As you go through your day, take the time to STOP and listen to your body.  Follow your body’s guidance. It is time for a kinder, gentler approach to our bodies.  Want to live fully and breathe for life? Train in the Alexander Technique.

Meditation Posture for Focus, Clarity, & Calm

Do You Meditate?

Many of my Alexander Technique clients do because they want to increase their mindfulness and they often ask me about their meditation posture.  Most people are either too collapsed, trying to feel relaxed, or they are too stiff, trying to sit up straight with a lot of muscular tension.  This makes the body a distraction in meditation.

Robert G. is an entrepreneur who just finished taking the 10 week Foundational course in the Alexander Technique with me. During  his final session, we looked at his meditation posture.  I would like to share some of the guiding principles that allowed him to have such an open, upright, and relaxed meditation posture.

“The most surprising aspect of applying Alexander Technique to my meditation posture was paying attention to the means-whereby, or HOW, I moved into the posture.  Staying aware of my body breathing while I moved into mediation was essential to not tensing or collapsing my torso.”     Robert G.

Mediation posture with Robert G. Chest is wide and spine is long.

Here are a few guidelines to help you have a meditation posture (you can apply these to sitting in a chair too) that will eliminate distracting body aches and tension and support a focused, clear, and calm mind:

*Breathe out slowly even as you are bending down (even getting into a chair).   Unconsciously holding your breath tightens muscles of your throat, chest, back, and abdomen.  Breathing out slowly ensures that you are aware of your body and allowing the muscles of your body to loose and long.

*Have your knees lower than your hips.  Most people have tight hips and a tight low back.  If your knees are lower than your hips, your hip muscles won’t pull on your low back forward and down into a slouch. This allows your spine to also lengthen.

*Allow the mask of your face and your chin to slowly and gently move down.  This lengthens the back of your neck and also, lengthens your spine.  You especially do not want the back of your head falling towards your neck and shoulders.

*Allow your abdominal wall to release into length.  Your sternum and your pubic bone release away from each other.  Most people do not know that when they collapse and shorten the abdominal wall, they are collapsing the spine.

Robert G.’s meditation posture. His head is over his ribs & hips. HIs head and arms are not dragging him forward.

*Finally, you do not want to hyper extend the spine by arching your back.  Many people think that to have a straight spine they have to squeeze the back muscles and arch it.  This overworks the muscles.  They get fatigued. Then, you get uncomfortable and start fidgeting.

These physical practices will give you spine, diaphragm, and muscles the support they need so your body won’t distract you.  You will have more space inside your torso for the movement of breath, which will soothe and calm your nervous system.  Now you are ready for the deep work of meditation.