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Parts
of the following information is
what I say to all clients, and esp. those who ask
about massage, bodywork and self care. A
crucial part of my practice is education and
self awareness. If you would like to read some
more and/or are looking for a specific
information, please check the articles
and the
blog.
The
very basic tips for maintenance are spelled out in the article
on the basic
pelvis care. It contains the link to
the infamous highly effective pelvic
tilt,
etc.
The
basic tips for emergency sprains, injuries,
breaks, and other ways to get into pain are
spelled out in the article on sprains,
breaks and other pains.
For most people, the most effective bodywork is a kind that stretches joints and connective tissue,
and "remodels" i.e. remolds the body.
These are the kinds of bodywork I tried personally and highly recommend: thai massage, rolfing,
shiatsu with stretching (e.g. ohashiatsu), some forms of orthopedic massage
(e.g. Waslaski, Hendrickson). For some issues,
like autism, craniosacral therapy will be the
best. For some issues, like fibromalgia, hot
stones will be the best. Read more about
different
techniques
here.
*However* the name of the bodywork does not
matter, in many cases. What matters is the knowledge and the integrity of the practitioner.
For example, I have been healed from some major injuries by a
reasonably inexpensive Swedish massage
therapist with 25 yrs of experience, and I have gone to a rolfer who had
no idea what they were doing and I even paid
them $90for that - once.
So: when you find
a
massage therapist or bodyworker, ask before you
go for their training, experience, and what kinds of things they
do. Explain your problem and ask them if they
have worked with similar issues. For example, I
have gone to a lomi practitioner who can set dislocated shoulders.
For muscle knots, read Trigger point self
manual book and get a
back buddy, thera cane, or a lomi stick. They sell all
kinds of massage and bodywork tools
on Amazon.com.
There are many causes for tight areas in the body. Body works in a circular fashion where everything influences everything.
Healing
the pain
requires that the root cause has to be determined and addressed.
If an inner organ is sick, it will create knots in the muscles (which will then make it harder for the organ to get healthy).
In this case, it will be good to work on the tight area to jump start the healing process, and the healing will require that
the organ get healthy. For example, tight abdomen (due to wrong foods, stress,
illness, injury, bad posture, or whatever) will cause lower back pain.
If the body gets tight, then a healthy organ will eventually get sick because it will not have enough circulation. For example,
shrugging the shoulders and tightening the neck
when we are cold and huddling to warm up and/or
scrunching under intense stress is often a
precursor to getting a sore throat or ear
infections. Tight tissues have less
defensive ability.
Very often tightness is due to emotional stress. For example, divorce,
separation, jobs, kids, overwork, etc.
Sometimes it is due to lack of
physical ability to do something. For
example, weak wrists are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Sometimes it is the environment that is not conducive to well being.
For example, we live with an alcoholic, or
our boss is abusive, or we don't get along
with our roommates (which also could happen
to be our spouse and kids).
Sometimes our lifestyle is not ergonomic, for example
we walk with our head
first, or have a non-ergonomic computer
setup, or talk on the phone all the time.
Very often our tight areas are old, often we carry knots for years.
For example, that car accident from 10 years
ago can be still felt as a tightness in the
neck. Throwing out the lower back 20 yrs ago is
still felt today.
Very often, it is rather simple to remedy problems that
have baffled us for years. It's just tight
connective tissue! Probably with a few muscle
knots and trigger points here and there.
Existing knots and tight areas have to be ironed
out and stretched. Then keep them away by
active stretching. The main thing to be worked
on is the pelvis. It needs to become flexible
and moving freely. Then the shoulders and neck
will automatically adjust.
Do
you want bad or good news first? Stretching
is a must. And,
it is fun! So you get two things done at once -
getting healthy and having fun. Also, it can be
a great social occasion, for example if you
take a yoga class and make friends with your
classmates.
The best stretching exercises are the ancient ones: tai chi, qi gong, kung fu, belly dance, hula,
African dance, kundalini yoga, and swimming. Go
to a competent yoga class, or swim every day,
and you will notice a difference.
Go
to the great outdoors, to the wild,
natural areas,
breathe the fresh air and aid the circulation
with oxygen, reconnect with the Earth to
recharge your body's electrical system, get
some sunlight to perk up the hormonal system,
relax in the silence, ... Human are designed to
exercise outdoors in fresh air. Yogis say that
fresh air and sunlight are food for our
cells.
And
have
some good fun!
How
can you make it happen all at once? Go African
or hula dancing or "power yoga" or
some martial arts outdoors. (Well, when the
outdoors is friendly enough. If it is not,
bundle up and go walking. Bring a friend
along.) In one swoop, you get your community
participation, your health, your stretching,
aerobic exercise, spiritual activity, and you
are in Mother Nature, breathing fresh air and
enjoying yourself. Your cells say THANK
YOU!
Yoga
is very effective. Kundalini yoga is my favorite kind of yoga, because it
works fast! It uses breathing and movement, as
well as chanting, to
produce a great workout on many levels.
Check
out his kundalini
yoga web site. Notice how the model has
perfect skin, no blemishes, and very nice glow.
Yes, that's what you get when you practice
kundalini yoga. Ravi Singh has great books and DVDs and
youtube clips.
Check
out the youtube clips: AM-PM
yoga Navel
power yoga
Hatha
yoga is "stretch and hold for a long
time" slow type of yoga. They say it was
designed for the aristocracy, because they did
not have to work and thus had plenty of time to
perfect holding one pose for hours. To me, it
sounds like something to kill the time :) It
must be very boring to not have to work and
just hang around all day long...Those guys had
to do *something* to keep themselves
busy. Kundalini yoga was the working
class yoga, designed to get results quickly and
help you feel better "before you get kids
off to school and/or yourself to work".
Also, it is amazingly dynamic, the movements
and the breathing are quite a workout.
I am not familiar with Pilates. It could be a great thing. However, I am leery of anything "new and phenomenal".
Often it is just a fad. Maybe not this
time. The idea of "strengthening the
core" is an old idea and a very good idea.
Finally,
how do you make it all happen? How does it fit
into your lifestyle? It can fit only if you
make the time for it. Simplifying lifestyle so
that we have enough time to enjoy life is the
key. Get rid of all unnecessary
stuff. In terms of energetics, and "feng
shui" science of how energy flow in the
environment affects our health, all clutter in
our external lives also becomes stagnation and
clutter in our own bodies and psyche. By living
in accord with laws of Nature and living
respectfully and healthfully, we help heal the
planet. The link above shows how our stuff
ruins the environment, which eventually ruins
our bodies and psyche.
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