 It took only an hour for an experience that lasts a lifetime It is a bit like being given my own reset button that returns me to a resourceful state Many thanks | Your 10 minute read to a happier body and mind Questions? Call +44-20-8974-8974 Stress solutions+ : Relaxing is fine & dandy for those that have the time! Under the spotlight : The word "relaxed" Hot news : Physiological response to anxiety Hot topic : Lessons from a master in movement Advertisement : Train to improve your health through movement Practice group : 3rd May "Raising your awareness from your neck down" Body Scanning Exercise Amount of time needed: 3 minutes 1. Either lying down or sitting comfortably in a chair with your spine vertical, bring your awareness to the top of your head. 2. With your eyes closed observe any sensation you feel on the top of your head. It might be tingling, a vibration, warmth or cold, or a feeling of pressure. 3. Continue to observe any sensation you feel on the top of your head. (The repetition of the language helps to focus your attention. If you feel nothing, just wait (while perception of your nerve endings gets more sensitive). 4. Bring awareness to your face and scalp. Observe any sensation without judgment; the task is to feel what is really happening in your body, without evaluating whether it is good or bad, pleasant of unpleasant. Experience your body just as it is at this moment in time. 5. Move your mind's eye to your neck. Remember to give equal attention to any sensation which you feel on your neck - tingling, the touch of cloth on the skin, your hair as it brushes the surface. 6. Continue to your right arm, your left arm, the back surface of your body, the front surface of your body, your pelvis, your right hip and thigh, your right lower leg and foot, your left hip and thigh, your left lower leg and foot. Bring your awareness to the soles of your feet. 7. Finish by observing your breath as it comes in and out of your nose and your mouth, moves your ribs, and stimulates your skin around the lower back and belly. 8. Slowly open your eyes; allow yourself to remain aware of the sensation as you include vision into the experience. If you want good health, learn how to use and move your body "Relaxing is fine & dandy, FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THE TIME!!!" If not having the time is your reason for not relaxing, then it must be that your idea of relaxing is associated with doing particular tasks or activities. For example, it could be something like a long soak in the tub, going shopping for the day (yes guys this is some people's idea of relaxing!) or putting your feet up in front of the telly. If not having the time to do these kinds of things is the problem, then it's likely that you need some simple time management planning in your life. If you're serious about doing things that you find relaxing, time table them into your week. Number One Time Thief -"I'll just do this first" Time Thief Cure - Examine your levels of willingness, desire and readiness. All three must be present if you're going to act. If you recognise that any one or any combination of them is missing, then ask yourself this question: "What do I need to do for it to be different?". The word "relax" is under the spotlight for this issue. To be relaxed means: To remain at ease and at rest inside of you as you go about your every day life. This is characterised by an absence of un-necessary tension, strain and pressure, and is recognised by a presence of calm, clarity and control. Relaxation means: To experience calm, clarity and control for a period of time as a result of taking a break. For example stopping work or some other effort. There is a difference between temporarily disengaging from your "routine" and doing something (taking a walk, going to the pub, watching TV) to feel relaxed, and being able to be relaxed on the inside all the time, even when people and events around you seem to be doing their best to pull you away. Relaxation specialist Charles Moore teaches people how to be relaxed in his varied program of Learn to Relax services. Physiological response to anxiety If a person so much as pictures danger in their mind, a physiological fear response (flight, fight, freeze) can be triggered. These responses cause the body to initially expand in some way and become rigid, and then for some people a drawing in of their body occurs. Unfortunately many people remain "frozen" is this position even after the danger in their mind has passed. This can be seen in people's posture and structure. A person who is anxious is someone who is spending much of their time picturing danger in their mind, and this means that their body is suffering the consequences of that. At a minimum this begins to show up as aches and pains. It's no wonder that someone who is ill, and worries about their ill-health, begins to develop other symptoms that come about because of the physiological response to their anxiety. Lessons from a master in movement to keep you in health The decision had been made. His lower back led the way. His pelvis adjusted accordingly. The muscles around his shoulder prepared themselves as his right arm began to lift. Fingers are n(o)w outstretched and a calculation had been made as to the angle of approach. His hand ‘locked on' to the target and the object of desire was n(o)w tantalizingly close. His lips softened and parted in preparation for the arrival of his extra dry, double shot espresso. How does a guy that fits the profile of Tony Soprano make even something as ordinary as lifting a cup to his lips a display of unadulterated pleasure? But that's how it is for him. His structure and posture when he's still or in motion has been developed to such a level that observing him has an aesthetic quality about it - not to mention keeps him in excellent health. So how has he achieved this? Let's find out what we can learn from this master of movement ... Have a clear intention and act You're a single system with your body/mind working together as one unit. This means that when you have a clear intention, your system functions as a whole to achieve it. Let's take an example. I'm hungry and it's time to eat the food in front of me. My intention is to enjoy the experience of eating my meal. The way I position myself in my chair, use my cutlery, hold my head, chew my food will all be driven by my intention of enjoying the experience of eating my food. When a person chooses the experience they want (i.e. operates intentionally) their body/mind will orchestrate to perform a perfectly executed display of movement to achieve it. This harmony is important for health. Move in relation to other You're part of a larger system that you should be moving in relation to. It's the difference between knocking your way through life with sharp adjustments to keep yourself upright, and maneuvering smoothly around the curves of life. Hold this awareness in mind the next time you walk somewhere. Don't do things that will compromise your emotional or physical health Your health is impacted by your emotional and physical state, so prolonged engagement in things that compromise your ability to remain at your best will eventually lead to ill-health. Learn how to make decisions based upon: "Is this a match for how I want my life to be?" and "Can I remain at my best if I do this?" Doing this well is dependent upon knowing what it is like for you in your body when you are at your best. Practice by placing your attention on how your body instinctively adjusts and moves when you are feeling at your best. Use the path of least resistance Everyone's life has its fair share of ups and downs, but it's how you respond to events that determines your health. The path of least resistance could mean being able to surrender yourself in a deliberate and controlled way to a difficult situation. This dilutes the power of a difficult situation because it has nothing pushing against it. Or it could mean intentionally re-directing the ‘energy' of a difficult situation so that it can work with you rather than against you. A Judoka will be familiar with this concept, as he is also a master of movement. The point is that he's developed the ability to have a choice about his response to events, as opposed to operating on ‘auto-pilot'. He's a single system acting with integrity toward himself, and his structure and posture reflects this. Learn how to hold and move your body for optimal health This will help you to: • Identify and stop harmful habituated patterns of posture and movement that are often the cause of common ailments such as back ache, stiff joints, muscle ache, stiff neck and headaches, as well as things like digestive and respiratory problems. • Develop patterns of movement that will support optimal health. • Dissipate and release tension in your body. • Improve the co-ordination of your movement. • Revivify your body's ability to self correct and update appropriately according to sensory input. Develop good balance Doing exercises to develop balance gives an increase in inner strength and endurance and it also increases the flexibility and range of movement available to you. It also prevents your body from being put under un-due pressure and strain. Structural stability to your system with minimal muscular effort gives a good foundation for health. And much of the above is reliant upon having a good degree of self-awareness, so do Lesson 1 above to set you on your healthy way! Train to Improve Your Health through Movement Dance of the Elements™ is a two or three day training that teaches people how to use and move their body for optimal well-being as they go about their everyday life. Although the training is not exclusively for people with a medical condition, it has made a profound impact to the recovery process of patients, and, incorporated into their treatment program, it has many benefits. The next training is taking place in Godalming, Surrey (UK) on 9-11th June. Practice Group Events At the 4th R we're so committed to sharing the benefits of the MythoSelf® Process and a wave of relaxation through Surrey and beyond that we provide virtually fre(e) learning opportunities! The MythoSelf® Process and Relaxation Practice Group for London and the South East of England will usually meet once a month, in Kingston upon Thames or Surbiton (20 minutes from Waterloo station) and it's open to all, with a small entrance fee of just £10. Doors open at 6:30pm for open MythoSelf® Process practice, and the presentation itself starts prompt at 7:30pm until 9:00pm. Just come along and enjoy the evening; whether you are a Licensed MythoSelf® Facilitator, someone who has only just heard about the MythoSelf® Process, or someone who simply wants to learn about being relaxed. No membership is required, but we do ask that you register your attendance before the evening. To register your attendance call The 4th R on 020-8974-8974 or email events@the4thr.co.uk. You'll be sent an email confirming your registration and venue details. | Back | |
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