Tag Archives: Balance

Everyone Has a Story. What’s Yours?

Posted on July 8, 2009 | Leave a comment

garycoleman

I could tell you about the time Gary Coleman saved me from a night of tears, or how at age 6 I used to hang out with an elderly woman named Francis who (I think) ran a flower shop out of her garage, or how I managed to sell a comedy show ticket to Dr. Stephen Hawkins….but it’s more fun sometimes to listen. So, what’s your story? I know you have one….

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Nothing is truer. Life is fascinating, if not plain weird sometimes. We can learn so much from each other and unlock many a creative mind, if we just stop and listen to those around us.

Bur where to begin? A good start is looking to someone who keeps company with the strangest of truths…in various realms of reality…

Say, David Lynch, perhaps…

Lynch has sent a team out across the hidden cobwebbed corners of America in search of “true” American stories…underwhelming tales of hard work and struggles, dirty finger nails and well earned sighs as the screen door to the local bar slams behind…these stories are nostalgic before their time…these times have yet to be awarded a place, which Lynch is now beginning to clear.

I recommend meeting Barry in Fort Davis, TX to understand a good story from the wunderkammen of David Lynch.

A more national and interactive interview program is presented by Story Corps and sponsored by NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  A brilliant interview project with a mission to honor and celebrate lives through listening. You can tell your own story, or interview someone else for the Story Corp Project. Truly every story is unique.  Here are 2 of my favorites, although there are so many great stories, just click on the pictures to hear their stories:

Ronald Ruiz at Story Corp

Ronald Ruiz at Story Corp

Don "Moses" Lerman

Don "Moses" Lerman

You don’t need a public project to start your storytelling adventures.Write your story down. Tell it to someone else. Or better yet, interview someone near you. Learn more about them just because you want to know. Listen. It is surprising what you can learn about others, and simultaneously, discover about yourself.

SunsetStoryteller12

Leave a comment

Posted in 1

Tagged , , , , ,

Just want to get away from it all

Posted on July 7, 2009 | Leave a comment
MABA in Augusta, MO

MABA in Augusta, MO

But can’t afford a spa?

Everyday we are logged on, synched up, plugged in, downloading, uploaded, online, tuned in, check out…deep inhale. News and information buzzes all around, lists of to dos pile up and become endlessly long…kids to camp, meetings to make, repair person to call,  doctor appointments to schedule…and throw in a couple loads of laundry while we’re at it.

Our lifestyles can easily become ridiculous. It’s all we can do sometimes to find those 15 minutes a day to give ourselves, let alone an hour for working out or yoga or whatever.

And let’s face it, a week away on a deserted island is a pipe dream. Even a weekend away at a spa somewhere for a little r & r is laughable.

What’s a stress case to do?

Consider the monastic getaway.

Hold up. Let’s stop and address all concerned – From those with a strong religious background, to the agnostic, and even aetheist friends – on a few important points here.

“Retreating” could offer the following:  1. Simple room and board to people of all backgrounds and denominations or lack there of. 2. complete solitude 3.peace and relaxation. 4. praying and/or meditation are optional and not required. 5. Schedules are not given. Your time is your own. 6. Usually costs are based on what you can donate or afford.

A monastic retreat offers perspective and balance…old school style.

Spirituality may or may not be something you aspire to, but there are few adverse to a little peace of mind and quiet away from the everyday rat race. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to run away for some solitude and self care. You may even learn something from those whose lives are lived simply and with such love for humanity.

There are monasteries, abbeys, and retreat houses throughout the US and the world. Here are a few samples:

Conception Abbey, Conception, MO

Mid America Buddhist Association, Augusta, MO

The Monastery of Christ in the Dessert in Abiqiu, NM

Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Berkshire Hills of MA

Valermo Retreat, San Gabriel Mountains, Valyermo, CA

The Raj, Fairfield, IA ( This one is significantly more expensive, and yes it IS a spa, however it seemed important to showcase an ayurvedic option as well).

Christ in the Desert Monastery, Albiqu, NM

Christ in the Desert Monastery, Albiqu, NM

Leave a comment

Posted in 1

Tagged , , , , , ,

Let Go – Releasing tension essential for balance

Posted on June 25, 2009 | Leave a comment

topofworld

Feel like life is fueled by stress?

Without it, would nothing get done?

Is life about constantly running from one event or meeting to the next?

Long for a week or two vacation,  just sitting on the beach?

Welcome to the party.  You are one of the millions of tension junkies that believe this is what normal life should be.

Yeah. We need stress. It’s the necessary fight or flight instinct.  In modern life, encountering dangerous situations is rare, but, the instinct is always there. The human body is prepared for disaster. Tension junkies live in disaster mode everyday.

Among innumerable symptoms, prolonged stress breeds muscle atrophy and joint imbalance. Keeping the body in a high alert state creates significantly greater risk of petering out quickly…In other words, illness and ultimately death comes much faster. Nice thought, eh.

Constant stress and tension is unnecessary energy expended. It’s like running your car in the garage, day in and day out, keeping it ready because of the fear it might not work if you turn it off.  By learning to release stress, muscles lengthen, energy in the mind and body is preserved, and happiness ensues.

As a tension junky, here’s the most important realization to grasp right now:

The biggest challenge in modern society is to stop, relax and turn inward. Letting go will be the hardest part.

There it is. Challenged defined. Once realized, begin to attempt simple relaxing techniques. Whatever can be done, be it 20 minutes or 2 minutes, will get you on your way to being a more centered person.

progressive relaxation

progressive relaxation

#1. Find 15 minutes of solitude to practice progressive relaxation. It’s kind of like reverse psychology for yourself. Lying down is best for this, although you can sit up. Spend a few moments investigating each part of the body, inhaling and contracting, or bracing the muscles. Slowly exhale, releasing the bracing completely. Letting the muscles feel warm and heavy, completely relaxed. Try it a couple times from head to toe. After, scan to see if there are any remaining tension spots and focus extra attention on them.  Don’t skip a muscle: eyes, jaw, abdomen, even your toes.

#2. Find 10 minutes to focus on your breathing for relaxation. Inhale and take in fresh air and relaxation, slowly exhale out muscle stress and mind clutter, feeling your body sinking into the ground or chair.

#3. Find moments throughout the day when your stress responses are triggered. Your heart beats fast, breathing is shallow, flinching to avoid traffic, or the brain feels stressed. Recognize these moments and take a second to recover, breathing slowly, relaxing the muscles, and let your mind and body know that everything is okay. Being flexible and able to lower stress levels at will is great stress management.

Keep your brain in your body! Science has long separated the brain from the rest of the body. It is slowly bringing the two back together. Tension is not just held in your mind, it is held in the body, in every muscle and every cell. Research is beginning to coordinate movement, breathing, aesthetic therapies, even music and language skills, to create a more centered body and mind…a more healthy individual.

With that said, here is another stress lowering technique:

#4. Enjoyable exercise or activities brings stress levels down, and keeps the mind and body in balance.I must stress enjoyable. Treadmills might not cut it. Go Outdoors, swim, play an instrument, play with children, paint a picture, dance to music, find an outlet. Create your own release.

From an exercise perspective, effectively letting go of neck and shoulder tension, or hip tension, allows true movement from the center of the body. Keep this in mind when exercising. Explore different muscles in the core, by simply breathing and letting go.

Everyday life should be a balance of vacation and work, of stress and calm, of chaos and silence. Balance and flexibility make for a happier lifetime.relax-linea

Leave a comment

Posted in Play

Tagged , , , ,

The Easy TV Workout

Posted on June 10, 2009 | Leave a comment

lect11_5

Missed your workout today, but not your favorite tv show?

So you’re at home watching The Housewives of New Jersey, or Mad Men, or Thirty Rock, or whatevers, and commercial break hits. Instead of hitting fast forward on your DVR, challenge yourself to my commercial break workout. Quick, easy, nothing is missed but some couch potato intermission drool.

The average commercial is approximately 30seconds. Most of these challenges require about 2 -4 commercials, although you could go the entire commercial break if you choose at some point. At this rate you could be getting in 5 minutes of exercise a day. Enough to make a difference in a week. You’d be surprised! Take the challenge!

BREAK #1. EXTENSION with Arm Push (Adapted from Somatic Patterning by Mary Ann Foster)

The arm push will strengthen rounded shoulders. Lying on your belly. Put both arms to the sides and bend your elbows. Palms are flat and all 5 fingers are touch floor! Widen and sink across the front of your chest. Reach your elbows out to the sides to widen across your shoulders. Keep your neck long by reaching out the top of your head. Slowly press your entire hands and forearms into the floor. Sense the force of the push traveling up your arms, into your back and down your spine Continue to push your arms down and out into the floor and raise your head and chest off the floor. Keep the back of your neck long. Let your chest feel broad, your neck free, and your spine feel long. The shoulder blades should be drawn together behind you. The arms stay straight. Hold for at least two commercials. If you feel pain in your back, walk your hands out in front of you further, or prop your belly with a pillow.  If you feel pain in your gluts or legs. Stop.

Extension with arm push

Extension with arm push

don't do this

don't do this

BREAK #2. FOREARM PLANK CHALLENGE

Nothing fancy about this one. Tried and true. Do not do it on your hands, thinking you are making it harder. On the hands is actually easier for your to avoid your core and to tense your shoulders. The forearm plank is good core stability work. Lengthen in the position. Keep stretching your chin and neck past your fists. Keep your armpits reaching for your hips. Hold at least 2 commercials.

Plank

Forearm Plank

BREAK #3. JUMPING JACK CHALLENGE

You know how to do them. So go for it. How many can you do in a commercial break?

Little tips: Try to keep your neck tension free by reaching through the crown of your head towards the ceiling. Pull your belly button to the spine to help from placing too much tension on the knees.

JUMPING JACKS

JUMPING JACKS

BREAK #4 BALANCE CHALLENGE: Balancing on one leg and toes

Practice you balance by standing on one foot for one commercial break. Shift to the other foot for the next commercial. And then balance on your toes for the third  commercial. You can always extend the time. Keep the thought of lift the spine and your posture in mind as you practice your balance. Let your eyes look up to where the wall and ceiling meet to help keep your neck long.

balance on one leg

balance on one leg

Balance on your toes

Balance on your toes

There you are. Not only did you get your tv time in, but your work out as well. Who knows? Maybe it will catch on and become the party game of every tv show watching party across America. Okay. So I’m dreaming big. You could also challenge your kids or grandchildren as well. No matter what, just have fun with it, perhaps making up your own commercial break workouts. Good Luck!

Leave a comment

Posted in Play

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Make Yourself a Little Nervous (trapeze debut)

Posted on June 3, 2009 | Leave a comment

trapeze

We all have our imperfections we wish we could change. It’s hard to be a woman and not have body issues.  Nevertheless, I had always dreamed of doing something daring and pretty. St. Louis has Aerial Arts classes for adults. Without forethought, I registered.

I was by far the oldest in the class, the youngest, Ruby, was twelve. Intimidated by my own body, there were definitely feelings of doubt. The soreness and bruises in the beginning were pretty crazy. But the drive to prove to myself I could do this was so strong, that the bruises became marks of fierceness.

I had a goal: to get through 3 months of trapeze and perform in a recital. (It’s all I talked about for 3months). For the recital, I unwittingly invited everyone I could muster, realizing later, the stakes were now raised.

And I did it.

It’s imperfect, just like me, but beautiful in its imperfection. I did it.  I was a trapeze performer. Funny thing is, without realizing it, the shaping up and being healthier thing just happened. It was too much fun to notice. The whole experience has been mentally and physically exhilarating.

Which is why I am sharing it with you…not to mention every ex boyfriend and junior high nemesis to see. Geesh. I prefer internet photo anonymity, but I’m swallowing my pride and embarrassment hoping my experience can inspire someone else. Not to specifically do a trapeze class, but something new, just slightly out of your comfort zone. Make life a little more breath taking!

Leave a comment

Posted in Fun, Play

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Weight: It’s All the Rage, All the Time

Posted on June 2, 2009 | 1 comment

400_kalley_oprah_090430_oprahwinfreyshow

An article about the American obsession with celebrity and weight showed up in last Sunday’s  New York Times. One phrase seemed strikingly poignant:

…Americans equate body size with Puritan values...

Let’s put it into context.

Speaking to the yo-yo weight of celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Kirstie Alley, Charlotte Biltekoff, an assistant professor and researcher of food and values at UC Davis, was quoted saying, ” Americans equate body size to Puritan values. Thin means self discipline and hard work; fat implies laziness, gluttony and lack of willpower. A dieter signals publicity that she/he is “in the process of self-denial, recovery, and reform.

Dr. Rebecca Puhl, an expert on weight stigma at Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is quoted as saying, ” People who internalize these stereotypes are more likely to engage in binge eating and other unhealthy behaviors that lead to weight gain.”

The solution? Just be healthy. Embrace your shape. Make peace with who you are today, not dreaming of who you will be in a month. Look, I know. It’s a friggin’ tall order.

Relinquishing the cultural norms takes some strength.

Take Beth Ditto

Beth Ditto and Karl LagerfeldRock and Roll Singer and Indie Fashionista extrordinaire, Beth seems to be known more for her body size than her music, liberating masses of women through her self confidence in her shape and sexuality.

love magazine

It is awesome Beth is out there, making creative and social waves, but, realize, she is morbidly obese. Truth.  It’s the same as recognizing many of our young celebs are anorexic.

lindsay lohan 3 210409

Our cultural expectations anticipate celebrities and public figures to be thin, and yet 1 in 50 Americans are morbidly obese. In between these two ends of the spectrum is you, me, and everyone else. Wherever you land in the spectrum, recognize the desire to be beautiful, physically and mentally, can not be fulfilled from the outside looking in, although we are programmed to believe so via media, culture, yadayada. Beauty is there in every body type, you just have to embrace it. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) offers great information not only on eating disorders, but on ways to promote within yourself a healthy body image.  This information is useful to everyone.

This is a call to everyone; big, small, man, or woman, celebrity, or not….Own your own shape and uniqueness from every angle, inside and out. Create your own style. Make a statement. Most of us will never be Twiggy, but there is much more glamour and seduction in a well placed curve. Once you own your body, promise to take care of it. Eat healthy when you can, find movement you enjoy, and laugh. Strive to create a sound mind and body for you. The word weight will begin to lose its stigma.

PF-happy-pensioner_1120143c

1 Comment

Posted in 1

Tagged , , ,

Shoot Hoops With Your Grandpa TODAY

Posted on May 27, 2009 | 1 comment

mink Summer is creeping up. It’s the kind of weather where the breeze gently brushes your skin and the warm sun keeps you from getting goose bumps. And what’s better…not too many bugs just yet.

So beautiful you wish you weren’t inside. And I was. Working with an elderly client on his balance and reflexes by tossing a ball. It made me a little sad for both of us. Remembering he is a very proud grandfather and a former collegiate basketball player, without much thought I asked, ” Do you have any grandchildren nearby?” You should be out playing with them instead of in here doing this with me.” He was hesitant about asking his grandchildren to play, fearing perhaps coordination embarrassment. Once he conceded and did in fact go out to shoot some hoops with his family, he had a blast. Such a great bonding time was had, they resolved to do it regularly.

It’s a no brainer!  Grandpa, Grandma, elderly neighbor, Mom or Dad….whomever. Basketball, kickball, hopscotch, four square, …whatever. It’s all about fresh air, quality time with family and/or loved ones, and exercises that stimulate balance, reflexes, focus. Best return on this experiment are the smiles and a little laughter. We all need to feel like a kid again once in awhile.

There’s not a lot to this blog today, but common sense advise. I’d rather see your Grandfather outside playing hoops with you, than inside a therapy studio tossing a ball with me. So what are you waiting for….

You can watch the NBA Playoffs together afterwards…

1 Comment

Posted in 1

Tagged , , , , ,

The physics of you – A postural perspective

Posted on May 13, 2009 | 1 comment

newton3Used for various poetic and theoretical metaphors, it’s the common simplified version of Sir Issac Newton’s third law of Motion:

for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In other words: forces come in pairs.

In some ways, not too dissimilar, metaphysically speaking, Athanasius Kircher, the Jesuit Polymath and  a 17th Century contemporary to Newton, was on the same track. Kircher argued that magnetism was the principal force organizing and controlling nature. Propelling and repelling. Pushing and pulling. Lengthening and Contracting.

The human body can fall under both Newton’s 3rd law and Kircher’s theories as well…at least in my metaphorical analogy. Our muscles stretch and contract. Whether we recognize it or not, we are constantly doing both. And as linear as these principles sound, they are constantly acting upon us in various levels and dimensions. Ohhh. deep. But true.

Look at this guy.

slouch

He’s slumping. The Back muscles are stretching. The back top of the neck is contracting. The front of the shoulders are contracting. The front of the neck is stretching.

Reverse all that. Contract the mid back. Stretch the back of the neck. Stretch the front of the shoulders. Contract the front of the neck. You might get something like this:

uprightIf upright posture were that easy, why don’t we just do that all the time? Lots of reasons. One is that our eyeballs are in the front of heads. If they were on top, it would be a different story. Not to mention most of our senses are geared forward.

Secondly, gravity gets us down. Our center of gravity gives into force exerted on our bodies and senses over time.

Collapsing into gravity from the center of the body, causes the shoulder to go up, the spine to compress, the hip flexors to contract, and the neck to strain. It’s like you have two opposing magnets, one on your head and one at your feet, smushing you in the center.

Human Corkscrew 1b

Try lengthening from the inside out. Stretching your center of gravity outward in all directions. Imagine you have 2 attracting magnets, one on your head and one at your feet, pulling you long in both directions, and stretching your vertebral discs apart. As your spine stretches long, you will find you shoulders will drop down and you hips will release.

Human Corkscrew Shoulders Downaimages-1

It’s your personal orientation to gravity. Why not use “the force” to your advantage. Playing the laws of gravity and motion to your advantage can create a more an upright posture, which is not only physically beneficial, but mentally as well. “Huh?” You say… Standing tall exudes confidence and creates an overall sense of well being. You also breathe deeper, creating a more relaxed and calm mind.  It’s very hard to slump and be in a good mood at the same time. Cheer yourself up and use the pull of the earth for good posture and new muscular strength.

Remember, it’s all in your perspective…or your relative perspective to the gravity of your situation.

The World is Bound in Secret Knots

The World is Bound in Secret Knots

(For more information on Athanasius Kircher, check out the most wonder-filled museum in the United States: The Museum of Jurassic Technology)

1 Comment

Posted in 1

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

An Afternoon with Bunny

Posted on April 23, 2009 | 2 comments
Bunny Herring making her trapeze debut at 80

Bunny Herring making her trapeze debut at 80

I first heard the name Elizabeth Herring from my trapeze instructor when I asked about her oldest client. She talked about an energetic woman in her 80’s taking trapeze lessons. A few days later while determining whether or not to go back to school, the academic adviser I spoke with mentioned the same name. She knew Elizabeth Herring from back in the 1980’s when, in her 60’s, she had decided to go back to school. Intrigued, it became imperative I meet her. My initial intent was to interview Elizabeth “Bunny” Herring for my blog, to find out about her fitness routine, how she has maintained her youth and vitality and stayed in shape for so long. Her story, like the best movies, is filled with layers of intrigue and plotlines. Here is a condensed, skim…

Bunny was born into a life of privilege, in one of the bluest blood neighborhoods by the Mississippi and St. Louis. After boarding school, Bunny was studying at The American Ballet in New York when she was approached to audition for Ringling Brothers’ Circus. She and a friend did just that and of all the hundreds of showgirls trying out, they were chosen. Bunny signed a contract, and only after did she call her parents in St. Louis to tell them the “good news”. Eventually, after certain trials and tribulations, her parents conceded and Bunny traveled by steam engine with the circus for several years. One thing she did promise her parents was that she would never do the aerial acrobats and arts. Bunny ended up doing tricks and performing as a horse rider, with the elephants, and as one of the “dancing broads”, as she says they were called.

She recently broke the promise to her parents, performing in her trapeze debut for her 80th birthday in 2006, in order to raise money for her favorite charities, the prison arts and the circus day foundation. Bunny on the Lyra

In her early years, Bunny mentions on her blog a few dates with Marlon Brando, though after the circus, she ran off and married a cowboy, Skylar Herring, in Wyoming, where they had four amazing children. None of her children joined the circus, though farm life and horses seem to be prevalent. Eventually, Bunny and her family moved back to the Saint Louis area, where Bunny was a nurse. She went back to school at Washington University and got her degree in English. Bunny now teaches theater to prisoners ( see my post: sinners and saints). And although she lives in a condo in the city, the family still has a big farm and horses, just outside Saint Louis. She and Skylar were married for over 50 years before he past away in 2005.

Bunny’s condo is an array of all things artistic and fun. Her dining room has a circus theme, with a big-top like tent of material draped from the center of the room where the chandelier falls. The dining walls are lined with the various pictures and paintings of a younger bunny performing in the circus. There’s an opera bedroom, and a ballerina bedroom, but not to be out done by the burlesque bathroom, with pink feather boas bordering the ceiling.

Bunny has about four tattoos, with three of them only haven been acquired in the past few years. Apparently, she says with a unapologetic shrug, they get addictive. Her oldest tattoo circles her right ankle with her boarding school motto: Esse Quam Videre – translated means “to be rather than to seem”. Bunny likens this to the classic Shakespearean line “To thine own self be true”.

As I walked away from my afternoon talking with Bunny, my head was dancing with so many colorful stories and impressions, I didn’t know where to start. What I did know was being in Bunny’s presence and hearing her adventures filled me with a sense of wonder at life and all it has to offer us. The feeling of wonder, especially as an adult, is one of the best and rarest feelings I know. The answer to my initial question was simple, all her life, to keep in shape Bunny does about five minutes of ballet in the morning and at night. She goes to the gym now as well. But, there’s more to it than that. Youth is definitely more than a gym and a few movements. It’s the indomitable spirit of embracing life and not allowing the thirst for knowledge and living to be quenched. In this quest, Bunny has joined the ranks of my heroes, and I feel lucky to have spent an afternoon with her.

Elizabeth "Bunny" HerringTo learn more about Elizabeth Herring, please check out her own blog.

2 Comments

Tagged , , , ,