Embodying the New Year
Join this group exploration for what it means to you to EmBody Your Body. There will an exploration of breath, movement, pen to paper (drawing, writing) opening a view into your deeper self. No previous experience is needed. Just come with an open heart and mind.
Where the Spine meets the Skull
Or another way to say this NECK. It can be such a pain in the neck, but with a bit of information and tools, your neck can be happy again. It is such a complex, intricate, amazing place. Much of the tension in our neck is part of the shoulders, part of the chest, part of our stress level. It is our barometer is so many ways. There are ways to lengthen and strengthen the neck with ease. There are little hands-on moves to do on yourself, along with many other pieces of information to keep the base of your skull well balanced.
Strong Hands, Relaxed Shoulders
Relaxed shoulders is a sign of a balanced nervous system and coordination throughout the whole upper body. I think we all want to feel this way. The hands and forearms are also so important to be strong and fit - keeping the joints happy. You’ll learn tools to get this kinetic chain from hands to elbows to shoulders (which also helps your neck) to be coordinated, strong and supple.
Supple Low Back / Strong Abs
The low back can be a bugaboo. When the low back gets tight, the opposing muscles (the abdominal muscles) turn down - making it hard to have the strength needed to support the back. See the correlation between the two? As they are close neighbors they can either help each other or hinder one another. They are what they call agonist and antagonist muscles. We go way beyond the muscles and into the layers that are below muscle. Come learn about this relationship and how you can have a supple low back and strong abs.
The Stupendous Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is perhaps the most adaptive part of your body. I call the pelvic floor a “Force of Nature”. Resilient, strong, yet yielding to many other forces in the body. While it is stupendous and awesome in its own right, it is also a connector to our breath, our feet, our abs, even our voice. We will be learning how to integrate these aspects to connect, perhaps strengthen, perhaps relax the pelvic floor. This class includes modalities of Franklin Method, Melt Method, Gyrokensis - yes I use all my tools in bits and pieces all the time - even the ones that don’t have a ‘method’ attached to it. Come on over, learn these tools and your body and mind will thank you.
Breathe
The diaphragm is in the center of the body. Everything above and below are directly affected by our breathing. Our feet, pelvic floor, the roof of your mouth, the curve of your eyes, the top of your head - these are all called Domes. They all respond to the master “Dome” (aka Diaphragm) - ideally.
You will learn how your diaphragm is functioning, how to bring it into balance, how to lengthen it, and on and on. These are tools for life. As in all of the Workshops, there is a mix of modalities that are about movement and bodywork.
The Beauty of the Pelvis
This beautiful rock looks so much like a pelvis, I had to stop and take a picture. But the bones of our pelvis are movable, pliable and sturdy. But sometimes we get into a place where our pelvis feels like one piece - like this picture. And yes, that can affect most everything as it is the center of our gravity. So come see how your pelvis can be it’s best which will improve your walking/running, give you conscious awareness of your pelvic floor, as well as the spine. This all leads to everything, everywhere all at once.
These Feet are Made for Walking…
Your feet are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do - one of these days these feet are going to walk all over town. Such good exercise not only for your muscles, but the heart and lungs and the brain is enhanced by it all.
There is a standard goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day - that’s equivalent to 5 miles. When a client tells me their accomplishment I say great - show me your feet. Oooh. Sometimes those feet are not in their best shape to walk that far. So, then I say - walk the length of the studio. Uhm. If the feet are not working, up the kinetic chain (knees, hips, all the way to the shoulders) are compensating if the feet are not happy. Usually, there are just a few tweaks here and there and most people are ready to walk in a way that they get the benefits of walking - rather than sore, stiff knees, low back discomfort, or hips complaining.
In this workshop you will learn many aspects about how to care for your feet, how to prepare for your 10k steps, and what is happening up the kinetic chain. You’ll get a gait analysis and individual program to enhance your walking (or running).