Rami's Blog

Like the Yin-Yang, Eastern Martial Arts and Western medicine are two halves of a whole. My mission is to preserve the ancient mind-body tools and pass them on to you.

 

Visualize Your Goals

Many inspiring people and self-help authors have told people that visualizing your goals helps you achieve them. In recent years, studies have even supported this, at least as far as athletic performance goes. But can it work for healing?

Well, I don't think you can make cancer disappear with sheer force of will. That being said, if you aren't using the power of the mind and visualizations as part of your treatment, for cancer, back problems, chronic pain, or anything else, then you are wasting a potent, and totally free, resource for health and wellness.

I use visualizations with my patients, but they are very concrete. They are focused on where you are now, and how you feel, and how to slowly change that.

Here is an example you can use at home.

If you have stiff muscles or joint, anywhere on your body, go outside and sit in the sun. If it is cold or raining outside, sit inside with a blanket to keep you warm.

Set up some sounds of gently running water. If you have a stream near your house, or a fountain in your yard, that's perfect. Otherwise, just search for some river sounds on YouTube.

No sit or lie down comfortably so you aren't putting any weight on the tense or painful areas. Close your eyes and picture the affected areas like blocks of ice. Stiff, cold, painful ice that is attached to your body. Most people find this part comes pretty naturally.

Next feel the warmth around you, from the sun or the blanket, and visualize it sinking into your body. Breath deeply. Your body is like a glacier and the sun has just come up.

Slowly, as though you were watching a real glacier, visualize the ice on your body begin to melt. Picture tiny streams of cool water trickling down to the ground. Think about what the water would sound like. Feel your muscles and joints relaxing and picture the ice cracking and melting as it happens.

If you feel very warm, and it feels good, you can even picture the ice evaporating into steam and floating away. Make believe you hear the steam just like you hear the water running.

You can do this visualization as long as you want. Just make sure you aren't experiencing any pain, and put on sunscreen if you plan to sit in the sun for a while.

Five to Ten Minutes of Tai Chi is Better than Nothing

Tai Chi has been developed over thousands of years to help bring the body and mind to a meditative state and initiate relaxation. The best way to achieve this is by going slow, and doing the techniques and forms over a period of 30 minutes to an hour.

I've talked about the benefits of a Tai Chi routine before, in multiple posts. I've also spoken on how to keep your mind from wandering when you exercise, and how to make your routines feel like they are going by faster. But today I'm going to touch on another reason I hear all the time for why people don't have a mind-body routine.

"I don't have enough time."

Specifically, these people tell me that they have some free time, just no enough free time for a whole mind-body routine. So, they figure, what is the point of even trying if you can't fit a whole Tai Chi form in?

The point is that your mental health can still be improved with those five to ten minutes a day. You may not lower your heart rate much in a seven minute Tai Chi exercise. You may not engage much muscle relaxation with only four minutes of stretching (which would be about one or two good stretches, in my book). But, you can do wonders for your mind with six minutes of slow Sunset Tai Chi in the evening. You really will see a difference if you commit to five minutes of Sunrise Tai Chi each morning.

It's about getting your mind into that quiet place, no matter how long you stay there. Your mind isn't like your heart. You don't need to do 20 minutes of warm up cardio, and then a full exercise routine before you see improvement. Your mind and overall health will benefit from even a few deep breaths while you wait at a red light.

So the next time you tell yourself, "Gee, I'd love to do Tai Chi, but I only have ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night to exercise, and that isn't even worth trying," think about this post. Your mental health will thank you for it.

Mind-Body Workout #6: Outdoor Edition

Summer is here and the sunshine is out! That means it's time to get outside and get some fresh air while you exercise. So here we go!

Mind-Body Workout #6: Outdoor Edition

Diving for Pearls: Let's start with getting some of that fresh air into our lungs. You've never appreciated how nice that summer air is until you hold your breath for a while.

Get the Kids Outside: TV and Video Games are just as entertaining in the summer when your kids aren't in school and actually have time to play them. But balance is everything, so make sure your kids come out to play and exercise (and meditate!) with you for a few minutes. This will build hand-eye coordination and concentration.

Upper Body Movement: "White Ape Picks Up the Peach" is a great motion for increasing flexibility and range of motion in the upper body. Do this movement to stretch your arms, chest, back, and shoulders.

Finish with a Walk: A Tai Chi walk, of course! Make sure you are keeping your mind centered and letting the thoughts drift by like clouds. This is a meditation that also builds leg strength and range of motion.

That's it! Go outside in this beautiful weather and get healthy.

Happy stretching!