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.
Welcome back mind-body students! If you missed last weeks episode of Tai Chi Tips for Sports about improving lower back rotation, you can check that out here.
This week, we talk about the Up and Down strengthening exercise as it relates to sports training and conditioning. You also get to find out the specific Tai Chi form inspiration for the Up and Down move. It's called "Pick Up the Needle from the Sea Bottom."
Hope you enjoy! Happy Stretching!
Happy New Year everyone! Good to have you back.
We are starting this year with some older videos of mine that are very important at this time of year: Tai Chi Tips for Sports.
Many of the most popular sports will begin their pre-season training and conditioning in the next couple months. Rebuilding strength is good, but maximizing your flexibility is much more important for avoiding injury. All too often I hear about athletes who seem totally fit before the season starts, and then in their first game, BOOM, they tear a ligament, or twist an ankle, slip a disc, or something else.
This happens because they are not fully prepared to perform at 100%, which is what their events require. In the coming weeks, I'll be showing you three of the most important exercises an athlete can do to achieve peak performance and avoid injury during their season.
And of course, this is not just for athletes! Maybe you only golf on weekends, or occasionally play a pick-up game of basketball, or perhaps you just work on your feet all day. These techniques are for you too!
This week, the static stretch for "Ward Off," also called the "Chair Twist." Enjoy!
Here we are! The end of 2016. Hard to believe another year has gone by on the blog. We've covered a lot this year, so let's take a quick look back!
The Guide to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). We began the year with a look at 'SAD,' a disorder that affects millions of people, causing depression-like symptoms during the winter months. We showed you three exercises you could do to manage the major symptoms of SAD and experience a higher quality of life during the colder, darker months of the year. Check out the workout: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
The Series on Integrative Pain Management. In this six part series from late summer, we gave you a summary of the mind-body pain management strategies and research I contributed to this book. This is a great series for people looking to understand the scientific theories and evidence behind mind-body healing, as well as some of the philosophical underpinnings of Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Achieving Physical and Mental Balance Workout Series. Next, we created the series on achieving both physical and mental balance. This workout and post series will give you the tools needed to achieve a calmer mind and reduce your risk of accidental falls and trips. It also added some advanced techniques for people who are younger and unlikely to have harmful falls.
Mind-Body Workout for People Age 70+. And how can we forget the series we just finished? This, combined with the Balance series, makes a very well-rounded mind-body course for elderly students. And best of all, it is totally free! Just bookmark these pages and reference them at any time. (And also remember, if you are an elderly student looking to do these exercises, ask your doctor and have a younger person there to help you!)
It's that time of year that people make resolutions to exercise more and treat their body and mind better. If you are someone who has difficulty keeping those resolutions for more than a few weeks, a great way to stick to them is to use one of my Udemy courses to easily divide up the exercises you should do each day. No planning needed, just log-on, click play, watch the learn video, and then practice along with me in the practice video. You only need to do one exercise a day to start a good habit.
I have all kinds of courses available, including:
It's never too late to sign up for a course and start changing your day-to-day life. Give it a try!
We've also had some great classes and workshops in 2016, including last week at the Tufts Women in Medicine and Sciences Committee special Week of Wellness celebration on December 8th! If you didn't make it to one of my events in 2016, be sure to keep an ear open for events in 2017.
Just like we did last year, we'll be taking a break on the blog from now until January 13th, when we'll be back with more mind-body techniques, tai chi, qi gong, and meditation tips, tricks, and discussions.
Until then, Happy Holidays! And as always, Happy Stretching!
Welcome back mind-body students!
This week's blog is a reminder to all of our subscribers, especially the newer subscribers, about the other website that you can find my free content on: Cancer Wellness TV.
I helped to co-found Cancer Wellness TV as a one-stop shop for all cancer complementary treatments and lifestyle choices for patients and survivors. This includes mind-body exercises and training, nutritional information and recipes, and support therapies like writing therapy and support groups. Best of all, it is all free. Cancer Wellness TV is funded entirely by volunteer subscriptions and contributions.
If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, please share this one-of-a-kind resource with them. Our goal is to get these resources into the hands of every patient and every survivor.
But if you are simply a mind-body student looking for more tai chi and qi gong instruction, signing up on Cancer Wellness TV is still valuable! There are many videos I have made exclusively for Cancer Wellness TV, including:
If you want to get access to these videos, all you have to do is make a quick account on Cancer Wellness TV. The free account grants you access to everything on the entire website, no exceptions.
Happy Stretching!
Hey mind-body students! Welcome back to the blog. This week, we are combining all of the "Never Too Late" workouts into one convenient post so you can simply use this post as your reference when performing these exercises, or sharing them with your loved ones who are 70 years old or older.
Exercise 1 & 2: Calf Stretch and Arm Strengthening, plus Hamstring and Lower Back Stretch.
First we stabilize and stretch the muscles closest to the floor so you can minimize the chance of falls right from the beginning. The second stretch also lets you relax a little bit and can even help the upper back.
Exercise 3: Outer Hip Stretch.
This stretch helps to create much more flexibility in the hips, which means better balance everywhere. The hips are the source of all powerful movement in the body, and healthy hips create healthy movement.
Exercise 4: Front Tai Chi Stance.
This technique improves your ability to stand freely, using some support from the wall. It also helps you handle different amounts of weight on each leg, which improves walking ability.
Exercise 5: Up and Down Like the Moon and the Sun.
This is a great quad and hamstring strengthening exercise. Increase bone density and muscle mass at the same time!
Exercise 6: Lower Back and Neck Stretch.
This is a nice relaxing stretch to do after the tougher strengthening exercises. It targets your back and neck, which are of key importance for healthy posture.
Exercise 7: Vitamin H.
Do the variation that is safest and most effective for you. And make sure the walker, table, or chair that you are using to stabilize yourself is well secured and not going to slip.
Exercise 8: Supported Tai Chi Walk.
This exercise might be easiest to do in your kitchen, around a table, or somewhere in your house where there is a lot of horizon railings and support. If you have someone helping you, have them find a good place for you to do this exercise and then spot you in case you need to take a break and sit down.
Exercise 9: Assisted Flamingo Stretch.
Use this exercise to get a good stretch in the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. If you have help, have your helper adjust the height of your foot support so that you are at the perfect amount of stretch.
Exercise 10: Assisted Standing Quad Stretch.
The final exercise follows the second to last exercise very easily. Simply have your helper adjusted the height of the foot support, then you turn around and lift your foot backwards to rest at the correct height. Make sure you have support for your arms and upper body here too!
Another great big thank you to my student in all of the photos, Dora! She is pictured here at 94 years old! Can you believe it? That's proof that it really is never too late.
Thank You and Happy Stretching!
For our final installment in the elderly workout series, we're doing a simple cooldown stretch: the assisted standing quad stretch. To do this stretch, you will need something to hold onto, like a walker or chair in front of you. You will also need a shorter stool with a pillow or padding on it to rest your bent leg on.
Sitting on the stool with the walker in front of you, you should stand up with your walker, and then slowly and carefully lift one of your legs up (bending at the knee, not at the hip) and rest it on the stool, using your arms on the walker to stabilize yourself. (See pictures below)
If you feel unstable while moving your leg up, simply keep it slightly off the ground for as long as you can and then put it back down to regain your balance. If you are worried about falling over, you should definitely have someone at the ready to catch you if you lose balance. Remember, we are trying to gain balance and stability with all of these exercises, so if you feel out of balance, back off and go with 80% effort.
Hold the stretch for 1-2 minutes on each leg, 3 times per day.
Picture 1: Front View
Picture 2: Side View
Picture 3: Back View
Happy Stretching! And a happy start to the Holiday season!
I have a seminar at Yang's Fitness Center in Andover, MA the first weekend in December! Check out the details here and then come join us for a great day of mind-body practice on Sunday, December 4th from noon to 3pm!