Upper Body Strength, Pull-Up Journey
I have super strong hands from doing massage for 18 years (I challenge any of you suckers to a thumb wrestling match!), but there is no way I could pull myself over a fence if the cops were chasing me. Upper body strength is important not only for fleeing from the cops but also for pain-free baby holding, keeping the shoulders down away from the ears, reducing neck strain and improving blood flow to the head.Rest your arms at your side, now look down. Are your elbow pits facing forward, or are they pointing inward with the knuckles forward? If the elbow pits are pointing inward
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Squatty Potty Review
This is why I love the Squatty Potty: It’s fun to say Squatty Potty. The platform that you put your feet on has a slight angle tilting away from you, allowing for tight calf muscles, so if you have been wearing shoes with positive heels most of your life this is a nice feature. Even a one inch heel from an athletic shoe can shorten your calf muscles and make it difficult to get into a proper squat.
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Hello Kidney-Nourishing Kidney Chi Kung
In my training with Master Mantak Chia I learned a nourishing kidney Chi Kung technique. The receiver lies on his/her belly as the practitioner does chi kung and massages over the area of the back that corresponds to the kidneys/adrenals. The back is massaged constantly while rocking the receiver back and forth on their belly for several minutes.
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The Calf Stretch
I spent way too long at the computer today. I was on a creative roll and didn’t think to step away until my energy started to crash. Immediately I thought, “I need some coffee to wake me up.” But I knew coffee wasn’t the best choice for me so late in the day so I decided to do my calf stretches instead. Within minutes of doing the calf stretch, I
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Lung Chi Nei Tsang
Our bodies are reflections of nature, and we experience in our bodies cycles similar to the seasons. According to Chinese medicine, each internal organ is associated with an element and season. Mantak Chia explains, “The five elemental phases are expressions of energy that can be observed in nature and throughout the universe. On Earth, they represent the four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall
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Our Issues Are in Our Tissues
I’ve cried during a massage, not out of pain, but relief, as the sadness I carried around for years was finally released. I felt less guarded and lighter afterward (albeit confused about the salty discharge streaming from my eyes!). This is when I realized how our issues or emotional charges can be held in our tissues for a lifetime.
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Here is a video post on alignment. …when I said I was “horrified” at how my posture was, I was being a little dramatic- I wasn’t horrified I was just a little shocked because I thought I was aligned and obviously wasn’t.... READ MORE
Pelvic Congestion
“Pelvic congestion can lead to varicosities within the uterine ligaments, fallopian tubes, or veins of the prostate and scrotum (varicocele).Pelvic congestion is often found in both sexes when no other obvious pathologic cause of pelvic pain can be found. In one study 91% of women with chronic pelvic pain who had no other pathology on laprascopy had dilated veins and vascular congestion in the broad ligaments and ovarian plexus.
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Barbara Horsley, practitioner & educator of abdominal massage, Visceral Manipulation™ practitioner, certified women's health herbal educator, and mind-body therapies.
