by Barbara Horsley | Mar 6, 2012 | Alignment |
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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by Barbara Horsley | Feb 19, 2012 | Alignment, Happy Belly |
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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by Barbara Horsley | Feb 16, 2012 | Alignment, Happy Belly, Happy Uterus |
In this article, I look at natural and mechanical ways to improve prolapsed uterus. A prolapsed uterus is a result of a weakness in the supporting structures of the organs such as muscles, ligaments, and fascia. The weakness can be caused by a lack of proper alignment of the pelvis, sacrum, traumatic falls or accidents, emotional component/trauma, spleen qi deficiency, kidney yang deficiency, and from using the excessive Valsalva maneuver.
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by Barbara Horsley | Jan 26, 2012 | Alignment, constipation, digestion, Happy Belly, large intestine |
I’m trained in four types of abdominal therapy. I can do an awesome colon massage if I do say so myself, but if I send you out the door after your treatment without some alignment education, I feel like I’m doing you a disservice. In fact, alignment is so important no matter your reason for bodywork is, whether its back pain, neck pain, prolapsed uterus, constipation, painful periods, or fertility. Think about it this way, if I help to restore proper blood flow and function to your colon through manual therapies, but you leave my office and sit slumped at your desk all day, you may create excessive intra-abdominal pressure interfering with blood, lymph, and nerve flow as well as internal organ motility. This can cause slowed-down digestion, and increased gas, bloating, and pain.
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by Barbara Horsley | Nov 30, 2011 | Alignment |
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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by Barbara Horsley | Nov 3, 2011 | Alignment, Happy Uterus |
As a bodyworker and educator of abdominal therapy, who specializes in reproductive health, I’m dedicating this post to fertility from a bodywork perspective. Whether you have fertility challenges, or you’re preparing to get pregnant, you should plan at least three months ahead before trying to conceive.
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by Barbara Horsley | Oct 24, 2011 | Alignment, Happy Belly, Happy Uterus |
I love watching a good movie but dislike sitting on the couch. I tend to tuck my tailbone under as I sink into the slouch couch. When the tailbone is tucked under it flattens the natural lumbar curve putting pressure on the discs of the low back. This C posture also cranes the neck forward and creates excessive abdominal pressure.
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by Barbara Horsley | Oct 12, 2011 | Alignment, Happy Belly |
The old saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine,’ definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart, says Michael Miller, M.D.
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by Barbara Horsley | Oct 8, 2011 | Alignment, breast health |
One of the best things you can do for breast health is letting your arms swing while walking. So what does swinging the arms have to do with breast health? Zoom in on the picture below and you will notice that many of the lymph nodes are concentrated around the armpits. The lymphatic system is our major line of defense against invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Lymph can be obstructed by compression of organs, tight muscles, and tight clothing (bras).
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