If your feet are like mine, they tell you when they need some attention, eg. certain parts of your foot will ache or burn. I am always advising clients that their feet tell a story and we need to listen to their story. Maybe you have a spur under your heel or maybe it is a reflex that is telling you something. If you don't have a reflexologist nearby - what does one do?
Rolling a golf ball under the soles of your feet is a good start. It feels great and is doing you a lot of good as it works on your reflexes. You could also keep your eyes open for a reflexology foot massager - there are some good ones around and these are great for massaging your feet.
Walking on sand is fantastic too.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
New Year
I am thinking ahead to the New Year. Last year my New Year's Resolution was more spiritual - and harder for me to achieve than something physical! It was always there for me to aspire to.
In yoga there are yama and niyama as the first two limbs of an eight limbed path to samadhi. They are moral and ethical restraints and observances.
Ahimsa is harmlessness. It is not harming anyone or anything by your thoughts, words or deeds. It is about walking and moving gently and treating everything in a loving and gentle way - this creates a harmless vibration on the physical level first.
Then there are words - how often do we say something that is cruel or harsh and can cause pain to others? Speech should be non harmful, truthful, beneficial and pleasant and this will cause a harmless vibration with your speech.
Then there are thoughts - these are energy too - each thought affects every part of your body and then creates your mood. Instead of hurting the other person you are thinking harmful thoughts about, you are hurting yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
These negative thoughts create negative energy. By dwelling on negative experiences, you are reliving negative experiences physically and emotionally.
The yogic way is to replace with love - love everything and everyone unconditionally. No expectations - with expectations you are always going to end up disappointed.
No one can make you happy. No one or nothing can be relied upon to make you happy
Now maybe you can see why I think Ahimsa will be my new year's resolution forever.
In yoga there are yama and niyama as the first two limbs of an eight limbed path to samadhi. They are moral and ethical restraints and observances.
Ahimsa is harmlessness. It is not harming anyone or anything by your thoughts, words or deeds. It is about walking and moving gently and treating everything in a loving and gentle way - this creates a harmless vibration on the physical level first.
Then there are words - how often do we say something that is cruel or harsh and can cause pain to others? Speech should be non harmful, truthful, beneficial and pleasant and this will cause a harmless vibration with your speech.
Then there are thoughts - these are energy too - each thought affects every part of your body and then creates your mood. Instead of hurting the other person you are thinking harmful thoughts about, you are hurting yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
These negative thoughts create negative energy. By dwelling on negative experiences, you are reliving negative experiences physically and emotionally.
The yogic way is to replace with love - love everything and everyone unconditionally. No expectations - with expectations you are always going to end up disappointed.
No one can make you happy. No one or nothing can be relied upon to make you happy
Now maybe you can see why I think Ahimsa will be my new year's resolution forever.
Christmas
A few days to go till Christmas. Such an interesting time. This morning I was thinking about Christmas - a time that encourages me to reflect about my life. If I am stressed then to me Christmas will be stressful. If family problems seem all encompassing - then I obviously have problems with relationships. If I don't have anyone special to share Christmas with, maybe that is how I choose to live.
I remember the old saying, if you don't love yourself unconditionally, then how can you love anyone else? And if Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus's birth. And birth is the most precious gift to mankind - And it is about love.
If I am stressed, I need to deal with it, because I am not going to be a nice person to be around at Christmas.
If I have family problems, I may choose to be with different people and let some relationships go and focus on loving family who reciprocate love.
If I don't have any special people to share Christmas with I may help at a Rest Home, Hospice, local Christmas Dinner, Salvation Army.
Let's remember the reason why we are celebrating Christmas.
I remember the old saying, if you don't love yourself unconditionally, then how can you love anyone else? And if Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus's birth. And birth is the most precious gift to mankind - And it is about love.
If I am stressed, I need to deal with it, because I am not going to be a nice person to be around at Christmas.
If I have family problems, I may choose to be with different people and let some relationships go and focus on loving family who reciprocate love.
If I don't have any special people to share Christmas with I may help at a Rest Home, Hospice, local Christmas Dinner, Salvation Army.
Let's remember the reason why we are celebrating Christmas.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Seven tips for healthy feet
Our feet are our foundation. I know that when my feet are unhappy, my day is miserable and when my feet are happy I can focus on other things as I should.
1. Walk barefoot over natural surfaces as much as possible - let your feet become sensitive to different textures
2. Learn to pick things up with your toes (they need exercise too!)
3. Bend and stretch your toes in as many different ways as you can.
4. Spread your toes as wide apart as you can with your hands.
5. Roll your foot over a cylinder or roll a golf ball underneath your sole.
6. Squatting and kneeling is great for strengthening and suppling the feet and ankles. (Squatting is also good for preventing hip replacements)
7. When you wear shoes check your toes have plenty of room to spread out.
1. Walk barefoot over natural surfaces as much as possible - let your feet become sensitive to different textures
2. Learn to pick things up with your toes (they need exercise too!)
3. Bend and stretch your toes in as many different ways as you can.
4. Spread your toes as wide apart as you can with your hands.
5. Roll your foot over a cylinder or roll a golf ball underneath your sole.
6. Squatting and kneeling is great for strengthening and suppling the feet and ankles. (Squatting is also good for preventing hip replacements)
7. When you wear shoes check your toes have plenty of room to spread out.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
get into summer fitness
Before Christmas there are lots of get-togethers to attend, work still happens each day and the food can be very different from our daily routine. Gradually we may become more lethargic in the mornings.
A great way to energise ourselves, do our body and mind good and give our energy a kick start for the day is to do some salutes to the sun. They are a complete yogic workout and will leave you feeling a different person ready to face the day.
It only takes 10 minutes for 12 sun salutes. Highly energising sun salutes will provide challenge for the fittest person by working many muscles and parts of the body you may not have known you have. It is just as good for a person who is not used to working out - they can be done as slowly as you wish - just like any yoga - it is very personal.
Sun salutes are ideally done first thing in the morning and are guaranteed to uplift our spirits, calm our minds, exercise our body and set us up for an amazing day ahead.
If you are interested, this is how you do them.
Salute to the Sun Sequence
• Stand with your arms bent at the elbow, hands pressed together in prayer position in front of the chest
• INHALE; raise your arms up over your head then lean backwards as much as is comfortable. Look behind you. Hold for a brief few seconds
• EXHALE fold forward slowly bring your arms down in front of you all the way to the floor. ( knees are extended but not locked)
• INHALE step your left foot back to lunge position, while bending the right knee. EXHALE
• INHALE bring your right foot back to meet the left foot you are now in (downward facing dog) position. Hold your breath for a second or two
• EXHALE, lower your body down, raise your elbows, and rest on your hands, here the hands, chin, knees and toes are all touching the floor
• INHALE, raise your head, shoulders and chest up into the cobra position. The hips should not leave the floor. For those who are able to go from the downward facing dog position straight into the cobra position please do so, then EXHALE and come back down to the floor with your head and shoulders
• INHALE, raise your body to form a peak or the downward facing dog position again. EXHALE
• INHALE, assume the lunge position as in step 4 by bringing your left foot forward and placed flat on the floor between the arms
• EXHALE now step the right foot forward so the feet are together, try to touch your nose to your knees
• INHALE Lift your arms and torso up above your head and if you can lean backwards and hold your breath for a second or two
• EXHALE resume prayer posture with your hands in front of the chest the back is straight the legs are straight.
Stimulates digestive fire
Builds up endurance and resistance to illness
Builds up pranic energy
Removes toxins
Balances all of body’s systems
Balances pineal gland and hypothalamus (which regulates pituitary and therefore all glands
Makes body supple and toned
A great way to energise ourselves, do our body and mind good and give our energy a kick start for the day is to do some salutes to the sun. They are a complete yogic workout and will leave you feeling a different person ready to face the day.
It only takes 10 minutes for 12 sun salutes. Highly energising sun salutes will provide challenge for the fittest person by working many muscles and parts of the body you may not have known you have. It is just as good for a person who is not used to working out - they can be done as slowly as you wish - just like any yoga - it is very personal.
Sun salutes are ideally done first thing in the morning and are guaranteed to uplift our spirits, calm our minds, exercise our body and set us up for an amazing day ahead.
If you are interested, this is how you do them.
Salute to the Sun Sequence
• Stand with your arms bent at the elbow, hands pressed together in prayer position in front of the chest
• INHALE; raise your arms up over your head then lean backwards as much as is comfortable. Look behind you. Hold for a brief few seconds
• EXHALE fold forward slowly bring your arms down in front of you all the way to the floor. ( knees are extended but not locked)
• INHALE step your left foot back to lunge position, while bending the right knee. EXHALE
• INHALE bring your right foot back to meet the left foot you are now in (downward facing dog) position. Hold your breath for a second or two
• EXHALE, lower your body down, raise your elbows, and rest on your hands, here the hands, chin, knees and toes are all touching the floor
• INHALE, raise your head, shoulders and chest up into the cobra position. The hips should not leave the floor. For those who are able to go from the downward facing dog position straight into the cobra position please do so, then EXHALE and come back down to the floor with your head and shoulders
• INHALE, raise your body to form a peak or the downward facing dog position again. EXHALE
• INHALE, assume the lunge position as in step 4 by bringing your left foot forward and placed flat on the floor between the arms
• EXHALE now step the right foot forward so the feet are together, try to touch your nose to your knees
• INHALE Lift your arms and torso up above your head and if you can lean backwards and hold your breath for a second or two
• EXHALE resume prayer posture with your hands in front of the chest the back is straight the legs are straight.
Stimulates digestive fire
Builds up endurance and resistance to illness
Builds up pranic energy
Removes toxins
Balances all of body’s systems
Balances pineal gland and hypothalamus (which regulates pituitary and therefore all glands
Makes body supple and toned
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
ayurveda
The more I learn about ayurveda the more I marvel how wise the 5000 year old science is. Imagine - knowing ourselves and understanding why we need to keep well and knowing how to keep well naturally. Doesn't that sound too easy?
It seems it is too easy - much easier to eat too much of the wrong foods, keep stressed and busy, don't do the correct exercise for your body type, then go to the doctor's for tests and get some pills.
Maybe the old adage KISS (Keep it simple - stupid!)is true!
It seems it is too easy - much easier to eat too much of the wrong foods, keep stressed and busy, don't do the correct exercise for your body type, then go to the doctor's for tests and get some pills.
Maybe the old adage KISS (Keep it simple - stupid!)is true!
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