|
|
When we were children, we ran and played the way our body was born to
perform. As we have gotten older we have forgotten how to breathe and live
properly, because of illness, injury, work, stress or just habit. The
following techniques at local health centers can help you relearn how to
breathe and move to feel and look better. Concentration, deep breathing
and slow graceful movement are employed by all of these area practices.
Break inefficient movement habits - Feldenkrais
"People learn how to move and balance, like learning to ride a bike when
we were children," states Joan Clarahan, Physical Therapist and
Feldenkrais practitioner at Neil King Physical Therapy located in
Rochester. Clarahan calls this a "Sensory-Motor Education". This is
different from conventional exercise with their mantra of "No pain, no
gain," says Clarahan, "small movements are better, always stopping if
there is pain".
A typical session starts with a body scan, according to Clarahan. For
example, she asks the person to tell her how their feet are positioned
while they are lying down. "Many people state the opposite of their actual
position," Clarahan said. With verbal directions and gentle touch, the
practitioner then guides the person through proper, more efficient
movements and breathing. At the end of a session, a body scan reveals that
the person is more aware of their position. In this case they can feel
their feet and should be able to tell what has changed. "After a session,
many claim they wished they had known about this a long time ago, because
they feel so good," according to Clarahan.
Joan Carahan stresses that Feldenkrais can be combined with physical
therapy or Chiropractic sessions but should take place before a regular
physical fitness routine. This ensures you are better balanced, have less
chance of injury and can breathe correctly.
At the Movement and Healing Center in Clarkston, Dr. Osa Jackson, the
Executive Director said, "Feldenkrais upgrades the software of the brain
to provide more efficient movement to adapt to the demands of life at the
moment." Dr. Jackson claims the technique ensures the right muscles are
doing the work, that you "unlearn bad habits" to improve your performance
in daily life. She uses a verbally guided self-exploration with very close
coaching in her individual meetings. "These sessions do not have to be
hands-on if the person does not wish it," emphasizes Dr. Jackson.
Increase body awareness - Alexander Technique
"This is not an exercise," Nancy Hodari, Education Director at Equilibrium
Studio in Bloomfield Hills, explains. "It is a method to increase
awareness of your body." Through hands-on guidance and visual examples,
Denise McKeever, Instructor, guides clients to release their tension.
Hodari gives an example of a violin player that holds their arm in an
awkward position to play the instrument. "As time goes on tension develops
in that area, which leads to pain and finally to muscle weakness," Hodari
explains. By changing particular movement habits, more energy, freedom of
movement and less pain is achieved. The Alexander Technique is very
popular with musicians and actors. F. Matthias Alexander, an actor that
had lost his voice, developed it in the 1890s.
"A typical session is one hour with a one-on-one therapy that tests muscle
strength and guides the person through verbal and demonstrated examples,"
according to Hodari. It is designed to discover how the person uses their
body and where the tension is located when doing things like gardening,
playing the piano or golfing. The instructor starts with a question like,
"How do you hold your hands when you play the piano?" The technique
re-educates the person to discover new balance in their body and to
release the tension. Nancy Hodari recommends that a client visit once a
week until the techniques are fully learned.
Balance yourself - Tai Chi and Qigong
"I would call this, no impact aerobics," states Mary Ann Kashef, certified
instructor by the Arthritis Foundation and Dr. Paul Lamb. "It is like a
dance with very slow graceful movements, performed standing up." Kashef
says, "In Tai Chi you move your chi (energy) throughout your body to break
up blockages and promote health."
Everyone can benefit from Tai Chi. Kashef told of a blind person she had
as a student. He claimed Tai Chi brought him better balance after he lost
his eyesight. Ms. Kashef would love to bring Tai Chi to her son
Aristotle's special class. She feels Tai Chi would help to calm children
like her son, who is autistic. Senior citizens attend her classes at the
Assumption Cultural Center in St. Clair Shores. "The seniors that have
been practicing for a while are so much more graceful and balanced, while
new members struggle," Kashef said.
She also claims Tai Chi helps the rest of us that are stressed in our jobs
or everyday lives. "You have to focus on your breathing and movement,
there isn't any time to think about anything else," Kashef claims.
"The skill (gong) of attracting vital energy (chi)," is how Ms. Keshef
defines Qigong (pronounced chi kung). "It is similar to Tai Chi, except
you stay rooted and hold a pose with moving hands," according to Keshef.
She considers it more of a breathing exercise. In many classes Ms. Keshef
combines both Tai Chi and Qigong for a more balanced experience.
Promote core strength - Stott Pilates
Stott Pilates is a contemporary, anatomically-based approach to Joseph
Pilates exercise method developed by former professional dancer Moira
Merrithew," according to Nancy Hodari, Education Director at Equilibrium
Studio in Bloomfield Hills. Hodari said, "It was created to promote core
strength and a healthy spine." The core muscles are the deep abdominal
muscles that support us. "The benefits are longer, leaner muscles,
improved posture, balanced strength, flexibility and pain-free movement,"
states Hodari.
The studio's oldest patient is 86 years old and claims she now has
pain-free posture and movement after practicing Stott Pilates. A dramatic
improvement in dancing performance for state and local competitions is
what their youngest 11-year-old client is saying.
Open our body, mind and heart - Hatha Yoga
"Hatha Yoga was originally intended to strengthen and nourish your body to
allow you to sit and meditate for an extended amount of time," states
Kathy Campbell a teacher of twenty-five years in Birmingham. She stresses
that our joints are a storehouse for debris that must be cleansed. "Yoga
is meant to gracefully flow energy through the body, like Tai Chi," Ms
Campbell states. She teaches a meditative style of yoga, not the more
popular type that stresses fitness. "Fitness is a positive by-product,
rather than the goal," according to Ms. Campbell.
There are many benefits of Hatha Yoga according to Ms. Campbell including,
increased vitality, reduced stress, better concentration and increased
relaxation or calm. "Meditative Hatha Yoga gently opens us and brings us
back home inside to our healthiest, most inspired and genuine self,"
claims Kathy Campbell.
Combinations - Chi Yoga and Spectrum Yoga
Anton Simpler, Founder and workshop presenter at Full Spectrum Training in
Royal Oak combines many disciplines in his studio. "To obtain optimal
benefits we access a variety of different methods," states Simpler. In
fact, we don't care what it is called or what style it is, we go beyond
the external form; 'Does it work?' is all we care about," Simpler said.
Some combinations are Chi Yoga, which blends Chinese and European methods
and Spectrum Yoga, which addresses body, mind and being, but according to
Simpler is not stuck in any one style.
Sources:
Equilibrium Studio 248-723-6500
www.equilibriumstudio.com
Full Spectrum Training 248-546-6466
www.fullspectrumtraining.com
Meditative Hatha Yoga - Kathleen Campbell 248-540-1093
www.kathayoga.com
Neil King Physical Therapy - Joan Clarahan - 248-651-8085
Movement and Healing Center 248-922-9234
www.movementhealing.com
Mary Ann Kashef 248-399-2396
Sandie Parrot is a freelance writer and a certified Advanced Master
Gardener. She also tutors for Family Literacy in Lapeer, specializing in
English as a Second Language (ESL) students. She lives and works in
Clarkston with her husband and zany Cairn Terrier, Abbey.
|
|
