Theresa Franklin, NCTMB, LMT, RYT, CMT

Olivia Kelly, NCTMB, LMT

 

World Tai Chi Chuan & Chi Kung Day

Saturday, April 28  

Free workshop and demonstration, 12:30 pm - 2 pm 

Have you been curious about Tai Chi but didn't want to spend the money on a class until you found out more about it? Now's your chance to give it a try and see if it's right for you.

Bonus -- hear Katie Roach give a Tibetan Singing Bowl concert!

Jerry Whitten will demonstrate basic Yang and Chen style Tai Chi Chuan techniques, as well as teach basic Chi Kung exercises.

Tai Chi is a martial art that is practiced in a slow gentle manner. Chi Kung exercises are also done slowly. Both are primarily practiced to improve health and combine the energy of the mind, body and breath.

 

World Tai Chi and Chi Kung Day has been held the last Saturday in April since 1999 and is used to promote those two related disciplines in sixty countries. For more information on World Tai Chi Chuan Day, go to worldtaichiday.org

 

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 Katie Roach will also give a Tibetan Singing Bowls concert. Tibetan Singing Bowls are a form of ancient sound therapy.

 

 

Bikini and shorts season will be back before you know it -- St. Louis weather is so fickle! -- so why wait to get rid of unwanted hair?

 

From eyebrows to bikini areas, Kristi Watson offers Nufree Hair Removal, the gold standard in hair removal that's carried by thousands of professionals throughout the world.

 

Why is Nufree the most effective hair removal treatment?

• It's similar to waxing, but it is NOT A WAX and never sticks to the skin
• It's antibacterial/ antimicrobial so its safe, clean and germ free
• It's completely BOTANICAL and safe for the entire body
• It doesn't dry and can be erased any time!
• It's clinically tested and uses no animal products

Nufree is heated to a consistent and comfortable temperature, applied with a tongue depressor, strip applied, then removed off very fast and directly parallel with the skin.

 

Once you try Nufree on your bikini area or underarms...you'll never want to go back to shaving.

 

Don't wait and or you might be too harried to find time to make an appointment later. Call Kristi Watson at (618) 462-3900 today!  

 

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Feature Article

Experience Yoga, Don't Try It

What's the difference between taking a yoga class at a gym or health club and taking yoga at a center such as Be Well Now?

 

Learn to manage health challenges with Naturopath doctor Jaime Sanchez. Yoga for Stress Relief workshop continues Saturday, April 28, 9:15-11 a.m.  

  

Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Arthritis will run Saturday, May 12 and May 19, 9:15-11 a.m. Space is limited, call Be Well Now to register.   

 

Asana Zone

 
This basic standing pose improves strength, stability, and balance, all of which are especially important as we age. This is also a good pose to help us become more aware of our body's alignment.

The blueprint

The yogi stands in a natural stride with torso bent to the side, one hand touching the floor or her shin and the other hand raised to the ceiling. The head turns to the upraised hand.  

 

How to do it

  

1. Stand sideways on your mat and walk or jump your feet apart one stride length - about three or four feet. Check your alignment - your left and right big toes should line up exactly to ensure your hips are in perfect alignment.    
2. Turn your right toe out 90 degrees and turn your left foot in about 45 degrees. Make sure your right knee is aligned directly over the right foot. At this point, you are still facing the side of your mat with your hips square. Inhale, lifting your arms to shoulder height, palms down. Exhale, pulling your shoulders out away from your ears.
3. Extend your torso over your right leg, bending from the hip (not the waist). Keep activating and pressing down through the outer left foot to secure your pose and lengthen your body. 
4. As you continue to extend your torso, slide your right hand along your leg until you can't go any further without feeling resistance, even if you don't reach the floor. It is more important to keep the right leg straight than to bring the right hand to the floor.
5. Drop the right side of your body (shoulder and torso) and open the left side of your body. 
6.  Raise your left arm up, keeping the arms in a "T." Make sure you keep your spine and torso long, without creating a bend in the waist. At this point, your neck is neutral and your gaze is forward.
7. Now tuck your chin in slightly, lengthening the top of the neck near the skull, and turn your gaze up towards your left hand. Hold the pose.

8. To come out of the pose, inhale as you strongly press your left heel into the floor while reaching your left arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left.

Do:

• Draw your abdomen in to support the lower spine 
• Stay grounded through the outside of your back foot and all four corners of your front foot      
• Focus on keeping the spine long and avoid crunching your ribs into the pelvis.   

Don't:

• Hold on to your ankle - your hand should be on your leg, mat or a block. Holding on to your ankle deactivates your abdominal muscles, causing you to sink your right shoulder into your right ear.
• Rest your hand on your knee - it puts too much pressure on it.  

Benefits

• Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles
• Stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine
• Stimulates function of abdominal organs
• Helps relieve stress

Contraindications

• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Low blood pressure
• Heart condition: Keep the top arm on the hip.
• High blood pressure: Turn the head to gaze downward in the final pose.
• Neck problems: Don't turn your head to look upward; continue looking straight ahead and keep both sides of the neck evenly long.
• Low Back Pain - Turn the back foot in slightly to limit force across the Sacroiliac joint, and allow the hip to naturally rotate inwards.

Beginners tips and modifications

If your hand can't touch the mat or floor, use a block for support.   

 

Advanced practitioner variations 

Drop the left arm over the left ear so it's parallel to the floor while keeping the shoulder rooting into the socket. You could also align the front heel with the back foot arch.  

 

 Teacher Training 

 

Jaime Sanchez of East-West Natural Healing School of Yoga will be offering Yoga Alliance approved teacher training in February 2013 at Be Well Now. Details to follow.

 

Sunday, April 22, 11am

Donation: $20