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December 2008
Happy Holidays!
The sun will return...
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Greetings!
It is that wonderful time of year again!
As we try to squeeze holiday cheer into our already busy schedules, remember to take time to stay healthy. We all need a little extra sleep during the dark winter days and we must stay hydrated. (See below what Traditional Chinese Medicine says about this season and the water element).
Body Temple Movement Classes are going strong and will continue, without interruption, on Tuesdays, throughout the Holidays.
Beginning Body Temple Class takes place Tuesdays 5:45 - 7:15 PM
Pre-natal/Post-partum Body Temple continues Tuesdays at 7:30 PM.
Intermediate Body Temple Class will move to Wednesday nights 6:30 - 8:00 PM starting January 7th, 2009. This class is currently offered in a private home in Albany. To qualify for this class, one should attend several beginning classes prior to advancing. (There will be no intermediate classes on December 25th or January 1st due to the Holidays).
Please call or email me for questions or referrals. As my colleague, Nicole, says: "See you on the Mat!"
Keep your mind and other clients happy, and healthy: plan ahead for your scheduled appointments.
Please recall that I require 24-hours notice for cancellations. If you will not make it, I may be able to fit someone else in your slot. I have a waiting list for certain time slots and days. You will be charged for the time missed, at your regular rate, for missed appointments without 24-hour's notice. Thank you!
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Water and Winter
Keep your roots flexible.
Many cultures and traditions honor the disappearance, and reappearance, of the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere the Winter Solstice (December 21st) is the shortest day of the year. The sun rises late and sets early, allowing the deciduous trees to shed and the mammals to hibernate for the winter. The neurotransmitters and hormones in our bodies respond to changes in light and darkness. Chritiane Northrup, MD explains this in her book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. (Click here to order from my webstire, now). She reminds us that it is OK to honor the darkness this time of year.
Traditional Chinese Medicine correlates the season winter with the water element. The water element is characterized by fluidity, cold, damp, and the color blue. Awe, wonder, and respect are the emotions that flow like water through the kidney and bladder meridians in the body. Courage and steadfastness are expressed as a balanced winter state. When our winter state is unbalanced, terror, paranoia, and fear can run our body-mind on one extreme and foolhardiness or excessive bravado at the opposite pole. Our bodies seek balance. One way to balance the winter in your body is to keep our bladder and kidney meridians flexible.
The Kidney Meridian runs from the bottom of the foot, up the inside of the legs, and in to the chest. It controls the physical strength of the body, including its sexual energy, and is closely related to the first two chakras (Root and Sacral) which provide guidance for survival and sexuality respectively. One might say that the Chakras in the Yogic Theory of Energy (Prana) are the energy plexuses for the Traditional Chinese Meridians. To keep our first two chakras balanced, and to keep our kidney meridian flexible, it is useful to practice regular, gentle, inner thigh stretches (Adductor Stretches).
The bladder meridian begins at the bridge of the nose, near the medial corner of the eyes, travels up over the crown of the head, sweeps down the back and continues through the Gluteal, hamstring, and calf muscles, until it terminates in the fifth toes. We can stretch this meridian by stretching our hamstrings, calves, and by performing gentle knee-to-chest stretches.
Note that the Sciatic Nerve, follows the latter path of the bladder meridian. In fact, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the sciatic nerve was dubbed "The Life Nerve." Have you ever noticed that humans in the latter stages of their life typically are inflexible in their hamstrings? To keep our lives long and healthy, we should keep our life nerve long and happy.
To properly stretch these muscles or for other nerve gliding exercises, send me an email inquiry, or set up an appointment. Never stretch when your muscles are cold and stretching should never cause pain! Please listen to your body and be gentle.
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Contact Liz
Liz Gillem, MPT, ATC, CSCS
Licensed Physical Therapist, Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
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Have a Healthy 2009!
Please let me know how I can help you stay healthy during this Holiday Season.
Be well, Liz
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Save 10%
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Pre-purchase 10 sessions and receive $100 off!
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Offer Expires: December 31, 2009
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