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Greetings!
Happy, Happy Mother's Day! I have the great honor and privilege of working with many moms. Among the amazing women who come to our studio, there are many proud mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, mentors and, yes, pet mamas!
I am constantly amazed and inspired by the unique and special ways these women show their love, dedication and devotion to those who matter the most.
I count myself among the luckiest people in the world because I know what a mother can and should be. I recently found an interview I gave the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph in 2000. I talked about how my mom encouraged me to read:
"She sparked my curiosity by giving me books all the time...she continues to send me books, and it's enriched my life because I read. I don't watch television...except, of course, for watching the Avalanche and the Broncos. In our society, there's so much time spent on watching television and letting television speak for us and think for us."
My mom taught me so many things, and I credit her for my curiosity and determination.
I was very smart eleven years ago because I summed my mom up perfectly: "She's so beautiful and she's such a good person."
I hope this Mother's Day gives you the opportunity to reflect on all that your mothers have given you. As we move into spring, let's think of ways in which we can nurture and mother ourselves. Let's become stronger so we can better care for ourselves and those whom we love.
Wishing you all the best,
Don Spence
P.S. Moms rule! They are almost always right about everything but that sometimes takes a while to figure out.
P.P.S. In the spirit of mom, you can read about "Ideal Posture" in this newsletter!
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BODY QUEST ADVANTAGE UPDATE
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After many years of hard work, revisions, and anticipation - we are excited and proud to reveal Body Quest Advantage's logo! Don's fitness, lifestyle and weight management website will be up and running this summer.
The logo gives a sneak peak at what the site will offer: encouragement, education and advice for people ready to achieve their fitness and weight loss goals. At Body Quest Advantage, each client will receive a customized plan featuring the Six Components of a healthy lifestyle; site users will also access Don's ongoing support as they create positive habits designed to last a lifetime. We will also have an online store featuring health and fitness-related products with discounts for our premier members.
Thank you once again for your support and encouragement. We look forward to sharing more news as our launch date gets closer!
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PILATES MOVEMENT OF THE MONTH: THE CLAM
| |  The clam can be performed easily. It can strengthen your glutes as well as your lower back. It also enhances pelvic stability. As with all of our suggestions, please modify or discontinue if you experience any pain.
Perform 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.
- Lie on one side with both knees bent and feet in line with your spine. You may place your head on a pillow. Make sure you neck is long and your head is not tipped back or tucked forward.
- Bend your top arm and place your hand on the floor in front of your chest for extra stability.
- Stack your hips directly on top of each other and do the same with your shoulders.
- Keep your big toes together as you slowly rotate your leg in the hip socket so that the top knee opens. Exhale and open the knee only as far as you can go without disturbing the alignment of your hips. Only lift your leg about 45 degrees.
- Slowly bring your knee back to the start position; inhale while lowering your leg.
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH: HUMMUS
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Hummus is a delicious and healthy chickpea spread that originated in the Middle East. (It was actually eaten in ancient Egypt!) One of the delights of homemade hummus is customizing it. Hummus fans know that it has many variations. Here is a base recipe that you can alter to suit your tastes. (We love it with roasted garlic and red pepper.) 
Ingredients: - 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained (save the drained liquid in case you want to thin out texture later)
- 2 tablespoons (or more) tahini (You can find this in the international aisle of your supermarket; sometimes it can be found near the peanut butter)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves (or more) garlic, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
Directions: - Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
- Enjoy with fresh vegetables, toasted pita bread, or delicious Nita Crisp Crackers.
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IDEAL POSTURE
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Posture is vital to a healthy back and spine. Incorrect posture can create or exacerbate existing pain, and can also play a role in causing headaches, jaw and shoulder pain. Since we spend so much of our time standing and walking, we should become more attentive to our posture. Our goal should be "neutral spine." A neutral spine has three natural curves: at the base of the neck, at the middle back, and at the low back. Your spine should not be rounded forward or arched back. Here are some illustrations:
In ideal posture (illustration on right):
- Feet are shoulder-width apart, thigh muscles are elongated, and the knees are not locked.
- There is a small hollow in the low back, but no leaning back. The "tail" is slightly tucked in.
- The breastbone is lifted. As you lift, the shoulder blades will move down, creating some distance from the hip to the rib cage.
- The chin is level. The back of your head is high. Your jaw and neck are relaxed. Your mouth is closed, and your tongue rests on the roof of your mouth.
To achieve ideal posture, stand against a wall. Your head, shoulders, and back should be against the wall with your heels about six inches forward, Draw in the lower abs, decreasing your lower back's arch. Push away from the wall and maintain this alignment. With practice, this stance will become more natural-feeling. As with all of our suggestions, please modify or discontinue if you experience any pain.
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COMMUNITY CORNER
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A huge thanks to Big Toe's students and friends for joining us last month at the 2011 Respite Care Perennial Breakfast. In addition to learning more about this vital organization, its amazing clients, and its wonderful supporters...we raised $2,805 to support Respite Care's mission! We're also excited that all of the morning's donations will be doubled thanks to some extraordinarily generous Respite Care supporters.
We'll keep you posted on upcoming Respite Care events, including their annual holiday ball. In the meantime, we hope you'll learn more about Respite Care at their website. Thank you once more for supporting this very important part of our community!
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