DANCE DANCE DANCE
I'm back on this movement
challenge malarkey! Missed a chunk of the year due to life celebrations,
but I hope that will be forgiven...
I'm going with that celebration
theme for this week and it's somewhat of a cliché...but there usually
something to those oft said things so here we go...
DANCE LIKE NO-ONE IS WATCHING
thats it.
each day pick a song you love and loose control. There is joy,
endorphins and giggles to be found in this challenge and those are self
care musts.
On a side note i've fallen down a Michael Clarke choreography rabbit hole so its now inspiring everything I do.
Showing posts with label movement challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movement challenge. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
Friday, 6 May 2016
week 15
PUT A LOAD ON
This weeks movement musing is a HUGE shout out to Katy Bowman. My fan status for this woman knows no bounds, as I'm sure you are all aware. We are going to lay off the hanging for a week (although that is not a cue to get of your branch, keep up the good work) and talk about something else we should all spend time doing. Carrying things.
The Europe wide introduction of a small fee for a plastic bag at the supermarket is our friend in this instance. Now if, like me and my better half (who thinks my very existence is hilarious and so frequently snaps brilliantly attractive pictures like the one below), you always forget to bring a bag, then you are probably already doing what I am about to suggest. It’s simple. Vary the way you carry things.
Katy says it best herself…
“ Every way of holding something requires that you balance the holding with a particular set of muscles. Change the location of what you’re holding and, boom, you’ve changed the set of muscles used. By varying up your holds, you’ll be using more of your parts for a bout of walking. This is different than always putting your stuff in a backpack, where the same muscles are used over and over again. Savvy? Tip: Ok, you love your backpack and I love mine too. But what I do is carry that backpack in different ways.”
Simple!
There are a million and one ways to vary the way you carry things each day and it’s a beautifully simple way to add more movement to your day.
Enjoy!
This weeks movement musing is a HUGE shout out to Katy Bowman. My fan status for this woman knows no bounds, as I'm sure you are all aware. We are going to lay off the hanging for a week (although that is not a cue to get of your branch, keep up the good work) and talk about something else we should all spend time doing. Carrying things.
The Europe wide introduction of a small fee for a plastic bag at the supermarket is our friend in this instance. Now if, like me and my better half (who thinks my very existence is hilarious and so frequently snaps brilliantly attractive pictures like the one below), you always forget to bring a bag, then you are probably already doing what I am about to suggest. It’s simple. Vary the way you carry things.
Katy says it best herself…
“ Every way of holding something requires that you balance the holding with a particular set of muscles. Change the location of what you’re holding and, boom, you’ve changed the set of muscles used. By varying up your holds, you’ll be using more of your parts for a bout of walking. This is different than always putting your stuff in a backpack, where the same muscles are used over and over again. Savvy? Tip: Ok, you love your backpack and I love mine too. But what I do is carry that backpack in different ways.”
Simple!
There are a million and one ways to vary the way you carry things each day and it’s a beautifully simple way to add more movement to your day.
Enjoy!
Sunday, 1 May 2016
week 14
BAR HANG (since it's Friday...)
Piling up the hang nutrients this week with three simple (but harder then they look) bar hangs. If they are a bit much go back to week 12 and spend as much time there as your body needs before giving this ago.
Piling up the hang nutrients this week with three simple (but harder then they look) bar hangs. If they are a bit much go back to week 12 and spend as much time there as your body needs before giving this ago.
Hang out for as long as you can in...
1. an L sit
2. a knee tuck
3. and a one arm hang.
I'll just add don't do it in skinny jeans, nothing should be done in skinny jeans, especially if you like moving. Alas my vanity still dictates my wardrobe choices and that's unlikely to change anytime soon...
That's it! Enjoy fighting for space at your local playground. x
1. an L sit
2. a knee tuck
3. and a one arm hang.
I'll just add don't do it in skinny jeans, nothing should be done in skinny jeans, especially if you like moving. Alas my vanity still dictates my wardrobe choices and that's unlikely to change anytime soon...
That's it! Enjoy fighting for space at your local playground. x
Monday, 11 April 2016
week 12
HANGING AROUND
Our shoulders are meant to hang (and swing) from things. Unfortunately this is not a skill encouraged by our culture (look around your work place/home/public space, are there any anchor points for you to hang from?) or taught in yoga class for that matter, which means it is not something that has had the time it needs to develop properly in most people. Ideally you should have developed the ability to hang as you were growing in height and mass so to start as an adult takes more than just doing it – especially if you haven’t done it in years.
Our shoulders are meant to hang (and swing) from things. Unfortunately this is not a skill encouraged by our culture (look around your work place/home/public space, are there any anchor points for you to hang from?) or taught in yoga class for that matter, which means it is not something that has had the time it needs to develop properly in most people. Ideally you should have developed the ability to hang as you were growing in height and mass so to start as an adult takes more than just doing it – especially if you haven’t done it in years.
If you feel your shoulders/arms/neck need some TLC before attempting
the following I recommend getting hold of Katy Bowman’s aligned and well
‘From the shoulders up’ DVD and doing it daily.
If you are ready to monkey around then the next few weeks will be a series of progressions for hanging basics and then a few drills for building serious scapular stability. These are the preceding qualities for swinging, brachiating and basic body-weight pull-ups so if you get the urge to take your hanging journey further I’ll through in a few drills for those too.
But we will begin at the beginning and I’m making this one meaty to make up for missing last week! Doing it all with a ridiculous grin on your face is optional...
1. Find a bar or branch that you feel confident will take your weight. Ideally put one up in your living space so you can monkey around on a daily basis.
2. You hands are probably going to dislike you in the beginning. Ideally your skin would have been gently loaded by using this skill throughout a lifetime, but all is not lost if this wasn’t the case. To build up beautifully callused hang ready hands will take time and I recommend trying the following three steps out on different surfaces i.e. bark/rock/metal/rubber to build strong skin.
3. If it’s been a really really long time since you tried this then please keep your feet on the ground to start so that you can load your body in a respectful way by introducing a load that is much less than your weight. Try each arm by itself and then both together. Try palms up and palms down. Also, the bar doesn’t need to be over-head, it could be waist height, like a railing, if you don’t yet have the mobility for an over head reach.
4. Add some more weight to your ‘one arm feet on the ground hang’ by carrying something heavy.
5. Then try it with your feet of the ground!
Finally, if you have kids, encourage them to hang regularly. You will be doing their bodies a great service.
If you are ready to monkey around then the next few weeks will be a series of progressions for hanging basics and then a few drills for building serious scapular stability. These are the preceding qualities for swinging, brachiating and basic body-weight pull-ups so if you get the urge to take your hanging journey further I’ll through in a few drills for those too.
But we will begin at the beginning and I’m making this one meaty to make up for missing last week! Doing it all with a ridiculous grin on your face is optional...
1. Find a bar or branch that you feel confident will take your weight. Ideally put one up in your living space so you can monkey around on a daily basis.
2. You hands are probably going to dislike you in the beginning. Ideally your skin would have been gently loaded by using this skill throughout a lifetime, but all is not lost if this wasn’t the case. To build up beautifully callused hang ready hands will take time and I recommend trying the following three steps out on different surfaces i.e. bark/rock/metal/rubber to build strong skin.
3. If it’s been a really really long time since you tried this then please keep your feet on the ground to start so that you can load your body in a respectful way by introducing a load that is much less than your weight. Try each arm by itself and then both together. Try palms up and palms down. Also, the bar doesn’t need to be over-head, it could be waist height, like a railing, if you don’t yet have the mobility for an over head reach.
4. Add some more weight to your ‘one arm feet on the ground hang’ by carrying something heavy.
5. Then try it with your feet of the ground!
Finally, if you have kids, encourage them to hang regularly. You will be doing their bodies a great service.
Monday, 14 March 2016
week 9
PLAY
This week's challenge might sound down right ridiculous, but that just makes it all the more appealing : ) Also, it's really simple. Bonus!
This week's challenge might sound down right ridiculous, but that just makes it all the more appealing : ) Also, it's really simple. Bonus!
Head to the
playground. That's it. Watch kids playing in their un-self-conscious
ways - no reps, no ‘exercise as a chore’- and see if you can get on the
equipment and move like they are, within the range of what is an option
for you physically right now.
Why is it not OK for adults to play on those things anyhow? We are missing out. I can no longer pass one by without having a swing on something...
Why is it not OK for adults to play on those things anyhow? We are missing out. I can no longer pass one by without having a swing on something...
Sunday, 6 March 2016
week 8
Free your head.
This weeks challenge is a movement meditation and one of my favorites from Mary Bond over at Heal Your Posture. It's also is a nice follow on from the whole 'getting rid or your pillow rant' from last week as it's something to help restore mobility at the joint between the top of your neck and your cranium, the area that so often expresses stress as rigidity. It will be particularly useful if you have to spend long hours in front of a computer screen.
This weeks challenge is a movement meditation and one of my favorites from Mary Bond over at Heal Your Posture. It's also is a nice follow on from the whole 'getting rid or your pillow rant' from last week as it's something to help restore mobility at the joint between the top of your neck and your cranium, the area that so often expresses stress as rigidity. It will be particularly useful if you have to spend long hours in front of a computer screen.
Like most of the challenges I'm posting, this is not a one-time exploration, but rather a practice to incorporate into your self-care routine and it can be done anywhere. The meditation asks you to “draw” circles and figure 8’s using your uvula (that strange bit of flesh hanging in the back of your throat) as a stylus, and rather then make you read a long badly written post by me you can check out Mary's video below, she describes it wonderfully!
Enjoy!
Saturday, 27 February 2016
week 7
PILLOW TALK
After nearly a year of living out of
suitcases, we moved into our first flat this week. It’s unfurnished and
we have literally nothing to put into our new home, which, since I’m a
fan of living furniture free (or at least furniture like sofas that take
the human movement out of modern life), fills me with joy! Alas we will
need to purchase a couple of essentials. Like a bed and something for
my mother to sit on when she visits, but I will be enjoying not filling
the place with things and having floor space to dance around and the
move has inspired this weeks (and next's) movement challenge! Yay! It’s a
long read because I felt it needed the Why The Hell!?! explanation
before hand, but it’s a brilliant one, because it can be done while you
sleep!
On that note, how many pillows do you like to sleep with?
Pillows are often marketed for their ability to support the head and
neck, relieve pain, and align the spine. Do any of these claims sound
familiar? Yep, pillows have now become orthotics for the neck. The
claims coming from specialty pillow retailers and foot orthotic sellers
are almost identical, and both are based on the faulty premise that our
bodies require external support to be healthy.
No one is born
needing a pillow to sleep. Our heads and necks are perfectly capable of
resting without support. When we are young, our bodies are adaptable and
can handle sleeping almost anywhere, but through continued use of
pillows over time we become conditioned to feel like we need them. This
introduction of pillows to children is largely driven by our culture.
Throughout history there have been plenty of cultures that have slept
without any support for their heads.
When you lie on your back
there should be a space underneath your neck. The neck naturally has a
C-shaped curve. A common recommendation is that a pillow should fill up
this space to provide “support” for the neck. Saying that this arch in
the neck needs support is the same faulty logic that gets applied to the
arch of the foot. An arch gets support from its ends, not from propping
it up in the middle. Without a pillow, lying flat provides traction to
joints and creates space between the bones in the neck. All day while we
are upright the force of gravity is compressing these joints. At night
we can allow gravity to work in our favor to help lengthen the spine.
Propping the head up with pillows takes away that benefit.
Basically using pillows restrict movement. All tissues in the bodies need movement to remain healthy. We don’t move a great deal when we’re asleep, but movement still occurs as the body adjusts during the night to our sleeping surface. These natural movements are limited when we’re cradled and encased in pillows and to be healthy adaptable beings our bodies should be allowed to respond and adjust to whatever we’re sleeping on.
It’s fine to use pillows sometimes, or even most of
the time. But you should never HAVE TO use them. Sleeping with pillows
is comfortable, but realise a large part of this is because we’ve
accustomed ourselves to using pillows. A big part of keeping your body
healthy is being adaptable, and this means being able to sleep
comfortably no matter what your head is resting on.
So my
challenge to you is this; Consider working your way down to being able
to use a thin, flat pillow or nothing at all. If you would like to give a
try, just be careful not to make the switch too quickly. The transition
to sleeping without a pillow should be more like a marathon than a
sprint. Your body is very resilient, but it will need some time to adapt
to no longer using a pillow. The transition to no pillow took me just
under 6 months, but it can take much longer.
Here are some tips from a reformed sleeper (me) to help you on your way:
1. Use a folded towel or blanket as a pillow for the first few weeks.
Start with the towel at the same height of your current pillow and
gradually reduce the height of the towel by unfolding it. Take as long
as you need to do this. If you are a two pillow sleeper then follow the
same tip, but start with one pillow and a towel. Continue to reduce the
towel height until you are able to lie flat.
2. Make sure to keep your neck aligned as you reduce your pillow, like we do in class in Savasana. If you are lying on your back, make sure that your chin is not pointing up towards the ceiling. For some people, it may be helpful to keep a small hand towel folded in half as a pillow to ensure proper alignment. Feel free to experiment to find out what works best for you.
3. As you decrease the towel height you can put some of those yoga neck and shoulder stretch’s to good use each morning/night.
4. For a while I kept my pillow on the floor or next to me in bed, just in case I woke needing it. A good nights sleep is the main goal ofcourse, adding some neck and shoulder adaptation while you do it is a bonus!
2. Make sure to keep your neck aligned as you reduce your pillow, like we do in class in Savasana. If you are lying on your back, make sure that your chin is not pointing up towards the ceiling. For some people, it may be helpful to keep a small hand towel folded in half as a pillow to ensure proper alignment. Feel free to experiment to find out what works best for you.
3. As you decrease the towel height you can put some of those yoga neck and shoulder stretch’s to good use each morning/night.
4. For a while I kept my pillow on the floor or next to me in bed, just in case I woke needing it. A good nights sleep is the main goal ofcourse, adding some neck and shoulder adaptation while you do it is a bonus!
Shout out to Michael Tetley who conducted research on
natural sleeping postures and found that nomadic people and forest
dwellers sleeping with natural postures suffer from less muscular and
skeletal problems compared to people in modern societies thus inspiring a
whole host of brilliant movers to promote the above.
Now go, be pillow free!
p.s. I'm a side sleeper mostly, just like the beauty in the picture, but i've noticed that sleeping without neck support has me sleeping comfortably on my back and front too.
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