Articles : FAQ's About Your Body

Where do I begin to improve my muscular health?

You can begin right here and now by learning more about your body. This is the only body you get and you might as well learn as much as you can about taking better care of it and aiding it in a long, healthy and active life. (I like the Dalai Lama's observation about knowing the rules in life, so when you bend the rules, at least you know it.) Lets begin with your muscles, you have over 700. Muscles have characteristics similar to a sponge.

Both work better when they are soft, pliable, and flexible. Both have the ability to compress, expand, contract, relax, and move fluids. Both will last longer when those abilities are nourished and maintained.

How do I nourish and maintain those abilities?

Exercise, movement, stretching, drinking adequate fluids,getting massage, etc. Similar to a sponge they both stiffen upwhen inactive?

How often should I stretch and for how long?

This is entirely up to you, so lets put it in this perspective. Consider stretching as a daily apology to your muscles and body for the insults that are inflicted upon them...daily. With that in mind, when do you find it most appropriate to apologize for any situation ? Personally, I find it best to apologize ASAP. So, in the middle of a hike, a long morning working, after sitting or standing at a computer for awhile, any physical event, I recommend stretching and moving often.

How do I know if I am doing it right and not making things worse?

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says "Must be present to win" ?. Your responsibility is to pay attention. Go into stretches slowly and pay attention to how you feel. Treat resistance and discomfort with respect. You might schedule a session at your local gym with a professional trainer to give you one on one guidance. Remember, you are worth the investment.

How can stretching and balancing my lower back help relieve headaches?

It is useful to understand that your 700+ muscles work together as a team to keep you upright and moving. When any one of these muscles is stressed, every one of the team members is affected. Should muscular tension (un-ease) be a factor in a headache, then balancing the foundational muscles in your back is important. The chain of tension can contribute to a headache caused by tension. (See The Nose Ring)

What if my pain doesnt immediately go away?

Before you enter any self-help therapy, consult your Physician and get qualified advice on these stretches. Then consider how long you have had this pain/tension and that "drive thru instantaneous healing" is a very rare commodity. It may be a few weeks or even months before you see noticeable change. This system is a long term one. So what if you need to stretch every day for the rest of your life!!! I have one client that over a period of years, her 'knock knees' straightened out to the point where she no longer needed adjustments to her ski boots!

Why is balance so important?

When your body is in balance, the skeleton provides the primary support for holding you upright in gravity. Your body is continually dealing with gravity. Consider this process as a primary automatic "computer/brain" program that enables you to stand up and move. It does so with the 700+ muscles tightening and relaxing while the skeleton bares most of the weight.

Example: When you lean over , your muscles automatically control how far you lean without falling . Much as a tower in the wind that is held upright by it's "guy wires". Consider, a person on a cruise ship, if they do not over eat, will probably loose weight. With the continual shifting of the boat, their body is constantly adapting to gravity and automatically exercising their muscles.

What can I do?

You can start right here, right now.

One of the keys to success in this system is for you to use your intention and imagination. Rumor has it that we humans use less than 15 percent of our potential abilities. (See The Nose Ring) Consider the possibility that we can increase that percentage when we exercise our ability to imagine and intend. Portions of this information serve to increase that percentage and encourage your body's innate ability to maintain and repair itself. The goal is to simply support the body's "Balancing Act", reduce tension and simply encourage ease.

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