MINI ME TIME!

MICRO WORKOUTs at home can be a great way to keep some balance in your life and give yourself time to check in with your body. They can also, sometimes, evolve into deluxe, hour long meditations or an invigorating session.

As a new mother I am very appreciative of how busy life can be and how hard it can be to find 'me time'. My leisurely pre-motherhood life allowed me the luxury of long pilates & yoga at home and up to 3 regular classes a week. Many of us are juggling work, social lives, family, study, housework, hobbies and creative projects, not to mention fitting in time to meditate, eat properly, take regular exercise, relax, keep our minds active with a good book, spend time with our pets, garden etc etc. Scheduling in a couple of hours for exercise a week is important for fitness (physically), but also for mental balance, time to switch off and to tune in to your body and it's wisdom.

MINI (or micro) 'ME TIME'

My tighter time schedule has led me to appreciate the importance of small snatches of time in which to fit in a couple of stretches or exercises. Sometimes I only manage one a day, and some days I'll do several (by the end of the day I'm sure it adds up to a fairly good session!). We all have areas of tightness or imbalance, part of our physical selves we need to nourish & attend to. It's quite incredible what you can achieve in a small space of time to make your shoulders or hips feel looser, to relax your neck, lengthen your spine, give a muscle group a good workout or spend some time breathing and letting go of any tension or stress in body or mind.

I enthusiastically encourage my Pilates clients to do homework, and I can almost ALWAYS tell when they do. A few simple exercises or stretches that are specific for your posture or a particular goal you have, will make a BIG difference over the weeks, and will enable you to progress with your goals more quickly. Try to remember an exercise you find really enjoyable or challenging, or one you can feel your body wants and see if you can find the time to do it every day, or every second day, or even once during the week before your next class! You can always jot it down straight after class so you won't forget, and if you can't remember it, make sure to pay attention next time.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

 TRY THIS MINI WORKOUT

Discontinue if you feel any discomfort during ANY exercise, consult a medical professional before beginning any excercise programme. These exercises are for healthy individuals and are not recommended for anyone with any pathologies, injuries or conditions without supervision from a qualified practitioner.

 BOOK OPENINGS

Lie on your side, knees bent into a right angle with your knees in line with your hip bones. Place a small ball or rolled up towel between your knees, and a pillow or rolled up towel under your head. Reach your arms forward to the wall infront, in line with your sternum.

Inhale: Lift your top arm up to the ceiling and look at your thumb.

Exhale: Open your arm and follow your thumb with your eyes, head and ribcage. Rotate your spine towards the floor, keeping your arm in line with your collar bones.

This is a rotation for your upper spine. Keep your knees still and your ribs at the front softening together.

THORACIC SPINE STRETCH (TOWEL)

Roll up a towel and place it under your upper back (width ways/ parallel with your collar bones). Arms out to the side or behind your head. Rest here for 2-10 mins.

You can move the towel up or down to stretch different parts of the spine. 

This should feel comfortable and your back should be relaxed. If it causes any discomfort please stop!

PELVIC CURL (BRIDGE)

 

Lie on your back, feet hip width apart and knees bent.

Exhale to peel the spine off the floor, one vertebra at a time 

Inhale hold and find length through the spine

Exhale articulate the spine back down to the mat

Inhale hold

Repeat 3-10 times

 Detailed in Sally Anderson's article in Body & Soul! Sally Anderson is one of Australia's most esteemed instructors, and founder of the Pilates Alliance, Pilates industry body.

 http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/body+fitness/news+features/work+the+whole+body+with+pilates,11711

SPINE TWIST

 There are several versions of the spine twist, this is a 'lazy man's' version which is really gentle and relaxing. 

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor, a little wider than your pelvis. Arms out to the side, palms up, at shoulder height.

Exhale to drop both knees to one side and hold for 1-3 breaths
Exhale to draw in the belly and bring the knees back to center,.

Repeat 3-5 times each side.

QUADRUPED SWIMMING

Kneeling with hands under shoulders and knees under hip bones.

Exhale to lift the abdomen and slide one arm and the opposite leg away from each other, maintaining a still pelvis and spine
Inhale hold and find length in the spine
Exhale return

Repeat 3-5 each side progressing to a full leg and arm float off the floor

BREATHING

Breathing is central to all physical & spiritual practices. Breathing is our main interface with our world, and it is intimately linked to our psychological state. 

The benefits of breath centered practices have been celebrated for thousands of years. In today's world with all the stressors we encounter, the need to 'breathe' has never been more important. Stress and anxiety are the cause of much illness & ill health, especially in western societies. Many of us live in a constant heightened state of anxiety and are unable to switch off our innate stress response. Deep breathing has been shown to reduce stress, which in turn brings the body into balance. 

" Breathing slowly and mindfully activates the hypothalamus, connected to the pituitary gland in the brain, to send out neurohormones that inhibit stress-producing hormones and trigger a relaxation response in the body."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/136646-why-does-deep-breathing-calm-you-down/#ixzz1D8JgosGC

Breathing practice has been shown to contribute to weight loss, reduce depression, insomnia & calm the nervous system amongst other benefits. Just 10 minutes a day is enough to literally transform your life! 

So next time you're in your Pilates or yoga class, or when you're jogging, swimming, cycling, practicing Qi gong or Tai Chi, whatever  your favourite movement practice, or when you're at home with some spare minutes.... try focusing on your breath a little more, let the breath guide you and see what you can learn from it. Slow down (or speed up) in your postures or exercises to accommodate the breath. Make breathing the focus rather than pushing your body, notice how much easier it is to move when the breath stays free & relaxed!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"If you know the techniques of mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful smiling, you can bring your mind back to your body and you become truly alive." Thich Nhat Hanh

EXERCISE OF THE DAY

Taking the spine into slight extension has a very calming effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, and provides a shortcut to reaching a deep state of relaxation. 

Lie on the floor or bed with a small rolled up towel along your spine from the base of your ribcage to your skull (or lie on the length of a Pilates Foam roller on the floor, or a yoga bolster), knees bent and feet resting on the floor/ bed. Relax, keep your chin gently drawn down to lengthen the back of your neck, relax between your shoulder blades and let your ribcage sink down, let the pelvis and legs relax and keep the muscles that run either side of your spine soft, notice your breath. 

Feel your lungs expand out into your ribcage on the inhalation, noticing any tightness and breathing into it. On the exhalation let the air out slowly. 

BREATHE FOR 10-15 minutes before removing foam roller or towel. 

CAUTION: If you have any back issues,  keep you lower back relaxed and lie on a towel all the way from the skull to the sacrum. (This exercise should be comfortable and pain free, please stop and see a professional if you experience any pain.)

 NOTE: I find this really helpful in getting to sleep at night and believe it would be very helpful to you insomniacs out there! Place a flat folded T-shirt or towel under your upper back so that the extension is very slight. You can sleep with it there or if you stir, take it out (without waking yourself fully!)

NEW BEGINNINGS

My beatiful daughter Sascha Leilani was born June 18 2010, almost 8 months ago now, she's starting to settle into routines and is becoming less of a baby and more of a little girl every day....  

 

I'm finding myself better slept and excited about my life which feels full of new beginnings! I have recently begun working from home, teaching Pilates from my boutique style studio 'Anuenue Pilates Massage' in central Victoria.  (After working as an instructor in various pilates studios & for physiotherapists for the past 8 yrs in Australia, London & Hawaii).  anuenue.webs.com


Being a new mother is such a precious time, and with it, for me, has come a greater appreciation of time, breathing, relaxation and exercise, and finding space for this in my now rather full life!

I am finding I have more time at home, snatches of time in which I seem to be able to get an enormous amount done, quiet time (while Sascha naps) which is perfect for reading & online research/ socialising, and having my home studio I now have more of a chance to play & explore Pilates and also begin healing my post baby body! I have found my Pilates practice at this time has been a daily place of healing for body, mind & spirit, a chance for me to 'center', relax, nurture & repair, and helps to make me a more balanced mother & partner also! Although I'm blessed with an equipment studio at home, you can do so much with a mat & a couple of simple props. 

I am beginning this blog to share my journey, knowledge and body mind experiences. I will post exercises you can do at home, as well as books to recommend, thoughts, ideas & mantras that inspire me, guide me and that I feel to share!

I am currently reading Eric Franklin's books 'Relax the neck, Liberate the shoulders', and also 'Pelvic Power for men & women'... two bibles to come back to again and again and very accessible for anyone! My thought of the day comes from the Pelvic Power book...

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

'To achieve permanent improvement of strength, posture and flexibility we have to change our very patterns of movement, because only when a conscious change takes place on the level of the nervous system will something really change'.  Eric Franklin

MOVEMENT OF THE DAY

Again from Eric Franklin, but a technique I used daily as a Qi Gong practitioner....

Place your palms an inch or two apart and breath into your hands, notice the sensations, warmth, tingling, a magnetism, perhaps even heaviness. Gently move your hands away from each other and then towards (without touching), continue, and notice the thickness of the air between them. This is energy, qi or prana which is present in all living things and indeed in the earth itself. You can use this energy to heal yourself and others, you can gather it from the earth, sky, ocean, rivers and you can strengthen and build it with awareness & practise. 

After several minutes of feeling the energy between your hands, place them anywhere on the body that feels stiff or sore (if you're lucky enough not to feel tight anywhere you can place them on your kidneys) and feel the warmth and healing energy you have created as it moves into your body... enjoy!