The concept of balance has been a lifelong fascination for me. What it is, how to get it and keep it and what conspires to throw us off balance and why. My Wednesday post Just Do It (but...) talks about our overall cultural philosophy to go for it no matter what-- our dreams, our fitness, our pleasure. And I suggested that, whereas it is important to overcome our exceptions to achieving whatever we desire-- fear, procrastination, self-doubt-- it is just as important to fully understand ourselves, as well as the optimal way to go about having what we want. Including the possible consequences of not being fully mindful in every activity we engage in.
My fundamental premise in the Bodymind Method is that if we create balance in our bodies, it will be reflected in our mental attitude and manifest in all areas of our lives. That doesn't mean we don't have to do other psychic/spiritual work, but since everything originates in our sensory experiences, starting with somatic balance (soma=body) is key.
To this end, I have developed a conditioning regimen as a foundation for all other activities we engage in every day. This is a process of addressing muscular balance combined with The Alexander Technique (Head Over Heels, Alexander Me!) to motivate movement from energy paths in the body rather than effort. What follows are some principles that can be applied to any conditioning regimen based on the science of Kinesiology (how and why the body moves).
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK-- Know the muscles you are targeting in each activity and visualize only those muscles engaging. There are many great anatomy apps to help you know your body's muscles. Be aware of alignment and where the effort is coming from (What Were You Thinking?) in every exercise. Mindfulness in conditioning is key to preventing injuries as well as optimizing your efforts in your work-out.
2. FIRST THINGS FIRST-- Do a thorough warm-up of the largest muscle groups first (thighs, hamstrings, glutes) while bringing up the heart rate and circulation in the body, all the while incorporating diaphragmatic breathing and visualizations of energy. Unless you are doing weight training, I recommend doing cardio on the front end (30 minutes with a 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cool-down, 20 minutes at your target heart rate -- formula to calculate).
3.DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF-- Don't grip weights or handles on resistance machines. Relax your feet when working lower body. Misplaced tension blocks energy flow and dissipates your effort.
4. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER-- Work agonist/antagonist muscles groups in sequence- quads/hamstrings, anterior/posterior torso muscles, abductors/adductors, biceps/triceps, etc. Make sure to coordinate your breathing with each activity-- inhale to prepare and release, exhale on the effort zipping the lower abdominals (Zip it!). Visualize all of the power originating in the core.
5. THE WHOLE SHEBANG-- Work both upper and lower, anterior (front) and posterior (back) bodies in each workout. I know weight trainers tend to alternate upper and lower body. In terms of overall balance though, it's optimal to do both.
6. EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES-- Do a 30 second stretch immediately after working each muscle group (5 reps past burning) to create long, lean musculature. Again, the goals are different for those who lift, but stretching is essential to allow for agility and efficiency of movement and prevent getting muscle bound.
7. LIFE'S ELIXIR-- Make sure to hydrate throughout the workout and after.
8. REST EASY-- It's important to allow your body time for recuperation between workouts. Pushing your body hard day after day could be a recipe for injury.
Balance means literally "bringing into harmony or proportion". Physically, the goal is to create stability by balancing the weight distribution and strength on either side of our vertical axis. Because the bodymind is one interconnected unit, this equilibrium will manifest in every aspect of our lives. In the week ahead, remember to Mind Your Body in the pursuit of holistic balance.
#bodymindbalance #tensionoftheopposites #conditioningregimen #findingbalance #muscularbalance #thealexandertechnique #kinesiologyforbalance #stretchforagilityandefficiency #mindfulconditioning #mindyourbody #bodymindblog #bodymindblogger #boomerblog #babyboomer #seasonedbodymindperspectives #healthandwellnessblog #wellness #wellnesscoach #wellnessblogger #zipit #headoverheels #mindfulness #bodymind
Comentários