Using our Hands in a Digital Age.

Today my teacher spoke of wrist/hand movement and the importance of using our fingers in such a way that we can become connected in our whole body.

I have spoke often of the feet and the importance of noticing how we walk, stand, run, etc...Like many of you reading this you probably don't pay much attention to your hand positions as until today i didn't either. Equally as important to our feet however is our hands and wrist,when you think about it , duh , how we could we not pay attention to these imperative extremities that can give us so much strength and health.

We have taken ourselves out of our yards and gardens where we tilled the ground with our hands weeding and digging in the hot sun using the strength from our fingers and for arms to harvest the earth. We have become lazy in the way that now we have bread makers and fancy bakeries to take us out of the kitchen and away from the exhausting task of kneading our bread. We no longer wash our clothes by hand down by the river, or sew our own clothes, on a continuous everyday basis and if you do I apologize and want to extend a huge "GOOD FOR YOU", keep it up!


No alas most of us have found ourselves glued to a computer screen or sitting behind a desk or traveling around in a car for most of our days. This is evolution, this is inventions, and progression the world changes we must change with it or be left behind but that is no excuse to stop paying attention to our bodies and how we use them in our ever changing lives, Kabeesh!

To continue  I would like you to do this EXERCISE with me. Place your hand flat on a surface of any kind, perhaps you are also laying flat on your back hands to your side. Now just notice your body, notice how your upper back feels, your shoulders, your arms, your belly. Now with intent press your thumb further down so your really using the finger pad, and repeat with each finger, taking notice of what turns on, and any other sensations you will find... beautiful is it not?

What you are feeling is the connection that each finger gives us to the rest of our body, two very important ones being the thumb and pinkie, finger, PINKIE very good to get in the habit of using! There are no real muscles in the wrist so using out finger pads and palm muscles is key to any weight bearing activity you are doing.  Your finger pads and palm have a direct correlation to your arm muscles, rotator cuff, shoulder girdle and core. Along the front fascia line of the arm/shoulder girdle
 your thumb connects the radius -> corcoid process-> pec-minor-> and ribs. Along the back fascia line your pinkie finger connects ulna->triceps->scapula->rhomboids->rotator cuff
You might have felt one or perhaps all of these turn on as you changed the pressure application to each of your finger pads. There are countless more angles we could travel into this discussion together but i just ate ice cream and am now sleepy :)

 SO in conclusion while our hands are wrapping around the rolling pin or your grasping your heavy suitcase handle use your palms press your finger pads so you can find a whole body connection. our bodies are designed so that not one muscle or group of muscles has to do all the work, in taking out the old fashion ways we used to live we have taken out the old fashioned ways we used to move.Let's evolve but lets do it healthfully with a connection to not all thats around us but with all that is in us.

Sweet Dreams my little fireflies may you sleep sound.

Brew that is good for You!

Do you find yourself cramping up on long runs? or maybe when working the foot in a new direction? or perhaps right before you drift off to sleep?
You could be in need of Potassium and I know a great brew that could give you just that and much much more.  Okay here we go so simple, so easy, and the abundance you get can be frozen to save or give away to help a friend.

What you need:

•  The SKIN from three potatoes (scrub the taters but lightly as to keep the potatoes minerals on the skin)adding the potato whole by the way creates a much to much starchy brew, so just the skin.
•  1 onion cut in half leave the SKIN ON
•  2 whole cloves of Garlic SKIN ON
•  Carrots I use 3 cut into large pieces
•  Celery again 3 into large pieces
•  Mushrooms I like shitake and at least 8 whole
•  Ginger to your liking again SKIN ON
•  Lots and Lots of KALE and I mean LOTS

Cover all ingredients just so with water bring to boil then simmer. You can simmer for forty minutes if your in a hurry but i like to simmer for at least a couple if not a few hours. Strain into mason jars, let cool and then place in fridge or freezer.

Such a good brew and so good for you, kinda looks like urine but a great replacement to morning coffee or tea, add spinach to it for a healthy lunch or dinner. I like to sometimes add soy sauce or sesame oil to drink as a aperitif to dinner or snack, reminds me of Miso that way.

  The amounts of things to due with this killer potassium brew are endless, give a whirl and your body will live for it, promise!

 Its not that complex, so go ahead brew your blues aways!!

JellyFish

 So Im one day away from the first of 8 exams in my program! I had a rough week last week but the bounce back has been nothing short of magnanimous. I have amazing teachers who understand because they have been there, they get it, I have friends who keep lifting me up, I have my family, I live in such an amazing place with strangers who remind you that the universe
is here to build you up not tear you down so let it unravel its mysteries in time. Everything has a time and place wait for it and the magic reveals itself, try pulling at it or forcing it and the magic retreats like the setting sun behind the horizon. Do you believe in Magic? I do.

  Right now just take notice of your shoulders...where are they in space? are they shoved up to your ears? rotated forward? tight? loose? just take notice...Many of us suffer from tight necks and shoulders, you might have noticed. With all the activities that we do where we lean forward with our shoulders acting as leaders and our bodies following, such as bending over, cooking, washing dishes, sitting at a desk, driving, and typing its easy to understand why our shoulder girdle area can get tight, sore and over and under developed. The good news is a regular practice of Pilates from the studio to the streets can help strengthen these areas resulting in strong shoulder girdles and decreased pain and tightness.

Our shoulder girdle is compromised of bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. The bones  that compose the shoulder girdle are the scapula (shoulder blades) and clavicle ( collarbone). Its primary function is to help move the humerous to support activities that the hand performs, such as holding, pushing, pressing, throwing , drawing, typing, holding, etc...If we have weak shoulder girdles it is hard for body to stay connected ex keeping your arms plugged into your back as you paddle or row your boat or as you climb a tree or swing from the nearest branch, i swing from branches whenever i can lucky for me I can do it properly now:)

As a little girl my family and I used to listen to this one radio station I forget the station now but once a week maybe a sunday they had request night and I always requested the song "Your neck bones connected to your back bone..." I loved that song!! Now as an adult it means so much more to me, everything is connected and we have to take care of those connections because if one point of contact fails so do all the rest and the spiral continues. Such as in life we can remember the same rules apply practice is on going to reach some version of success. Even the most advanced Pilates instructors still have shoulder girdle work to work on, its a life long practice and again so is life, we will never be perfect but we can continue the good work in hopes to elevate pain and be granted ease fulness in our day to day journeys.

Ease full ness

When you move like a jellyfish        

Rhythm don't mean nothing 

You go with the flow 

You don't stop 

lyrics by Jack Johnson

Getting It.

 "There is a light at the end of the tunnel"
 " There is bad so you know good"
 " keep your chin up"
 " It can only get better" 

and many many more to enlighten us as we push on through to whatever side we are headed. There seems to always be a breaking moment ,at least in my world, a point where the whole entire universe is crashing down on my head and my legs are breaking underneath of the weight.  My heart is heavy with emotion and my brain is weak from trying to support the universe, a daunting task for any non super hero. I wonder to myself "why?". When life is going great, things are starting to look up, things are working out and lives a cruise "why?" then do we get the big plunder? For whatever reason it happens , maybe its a reminder to us that we are not actually super heroes or gods but humans and although we are built amazingly smart we are fragile are skin and bones will crush under weight and pressure , it is important we always remember to equalize.

  I have much to say as much has occured since I last wrote in this space but I feel as though this week I have succumbed to the swamps of Sadness and fear if I revel in that place i most certainly will drown. So in saying that i finally get the metaphor used in one of my favorite movies The Neverending Story" don't let the problems of your day or even your week/month /year get you down, have a cry, do what you have to do then MOVE ON. Leave it be , pick yourself up and GO ,climb onto your luck dragon and fly high for if you don't you will most likely find yourself with bed sores on prozac, FYI I do not have bed sores nor am i on Meds, but i was sad/mad. My pill is Pilates and I need more of it and i need to find a way to make that happen. Stability and Pilates are my prescription for moving on and i am the only one who can fulfill that prescription,just as you are the only one who can fulfill yours.

Never give up and good luck will find you.