Restore Motion is excited to introduce a twice weekly vinyasa yoga class taught by veteran yoga teacher, Nina Helms. Nina has extensive experience practicing yoga since 1994 and was certified to teach at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA in 2002. She combines her yoga expertise with her knowledge from her own struggles with injury and pelvic pain. Trained by the Yoga industry’s luminaries, Helms takes a non-dogmatic approach and is sensitive to body limitations while focusing on integrating strength, flexibility and balance. Nina’s teaching incorporates knowledge of the anatomy, familiarity with pain and the ability to coach to each practitioner’s ability and experience level. Join her every Tuesday at 11:00am or Wednesday evening at 6:00 to create space, healing and strength in your body and spirit.
Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, and Miriam Graham, DPT (December 2017) with Dr. Boorstein’s books Happiness is an Inside Job and Pay Attention for Goodness Sake.
Current neuroscience states 8 minutes of meditation a day will change brain structure positively!
Meditation is about choosing an object on which to REST your mind. The mind frequently wanders to the past or to the future. GENTLY bring your mind back to REST on the chosen object. Typically, you will go through several cycles back and forth, starting and restarting in any one session. That IS meditation, the exercise that brings about resilience. Just like exercise for your body, meditation requires effort and repetition.
The phrases used in meditation help gather and direct your attention. You can sit, stand (or walk slowly if it is more comfortable to be on the move). If possible, close your eyes while sitting or standing, this will help you bring your attention inward. Comfortably support your spine. It is helpful to have a timer to set for 2, 4, 5 or 8 minutes. Try this mindfulness phrase to exercise being in the present for 2 minutes:
Breathe in: May I be present in this moment. Breathe out: May I meet it as a friend
Once you feel comfortable with 2 minutes, challenge yourself to 4 minutes. Remember the exercise is to bring yourself back to the phrase and breathing. You ARE doing it RIGHT if you have to redirect yourself back from wandering onto your grocery list or starting to fall asleep… That is the exercise!
Last December I attended a 6-hour meditation retreat lead by Sylvia Boorstein and Sharon Salzberg. Both women were engaging speakers and I appreciated how simply they presented “Metta” or “Loving Kindness” meditation. Metta is a Pali word that is translated as “loving kindness,” fierce compassion or freedom of heart. Next installment we will introduce a cycle of phrases to practice a Metta Meditation. Until then, enjoy the respite of taking just a few minutes to withdraw and rejuvenate in this moment.
PILATES AND YOUR GAME The Pilates principles of core stabilization address posture, breathing, muscle performance and motor control. Pilates sessions break down faulty movement patterns, and enable the practitioner to work on new movement strategies. Pilates can be integrated into any rehab phase, from the most acute to advanced sport-specific training.
Q: What is Pilates and how do you say it? A: Pilates (pronounced Pi-La-Tees) in named after Joseph Pilates who first devised the exercise program during the Second World War. Pilates is a form of exercise that concentrates on the “core” or trunk area, including the stomach and low back, promoting strength and flexibility in a controlled manner. People who do Pilates often describe themselves as getting “longer and leaner”.
Q: I have some friends who do Pilates mat classes and others who do it on equipment. Is there a difference? A: Pilates can be done on a mat or the floor, but it can also utilize equipment called reformers that resemble a table with different springs and attachments that alter resistance. There are many different pieces of equipment that are now being used in a Pilates program.
Q: Is it better to take classes or do private lessons? A: Pilates is a very specific form of exercise, and it is best taught on an individual basis initially. Progressing into small group classes can then be done. Of greatest importance is learning from a highly-qualified Pilates instructor.
Q: Would doing Pilates regularly improve my sports performance? A: Many people think that powerful tennis strokes come from the arms and shoulders. This is untrue. The power comes from proper weight transfer and rotation of the trunk and hips region. A strong “core” will certainly help the tennis game, and Pilates is an excellent form of exercise for the core region. Pilates can also be made “sport specific” by doing arm and leg movements whilst keeping the trunk stable. In fact, many of the top professional players are now incorporating Pilates into their fitness program to improve their game.
Q: Will I become more flexible and be able to move better? A: Quite possibly, and in addition to strengthening, Pilates also increases flexibility and will improve any sporting performance. It will even carry over to your golf game!
Q: I have a chronic back problem, is Pilates a good idea? A: Pilates can be extremely effective for back pain patients. We have seen tremendous results with our caseload of patients, and it is a low impact form of exercise that can be undertaken by people with many different physical conditions. If you already suffer from an ailment, make sure that your Pilates instructor understands the condition and teaches you appropriately.
Written by: Reshma Rathod
Picture from: www.premapilatesbarre.com
PILATES AND YOUR GAME