February 2018: Natural Movement Therapy

Natural Movement Therapy ANOUNCEMENT: please sign up for your class of interest, last call to sign up for the Friday class at 1:15. The new sessions are starting March 2nd. Please go to https://www.esquimalt.ca/parks-recreation/programs-registration and choose Natural Movement Therapy to register for this class. Below a complete summary of systems we worked on. Please enjoy practicing! If you have any question or would like more instuctional Videos please contact me at info@oriri.ca Jessica will teach two next classes and than I am back with completely New Material! See you in class! Dr. Katrine B. Hegillman Warm up We started with breath work and visualizations. Making sure to utilize our belly breathing and if you are comfortable, your ujjayi breath. Picturing that during each you take in new clean energy and move it around your body. Awakening your muscles and organs and providing yourself with a little boost in energy. As you breath in imagine the energy swirling around any part of your body that may be holding tension or carrying stagnant energy. LEt yourself relax and focus during this time where we prepare our bodies for the class.  5 Tibetans 1. Stand erect with arms outstretched horizontal to the floor, palms facing down. Your arms ought to be in line with your shoulders. Spin around clockwise until you become slightly dizzy. Gradually increase number of spins from 1 spin to 21 spins. At first most adults will be able to spin around only about half a dozen times before becoming quite dizzy. As a beginner you ought not to attempt to do more. Breathing: Inhale and exhale deeply as you do the spins. Alternative to 1. Stand with your feet about 12 inches apart. Extend your arms palms down until your arms are level with your shoulders. Swing your arms to the right, letting your slapping your left hand against your right shoulder, with your right hand slapping against the small of your back. Then swing your arms in the opposite direction, having your right hand slap against your left shoulder and the back of your left hand slap against the small of your back. As you swing back and forth allow your torso and legs to follow the movement. Allow your heels to lift from the floor but do not allow either foot to completely leave the floor. As you swing right turn your head right, and turn your head left as you swing to the left. Breathing: Breathe in rhythm to your swinging Movement. 2. Lie flat on the floor face up. Fully extend your arms along your sides and place the palms of your hands against the floor, keeping fingers close together. Then raise your head off the floor tucking your chin into your chest. As you do this, lift your legs, knees straight, into a vertical position. If possible, extend the legs over the body towards your head. Do not let the knees bend. Then slowly lower the legs and head to the floor, always keeping the knees straight. Allow the muscles to relax, and repeat. Breathing: Breathe in deeply as you lift your head and legs and exhale as you lower your head and legs. Alternative to 2. Lie down on the floor and elevate your head and shoulders propping up on your elbows keeping your forearms flat on the floor, palms facing down. Keeping your legs straight, hold them off the floor for 20 or 30 seconds. Breathing: Inhale as you raise your legs, breathe in and out normally while holding your legs up, and exhale as you lower your legs. 3. Kneel on the floor with the body erect. The hands should be placed on the backs of your thigh muscles. Incline the head and neck forward, tucking your chin in against your chest. Then throw the head and neck backward, arching the spine. Your toes should be curled under through this exercise. As you arch, you will brace your arms and hands against the thighs for support. After the arching return your body to an erect position and begin the rite all over again. Breathing: Inhale as you arch the spine and exhale as you return to an erect position. Alternative to 3. Stand with your back to the wall and your feet 12 - 18 inches apart. Without moving your feet bend forward from the hips so that your buttocks rest against the wall. Slide downward, bending your knees as you go. Keep sliding down until your thighs are horizontal, as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold this position for 15 seconds and then slide back up. Breathing: Begin to exhale as you slide down to the chair position and inhale when slide back up. 4. Sit down on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and your feet about 12" apart. With the trunk of the body erect, place the palms of your hands on the floor alongside your buttocks. Then tuck the chin forward against the chest. Now drop the head backward as far as it will go. At the same time raise your body so that the knees bend while the arms remain straight. Then tense every muscle in your body. Finally let the muscles relax as you return to your original sitting position. Rest before repeating this Rite. Breathing: Breathe in as you rise up, hold your breath as you tense the muscles, and breathe out fully as you come down. Alternative to 4. Lie flat on your back, your arms straight, palms down, feet flat, and knees bent. Press your pelvis up a few inches off the floor and hold it for 10 seconds. Release and lower your pelvis to its original position. Breathing: Inhale as you lift your pelvis and Exhale as you lower your pelvis. 5. Lie down with your face down to the floor. The hands palms down against the floor and the toes in the flexed position will support you. Throughout this rite, the hands and feet ought to be kept straight. Start with your arms perpendicular to the Floor, and the spine arched, so that the body is in a sagging position. Now throw the head back as far as possible. The, bending at the hips, bring the body up into an inverted "V." At the same time, bring the chin forward, tucking it against the chest. Breathing: Breathe in deeply as you raise the body, and exhale fully as you lower the body. example video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d33Zy9nVkFk 8 Brocades An Exercise of body and inner strength, it will enhance the blood circulation of the body and help provide oxygen, energy, and increase lymph and blood circulation. 8 smple moves for improving health. 8 Brocades 1. Palms raised to the heavens to Regulate Triple Warmer   Stand in the Horse Stance, empty the lungs and relax. Inhale and raise the hands palms up slowly. When the palms reach heart, level turn them around to face upwards and continue raising them. Palms are raised to heaven upon completion of inhalation. Stretch all the way up lifting the heels off the ground. Exhale smoothly while bringing back the arms slowly down to the sides an lower both heels to return to a standing position with hands relaxed at the sides.  Benefits: Balances energy in all the internal organs (The Triple Burner refers to the Heart, Lungs and Stomach). 2. Drawing the Bow  Stand in a lower Horse Stance. Relax your hands and lift them up to the chest area. As you breathe in, push out with one hand while pulling back the other as though shooting with a bow and arrow. Repeat the procedure for both sides. Breath in when pulling back breathe out when returning to the center.  Benefits: Realigns the back muscles and the spine. Strengthens the muscles of the arms abdomen, back and legs. Promotes overall good health and vitality.  3. Separating the Heavens and the Earth   Stand in the Horse. Bring the hands below the navel with palms facing up the sky. Inhale while raising both hands together up to heart level. When the hands reach the heart and the breath is full, turn one palm out and around 360 degrees so that it faces the sky and continue raising it, and turn the other palm in and around 180 degrees so that it faces the ground and bring it down. Exhale while you turn both palms around and slowly bring them back to heart level.   Breath and reverse sides.  Benefits: Invigorates the torso with energy from the heavens and from the earth. Opens the chest for deeper breathing.  4. Wise Owl Gazes Backwards   Stand upright, feet together and look to the far distance. Breath in. Turn the head to one side following with eyes to look behind you. Keep the trunk of the body straight. Repeat this head turning routine for both sides. Breathe out when turning, breathe in when returning.  Benefits: Exercises the neck and eyes muscles, releases tension. Nourishes the internal organs with vital energy and freshly oxygenated blood.  5. Deer Shaking its Tail and Looking Back   Stand in a low Horse Stance. Place your hands-on top of your knees.   Shift your weight to your left leg and press down heavily with your hand.  Turn your head to the left side and look backward while extending your right leg.   Repeat the same thing on the other side.  Benefits: Expels Fire Energy from the system by drawing it out through the lungs and energy gates.  6. Press the Earth and Touch the Sky   Stand in a relaxed stance not too low, i.e. not horse stance. Bring your arms to your dantien (navel area) as if you are cradling a beach ball, bring it up above your head and gather the fresh energy on an inhale. Then exhale and bring your hands back down to your dantien letting the new energy wash over you. Place your hands on your lower abdominals and pull them behind feeling the warmth of your hands and the energy to your kidneys. Take a breath here. Now on an exhale bend forward at the hips keeping a straight back and go as low as you can, running your hands down the outside of your legs until you are holding your big toe (if possible). Take some breaths in this position.     Inhale as you raise up to standing, tracing your inner legs beginning with ankle and calf area and up past inner thighs & groin to your dantien (inhaling all the way and pulling the earth energy with you) and back into your beginning position.    Benefits: Stretches and tones the entire spinal column. Promotes the circulation of freshly oxygenated blood to the brain. Balances energy flow between the front and back and the upper and lower parts of the body.  7. Punching Forward with a Fierce Gaze   Stand in a lower Horse Stance. Hold your fists beside your waist.   Extend one arm to the side in a twisting punch motion. Glare fiercely at an imaginary opponent or let go of angry thoughts and feelings pushing them away. Imagine that energy is projected from the fist.  your other hand stays beside your waist in a tight fist. Bring the extended arm back, repeat on the other side. Exhale as you punch, inhale as the arm moves back.  Benefits: Angry and tense feelings are dispelled. Additional oxygen is supplied to the blood.  8. Lifting up the Heels   Stand in the Horse and look straight in the distance. Let your arms hang loosely at your sides. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and empty your mind of all thoughts. Lift the heels off the ground as you inhale. Remain stable using the toes for balance. Lower the heels back to the ground as you exhale or drop faster if you like. Repeat the procedure breathing in when lifting the heels and breathing out when lowering them. Repeat this, 6 times and on the last one hold the position for as long as you can. Benefits: Generates waves of energy, improves blood flow to the internal organs, which helps detoxify them. Enhances the balance and coordination. Draws terrestrial energy up from the earth through to the soles. example video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445Fz8AQvX8 Shibashi 18 Postures Opening Position (Wuji Stance) Stand with feet shoulder width apart and your arms hanging down. Your palms face in to your thighs as you relax your whole body keeping your knees slightly bent and clearing the mind. • remain in this posture for a few minutes example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_qwK8GykFA 1. Commencing Form Raise arms to shoulders: Turn palms to face down, with fingers pointing downwards and slightly curved as you raise your body and draw your arms up to shoulder height and width. Next your palms continue to face down, with elbows and wrists slightly bent as you return them to hip height, as your bend your knees and slightly sink towards the floor. Repeat 6 times Breathing: Inhale as you raise your arms and exhale as you lower them. 2. Broadening One's Chest Raise arms to shoulders: Raise your body and draw your arms up to shoulder height and width. Elbows and wrists are slightly bent and your palms face down. From here open your arms out by turning your palms to face each other then drawing your hands away from each other. In the final position your arms are fully extended at your sides and your palms face forward. Now draw your hands towards each other again with your palms facing each other. Bring them together until they are about shoulder width apart. From here you turn your palms to face down again with your fingers slightly curved upward as they move towards the ground. As you do this bend your knees and sink slightly towards the floor. Repeat 6 times Breathing: Inhale as you raise and open your arms and exhale as you close and lower them. 3. Painting the Rainbow Raise arms over head: draw your arms straight up and fully extend them (careful not to lock your elbows) turn your palms so that they face each other. Next, transfer your weight to one leg and slightly push your hip out in that direction while keeping your knees slightly bent. Extend your arms in the opposite direction, palms facing each other. Following your palms with your head moving them from one side, over your head to the other side making sure to shift your weight from one hip to the next as you do so. Repeat 6 times on Both sides. Breathing: Inhale in centre and exhale as you lean to one side. 4. Circling Arms Cross your hands at your waist making sure to keep your right hand closest to you (for females) or your let hand closest (for males). From here, straighten your legs and back a little as you raise your arms in front of you, over your head while keeping them crossed. Then separate your hands and extend your arms fully up and out keeping the elbows slightly bent and your shoulders relaxed palms face up. then cross them again once they return to the lowered position. Repeat 6 times. Breathing: Inhale as you raise your arms and exhale as you lower them. We will work more with the 18 postures in later classes.  Meridian Excerises by my teacher Stephen Brown Sensei from Seattle: http://www.zenshiatsuseattle.com/content/meridian-exercises More in depth material will be presented in March/April sessions of this Master Massunaga Systems.cription for your image. Meridian Excerises by my teacher Stephen Brown Sensei from Seattle: http://www.zenshiatsuseattle.com/content/meridian-exercises More in depth material will be presented in March/April sessions of this Master Massunaga Systems. Class Reminders Jessica has been doing a great job as the instructor to help guide you through the movements until Dr. Hegillman is back. We hope you enjoy the class with her and we look forward to seeing you all there! New Schedule for Classes: Fridays 1:15 pm Esquimalt CC (starting March 2nd) Mondays 5:30 pm Esquimalt CC (starting April 9th) Thursdays 9 am Vic West CC (starting April 12th) follow us on facebook: @oririacupuncture twitter: @oririhealth