The Art of Relaxation

“The soul that moves in the world of the senses and yet keeps the senses in harmony… finds rest in quietness.”  Bhagavad Gi

Re-lax-a-tion

1. The act of relaxing or the state of being relaxed. 2. Refreshment of body or mind; recreation 3. A loosening or slackening. 4. A reduction in strictness or severity. 5. The lengthening of inactive muscle or muscle fibers. 6. The return or adjustment of a system to equilibrium

Relaxation – the benefits are hugely under-rated. It brings peace to the mind and a quietness to the soul. When i have introduced even very short relaxations to groups, the benefits are surprisingly significant and memorable. And yet many of us make little time to relax and even when we do, we choose activities like television.

What happens when we deeply relax? The nervous system is calmed, the heart rate drops, the breath deepens, muscles and connective tissue relaxes, releasing held tension, and the mind becomes less full of thoughts: the result is that we ‘feel good’.

My own experience with relaxation is that it is a very easy thing to do, once you know how and yet, its super tricky before you’ve worked out ‘what it is’ to relax; and it can be crazy trying to figure out how to get there. It took me two years of Yoga some 16 years ago to get even the beginnings of relaxation. I used to dread the final relaxation pose because i just could NOT keep still! I would get an itch or a pain in some body part and it would drive me insane! I used to try to tire myself by cycling to the class or running before the class, but it didnt really help…still i would be counting the seconds…when can i get up and MOVE!!!!!Yet interestingly i did still find it beneficial….?

Now some 16 years later, i cant really connect to that impatient and restless person but  i do still remember. So i know, yes it’s an Art, a relief and a moment just for me: the true me!

Now i do better…

Now i do better…

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” Maya Angelou

Article about giving up regrets and looking at what creates happiness in life on a personal level. Worth a read.

Three Piece Suite & other honest outfits

Three Piece Suite & other honest outfits

This struck a chord for me….beauty and truth, or truth and beauty, whichever you prefer really ( but don’t get bedazzled).

Energy Medicine

The body and mind are inextricably linked. What you feel and think affects the health of your body AND the health of your body affects what you feel and how you think. It’s not voodoo, mystical or new-age hooey, it’s just common sense. 

 

If we look to quantum physics we are all just energy. Millions of electrons buzzing around neutrons with a positive or negative electro-magnetic charge. The energy of one substance reacts with another. This is not a scientific explanation (of which you can find many) but a brief synopsis to give you the basic idea. And we see this energy exchange everyday.

For instance,someone you like smiles at you and you share ‘a moment’; or something  you really like happens (say you win the lottery) and suddenly your whole system changes in an instant ( elations, euphoria, disbelief). Perhaps before that you were feeling sluggish or tired but with this new information, your whole system floods with energy.

How we feel and what we believe about ourselves has huge impact on our health….

There are studies that show that molecules that are told words like’ beautiful’ or played ‘calm’ music are round or symmetrical in shape; whereas ones told words like ‘ugly’ or played discordant music are lopsided and unsymmetrical in appearance. Stands to reason then that the same would happen to us ( since we are made up of molecules). Most interesting is findings similar to this one by Aaron O’Connell who shows us how ‘solid’ matter is both moving and still at the same time, and influenced massively by its environment.And we are all in this state: a mass of electrons orbiting neutrons…think the Matrix when he starts to see the data and the solid world disappears….

Energy Medicine

Reblogged from In the Zo...:

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The body and mind are inextricably linked. What you feel and think affects the health of your body AND the health of your body affects what you feel and how you think. It’s not voodoo, mystical or new-age hooey, it’s just common sense. 

If we look to quantum physics we are all just energy. Millions of electrons buzzing around neutrons with a positive or negative electro-magnetic charge.

Read more… 227 more words

Compared 2 u…..

Nothing compares to you ( a line made famous by a song by Sinead o’ Connor may years ago)Nothing compares to you….or to him…or to HER..or to THEM!!!!! And here is the state of our unrest, our lack of peace. This is how we makes ourselves less than and not enough…

There is always someone ‘out there’ who is more beautiful, successful, courageous, virtuous, interesting, sexy, wonderful than you..

..if where you are looking is out there, there is probably many and ever multiplying people who can do it better, say it slicker….and why? …because YOU say so. No! I don’t mean that it’s what you intentionally want, but it IS what you are focusing on.When we focus on others: when we compare what and who we are with what and who they are; we are always the loser.

The trick is to focus on yourself, because nobody can BE you, quite like YOU can. YOU are unique and special, and PERFECTly imperfect, just as you are…..

THE REAL GENIUS IS…..believing in YOU ( as much as we do!)

Pilates – What can it do for you?

What is pilates?

Pilates is an exercise method, designed to elongate, strengthen and restore the body to balance.

Based upon an anatomical understanding of the body’s muscular and skeletal systems, the Pilates teacher creates a comprehensive exercise programme for the client. Classes will focus on specific areas individually whilst using exercises that integrate the whole body to re-educate and restore it to optimum muscular and skeletal function.

It is this holistic approach that sets Pilates apart from many other forms of exercise. Osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners recommend Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today.

Pilates can be beneficial for just about everyone, regardless of age and fitness level.T
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. In order to achieve happiness, it is imperative to gain mastery of your body. If at the age of 30 you are stiff and out of shape, you are old. If at 60 you are supple and strong then you are young.” Joseph Pilates

4 *MUST* REASONS TO DO PILATES

1. Improves posture,mobility and  flexibility of the spine.

2. Delivers muscle tone and  flexibility

3. Promotes a more efficient  and supportive core, increasing stability for the  pelvis and shoulders

4. Fosters the health of joints  through improved mobility  and support from the  surrounding musculature

WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED:-

Facilitates injury prevention and physical rehabilitation
Builds better balance and coordination, particularly for the elderly
Offers a safe and excellent form of exercise for ante and post-natal women
Alleviates aches and pains
Helps maintain and can improve bone density
Develops the function and efficiency of the lungs with improvement in circulation
Offers a safe and beneficial form of exercise for a wide range of medical conditions, including Scoliosis, Osteoporosis, Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis.

THE ‘FEEL GOOD’ (AND VANITY) REASONS!!!!!:-

Makes you look and feel better
Relieves stress and tension and promotes a feeling of well-being
Expands body awareness
Integrates mind, body and spirit
Improves quality of life.

In the words of Joseph himself….Less is more, baby!

For one to one pilates, yoga or other functional exercise: individual small group sessions contact  Zomadic on zomadic.org@gmail.com or Active Health Centre on  0113 2555077 …..Feel better fast

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Is it logic?

“What truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me to the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional, and back. I have made the most important discovery of my career – the most important discovery of my life. It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reason can be found. I am only here tonight because of you. You are the only reason I am. You are all my reasons.”

Love has the reputation of being totally illogical. It has the reputation of madness, insanity, despair…and much more. But this is not Love, this is infatuation, attraction, passion, obsession or whatever else you’d like to call it…this is attachment.

Love is something altogether different. Love is a commitment to care for another person (or yourself actually) whether the things they do make you happy or fulfill your needs or not. Love is seeing and accepting who someone really is and the choices they make for their life, even if they don’t make sense to you…And LOVE is not confined to another person, it exists within you, around you: it’s everywhere. That person you adore, is just fantastic inspiration. They are the music for your dance or the fuel for your fire. Pure logic really!

Magic Moves for Simple Solutions!

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Pain in the back? It’s all in the Kidneys !

Hey Presto! Headache gone!

Stiff as a board ?  Not any more!

Chesty cough? Its all in the thumbs!

Pain in the neck? Not for long!

Zomadic offers treatments in Thai Yoga Massage, Reflexology and Reiki. For those who are new to these, here’s a short description.

Thai Yoga Massage is a powerful and deeply penetrating massage therapy, combining acupressure, gentle stretching and applied Yoga.

Read more… 479 more words

REFER FRIEND 10%DEAL....because the TIME to relax is when you don't have time.

The Monkey King

There was once a kingdom of monkeys in the forest. The King of the Monkeys was very very large, and was very kind and wise. One day, the King was strolling & he noticed mango trees along the side of a river. He also noticed a human castle downstream. He then ordered the monkeys to remove all the mangos from these trees, “or there would be diseaster”. The monkeys did not understand the King’s intention, but they did as told anyway. All the mangos were taken off these trees except one. This one was hidden behind a nest.

One day, this mango was ripe and fell into the river. It flowed downstream where the human King was having a bath. He noticed the mango & asked the Prime Minister what it was. The PM told him it was a “mango”, a fruit of wonderful taste. The King then ordered that the mango be cut into small pieces & he gave a small piece to each of his ministers. When satisfied that the mango was not poisonous, he ate the rest of it & realized how tasty it was. He craved for more.

The next day, the human king, with his troops, went upstream to search for more of these fruits. There were lots of mango trees, but also lots of monkeys. The human king doesn’t want to share the mangos with the monkeys, so he ordered all of them to be killed. A massacre started.

When the news reached the wise Monkey King, he commented, “The day has finally arrived”. The thousands of monkeys were chased all the way to the edge of the forest. There was a deep cliff at the edge of the forest, and a bamboo forest at the other side of the cliff. The Monkey King saw that if his subjects could cross over to the bamboo forest, they will be saved.

With his huge body, he formed a bridge over the cliff and thousands of monkeys trampled over him to reach the safety of the bamboo forest. He endured all the pain. One monkey did not like the King & he saw this as an opportunity to get even. As he was crossing over the King’s body, he pierced a spear through the King’s heart. The King screamed in pain but endured the pain until all his subjects were safely across. Then he collapsed.

The human king witnessed the whole thing. He was so touched that he ordered the Monkey King be saved. When the Monkey King recovered his consciousness, the human king asked him, “You are their King, why did you bother to die for them?”. The Monkey King replied, “Because I am their King”. With that, he died.

The human king was so touched that he decided to be a good king from that day and he ordered that the monkeys in the bamboo forest be protected from harm forever.

( Extract from Jakarta  http://www.serve.com/cmtan/buddhism/Stories/monkey.html)