Heel Lifts Sitting with a Strap

Heel lifts Sitting with a Strap



Sit on a firm chair that allows you to have your knees and hips bent to 90°.


Your feet should point straight ahead, and your feet, knees, and hips should be in a straight line.


Place a belt or strap around the thighs just above the knees. Roll your pelvis forward, and sit tall
on “sit bones” under the buttocks. This should create an arch in your lower back. From this position, place a slight but constant pressure on the strap outward around your legs. While maintaining this sitting position and the pressure on the strap, lift and lower your heels off the floor using your top upper thigh muscles.


Don’t let your calves do all the work.

3-15 Repetitions


Purpose: To strengthen the hip muscles and stabilize the spine.


See page 97 for photo and more details.

Supine adductor squeezes

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Feet point straight ahead. Feet, knees, and hips should be in a straight line. Arms straight out, shoulder level on the floor with the palms facing up. Place a 6 to 8 inch ball or pillow between your knees. Gently squeeze and release the pillow with your knees. Feel the pressure in your inner thighs.

3 to 20 repetitions

Purpose: To activate the inner thigh muscles (pelvic stabilization). Also, helps to bring the inner thigh rotation at the hip joint.

Page 95

Reverse Bench Press

Reverse bench Press in 90-90 Neutral Back.

Page 94: Lie on your back with your legs draped over a chair.
Place your arms at shoulder level.
Bend the elbows to 90 degrees so that the wrists are directly over the elbows.
Your hands are open with the palms of the hands facing forward.
Gently press and release your elbows into the floor.
This should cause your shoulder blades to come together.
Do this without shrugging your shoulders.

Purpose: To correct the position of the sholders.

3 to 15 repetitions.

90-90 NEUTRAL POSITION

Lie on back with legs draped over a chair. The height of the chair should allow the knees and hips to form a 90 degree angle. Arms by your side, at shoulder level, with the palms facing the ceiling. Relax in this position and allow the back muscles to relax.

Hold the position for 10 minutes or longer until you feel your entire body relax.

The Pain-Free Program by Anthony B. Carey

Hi,

If you scroll way down to the bottom of the page you will see a widget for the Pain-Free Program book.

It is very inexpensive. I recommend this book as one that is in line with Yoga for Relaxation and Rest. While is is based on the modern physiological science of biomechanics, it is really a type of modern day Asana or postural exercise book which well-illustrates the second principle of Yoga, Exercise!

Much of the initial text is rather technical, but if you skip to sections 7 and 8 we can start doing the exercises that will help you with pain, posture, and energy.

There are several basic exercises and then exercises that relate to each individual's postural problems.

Order the book now from my widget and let me know which exercises you want to go over.

You can see Anthony on a number of videos on his website: www.movementbydesign.com

Principles of Yoga - The Five Principles of Yoga


The Five Principles of Yoga are the basis of attaining a healthy body and mind through the Practice of Yoga. In this section, we give you detailed information on these Five Principles:


Principle 1: Proper Relaxation


By releasing the tension in the muscles and putting the whole body at rest, you revitalize your Nervous System and achieve inner peace, making you feel relaxed and refreshed. This relaxed feeling is carried over into all your activities and helps you conserve your energy and let go of all worries and fears.


Principle 2: Proper Exercise

This principle revolves around the idea that our physical body is meant to move and exercise. Proper Exercise is achieved through the Yoga Postures or Asana which systematically works on all parts of the body - stretches and tones the Muscles and Ligaments, enhances the flexibility of the spine and the joints, and improves Blood Circulation. The asanas are designed to regulate the physical and physiological functions of the body. Practicing these Yoga Poses makes your body relaxed, gives you more strength and energy, and rejuvenates the various systems of the body. The Yoga Posture goes together with Proper Breathing. Each movement and stretch should be guided by your breath, making your movement and your breath coordinated and feel like one and the same. The execution of the Asana is beneficial to the body, and at the same time contributes to spiritual and Mental growth.


Principle 3: Proper Breathing


This means breathing fully and rhythmically, making use of all the parts of your Lungs to increase your oxygen intake. Proper Breathing should be deep, slow and rhythmical. To achieve this, you need to be able to regulate the length and duration of your inhalation, exhalation, and the retention of air in your lungs or the pauses between breath. Yoga Breathing Exercises or Pranayama teaches you on how you can recharge your body and control your mental state by regulating the flow of Prana - the life force. This helps you achieve a calmer and more focused mind, and increases your energy level.


Principle 4: Proper Diet

What you eat extremely affects your mind. Improper diet results to mental inefficiency and blocks spiritual awareness. Proper Diet is one that nourishes both mind and body. It should be well balanced and based on natural foods. Proper Diet in Yoga also means eating in moderation and eating only when you are hungry. We sometimes tend to eat when we are upset, using food to fill the gap or the emptiness that we feel. Bad eating habits will cause our senses to be dull that we won't even notice how much we eat or how it tastes and may result to diet related ailments like Obesity and Diabetes. Food should sustain our body. It should keep the body light and supple, the mind calm, and it should also help in keeping a strong immune system.


Principle 5: Positive Thinking and Meditation

The way we think highly affects our way of life. Practice keeping a positive outlook in life, this will facilitate in having a peaceful mind. Positive thinking and Meditation helps you remove negative thoughts and puts your mind under perfect control.

In our next posting we will start to go into each Principle in detail.

Jordan Richman