“Health depends on being in harmony with our souls, it is our heritage and our right. It is the complete and full union between soul, mind and body; and this is not a difficult far-away ideal to attain, but one so easy and natural that many of us have overlooked it.”
Dr. Edward Bach

The Bach Flower Remedies were discovered in England in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach, a medical doctor and homeopath. When working with his clients, he realized that mental attitudes have a direct and powerful effect on the healing process. Dr. Bach had the desire to treat the whole person and not only work with the symptoms of a disease. He intuitively knew that his answers were to be found in nature, and he discovered 38 flowers that help balance negative mental and emotional states to promote healing. Today they are known as the Bach Flower Remedies.

The Bach Flower Remedies system is comprised of 38 remedies, each prepared from specific wild flowers and tree blossoms. The exception is Rock Water, made from a natural spring with healing properties. Each one resonates with a specific mental and emotional state. There is a combination of five remedies designed for difficult and demanding situations which he called the Rescue Remedy. The Bach Flower Remedies represent a complete system of healing directed at the emotional and mental states. They are used in combination to address a variety of emotional and mental conditions.

Two people with the same physical illness such as arthritis or chronic back pain may benefit from quite different Bach Flower Remedies. One person may be resigned to the illness, while the other may be impatient with it. One may suffer from a loss of a parent, another might be overwhelmed with too much work which will also effect the healing process. Different remedies will be appropriate in each case.

By taking the remedies negative attitudes are not suppressed, but are transformed into positive ones. The remedies help to stimulate one’s potential for self-healing and free the body and mind to fully engage in fighting the disease and stress. A person doesn’t have to be physically ill to benefit from the Bach Flower Remedies. The remedies are also invaluable in times of stress, high demands and difficulties to restore balance before physical symptoms appear.

The Bach Flower Remedies are gentle, safe and non-toxic. They are often used in addition to other forms of treatment and do not interfere with them. The Bach Flower Remedies are manufactured in the UK, under strict guidelines for safety and purity and are available in 66 countries worldwide.

Heike Walker is a student of the Bach Flower Education Program. She will offer Bach Flower Consultations for half price until she is certified as a Bach Flower Remedies Practitioner, BFRP, by the Bach Foundation in the UK. To book a consultation, please contact Heike 778-245-1750

Dr. Dean Fishman, a chiropractor in Plantation, Florida, coined the term ‘text neck’ in 2008 when he explained to a patient’s mother why the girl was in pain. He noticed the teenaged daughter in the corner texting friends, bending her neck forward as she typed. He told the mom, “See that’s what I am talking about – text neck”, a posture that puts you out of alignment. Since then this term refers to an overuse syndrome of head, neck and shoulders resulting from excessive strain on the spine while looking down at any handheld mobile device.

The relationship between bad posture and mobile devices has increased significantly with the advance of modern technology over the last few years. Everywhere we see people with ‘text necks’ using mobile phones in restaurants, at red lights in their cars, walking through the mall or waiting in line at the grocery store. It seems many people want to “stay connected” all day long. Well, this behavior takes its toll, and we might want to reconsider if it is worth it to be “reachable” 24/7.

Health experts suggest taking frequent breaks from using technology and moving as much as possible. Neck and shoulder exercises help to increase flexibility and reduce muscle tension. Getting into the habit of phoning people instead of texting may also solve the problem easily.

Some health practitioners advocate the use of the “text neck indicator”. This mobile app gives you a green indicator light when presumably the phone is held at an acceptable angle and a red light when you hold the phone too low. Supposedly this takes care of the problem. But does it?

It is ironic to think that using another app on the phone could correct the habitual posture associated with the phone. Finding a better position for the handheld device might be a start. However, it doesn’t deal with the unconscious movement behaviour, that of putting the head forward and down in a damaging way.

We become so immersed in our activities such as texting or writing on the laptop, we can readily forget about the body until it hurts. It is easy to get sucked into the world on the screen in front of us. The most important factor in improving body posture is self awareness. We cannot develop awareness when we are constantly exposed to a stream of information, interaction and communication. Being able to give ourselves breaks, being quiet and connecting to our own selves is necessary for change.

So here is what I suggest: Use the ‘Alexander Technique app’. Apply the principles of the Alexander Technique to texting, using any technology, sitting at the computer, making a phone call – or to living your life! With the Alexander Technique you begin to cultivate a broader awareness. You learn how to monitor and organize your whole body while you are texting. This allows your head to balance freely on the top of the spine, the way it is meant to. No worries about a ‘text neck’ anymore!

Respect for the body’s healing powers was not born with the development of new healing methods of today goes back thousands of years in Japan, China, Egypt and Peru. The ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates (430 – 377 BC) was the founder in the West of Natural Medicine. The first principle of Hippocrates was that medicine must respect and support nature’s healing power within every living organism. He taught that nature itself is the first and only true healer. Nature heals and the physician is the mere helper of nature. The doctor’s job is to support the natural healing capacity when it becomes weak. In Hippocrates’ opinion, the doctor must learn to wait, let the disease run its course, and only intervene when necessary. Hippocrates writings also insist that the patient must take responsibility for his own health. He recognized that illness is often caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. He recommended healthy baths, sweating, healthy diet, good sleep and gymnastics in the morning sun to support health and happiness.

Paracelsus (1493 – 1541), a physician of the Middle Ages, also respected the healing powers of Nature and challenged the prevailing beliefs of contemporary doctors. Paracelsus attacked the dogmatic belief that the human body was controlled exclusively by the stars and the planets. Both Hippocrates and Paracelsus stressed that the physician must discover the root or cause of the disease by observation and individual diagnosis. They must take into account not only the symptoms, but the person as a whole including the constitution, age, profession, and momentarily situation.

In my Reflexology training, my teacher spoke of the “inner doctor” referring back to Hippocrates and Paracelsus. Therapeutic Reflexology helps the body’s innate mechanism to respond well to illness and stress. While Reflexology may be used at first to reduce pain and relieve specific symptoms, its primary purpose is to strengthen and support all body functions. Therapeutic Reflexology communicates with the inner physician, addressing the causes of complaints and diseases rather than just the symptoms. This improves overall health and optimizes the body’s healing powers.

In all our daily activities, our whole body is involved whether we shake a hand, sit at a computer or walk the stairs. Often we have developed movement patterns that interfere with a natural ease of moving. Watch children moving and you realize what you have lost over the years! Without being aware of it, we perform daily activities with too much effort and muscle tension! This may even result in back pain, shoulder and neck pain or compression on the joints.

What is the way out? How can we prevent ourselves from harming our bodies? Here are some suggestions:

Choose a daily activity you would like to work with. It can be doing the dishes or brushing your teeth, something you do every day several times. Next time you perform this activity, stop and become aware of HOW you do the activity.

Are you in a rush? Doing things quickly often results in excess tension. Can you slow down a little? Does it already feel different? Are you able to let go of unnecessary effort?

Be aware of your breathing. Are you holding your breath? How deep are you breathing? Just observe your breathing for a moment and notice how your breath is deepening.

Are you raising your shoulders? Well, can you drop them a little? Think of the shoulders widening and going away from each other.

How about your legs? Do you lock your knees? Soften and open your knees, ankles and hips! Now you can bend forward from your hips rather then bending over with your back. What do you notice?

Now just think of your head balancing on the spine for a moment. If you notice that your head is going back and down, just let your chin come closer to your breast bone. Allow you neck to be free!

Continue to scan your body during your activity. Stop for moments and let go of extra effort and tension. Let your joints be soft and open. Notice your feet on the floor and the space above your head. Enjoy your activity!

To further explore these ideas, join me for an Alexander Technique workshop or individual session!

Reflexology has shown to be beneficial for babies with teething problems, colic or sleeping problems. Because the sessions with babies are short, only 10 minutes, I teach parents how to treat their baby’s feet at home.

The treatments for toddlers and up are 20 to 30 minutes long. Children of all ages benefit from Reflexology for ailments such as stuffy nose, belly pain, coughing, sleeping problems, bed wetting, hyperactivity and allergies. It is remarkable to see children change during a series of Reflexology treatments. Often not only the physical ailments get better, but the children also change and grow mentally and emotionally. Let me share a case history of a child I worked with (name is changed):

Christine, a girl of 6 years, came for a series of seven treatments. She had trouble sleeping at night, was very restless during the day, and had a hard time sitting still at school. At first, Christine was very shy and didn’t want to lie down on the treatment table. She was ok when I had her sit upright and watch what I was doing and while her mom was sitting beside her holding her hand. I worked with Christine, starting off with a lymphatic treatment on her feet. During the treatment, Christine started to relax and calm down. By the end of the session, she was lying down. I showed her mother how to touch her feet and suggested that in the evening before Christine goes to bed she put Christine’s feet in warm water and stroke her feet afterwards.

When her mother brought her the next time, she told me that Christine was looking forward to “having her feet done.” She informed me that Christine was sleeping much better the first night after the treatment. Christine also enjoyed their night’s ritual. This time, Christine wanted to lie down right away. I continued the treatments with her twice a week for three weeks. I could watch her feel more and more comfortable each time. She started to talk to me more and brought her favourite book to show to me in one of the sessions. By the end of the treatment series, her mother told me that Christine could fall asleep much easier and didn’t wake up during the night anymore. Her teacher reported she had longer concentration spans at school and was more open, confident and self-balanced.

What does this little game teach us? How does it apply to your life and especially as you approach the Holiday Season? Well, the truth is: We have those three choices 24/7! However, most of us are not aware of it. The time before Christmas is very demanding for many people. Decorating the house, having Christmas parties, going to the children’s concerts, getting gifts, baking cookies and treats, the list goes on and on. The Happy Holiday Season easily turns into a stressful season… Are you aware that you have choices?

You might be stressed to get gifts for the members of your family. Pause for a moment. Maybe another choice can be made such as giving gift certificates, or doing Secret Santa only! Cooking Christmas dinner is very stressful for some people. Why not organize it differently this year? Take some time; you might come up with the decision to ask everybody to bring a dish and share! Do you need to go to all the social events? Do you want to or is it just a habit? After taking a moment, you might find out you would rather spend more time at home with your children or yourself instead.

The Holiday Season is full of stimuli for us to just jump in and just react, do whatever other people or yourself might expect of you. In other words, to just “catch the ball”! Do you want to catch it, not catch it or do something else? It is worthwhile to sit back, stop, and take a moment. Pause and breathe and make a clear decision. In this way, you may enjoy the Holiday Season even more!

Many people come for Reflexology with foot problems such as soreness, plantar fasciitis, swellings or  inflexibility due to injuries. Reflexology helps to heal such issues, but it does even more than that! Because the organs and structures of the whole body are reflected in the foot, stimulating certain areas in the foot affect the corresponding body regions. Reflexology treatments improve many other physical symptoms such as digestive troubles, back, shoulder or neck pain, sleep difficulties or headaches. By promoting the self-healing capabilities in the body, circulation, breathing and digestion improve. Therapeutic Reflexology creates more balance in the whole organism and improves overall health.

In our training course at the School for Reflexotherapy in Germany, we were constantly reminded that we practitioners don’t only have the feet in our hands, but we are dealing with the whole person. We work with the physical body through the touch of the feet and we are also aware that the physicality is not separate from the emotions, the thinking and the spirit. This is evident in our work. I am witnessing many patients who make changes in their lives and in their inner attitude. After a series of sessions, patients often report that they have a more positive outlook on life and they feel better in general. They might say “I feel more grounded” or “I am coming onto my feet”.

The correlation between the feet and the whole self is even reflected in our language. You might have a spring in your step when you are happy. When someone falls in love he/she might be walking on air.  You may take a stand against something or stand your ground.  Or you might walk a fine line or on thin ice. How we walk through life is after all affected by our feet! My goal as a therapist is not to merely reduce physical issues in the body, but to encounter the patient with respect and empathy, encompassing all aspects of life. In that respect, Foot Reflexology is a valuable tool for both improving health and helping the patient get on their feet to walk their path of life.

Learning the principles of the Alexander Technique has been helpful for many computer users. The Alexander Technique is an effective way to work at your desk with better alignment, to maintain a sense of balance and ease while working and to enhance your thinking and your overall productivity. Here you find tips and instructions for a better work day:

First, have a look at your desk and the ergonomic set-up. Take some time to reorganize your work station. It is time well spent as you will experience more ease and clearer thinking while working at your desk. Make sure you are organizing your desk in such a way that it best serves you and your needs. Make yourself be the most important factor in the ergonomic set-up!

• Sit upright on your chair and put your feet flat on the floor (If you are short, put them on a foot rest.) If the seat surface slants backwards, use a wedge.

• Make sure the chair has the right height, so your legs fit easily underneath the desk while your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your knees might be slight below hip level.

• Orient your chair towards your computer on your desk so that your forearms are horizontal to the desk surface or slanted. In this way, your wrists are slightly below your elbows.

• If your main computer is a lap top and you spend many hours a day on the computer, it is worthwhile investing in an external keyboard or monitor.

• Position the top of the screen at your eye level and 18 – 28 inches away from your eyes, close enough that you don’t have to lean forward to read properly.

• Arrange the mouse pad at the same level as the keyboard and within easy reach.

• If you have wrist pain, it may well worth the few hours it takes to become accustomed to an ergonomic keyboard. (Ergonomic keyboards allow the wrists to be longer, so the forearm and hand are more in continuous line.)

Allow the following directions to guide you towards more ease while sitting at the computer. Take a few minutes, before you start working and stop your work frequently to come back to the directions. (Some of my students find it helpful to set an alarm that goes off every 20 min. – as a reminder!) Working with these directions will prevent you from harmful habits such as slouching, crossing your legs, putting your head close to the screen or leaning to one side. Don’t “do” the directions; trust that the words of these directions will affect your body in a way that the quality of your posture and movements will improve.

• Sense the bottoms of your feet on the floor. Allow the feet to spread out and let the weight of your legs travel down the legs, through the feet into the floor.

• Notice your sit bones and let the chair support your body weight through your sit bones on the chair.

• Notice your legs releasing as you let the chair take your body weight.

• Rock your whole torso forward and back several times, then find a balance so you can sit without tension in your hip joints.

• Think up along the spine and let your head balance on the spine.

• Let the muscles of your neck be soft and open and notice the space above your head.

• Play with “yes” and “no” movements of your head, slightly moving your head allowing for more freedom in the neck.

• Be aware of the space behind you. Allow your back to be long and wide.

• Notice the width of your shoulders and the space between the upper arms and the side of your rib cage.

• Let your arms be long and go away from the back. Easy in the joints.

• Notice your breathing and the movement of your ribs and abdomen as you inhale and exhale.

• Be aware of your whole body, from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head. Find ease in your sitting as you calmly breathe in and out.

Many people have grown up hearing “stand up straight” or “be still”. Does it sound familiar? These commands teach us to apply tension and to hold ourselves in a fixed position. Stress and work demands also often cause muscle tension and imbalances in the body. The way we hold ourselves upright often even lead to back pain or neck and shoulder problems.

How do you stand? Do you have an awareness of your standing?

Let’s explore your standing a little bit:

Get up and stand, both feet on the floor about hip width apart. Let your arms hang at your sides. Start observing yourself:

Do you stand more on one leg or the other?

Or is your weight evenly distributed between your legs?

Are your knees locked?

Do you notice any tension in your body, any holding?

Do you feel a tension in your shoulders, your neck or your arms?

Do you curl your fingers or stiffen them?

Are you holding your breath?

Now let’s try something different:

Here are some directions I would like you to think, but not DO. Just trust that your body will be affected by your thoughts.

Allow your arms to be resting at your sides, with your fingers uncurled.

Allow your feet to be spread out on the floor.

Allow yourself to be supported by the floor.

Allow your weight travel down your body, through the feet into the floor.

Notice your whole body from the sole of the feet to the top of the head.

Notice the space between the top of the head and the ceiling.

Notice your breathing for a moment.

Let your knees soften. (Don’t bend them, but let them be unlocked.)

Let your ankles soften.

Let your hip joints soften.

Now close your eyes for the moment and notice a gentle swaying.

I call it the “small dance” (I adapted this term from Steve Paxton, Dancer and originator of Contact Improvisation.)

What do you feel? Are you aware of these movements?

Open your eyes again.

What you might have learned from this experiment is that you are more stable and balanced when you allow more mobility. As your leg joints free up, as you allow this gentle “small dance” to take place, your standing becomes more balanced and alive!

An allergy is a hypersensitive response by the body’s immune system to a substance in the environment that is usually not harmful. Allergies can be caused from pollen, dust, mold, pet dander, food, medicine and more. Allergic rhinitis or commonly known as “hay fever” is an allergic reaction to pollen or allergens produced by weeds, trees, and grass that are often carried in the air during spring and summer seasons. Hay fever is one of the most common forms of allergies.

When pollen grains or other allergens get into the nose of an allergic person, they send the immune system into overdrive. The immune system, mistakenly seeing the pollen as foreign invaders, release antibodies (substances that normally identify and attack bacteria or viruses). The antibodies attack the allergens which lead to a release of chemicals, called histamines, into the blood. Histamines trigger symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, eczema, hives, or even an asthma attack. Further discomforts may be lack of sleep, headaches, or irritability.

Treatments for allergies include avoiding allergens, use of medication such as antihistamines, steroids, decongestants and eye drops or immunotherapy (injected allergens to desensitize the body’s response). However, medications like that only address the symptoms. They provide short term relief of itching and swelling, but don’t get to the root of the problem and “heal” the allergy. In recent years, alternative therapies such as Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Acupuncture or Reflexology have increasingly been used in the treatments of allergies. Unless, you have a severe life-threatening allergy, it is worthwhile looking into alternative medicine and complimentary therapies.

How does Reflexology help with Seasonal Allergies?

In our environment, we are exposed to numerous chemicals on a regular basis. Usually our body can handle a certain amount of toxins. However, our immune system may get weakened by the exposure of toxins and get into overdrive. This is when we get an allergic reaction. Generally speaking, life energy and vitality is compromised.

Reflexology treatments promote self-healing powers of the body, strengthen the body’s immune system and support the functions of the liver, kidneys and bowel. In the assessments, dependent on the allergy, patients often show imbalances in the following systems: digestive system, endocrine system, respiratory system including lungs, sinus passages, ears, nose, throat and eyes, and parasympathetic nervous system. Treating these affected areas provide balance to the whole body and improve the natural functions such as breathing, digestion and circulation.

The lymphatic treatment of the foot is a specialty within Therapeutic Reflexology and plays an important role in the treatment of allergic clients. Those treatments help to promote the lymphatic flow necessary for toxin removal. This way, it helps the cleansing procedure of the body. Besides relieving the symptoms of the allergy, Reflexology also reduces the sensitivity to allergens such as pollen or weeds. Most patients report an increase in life energy and vitality!

There are various ways to help the body detoxify and cleanse, ranging from colon cleansing, heavy metal detoxification, dietary restrictions, intake of supplements and herbs. In fact, the health market offers hundreds of different detoxification programs to support the body cleansing. It is questionable, if all of these products hold their promise and some of them might have some undesirable side effects. Therapeutic Reflexology is a natural and safe way to promote cleansing and detoxification of the body. Reflexology treatments help to increase the activity of the liver, lungs, kidneys, and bowels, all of which are most important for the cleansing procedure.

In fact, our body has an innate healing ability. It can regulate itself, repair body parts, optimize its function and maintain balance. Part of our natural healing capabilities of the body is the elimination of toxins via the liver, kidneys and bowels. The lymphatic system plays a key role in this process as well. Just as we find the structures and organs of the whole body reflected in the foot, there is the lymphatic system reflected in the foot as well. This is a network of organs such as the spleen, thymus gland, lymph nodes, lymph vessels filled with lymph fluids. Most people think of the lymphatic system as part of the immune system: Lymph nodes produce immune cells that help the body fight infection or a cold.

The lymphatic system is also a transportation system: The lymph fluids transport various nutrients such as salts, minerals and proteins to every cell of the body. Likewise lymph fluid carries cell debris that accumulates from normal cell function away from the tissues and carries it back to the bloodstream. The blood transports the wastes to the kidneys, lungs, colon, and skin for elimination. So in addition to the immune function, the lymphatic system can be thought of as the cellular toxin disposal system. The lymphatic treatment is a specialty within Therapeutic Reflexology. It is a gentle, caressing treatment that promotes the lymphatic flow in the body necessary for toxin removal. When treating a patient with a focus on cleansing, I utilize lymphatic treatments along with treatments of the liver, lungs, kidneys and bowels. Therapeutic Reflexology is an effective method to help the body’s natural cleansing.

These measurements also support the cleansing procedure and are useful ways to stay healthy in general:

• Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water daily (2 – 3 liters). Water increases the functions of the metabolism involved in detoxification.

• Healthy diet: Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Avoid highly refined foods, excessive sweets, and dairy increase.

• Dry brush massage: Brushing your body once a day with a natural bristle dry-skin brush prior to showering promotes the lymph flow and vitalizes the skin surface by removing dead cells.

• Exercise or walk briskly for 20 – 30 minutes a day! Cardiovascular exercise induces sweating and toxins are released through the skin.

• Minimize your exposure to chemicals at work or at home such as personal hygiene products, nail polish, paints and household cleaners.

However, many people find it hard to get through an exercise program. Their body feels heavy, they feel stiff after exercising or they get out of breath easily. If we come across problems when exercising, we often think we should just try harder, motivate ourselves a little more, work through some pain… and eventually, the problem will be solved. This way, we set ourselves up for failure, frustration and an unhappy body. And is this really improving our health? …

There are some people that are lucky. They have a natural talent for moving freely. Their body is energetic and balanced. It’s captivating to see these people… they move like most children do – with ease and effortlessness. If you are one of them, congratulations! If you are not – and most people aren’t – please keep reading!

Most of us compromise the free way of moving. We develop poor habits of coordination, starting in early childhood. Without noticing it, we have created movement patterns such as stiffening the neck, tensing the shoulders or performing our activities with too much muscular effort. We bring these habitual patterns to anything we do in life, whether it is standing, walking, sitting, washing the dishes, brushing the teeth or working at a computer.

The faster you move and the more complex the activity, the more your individual movement patterns will impact on you. If we want to see certain results and we become “end-gainers”, for instance, to run a marathon or do our swimming labs in a certain time, then our habits work even more on us. The underlying movement patterns of our activities often create the problems such as breathlessness, stiff joints, or tensed neck and shoulders. If trying harder doesn’t work? How can we improve our sports performance? How can we improve our health better? How can we learn to move more freely?

The Alexander Technique is an effective method that helps you developing more freedom of your movements. Through a process of kinesthetic awareness, you learn how to direct your mind to your body and to “undo” harmful habits. In an Alexander Technique lesson or class, you learn to become more attentive to movement patterns that interfere with good balance. You learn to move in an upwards-flowing manner that allows the head to be poised on the spine and the whole body to be more integrated. Moving in a more coordinated way allows the ribs to move easily adjusting to the rhythms of breath. There will be less pressure on hips and knees, shoulders and neck will be less tensed. The Alexander Technique teaches you to sit without slouching, to walk without feeling heavy, to move through the day with more energy and ease – and to make your sports activities more enjoyable. Feel free to move!

Canada is seeing a dramatic increase in physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes which are all conditions that may lead to heart disease and stroke. We make choices everyday to affect our health. A heart healthy lifestyle is one that includes regular physical activity, healthy eating and a healthy weight. In addition, lowering your stress level, stopping smoking, monitoring your blood pressure, checking your cholesterol level are important for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system and a healthy heart.

What is often overlooked with these facts and recommendations is the emotional aspect of heart disease. There are people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol that live well into their nineties, whereas other people have a stroke when they are not even 50 years old. Quite clearly, physical and emotional factors are involved in the development of any disease: our physical and our emotional life are intrinsically intertwined and connected. Emotions have direct physical effects on the heart and cardiovascular system via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Our emotions stimulate specific areas of the nervous system. We know about these facts: When we get anxious or angry, our heart starts to race. The opposite is also true: Feeling loved and appreciated generates heart rhythms that calm us down and harmonize us.

In our society, where we are constantly under pressure from work, finances and day-to-day logistics, it is easy to neglect the desires of our heart. In order to achieve calm and harmony, it is important to connect to ourselves, to our family and loved ones. Living a life with passion and joy results in a healthy cardiovascular system and enhances the level of nitric oxide. The inner lining of blood vessels (endothelium) uses nitric oxide to signal the surrounding muscles to relax, resulting in widening of blood vessels and increasing blood flow and circulation. When you do anything with passion and joy such as going for a walk, going dancing, playing soccer with your son or reading a good book, nitric oxide is released into your body cells thus promoting cardiovascular health.

Stay open and listen to your heart! Spend quality time with those ones you care about and love. Play soccer with your son and leave the laundry and dishes for a while… Go for a walk in the moonlight after a long day of work. Make time for yourself to quiet down. Maybe start writing a journal to find out what your desires and needs are. What did you always want to do? Did you always want to dance, roller skate or write a novel? Are there things in life you would like to do, but you never find the time? Well, make a point of making time! Go for it! Sign up for dance lessons, get yourself a pair of roller skates, sit down to start writing your novel or whatever your heart desires. Follow your passion. Enjoy! This is one of the best ways you can support your health. Happy Valentine!

Here I am introducing you to the constructive rest position. In the Alexander Technique, it is also called semi-supine position. It is taught in Alexander Technique lessons and classes – as some of you know. With this manual, you can start the practice of constructive rest as a beginner – or continue it, if you are already an Alexander Technique student. When you are lying down in the constructive rest position, you are in the position of maximum rest for the back. Practiced once or twice a day for 10 – 20 minutes, it will help you to restore balance and ease throughout your body. It helps you to recognize excessive muscular tension, allow you to let go of unnecessary patterns and let your spine release into its natural length. The wear and tear on our vertical spine is enormous. This lying-down position is the best way to start the process of lengthening the spine and balancing our whole body. We start this process by stopping, by saying “no” to the habitual activities of the day, creating a resting space for the body.

INSTRUCTIONS: You lie down on the floor on a yoga mat, blanket or carpet (firm surface). Your hands are rested on your belly, your feet are placed flat on the floor and your knees are pointed to the ceiling. The feet should be shoulder width apart and quite close to the body. Your head is slightly elevated on foam rests or books. The headrest should not be too high (chin would compress your throat) nor too low (head would fall backwards, neck would shorten). To get a rough idea how many books you need, stand against a wall and measure with your fingers the distance between head and the wall. Then add an inch to this measurement. If you take Alexander Technique lessons or classes, the teacher will help you find the right height. The headrest encourages the neck muscles to release and allows the curve of the neck a gentle passive stretch. Accordingly, having your knees bent up allows the curve of the lower back to open out and extend.

Get down into this position with as little effort as possible. (You may want to get instructions how to get down in an easy way in an Alexander Technique lesson or class.) Don’t rush. Getting onto the floor with care rather than just throwing yourself down will help you get the most out of this activity. Make sure the room is warm and calm. Take a little time to quiet down. Then start a process of directing your mind to your body. Active rest is more than simply adopting a position and resting for a while. It is a combination of the physical position and the engagement of the mind. Start with giving yourself mental directions:

Take a moment to notice the gentle tide of your breathing as it ebbs and flows in its own rhythm.

Notice the parts of the body that are in contact with the floor.

Allow yourself to be completely supported by the surface you are lying on.

Notice any places that you hold some tension.

Allow your body to let go of the tension and release your body into the floor.

Continue with giving yourself directions. Please note that the activity in the constructive rest position takes place in the mind only. Giving yourself directions are not “doings”, but just thoughts. Just the process of directing your mind will affect the body and create more ease and balance. (You may ask a friend or partner to read out loud while you are having our active rest.)

Allow your head to completely rest on the books.

Allow your neck to be free.

Allow your head to go away from the spine.

Allow your back to be long and wide and release into the floor.

Allow your jaw joint to open and soften.

Allow your tongue to rest easily in your mouth.

Allow your shoulders to widen and release into the floor.

Allow your elbows to point outwards away from shoulders and wrists and your hands to rest easily onto your belly.

Allow the feet to spread out on the floor.

Allow the lower back to widen and lengthen.

Allow the muscles of the thighs and the muscles of the lower legs to release.

Allow the knees to go away from pelvis and feet and let the knees point towards the ceiling.

Repeat these directions several times throughout your constructive rest. When you wish to get up, continue to give yourself directions. First roll your head the side. Then roll you whole body over. Come into a sitting over the side by pushing into your hands. Then come onto all fours, back sitting onto the heels and find a way up into standing with as little effort as possible.

To get the best benefit, you need to practice this active rest position every day, best twice a day. Start with 5 minutes and gradually increase the length of time. You will notice that after practicing for a few days, your body starts to like it and want it! You might also notice that you feel taller and lighter and that you find more ease in daily activities after practicing. Give it a try right now!

This is a habit we come across throughout the year: The moment we finish something, we look ahead to another task. Rather than taking time to honor our completions, we usually rush through the day from one thing to the next. It feels like there is no time to stop or take it slower, there is always more that we need to do. This way, you remain in a constant state of incompletion. Your nervous system cannot calm down and your body will stay high alert. This sets you up for stress-related health conditions such as digestive troubles, sleeping disorders, low immunity, chronic pain, headaches and migraines, heart conditions and others.

Looking back onto your accomplishments, savoring it and making it your own, allows you to strengthen your self-esteem. It also gives your nervous system and body a rest and is a powerful form of preventive health care! Throughout history, many spiritual and philosophical leaders have stressed the importance of reflection. It is worthwhile to create a habit of reflecting by the end of each day to get a sense of completion and satisfaction. Hence, I encourage you to spend time to look back onto the last year, honor your accomplishments, give thanks to the good and let go of the rest. Instead of looking what was left undone in the last year, look at what you have completed and see the things with more perspective. By focusing on what is positive and sharing it with your partner or friend, you pave your way to more joy, better health and more possibilities in the future. Happy New Year!