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How A Nursery Song Inspires Mindful Movement

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire
Photo: Unsplash, Karl Frederickson

When I was a little kid there was a song that we sang in nursery school that makes me think of mindful movement. It went like this: “Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Head shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes. With your eyes and ears and mouth and nose. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!”

Because we think A LOT about the head, a lot about the shoulders, a lot about the knees and depending on the person a lot about the toes, it is the perfect song for Alexander Technique Teachers or anyone who practices the Alexander Technique. (If you don’t know about the Alexander Technique it is a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move and live better.)

In fact, we think a lot about the whole body and how it moves through space. And if that isn’t enough we also think about the mind. In fact, we see absolutely no separation between the mind and the body. There is only mind/body unity so when you affect the body you affect the mind and when you affect the mind you affect the body!

I think that most of us don’t have really constructive ways to think about ourselves. Instead, if we think about ourselves at all, we think in very de-constructive, judgemental ways such as “am I too fat, am I too thin, am I too tall, am I too short etc.”

OUCH!This is not constructive thinking! This is not mindful movement.

The way that you think about yourself can change the way that you move, think, and react.

You can improve the way that you move by just thinking about yourself in a new and improved way. This is real mindfulness this is mindful movement.

So let’s learn new and constructive ways to think about yourself and practice mindful movement.

Sign up for my video course here!

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes!

  • Heads up! Your head matters! Here is some knowledge. Your head rests on top of your spine but do you know the place where the head articulates with the spine? If you take your index finger and place it on the flap in front of your ears and place your thumb just behind your earlobe you can locate the place of articulation very deep in the skull. This is your atlanto-occipital joint. This is important because the way the head articulates with the spine determines how well you function. So paying attention to this articulation will improve the way that you move.
  • “Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy” sang John Denver and so it should, but the shoulders have so much to bear. How many of you out there have aching shoulders and bad necks? My experience has been that most people misunderstand how the shoulder moves. They think that the point of articulation is closer to the center of the upper chest otherwise known as your pecs. Often this is the case with someone with rounded shoulders. Instead, think of the shoulders’ movement originating much further out. If you take your finger and trace the top of your shoulder all the way to the top of the arm you will come to the juncture of the shoulder and the arm.  This is where the arm moves best. Moving the arm in this way opens up the chest and prevents the sloping forward of the shoulders.
  • Are knees important too? You bet! Bending at your ankles knees and hips is critical for agility and balance. As we age we tend not to move through these joints. Squats and lunges are a great way to reintroduce this mobility. To do a squat stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Think of your head resting on top of the spine and think of letting go of tension in your neck, tongue, and jaw. Now bend at your ankles knees and hips as if you were to sit in a chair in an exaggerated way. Then stand up. Make this easy you do not have to muscle through this for it to be effective. Repeat several times. The better you get the lower you can go but ease into it. To do a lunge stand with your feet shoulder width apart then just step forward with one foot and then return to standing. Again repeat several times.
  • Are you on your toes? Many people walk inefficiently with their toes up in the air. You definitely do this if you find that you are wearing a hole in the top of your socks, slippers or sneakers. When we walk well our weight strikes near the middle part of the heel, crosses the arch of the foot and continues to our big toe. The big toe has two jobs; it helps balance you and it propels you forward. So when you walk think of walking through the big toe. Now don’t overdo this. Allow it to happen. Allow your arms to swing. Think opposite arm to opposite leg!
  • And last but not least. Stop trying- bringing too much effort to any given task tightens and shortens muscles and makes you less agile and flexible. Instead of trying harder to move tell yourself that you are going to allow yourself to perform a task. This is a mindset change. How you think about movement will actually change how you move. Your movement should be light, free and joyful.

How You Move Matters! You can learn how to move better with my Amazon bestselling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence.  My book is illustrated with 40 videos that you access with your iPad or smartphone! You can purchase it here.

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a fitness and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique, a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move better. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves! Let me know what you think or ask a question! I love to hear from my readers! Feel free to post in the comments section below.

4 Steps to Sleep Better

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

I think that we’ve all been there. You can’t sleep! Dreaded insomnia!

A worrisome thought, a stressful day, a difficult period of time in your life and you can’t sleep. Maybe you can’t fall asleep, maybe you wake up at 1 am and can’t get back to sleep, maybe you open your eyes at 4 am and that’s it you are up for the rest of the day or perhaps you sleep a full 8 hours only to wake up still feeling exhausted.

I understand I have been there.

The results of sleeplessness are significant and detrimental. They include risks of developing obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, increased anxiety and mental stress and of course the increased risk of driving a car and accidents.

In short, it is much better for your health and sanity when you get 7- 8 hours of shut-eye every single night!

  • Sleep helps boost your immune system and helps ward off the flu or cold.
  • Sleep improves your memory. Research demonstrates that sleeping after learning can improve memory retention.
  • Sleep can reduce anxiety and mental stress.
  • Sleep improves coordination.
  • A good night’s sleep makes you feel great.

So how do you improve your sleep?

  1. First and foremost you need to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and this includes weekends. Did you know that you have an inner clock that determines when you feel energized and when you feel sleepy? For instance, perhaps you have noticed that at certain times every day you may feel more energized or less so. This is due to your internal clock called your circadian rhythm. By sticking to a consistent bedtime and rising schedule you will regulate this clock and increase the likelihood of better sleep!
  2. Exercise regularly. I know you have heard it a million times before but people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and experience a deeper more restful sleep. What do I mean by exercise? Walk at least 30 minutes 5x’s a week. If walking 30 minutes is too challenging at first do what you can and work up to it!
  3. Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Get the TV out of the bedroom. Make your bed cozy and comfy. Use soft lighting. Try a sound machine to stifle disturbing noises. I use this one here is a link to Amazon. Listen to quiet music. It may sound crazy but I like to listen to soundtracks of distant thunderstorms! Avoid caffeine. Instead, drink herbal teas such as my favorite Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepy Time.
  4. De-stress before you close your eyes. I am going to teach you a very simple breathing practice that will calm you, reduce stress and anxiety and prepare you for a restful night of blissful sleep. I call it Exhale and Wait to Breathe. It is based on breathing practices developed by FM Alexander, the creator of the Alexander Technique. I have created a short instructional video that you can access below. Breathe like this 3-5X’s before crawling under the covers and closing your eyes.

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a fitness and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique, a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move better. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves. You can get my Amazon best-selling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

This post includes affiliate links to products that I use and reccomend.

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How To Lessen Anxiety With Mindfulness

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire
Being with my horse is another way to lessen anxiety.
Me in my happy place with my pony Tonka.

Let’s talk about anxiety.

Do you get anxious from time to time?

I do. A lot.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I am an anxious person. Perhaps that is why I teach people how to move better and feel better. Have you ever heard the expression “You teach best what you most need to learn”?

I needed to learn how to be less stressed and anxious.

I have been teaching movement, fitness, and the Alexander Technique for many years. For those of you who are not familiar with the Alexander Technique, it is a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move and think better. Practicing the Alexander Technique is an exercise in mindfulness.

But let’s get back to anxiety.

You see people come to me to resolve anxiety issues. How could I be an anxious person if I truly practiced what I preached?

Well, the answer is simple.

Life is hard and at times life is incredibly hard for all of us.

I have discovered though, that the tools I have learned through the Alexander Technique have definitely made my life easier, less stressful, and thus less anxious.

I want to teach you these practices.

Here are three things that I teach my students to help them cultivate mindfulness and cope with anxiety. I have created three videos to make the instruction easier.

De-Stress With The AT Lie Down

  • The first video teaches the AT Lie-Down. Practicing the AT Lie Down once or twice a day for 15-20 minutes can be life-changing. Finding a quiet spot in your home or office and lying down in this way not only does wonders for your back, neck or whatever ails you but it also provides you with the opportunity to really stop and let go of emotional, psychological and physical tension. At first, if you cannot last the full ten-fifteen minutes, and most people can’t, then start off a few minutes at a time and increase the time incrementally. You may listen to quiet music if you like, but I prefer to practice in silence. There are many health benefits to being silent for extended periods of time. Silence can improve memory, regenerate brain cells, reduce stress, and increase creativity. You can click here for the video.

Reduce Anxiety With Mindful Breathing

  • The second video teaches you a very powerful way to calm down through breath. I call it Exhale and Wait to Breathe. Have you noticed that when you are stressed and anxious that your breathing becomes more shallow? For many of us, our voices go up a notch! Exhale and Wait to Breathe is the answer to that problem and many others. When we consciously attend to our breathing we can redirect our moods in a very powerful way. A breathing practice will improve your energy level, slow your heart rate and reduce anxiety. I always end my Alexander Technique sessions with this breathing.  Click here for the Exhale and Wait to Breathe video.

A Little Movement Refreshes

  • The third video is titled A Healthy Back is a Supple Back. This short practice revitalizes you in a couple of minutes. Sometimes just moving a little can make you feel much better and less pressed. This is an excellent movement series that is especially good if you have been sitting in front of your computer for a while. A mini-break if you will to de-stress and feel better. Click here for the video.

Here is another blog I wrote about how the Alexander Technique changed my life. Click here for the post.

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a fitness and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique, a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move better. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves. You can get my Amazon best-selling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

My interactive book is jam-packed with instructional videos that you can easily access with a smartphone or with a Kindle, iPad or computer.

So I’ve just given you some good information about easy practices that can help you address anxiety. I have also created a course that teaches you how to sit better. If you would like some more instruction on how to sit better you can sign up for my FREE video course Sitting for Success here.

If you would like to learn more ways to improve mobility and get out of pain sign up for my course 5 Ways to Heal Back Pain here 

Please feel free to ask me questions.  I am passionate about teaching you how to move and live better. Moving well is a critical component of aging well.

XO Mary

 

This post may contain affiliate links. 

Do You Have Painful Posture?

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links. Everything I refer to I have created myself and can attest to its quality.

Do you have painful posture?

Or, in other words, is your posture causing you pain?

No, seriously. Have you ever stopped to think that perhaps it is not your back hurting you, but rather you hurting your back?

Perhaps this is you. You go to your doctor and complain of back or neck or even jaw pain. Your doctor says, “Let’s get some imaging to see what is causing the pain.”

You might have an MRI or maybe an x-ray but nothing can be identified as the source of your pain.

Maybe your Dr. will send you off to physical therapy and that might or might not help or maybe your Dr. prescribes some pain medication that just may have undesirable side effects.

Either way, things may improve or not.

But, maybe there is another way to address painful posture!

Very often it is HOW you move that is causing the pain. By learning HOW TO MOVE BETTER, you can greatly reduce or eliminate the pain.

I want you to think about how you move.

I bet it is safe to say that you do not move like you did when you were a child.

Think about how a small child moves; easily and effortlessly. Imagine her in your mind’s eye with her long upright back and her head beautifully poised on top of her spine.

Now, look at yourself in a mirror. Notice how you sit or stand. Observe how your head is in relationship to your spine. Is it poised beautifully on top of your spine?

How your head relates to your spine impacts how well you move. This is really important!

You can learn how to move better.

I have created this free short video course that gives you some helpful tips on how to sit better called Sitting for Success. You can click here to sign up.

 

Click here to access course!

Why do I start with sitting? Well, sitting is part of how you move. How you sit has a big influence on how you stand, walk or even run.

In fact, the habits that you have developed around your sitting are probably the habits that you also bring to every other way that you move.

Don’t let painful posture ruin your life. Sign up for my free course here.

And while you are at it download my free PDF on 7 Ways to Turn Back the Clock. This helpful guide gives you some important yet simple tips that you can apply to help you move more easily with less muscular stress and pain. You can find the sign up just to the right of this article.

You can also purchase my Amazon bestseller Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

 

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a movement and fitness coach and Alexander Technique teacher. I teach people how to move better and to move more. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves!

 

 

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3 Ways To Mindfulness

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links.

Have you noticed mindfulness is all the rage right now?

If you are not familiar with the concept here is Wikipedia’s definition “Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment.”

That may sound a bit obvious but we live in such a go-go world. We rush around as if we are skimming over the surface of life. A mindfulness practice will change all of that.

Some people cultivate mindfulness through meditation and bring their attention to the breath or a repeated word or mantra.

Alexander Technique practitioners practice by paying attention to ourselves. We pay attention to how we move, react, and think. This attention to self is a mindfulness practice.

In fact, it has been said that the Alexander Technique is Mindfulness in Activity!

So why would we practice mindfulness?

Well, it has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and depression.

Mindfulness also increases immune function, improves higher brain function, lowers the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases one’s awareness, increases clarity in thinking, and cultivates feelings of calm and peace.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

And guess what – no side effects!

But it is the way in which mindfulness brings about a deepening and a more meaningful existence that really inspires me. There is no doubt in my mind that practicing the Alexander Technique has completely changed my life. You can read about my first experience in this blog post.

3 very effective ways to bring mindfulness into your life. These are simple but profound. Do not underestimate their simplicity. Simplicity can ensure profound change. Simplicity is good.

  1. Stop! Really, really stop. Stop and pay attention to your senses. Notice what you see. Notice what you hear. Notice what you smell. Notice what you touch. Notice what you taste. Paying attention to your senses is a most effective way for you to slow down and take in your environment, live in the moment and bring about mindfulness.
  2. Exhale and wait to breathe. We Alexander Technique folk approach breathing very differently than other practices such as yoga or meditation. Instead of starting with a deep breath, first, exhale whatever air is in your lungs and wait. Wait until you feel a little tug in your diaphragm area at which point you allow the air to come in through your nose. You repeat the process several more times. You are not trying to hold your breath but rather are waiting to feel the need to breathe again. Here is a video I made about breathing.
  3. Practice the AT Lie Down. Lie down with your head on some books 2-3X’s a day for 15-20 minutes. Not only will this practice do wonders for your aching neck and back it will make you feel more at ease and connected with the world. Here is a short instructional video I made about the AT Lie Down.iframe src=>

So you have learned 3 very simple ways to improve your life.

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a movement and fitness coach and an Alexander Technique teacher and have been in practice for over 20 years. I teach people how to move better. HOW you move is at least as important as moving more. You can work with me in many different ways. You can sign up for my blogs when you enter your information in the 7 Ways to Turn Back the Clock. In my FREE video course Sitting for Success, you will learn how to sit better with improved posture and less pain. Click here for the FREE video course. I have also created a mini-course that addresses back and neck pain called 5 Ways to Heal Back Pain you can get that here. I have also written an Amazon bestseller Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence. The book is interactive with 40 videos that help you learn how to move better. You can access the videos with a free app called QR code reader or if you buy a Kindle version you can access the videos on an iPad or computer. You can purchase the book from Amazon here.


Let me know how you get on! I love hearing from my readers!

 

Stop Doing These 5 Things To End Back Pain

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links.

Back pain can be debilitating! If you have back pain and neck pain you are not alone. According to the Mayo Clinic, back pain is the 3rd top reason people see their doctor.

Doctors at the University of North Carolina state that “Low back pain is the second most common cause of disability in the United States and a common reason for missing work.”

We all know that back pain is incredibly painful and can disrupt life in immeasurable ways.

Many of the treatments for back pain, whether invasive or non-invasive, may not be successful and can have lasting side effects.

Perhaps a new approach is needed.

Perhaps we need to shift the paradigm.

Perhaps it is not your back hurting you but rather you hurting your back.

Think about this. How you sit, how you stand, how you move could be creating unnecessary muscular tension. Unnecessary muscular tension can cause pain.

So the answer is to address how you move and reduce the amount of muscular tension you use while moving.

Would you agree that you don’t move like you did when you were a child?

Think about how a child moves. Effortlessly. A young child runs, jumps, hops, skips and tumbles all day long and never complains about a bad back, neck or knee.

Think about how they sit and stand. Their heads are beautifully poised on top of their spines.

Look at this adorable girl. See how her head and spine relate in a unified and lengthening way.

Compare her to this young man. Notice how his head and spine are compressed and that his back is not straight. He is slouching and his head is not poised on top of his spine.

This was FM Alexander’s observation way back in 1890: the way your head relates to your spine determines how well you function.

Better functioning means better movement. Better movement means less muscular tension. Less muscular tension means less pain.

5 Tips On What NOT To To To End The Cycle Of Back And Neck Pain.

1.Don’t try too hard! Trying hard just gets in your way. Trying brings about more muscular tension.  Stop trying and start allowing. Just tell yourself that you are going to allow yourself to be right here and right now. Take a moment to let this sink in. Allow yourself to be where you are right now. What is that like?

2.Don’t slouch. When sitting, do you sit on your sitz bones? In order to sit up with any degree of ease, one needs to be sitting on the sitz bones. Do this: find a hard chair. A kitchen or dining room chair would be perfect. Sit on the chair and slide your hands palm up under your bum. Do you feel the boney bits? These are your sitz bones – otherwise known as your ischial tuberosities. Now slide your hands out. See how much better you are sitting? Many people sit back from their sitz bones and this forces them to slouch. So you see all the while your mother should have been telling you to sit on your sitz bones to improve your posture and not telling you to sit up straight.

3.Don’t clench your jaw, tongue, and neck.The primary principle in the Alexander Technique is that the relationship of your head and neck dictates how well you function and move. When you clench your jaw and tighten your tongue and neck you are interfering with this relationship and thus hurting your back. So tell yourself not to clench your jaw. Instead, tell yourself to soften your neck and tongue. See if this changes how you move.

4.Don’t try to sit up straight. If a parent or teacher ever told you so sit up straight you most probably very quickly felt pain, tension, and stiffness. You can’t try to sit up straight with any comfort or ease. Instead, pay attention to your head on top of your spine. Then pay attention to your sitz bones on the chair. Allow your spine to lengthen away from your pelvis towards your head. Remember don’t try! Allow instead!

5.Don’t go-go-go! Instead, stop and lie down. I would like to teach you a very simple practice that has a profound effect on how we move. It is called the Alexander Technique Lie Down. Lying down in this way resets you. It is kind of like rebooting your computer. We live in a go-go world and don’t pay much attention to stopping. Stopping is very important and lying down gives you the opportunity to stop and reorganize. It is preferable if you do this on the floor with carpeting or a yoga mat. If you cannot get down to the floor, no worries. You can do this in your bed but be sure to replace the pillows with books. Here is the sequence.

The Alexander Technique Lie Down For Back Pain and Neck Pain and Healthy Living

  1. Find a spot on the floor with carpeting or a rug. Place a pile of paperback books on the floor. This is where you will place your head.
  2. Sit on the floor with your back to the books. Lower your chin to your chest and roll down so that your head rests on the books. You should not have so many books that you tuck your chin, nor have too few books so that your head falls back onto the books. The book height is not a science. It may change throughout your lie down and it may change from lie down to lie down.
  3. Place your hands on your ribs. Bend your legs so that your feet are flat on the ground and your knees are pointing up to the ceiling.
  4. Lie this way for 15-20 minutes once or twice a day. If you cannot manage that length of time start with 5 minutes and build up.
  5. Think about allowing your head to release onto the books.
  6. Think about allowing your back to release onto the floor. This includes your upper back, your shoulders, your ribs, and your lower back. If you feel tightness in your lower back you can do a pelvic tilt.
  7. To get up off the floor, roll over into a fetal position and then get onto your feet.

I hope that you have found this useful. Let go of preconceived ideas about aging and free yourself up for easy movement.

Here is a link to an instructional video I made. Click here

So I’ve just given you a lot of information on what not to do to help your back pain. If you sit better, stand better and walk better you will move better. Better moving means less pain increased mobility and confidence. Better mobility is critical to living well. If you would like some more instruction on how to sit better you can sign up for my FREE video course Sitting for Success here.

If you would like to learn more ways to improve mobility and get out of pain sign up for my course 5 Ways to Heal Back Pain here.

Or you can get my Amazon bestselling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

 

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a fitness and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique, a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move better. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves. You can get my Amazon best-selling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

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How I can Save You Up To $1495 on an Office Chair!

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links.

This is no joke.

I just GOOGLED “ergonomic office chairs” and found chairs that cost upwards of $1500!

Photo: Unsplash: Florian Klauer

Here is the secret: you don’t need one.

You can find a perfectly good chair at a local store or better yet recycle one from a friend’s garage sale and paint it if you must.

This is what to look for and it may surprise you.

  1. Find a chair like a kitchen or dining room chair.
  2. Make sure that the seat is firm. You do not want a rush seat. If you find that the chair is too firm and uncomfortable you can put a cushion on the chair. You know the ones I am talking about. They have little strings on them so that you can tie them to the chair back. You can find these cushions at hardware stores or home good stores
  3. The seat should be flat. It should not be hollowed out nor should it slope backward. This is very important. Backward sloping chairs make you slouch.
  4. Chair heights vary. The height of the chair should allow your feet to touch the floor. Your whole foot does not need to touch the floor, just some part is enough. If you are very tall find the highest chair possible.
  5. Buy your self a sitting wedge- you will be forever grateful. Your hips like to be higher than your knees. A sitting wedge is higher on one side than the other. You sit on the high side and this raises your hips. You want the wedge to be firm and not too squishy. The height of wedge should be about 3-4”. Here are 2 wedges I like: the first is the Desk Jockey Car Seat but I also like it at my desk. Desk Jockey also makes a really nice lumbar support that I highly recommend   My other absolute favorite wedge is the Gymnic Movin. It is inflatable so you can adjust its firmness. It also moves so it makes your sitting more dynamic. Your body likes to MOVE and the Gymnic Movin’ allows for Dynamic Sitting! However, this wedge is not for everyone. If you have balance issues opt for the Desk Jockey instead. Just click on the pictures and you will be taken to the product. If you want to splurge here is a great adjustable chair. It actually is a chair for cellists but I use it in my studio they also make one for taller people. Just click on the image and it will take you to the site. 
  6. If you must sit on soft furniture place a cushion behind your back to support better sitting. The pillow will prevent you from slouching and will provide a bit of support.

So I have just given you some easy and inexpensive solutions to sitting problems.

Remember small changes can have big impacts. Sign up for my FREE video course Sitting for Success here.

Or you can purchase a longer course 5 Ways to Heal Back Pain here.

Let me know how this works for you- I would love to hear from you!

 

My name is Mary Derbyshire. I am a fitness and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique, a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move better. When you move better you feel better and when you feel better your whole life improves. You can get my Amazon best-selling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

 

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Bye-Bye Back and Neck Pain: 4 Tips to Better Sitting

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links.

If you are like me you sit a lot! You sit at the computer, you sit in your car, you sit to eat meals or watch TV.

We sit too much. Have you heard the expression that “Sitting is the New Smoking?” Read about it here and here

But I digress- that is a whole other blog topic. Yes, we are a sitting culture but now I want to talk about something else.

I want to talk to you about better ways to sit.

Here is a thought. Perhaps it is not that your back is hurting you rather it is the way that you sit (stand, walk, move) that is hurting your back!

So maybe, just maybe changing THE WAY that you sit may reduce and or eliminate back pain.

The good news is that you don’t need to make a 180 degree turn to change. In other words, sometimes you just need to make some little change to make a big change. I wrote about this topic in a recent blog post.

I want you to consider this: you don’t move or sit like you did as a child.

Take a good look at this adorable little girl.

Do you see how her head rests beautifully on her spine?

 

Notice how her back is long and expansive. This is not unique to this little girl- most children of her age move in the same way.

 

 

 

 

Now, look at this guy to the right sitting in a chair.

Not such an unusual posture right?

He looks comfortable. Plus, he is sitting on an expensive ergonomic chair that is supposed to be good for you.

 

OK, check this guy out to the left. I think that we would all agree that his posture and the way that he is sitting could be improved.

I showed this photo to one of my clients who suffers from acute neck pain and sciatica and she said: “Oh, That is how I sit at my computer!” Perhaps this is you too?

How we sit is extremely important. How we sit effects how we move, how we walk, how we run, how we breathe, how we speak.

How we sit effects who we are!

Although you may think that the way these two fellas sit is very different they have one thing in common. Their heads are not balancing on top of their spines. Can you see that?

 

So why is this important?

Your head is very heavy and weighs somewhere between 10-15 lbs. That’s about the weight of a bowling ball!!!

If your head is not where nature intended it to be (on top of your spine) then your body has to overcompensate to hold it up. Instead of balancing your head on top of the spine you are holding your head. Holding and bracing always involves excessive muscular tension. Muscular tension means pain.

This was FM Alexander’s discovery way back in 1890. The way your head relates to your spine determines how well you function. From this discovery, he went on to develop the Alexander Technique (AT), a mindfulness-based practice that teaches you how to move and think better.

 Here are my 4 Tips to Better Sitting:

  1. Find a hard chair like a wooden kitchen chair or a dining room chair. Make sure that the seat is as flat as can be and is not made of rush or wicker. Avoid any chair that slants backward.
  2. Sit on the chair and place your hands palm side up underneath your bum. Do you feel the sharp bones on your palms? These are your sitz bones or your ischial tuberosities. In order to sit with any ease, you must be sitting on your sitz bones. You can play with this. If you rock back towards your sacrum or your back you will notice how you automatically slouch. Go back to the first step and put your palms under your bum and find your sitz bones. You should instantly be more upright.
  3. Next, slide your feet so that they are a little behind your knees. Do not worry if your heels are off the floor. That is ok. As long as some part of the foot is on the floor.
  4. Now think of your head on top of your spine. It is good if you have a mirror to observe yourself. Tell yourself to not clench your tongue, jaw, and neck. See what happens. Notice your sitz bones on the chair then notice the spine releasing all the way up the torso, the neck and into the head. Place your thumbs behind your earlobes then place your index fingers right in front of the ear canal. Deep inside your skull in this area is where your head and spine connect and articulate. This is called the atlanto-occipital joint. This is where your head nods and turns!

So I’ve just given you a lot of information on how to sit better. If you sit better you will move better. Better moving means less pain increased mobility and confidence. Better mobility is critical to living well. If you would like some more instruction on how to sit better you can sign up for my FREE video course Sitting for Success here.

If you would like to learn more ways to improve mobility and get out of pain sign up for my course 5 Ways to Heal Back Pain here.

Or you can get my Amazon bestselling book Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence here.

Let me introduce myself! My name is Mary Derbyshire and I am an exercise and movement coach. My methodology is the Alexander Technique and I am passionate about getting people moving and moving better! You can learn how to move better and I can teach you how!

 

 

 

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Out In The Day

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

This post may contain affiliate links.

Why am I posting this video and what does a cold, bleak, stormy day at the beach have to do with feeling better and less stressed?

I think that it is fair to say that we all feel better when we get outdoors. A walk on the beach, or in the park, or even down the sidewalk changes your mood and boosts your spirit.

But for us in the Northeast of the United States when December sets in and the days become long and dark and the wind can howl or the rain and snow can fall getting yourself outside can take heroic strength.

Right? Just watch the video again. I really had to talk myself into going outside that day. But I am so happy I did! It was exhilarating. I felt whole and free.

The wind howled and the waves crashed. It was beautiful.

Getting outside and going for a walk even a short one to the mailbox will change your mood. Getting outside and walking calms you down and lifts you up especially on a cold dark winter’s day.

Year’s ago when I lived in Dublin, Ireland I had a friend and colleague Frank Kennedy who also taught the Alexander Technique. He was an avid hill walker and would walk the hills around Dublin in the dreariest of days. As you probably know Ireland can be pretty rainy and cold. Frank used to say that you had to get “out in the day.”

I love that expression “”out in the day.”

No matter what the weather may be. Rain or snow, wind or cold you have to tell yourself to get out in the day. This is a sure way to build more calm and quiet into your life.

Thank you for reading my post. I have created a FREE short video course called Sitting for Success you can get it here and feel free to share it with friends. My holiday gift to you : https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/25548/about

5 Ways To De-Stress Your Holidays

Posted on by Mary Derbyshire

Do you find the month of December challenging?     

The expectations, the family obligations, the social gatherings can really add up to some serious stress!

That is why this year I have created a mini course to help you counter the stress of the holiday season.

5 short videos that teach you simple but powerful and effective ways to be happier, feel lighter and less stressed out!

I have been teaching the Alexander Technique for nearly 25 years and one of the amazing effects of a an AT lesson is that you feel incredibly calm afterwards.

I just had a new student start with me last week and she remarked that she can not remember a time has ever felt so relaxed.

In this short video course I teach you several of these stress- busting practices. You can get the course here! https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/25154/about