Get up, stand up…

Where are you as you are reading this?

On the bus or train? At your desk? On the sofa?

In that case, the chances are you are sitting down (as am I!) and according to recent research from the University of Regensberg, Germany – that is dangerous. Well, too much of it is anyway. And most of us do too much of it. This latest research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of cervical, bladder and bowel cancer. Another study in the States found that participants spent, on average, 7.7 hours a day in sedentary pursuits. If we also sleep for about 7-8 hours, that’s a heck of a lot of time when we are not moving. And the thing is, we humans are designed to move and we are certainly not designed to sit in chairs.

So why are chairs so bad for us?

There are a whole host of physiological changes that occur when we regularly sit for over 6 hours a day such as weight gain, reduction in bone density and increased chance of high cholesterol and diabetes. In addition, our hip flexors tighten as they are kept in a shortened position. This is something I see regularly in my clinic and if left, it can lead to a rounded posture, which can lead to lower back pain and even bulging or prolapsed discs.  These are often caused or made worse by sitting, particularly on a sofa which allows us to slump and slouch our lower spine so that it rounds out instead of curving in. Over time, the discs start to pull out of position and that leads to a big OUCH!

The Japanese don’t use chairs like we do. They squat, sit cross-legged and kneel most of the time at home. This means that their spines are less compromised and their joints remain healthier. Consequently, there are far fewer knee and hip replacement operations in Japan than in the Western world.

But if your work involves sitting a lot, what can you do? Well, the good news is that some simple, easy adjustments to your lifestyle will really help to keep your body in better shape:

• No matter how busy you are, no matter how engrossed you are in your work (or Facebook!), get up at least once an hour. (If you are heeding my most commonly dispensed advice, you will already be doing this as you will need to use the loo!).
•  Always leave your desk at lunchtime. Even if the pressure is on, you will think more clearly and make better decisions if you get even just 10 minutes break outside.
• Remember how good it feels to move! Stand up, stretch, roll your shoulders, take deep breaths and then get on with your day. It only takes a minute!
• Try to sit on the floor a bit more. Your lovely, comfy sofa is not really your friend! Occasionally, sit cross-legged or kneel when you are at home. It will be really uncomfortable to begin with, so only do it for short bursts, but you will be amazed at how, over time, it will become easier. When I visited Japan last year, I really struggled with the seating in restaurants, temples and inns, but by the end of 2 weeks, I was sitting easily.
• Swap some of your evening TV watching time for a relaxing shower, walk, baking session or a bit of gardening so you don’t just plonk down and stay down until bedtime.

As with many things I suggest, it’s often the simplest things that make the difference – it’s sometimes remembering to do them that’s the hard part. Start to make them into a habit by sticking a note to your computer  or TV to remind you to get up, stand up… for your rights to a healthy body.

Right, I’m off for a walk!

Bodies

 

I am fascinated by bodies. This means I am never bored.
Sitting on the tube I look at people, and because eye contact on the tube is a no-no, they don’t tend to notice! Before you start to worry that I am a bit strange and sinister, please let me reassure you that it is for research purposes only!
I love looking at people’s posture, how they move, how they sit. Occasionally, I see people with very obvious injuries or pain and I have to restrain myself from running over and giving them one of my cards! But on the whole it’s the subtle imbalances that I like to look for. And we all have them. I love playing detective to spot that someone’s hip flexors may be too tight or guessing that someone may have mid back pain. It’s a kind of revision on the move.

I also talk to my clients about becoming more aware of their bodies and taking note of their physical self instead of living in their head all the time. How might the way they are sitting at work be contributing to their neck ache? Where do they tighten up when they are stressed?
These things are so important because as I say to my clients ‘ I have you for 1 hour a week – you have you for the rest of it’. Without their cooperation, I can only do so much towards getting them balanced. If they walk to work every day with a heavy bag on their right shoulder, even with the ‘magic’ that is Amatsu, I won’t be able to counteract that.
That is why I only work with clients who are willing to put as much energy, effort and commitment into their wellness as I will. They are not paying me to ‘fix them’ but to be a co-worker, advisor and collaborator in their path to feeling wonderful.
So if you see me eyeing you up on the tube, please don’t be offended. It’s just part of my job.

So what is the Godai?

I am a member of the wonderful Amatsu Therapy International and recently they have started posting daily questions, quizzes and facts on their Facebook page to keep practitioners on our toes and to remind us about the fabulousness that is the human body.(lf Amatsu has helped you please make sure you ‘Like’ this page and help us to tell more people about it!)

 One of their recent posts was about the Godai, one of the very first concepts I was introduced to back in 2008 when I started my Amatsu journey. It’s so easy to move on from the basics and get caught up in all the more exciting stuff as you learn an amazing therapy like Amatsu, but I really wanted to share this concept with you as these basics really are the building blocks of what we do.

 Not only are these the building blocks of studying, the Godai happens to represent the foundation for a healthy life. It’s only through having a strong base that you can grow and reach your higher potential. It’s only when you come from a centre of strength that you feel able to explore, discover and dream better.

Our clever Japanese Amatsu ancestors understood that for wellness and wholeness to flourish, there were five factors that had to be considered. In our modern understanding, these factors are: physical, chemical, emotional, electrical and environmental. (I’m grimacing to myself as I write, remembering my first year exam!)

 The physical is quite straightforward – are your muscles all working as they should? Is your spine aligned? Can your liver function optimally? This is the primary area of work for an Amatsu practitioner but your physical body gives all sorts of clues about the four other factors.

 The chemical aspect refers to any drugs or supplements you may take, your alcohol consumption and also the food that you eat which will be broken down into your body’s energy source. In an Amatsu session, there are certain assessments we can do to see how your digestive system might be coping with your diet and lifestyle as a whole.  Are your intestines compromised? Is your gall bladder free to move? Is your pancreas happy with the amount of sugar you consume?

 Emotional is quite obvious! Are you stressed? Anxious? Worried? Believe it or not, your body really does show the story of your emotions and a skilled Amatsu practitioner can learn a lot about your state of mind through the imbalances in your body.  Scary hey? But also really useful!

The electrical factor refers to your nervous system and other energy fields within the body such as your chakra system and aura. Amatsu practitioners work less in this area, but we certainly have clients who come to us with trapped nerves that can be released through work at the physical level.

The environmental part of the Godai looks at factors such as your work, hobbies and other aspects of your life that may be affecting your health. These are quite broad ranging – does your job involve lots of driving that means you sit a lot? Is your favourite pastime running and how does that affect you physically and mentally? Do you live in a polluted environment?

As you can see, there are so many factors that affect health and wellbeing and they all interconnect and interlink. Working with Amatsu allows me to take many of these factors into consideration when I work. It’s also important for my clients to recognise how different things may be affecting the way they feel. I make it my priority to ask lots of questions – for my own information, but also as a way to open my clients up to the possibilities that small changes that they make, could help to make a world of difference.

Because…..

Can’t say it clearer than that!

lf you’d like to ask questions or know more, please comment below or get in touch!

 

 

lnner work

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I recently got married.

Planning a wedding is a mammoth task with more things to think about than I had ever imagined. We wanted to have a celebration that reflected us as individuals, that had a strong spiritual aspect but was also light-hearted and fun too. Doing it our way and making sure that we didn’t overspend meant that we had to be creative and set aside large chunks of time to get everything done.

I soon realised that the wedding planning was going to take up a significant part of my life and my thoughts. That’s a hard thing when you already have quite a busy schedule and love lots of other aspects of life. Although I was so excited to be getting married, I felt a twinge of discomfort when I realised that most of my waking hours would involve thoughts about the preparations!

As I have mentioned before, I have used coaching for many years to help me to keep on track, to make decisions and to keep growing and learning. So I decided with my coach that we would work together to make sure that the next few months were as exciting, happy and fun as I wanted the wedding day to be. Of course, you can’t plan any big event without organisation, attention to detail and investment of time, but what would it all stand for if at the end of it all I was exhausted, stressed and overwhelmed?

‘It’s the journey, not the destination, that is important’  is a well – worn phrase but how many of us actually live that way?  Generally we put so much emphasis on the GOAL , the RESULT. So, with this in mind I decided that I really wanted our wedding day to be the happy result of a glorious journey..

But it wasn’t easy! I am naturally quite high- energy, taking on things and often buzzing with ideas that all need time and energy to make them into reality. But I started working with my coach on what I really wanted to feel and how I wanted to be on the day. l realised that what really mattered to me was that l could be relaxed and calm enough to fully appreciate all of the people and all of the love that we would be surrounded with. l didn’t want to waste my energy on the day on concern that everything should be perfect. l wanted to be fully present and be able to focus on the words l would say to my beloved one. Spending time and really getting clear on these things helped me to step back from the to-do list and remain (relatively!)peaceful and calm.

It turned out to be just as I had hoped – a day bursting with love, happiness and laughter where everyone could feel relaxed. As well as the magic and joy that I felt, I also learnt a valuable lesson – by going within and attending as much to  my inner world as my outer world, I felt so present and so open to everything that happened without the anxiety and stress sometimes associated with big life events. l want to use what l have learnt and take that forward with me. How can my way of being affect an experience or other people’s experiences?

My invitation to you is to look within – particularly if you are facing a busy or stressful time.  Who do you want to be in that situation? Someone obviously stressed and out of control? Someone that appears calm and sorted but is trembling or crumbling on the inside? Or someone who is truly coming from the very heart of themselves – present and open to the world around them and sharing what is the very best of who they are despite all they need to get done? lt’s only through practice and discipline that we can really come from this place… but l’m going to carry on working on it. l think it’s worth it..