Correct Alignment in the Sitting Posture

Welcome back mind-body students!

This week, I want to share a video with you about correct alignment. Correct alignment is so important to a successful mind-body practice. In a similar way to how isolating the joints allows you to achieve better health outcomes during your tai chi and exercise, correct alignment allows you to achieve better health outcomes both during your mind-body practice, and when you are sitting at your desk, driving your car, walking, or doing anything really!

The first thing you need to study is this: there is a difference between what your body is designed to do, and what it probably tends to do. Things like your head craning forward, your shoulders staying shrugged, your chest and back slumping down and so on are all examples of bad tendencies our body has.

Once you learn to recognize when your body is doing those bad tendencies, you can practice correcting them. A great way to practice that is by focusing on what I call the "Major Up and Down Forces".

The three "Up" forces, which are areas of your body that should feel like they are lifting up when you are in correct alignment, are the lumbar spine (lower back), thoracic spine (middle/upper back), and the top of your head.

The three "Down" forces, which are areas of your body that should feel as relaxed as possible (without drooping!) when you are in correct alignment. They are the abdominal muscles, the shoulders, and the face.

Ideally, through practice with this video and my face meditation video, you get to the point where you can experience all six major forces at the same time and achieve correct alignment.

I have even more advice in the video, so don't miss it!

Happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!

New Course Release: Reduce Stress & Make Better Decisions!

Another week has gone by on the blog, and this week we have a special announcement!

I am putting together a series of short Udemy courses called Martial Meditations. They are aimed at helping professionals that work in high-stakes and high-stress environments improve their work and their health.

This week we released the first installment: Reduce Stress & Make Better Decisions.

In this installment, you will see the new format for these courses. The first section is a series of techniques to help you warm up. Then, there is the main meditation that is the part of the course that you will try to master. If you are short on time, you can simply practice this part, which is what will help you achieve the reduced stress and the better decision making the most. Last, there is a section to help you cool down and integrate all that the meditation did for you, rather than go right back to being stressed.

Martial Meditations: Reduce Stress & Make Better Decisions is on sale for the next 4 days for only $13.99. After that it goes back up to its regular price, so go grab it as soon as you can!

Tell your friends and family about it too! This will be the first of several courses in the Martial Meditations series. Each one focused on helping you achieve a different set of mental skills to further your professional development.

Happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!

Dana-Farber Lecture, Part 7: Brain Waves and Teachers

Welcome back, students!

I am excited to present the last installment in my Dana-Farber lecture series this week, where I talk about a few different topics including the brain waves that we call "meditation," and some ideas for finding a good mind-body teacher, which I wrote about in this blog series.

Enjoy!

And as always: happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!

Dana-Farber Lecture, Part 6: Chemotherapy the Eastern Way

Hello mind-body students! I hope you enjoyed last week's lecture clip, because this week's clip also has two exercises that you get to follow along with.

In this video, I describe the Body Scan meditation, and how to use it in conjunction with a dissolving visualization to fight off the impurities in your body using the power of the mind!

Enjoy!

Happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!

Dana-Farber Lecture, Part 5: The Energetic System & Visualizations

Brace yourselves, mind-body students! This clip of the lecture series from Dana-Farber is longer than the other ones. (Not too much longer, just under 9 minutes.)

But! If you are patient and watch the whole thing, you'll be rewarded. There are a couple of meditative exercises to follow along with in this video in real time. You should be able to do them simply sitting on your couch or in your chair. It is also packed with good information about the energetic system and the different techniques that people use to help guide them to a better connection with their energy and spirit.

Enjoy!

Happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!

Dana-Farber Lecture, Part 4: The Horse Mind and the Monkey Mind

Hello again Mind-Body students! It's time for the next section of my Dana-Farber lecture. In this section, I discuss the goals of the Mind-Body approach to holistic health. I focus a lot on the goal of balance, in particular between the "horse" mind and the "monkey" mind.

I hope you enjoy!

Happy stretching, deep breathing, empty your mind, strengthen your energetic system, and evoke your spirit!