In this vlog, you get four excellent arm motions for relieving arthritis in your fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and more. Do them with 40% effort and you'll reduce that inflammation in no time.
Rami's Blog
Like the Yin-Yang, Eastern Martial Arts and Western medicine are two halves of a whole. My mission is to preserve the ancient mind-body tools and pass them on to you.
The Biggest Misconception About Pain
"I can't exercise, I'm in too much pain."
This can be true sometimes, like when you've just broken a bone, or if you just began treatment for cancer, among other things. But 99% of the time that you say this to yourself, you are tricking yourself. Or, you don't know the right exercises to do.
I have done research in both fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, two of the leading causes of chronic pain. In both cases, regular exercise helped the patients experience less day-to-day pain.
"But I've tried exercise! It hurts too much, trust me."
I believe you. But I can almost guarantee that the exercise you were doing was too intense. In America, when we hear the word 'exercise' we think of running, or lifting weights, or doing jumping jacks. It's true, those are all exercises, but they are only one kind of exercise: fast and hard. They get your heart rate up, they make you sweat, they make you lose your breath.
There is an entire category of exercises that Americans are missing out on: the slow and gentle exercises. These exercises should be done using between 40% and 80% of our effort. Something like walking is good, but it doesn't get your mind and body working in sync.
Yoga is good too, but it can be very challenging at the beginning for people with chronic pain, or joint issues.
The best place to start is with Tai Chi. The nature and speed of Tai Chi movements is exactly what the body needs to relieve chronic pain and restore joint tissues.
Trust me, sitting and doing nothing will make your chronic pain worse. I've seen arthritic inflammation get much worse from inactivity. I've also seen symptoms get worse due to too much activity.
Tai Chi provides the balanced approach that these conditions require to improve.
Simple Way to Increase Forearm Strength
In this week's vlog, I remind you of the last forearm strength exercise I taught you, and then show you another exercise using a staff (or broom, mop, etc.) Happy stretching!
Why Young People Need Mindfulness
Most medical and media discussion of mindfulness and meditation these days is about adults. People in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. These countless articles and studies shine a light on how to reduce stress from your job, your marriage, your kids, your health, and so on. That is all great, and all very important.
But what needs to be talked about more is how mindfulness and meditation help you make better decisions, rather than simply deal with the stress of decisions you've already made. Being quiet and mindful and honest with your feelings is a skill, not a tool you can just pick up and put down. The more you develop that skill, the more often and more efficiently you can utilize it.
So why start later? Don't tell yourself "I'm young and free, I don't have stress right now. I'll meditate later."
That's not the right way to think about mental health and stress. It's like they say about water in the desert: If you feel thirsty, it's already too late to drink.
Meditation helps develop your relationship with the true you. You may be unsure about this inner you, or embarrassed by it, or worried by what you might find. That's okay. Not all meditation has to be active, like the Taoists do. Over the years, I have found that sitting in a place of "thoughts of no thoughts," or Buddhist, Zen meditation, is just as important. Just sitting and experiencing the universe and my inner spirit are healing and grounding.
Don't wait until after you've made your major life decisions in your late teens and early 20s to start paying attention to how you really feel, and what connections to the world you really need. Let the times of quiet contemplation guide your life, not just react to it. It's like stretching and strength training and cardio: they prevent future physical illness. Practicing meditation and mindfulness when you are young are key to preventing future stress.
Sexual Health Tip 2: Back to Childhood
This exercise, called "Back to Childhood," works your abdominal wall in a way that mimics how the fetus feeds in the womb. It is essential for maintaining and establishing conscious control of those lower abdominal muscles. Good luck!
Mind-Body Workout #4: Super Bowl Edition!
It's time for another custom mind-body workout folks, and this month, we're giving you a workout you can do while watching the Super Bowl.
Go get your Patriots gear and get ready to sweat!
Mind-Body Workout #4: Super Bowl Edition!
These exercises have all been tailored to the usual Super Bowl viewing experience, and they are divided up into the three major portions of the game: 1st half, Half-time show, and 2nd half.
1st Half
Breathing for Possession: Every down that the Patriots have the ball, pull your abdominal wall in when you breath in, and push it out when you breath out (Taoist Breath). When the Seahawks have the ball (boo!) do the reverse, called Buddhist Breath.
Stretch for the Kicker: Anytime the Patriots go for a field goal in the first half of the game, get up and stretch those hips on the wall. In your mind, focus on sending all of that hip strength and flexibility to Gostkowski. We need all 3 of those extra points!
Half-time Show
Let Out Some Heat and Stretch: It's probably getting pretty hot in your house now, with all the cooking and cheering and breathing and stretching going on. The half-time show is the perfect time to open your front door and let the house cool off. While you are there, do these stretches to open up those chest and shoulder muscles to prepare for the second half.
Make Room for More Food: You've still got another two hours to go, but you probably overdid it on the chicken wings and chips in the first half. No problem! Grab a chair, and loosen up your digestive tract with this twisting stretch and be ready to chow down during the finale.
2nd Half
Cheer for the Pats/Yell at the Refs: The second half is when every pass and penalty really starts to matter. Show your team spirit by getting up off the couch for each one and cheering or yelling as you see fit. "Come on, Ref! You call that a penalty?"
Lost Your Seat: Most people at these Super Bowl parties wander around during the middle quarters, but everyone suddenly fills in around the sofa when the game clock reaches 5 minutes or so. Chances are, you just came back from the bathroom and now you don't have a seat. No worries! Stretch those quads and strengthen those knees by sitting on the ground.
There you go! Your one-stop guide to making this the healthiest Super Bowl you've ever had.
Go Patriots!