Turn and Twist for Frozen Shoulder

This exercise helps relieve stress in the shoulder girdle and neck. I use it to treat patients with frozen shoulder, as well as to prepare anyone who is going to have chest or shoulder surgery.

The Simple Way to Breath Through All Four Gates

Here is the link to the upper two gates by themselves, and here is the link to the lower two gates by themselves.

Now let's put it all together.

Once you are comfortable with each of the two gates, it is time for you to put all four gates together. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, palms facing down in front of your body about two inches below your navel. The elbows should be a fist away from the trunk. With the next inhalation, bring your mind from the four gates into the lower energy center. On the exhalation, shift your mind into the four gates. Make sure that your focus is even at all four gates.

You will notice that two of the four gates are sometimes stronger than the others. Certain people may sense the bottom two gates more strongly, and others may sense the upper two more strongly. What needs to be done is to balance the sensation and equalize it between the four gates. Move your mind more intensely into the two gates that you feel less sensation in. Eventually, you will be able to balance the four gates.

In late blogs, I will detail how to visualize the energy moving along a particular path from the gates to the energy center. But for now, practice this technique the simplified way and let me know how it works for you.

Happy meditating!

Reaction Game with Your Children

This week we focus on a game that you and your child can play to increase your reaction speed and hand-eye coordination. Have fun and be safe!

Simple Breathing Through the Lower Two Gates

[See Upper Two Gates first, here]

After training the two upper gates for a while, place your palms on your center of gravity (lower energy center), and practice sending energy to the lower two gates. Inhale with your mind in the lower energy center. As you exhale, put your mind a few inches below the soles of your feet. Distribute the weight between the ball of the foot and the heel. 

Inhale, bring your mind into the lower energy center, exhale, put your mind and inch or two beyond the soles of your feet.

Continue with this process until you feel comfortable with the mind shifting from the lower energy center to the lower two gates, and then back again.

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P.S. The dates and deadlines for my new meditation workshops at Yang's Fitness Center in Andover have been extended, so check out their new page about it and how to register. Here, and here, you can find the updated flyers.

Happy stretching!

Sexual Health: Pushing Weights

In this third sexual health video, I show you how to take your "Back to Childhood" exercise to the next level by adding weights. Good luck!

Simple Breathing Through the Upper Two Gates

Here's last week's post about what Four Gates Breathing is, in case you missed it.

Now let's get started on the first two gates.

You may do this sitting or standing.

Put your hands out, palms facing down. They should rest at the same height as your belly button, and your finders should be slightly spread out. Relax your wrists and make a slight bend in your elbows (do NOT lock them or tense them). Drop your shoulders. Lengthen your spine and feel your head suspended. Relax your face and touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

Begin on the exhalation, bringing your mind into the palms. On the inhalation, move your mind from the palms, to your lower energy center.

On the next exhalation, move in the reverse, from the lower energy center to the palms.

As you can see, I'm not asking you to move the energy along any particular path in between the gates and the energy center. If you feel like the energy is moving in your body, that's good! Right now, I want you to focus on the simple method of moving the focus of the mind from the gates to the center, and back.