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.

 

Healing Energy Ball Visualization + Poster

Many students ask me for tools or guides to help them remember the steps for certain meditations and exercises that I teach. My books, DVDs, and the blog, of course, are always available for you to reference. But I have put together some helpful posters that you can print out and hang on the wall in your house that will allow you to get exactly the information you need without too much of a distraction.

Today, we start with the Healing Ball visualization. Click here to download the printable .pdf file.

The Healing Energy Ball is another name for the Lower Energy Center, but people often find it easier to visualize an "energy ball" rather than an "energy center". Do whatever works best for you.

The four steps listed on the poster are just the basics. If you want to achieve an even more advanced level of meditation, then you should begin practicing my tongue alignment trick, as well as the Up and Down Forces.

Also, pay attention to the picture! It tells you to focus your mind on the lower energy center until you can reside there. It is very important that you understand the difference between simply thinking about a visualization, and residing in a visualization. Residing is about bringing your awareness to the area and experiencing the sensations associated with it. 

Good luck visualizing the healing energy ball, and Happy Stretching!

Easy Yoga Series on Cancer Wellness TV

Hello mind-body students! I have exciting news about some great content you can get on Cancer Wellness TV.

My amazing Dana-Farber colleague (and cancer survivor herself), Anne Marie Turo, has released a new video on Cancer Wellness TV to kick off her "Easy Yoga" series, which is focused on helping cancer patients, or anyone who is suffering from serious illness or trauma and have low mobility and energy, to recuperate as fast as possible.

This first piece, the Bed Yoga routine, is designed to increase a person's levels of strength, flexibility, and energy, from the comfort of their bed. And of course, I wouldn't say this exercise is complete until you incorporate deep breathing and empty-full moon, which Anne Marie mentions right at the beginning. She also ends the video with a helpful guide to getting out of bed when you have very low strength and energy.

Please continue to support Cancer Wellness TV, such as by making a free account or giving a donation. We will be producing very high quality, useful content for anyone looking to lead a healthier life, cancer patient, survivor, or otherwise. 

Happy Stretching!

Why am I SAD during the holidays?

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have had a relaxing and fulfilling holiday season, and are making a commitment again this year to be healthy and happy.

As the delicious leftovers begin to run out, and the relatives and friends all head back home, you may very likely realize a few things. First, is that you probably gained a few pounds thanks to all those treats! But not to worry, the blog has many resources to help you get back to a healthy weight. The other thing many of you may experience is that your mood has not been as positive as usual. This can be particularly bad right after the holidays, as you say goodbye to many people for another year, and work begins to pile up again.

If you feel this way, then you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, or "SAD" for short. This disorder is characterized by a drop in mood, or even the development of depression symptoms, often beginning in the fall and continuing until the end of winter.

Experts are not entirely sure what causes SAD, but there seems to be a common theme found across the United States: the more sun your state gets, the lower the prevalence of SAD. So for sunny states like Florida, SAD affects less than 2% of the population. Whereas in states with a very long winter, like Alaska, SAD affects upwards of 10% of the population.

Doctors are beginning to use light therapy to help people with their SAD symptoms, but I think everyone who suffers from SAD should also make sure they exercise on a very regular schedule. As you all know, I am a huge proponent of treating mood issues with exercise. I always suggest adding one of my Mind-Body Prescriptions to complement the doctor's orders.

So to start this year off, I am going to put together a Mind-Body Prescription to help treat SAD symptoms and improve your mood this winter (and maybe even shed those holiday pounds).

Check it out! (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3).

Stay tuned to the blog, and Happy Stretching!

P.S. Our schedule for posting on the blog is going to be more relaxed going forward, so that my team and I can focus on other projects, including my new venture with Jeff Sirlin over at Cancer Wellness TV. If you aren't getting enough mind-body tips and exercises here on the blog, please make a free account over there and you will have access to many more of my Tai Chi and exercise videos.