Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Balance

Last night, one of my students told me that since she had been practicing yoga, she was amazed at how much better her balance  had become.  She mentioned that before she started yoga, she had already experienced fear of falling.  She told me that until she started yoga, she never realized that she could regain her balance.  Now this is a middle age healthy woman, not some frail little old lady.

So, I mentioned all of the above to say this......it is never too late to work on your health.  I once had a student who was able to cut his daily dose of oxygen by a third after he started breath work.  He was chair bound, but he did arm movements and breath work.

You will never appreciate having good health until yours is threatened,......and then you will understand that nothing matters without it.   I believe that we have to practice preventative medicine, and we have to educate ourselves about our bodies. I have been told over and over by those in the medical profession that my life style has kept me going.  I am a living testament to breath work and movement.

If you are beginning to struggle with balance, start rebuilding now.......stand behind a kitchen chair,
shift all your weight to your right leg, lift the left knee (hold onto the back of the chair) BREATHE, at least 5 breaths.....now do the same on the left leg/right knee..  If you are brave and fearless, take one breath, and let go of the back of the chair......it's ok to hang on, it takes practice.

Balance leaves with age, with injury, with meds, with illness.......you may never regain the balance you had as a teenager, but you can improve what you have now.  Remember, a fall can change your life forever...... a few  minutes of daily balance work can too.

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