Blog - The Curious Mover
Caged Lion by John Howard Steel
A new book about Joseph Pilates has just been released, written by John Howard Steel. On a tip by both his Contrology loving parents, Steel was a young man when he walked into Pilates’ Contrology studio. Joe was already in his eighties. It is an apolitical, straightforward, witty, authentic, first person look into the man, his work, and how Contrology became what Pilates is today.
The long lost LATS
Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Emotional Body Good Reads - 5
Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Emotional Body Good Reads - 4
This was one of my very first reads when I first became a teacher back in 1998. Bertherat also believes pain and tension can live in a body "unexamined". That vessel, a haunted house, needs to be awakened.
The Emotional Body Part 4
Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Emotional Body Good Reads - 3
This book is another way to look at the body to find alternate reasons for pain and disease, on an energetic level. Again, we should NOT think pain is all physical/ musculoskeletal. We have to be open to the many ways our brain plays a role, as well as our spiritual connection.
The Emotional Body Part 3
This is the third in a series about how pain can manifest from the emotional body.
The Emotional Body Good Reads - 2
Dr. Sarno was in practice for almost 2 decades when he realized nothing he was prescribing for back pain was working. His developed his highly controversial theory of TMS, or Tension Myositis Syndrome - a psychosomatic condition that causes pain.
The Emotional Body Part 2
This is the second in a series about how pain can manifest from the emotional body.
The Emotional Body Good Reads - 1
The body sure does! This was the most profound book I have read about trauma so far, and I just got started on my search. It gave me insight on how the physical body can become separated from the mind.
The Emotional Body Part 1
This blog will be spread over 4 weeks, each week highlighting a book or two that is so useful to understanding and exploring the emotional body.
Cumulus Egg Muffins
This edition of The Curious Mover is on the lighter side. We will soon delve into the emotional body. I have learned that if emotions and trauma are unresolved, they can be a major reason why people have pain. Exercise can only do so much. But for now, some fluff. Cumulus clouds are light and puffy, the ones you want to jump into. I came across a recipe for egg muffins. I am always looking for something interesting to make that is protein rich with vegetables, and low carbohydrates. I found a recipe that was super easy to make, but they were not enjoyable. They felt dense and dry. So the baker in me had another idea to try and it worked beautifully, and they are just as easy. I named them after fluffy cumulus clouds because that is what they taste like.
The Backbone
Our spine houses and protects our spinal cord. Structurally, it keeps us upright and bipedal. Our spinal strength and mobility is why we do Pilates and movement. I will be specifically focusing on the mobility of the spine since I am grasping at such a broad and complicated subject. Limitations of that mobility depend on 1, the individual design of our spine (no two spines are alike) and 2, the possibility of stiffening with arthritis or stenosis as we age. What’s interesting to observe is the vertebral shape and size of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, which dictates its movement capabilities. In between each vertebrae are little pillows called discs, which absorb shock and provide space between. What’s that jargon? If you haven’t met your spine by now, I think it is time. Let's take a tour.
Create your own Sparkling Day
All of Los Angeles' legal fireworks shows are canceled this year, beaches are closed, but we can create our own fireworks and sparkles by being with our loved ones. Here some activities to think about:
You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine
As far as the song goes, I would like to change it to: you are my skin, my only skin! Doesn’t quite have the same charm though. Summer officially started. We are headed into some sunny, hot weather this week. The sun gives us (and the planet) life energy, uplifted moods, sun kissed skin, and vitamin D. (If you have a vitamin D deficiency, rather than relying on the sun, vitamin D supplementation is better). If you are fair skinned, the sun will burn you in no time. Wearing clothing to cover your skin and a wide brimmed hat is the best sunscreen. Here are some options for your skin if you want to wear a bit less. Look for a sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection which block UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Some only provide protection from UVB only.
Lemonade is 20/20
This year, we have all been handed lemons. Symbolically, lemons are seen as bitterness and disappointment. And yes, that has been true for all of us! But, if you close your eyes, imagine cutting a lemon in half, holding it up to your nose, and taking a deep inhale, you will find the upside of a cleansing, refreshing, invigorating scent. And a glass of lemonade always sounds delicious. So what is the lemonade of your situation? Have you been able to find the right balance of sweet and sour? Has it been hard to swallow, or are you used to the taste? Has it changed the lens of your life in a beneficial way, like having more time at home or with family, and you may actually be enjoying your drink? Our lemons this year have also taught us to be nimble and adaptable, because we had no choice, and creative enough to invent a Plan B.
The Year of Firsts
Father’s day is coming up next weekend. I am lucky, grateful, and thankful to say I had a wonderful, loving relationship with my dad. But this year, it is my first father’s day without one. Out of all the firsts I have experienced this year, his birthday and holidays, father’s day seems like the hardest so far (but I am not quite done with the year of firsts). It is a silly Hallmark holiday, but simply put, it's a day earmarked to celebrate a father, and mine is no longer physically around for the first time.
Nose Breathing
Take a big inhale breath, and exhale it all out. I am sure you have heard this in yoga or meditation class. In Pilates, we are big on cuing big breath cycles as well. Who doesn’t love a deep breath or sigh to feel better? Then I read the book “Oxygen Advantage” by Peter McKeown, who shattered my little world of breath.
Vegas or Vagus
We all know Vegas, but what about the vagus nerve? It is the 10th out of 12 cranial nerves. Vagus, vagabond, named for its wandering nature in its function and location in the body. It is the longest of all cranial nerves and has a big parasympathetic function. We have 2 components of the nervous system. Sympathetic is our fight or flight system, necessary to engage for survival. It is also called the accelerator of the body.
Daring Greatly
It's no secret I am a Brené Brown fan. I have read many of her books, and although I recommend all of them, this one was a highlight for me. Technically, I listened to most of her books because she narrates her audio books, total bonus. Brown is a shame and vulnerability researcher who studies how to live wholeheartedly.