Make training a habit
New Year’s Eve always brings out the resolutions. I know many people use the new year as a time to renew their commitment to their training – yoga, tai chi, pilates, music, makko ho whatever it is.
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Yoga and the Tabata Method
Even though I’m an advocate of slow, relaxed and dare I say gentle exercise, variety is the spice of life. I’ve been playing around with the tabata protocol a few times a week – using it as a good morning workout when I’m short on time as so often happens around this time of year. Continue Reading
Get a jump on your New Year resolution
It’s only a few weeks before the new year. The time for New Year resolutions fast approaches and if you are anything like me, the run up to the holiday season is always a bit too hectic. I know so many people who make the same resolution every year – to practice everyday. And it is only through daily practice that we bring our yoga or our tai chi or our makko ho our lives completely. At the same time, for anyone who is not a teacher of these arts or a full time practitioner, it can be difficult – it can be more than just a balancing act – work, family, general household tasks all take time and we can be left feeling frazzled and dazed and confused and not sure where to even start our practice. Continue Reading
Makko Ho and a New Wordpress Theme
Makko Ho is now sporting a new updated wordpress theme. I’ll be making changes to it over the next month or so, tweaking it here and there, but in the meantime, let me know if you like it
How to improve your posture with one easy exercise
Our posture is very important – most of us don’t pay enough attention to it, and it can be the cause of a many different types of aches and pains, from headaches to lower back pain. Keep holding yourself in bad posture for many years and chronic problems can appear. That’s right, I said keep holding yourself in bad posture – it actually takes more effort and strain to keep your body in bad posture than it does to keep good posture. The only problem is, posture is a habit, and we aren’t in the habit of holding ourselves well. Continue Reading
Makko Ho for Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is one of the most common health related complaints in western society. It is estimated that 4 out of every 5 adults over 16 will at some time suffer from lower back pain ranging from a couple of days to several months at a time. Acute back pain is a huge cause of sick days at work and even though it often gets better of its own accord, it is important if you suffer from back pain to work out the root cause and remove it. Continue Reading
Nosing around antidepression
Who woulda thunk it?
Burning incense as a means of combatting stress, anxiety and depression is the subject of a new study. An international research team studied the effect that frankincense has and found that it activated portions of the brain that have been little understood but are known to be involved in emotions and nerve circuits affected by anxiety and depression. The incense also activated a specific protein in the mammalian brain which plays a role in perception of warmth on the skin.
The study gives credence to age old practices of burning incense, not just as a symbolic tool but also to help relax and ease tension. The study will join the canon of work that will help scientists understand diseases of the nervous system, which is great news since the western world has an increasing number of adults being affected by depression and anxiety disorders. Using incense seems to have little side-effects which is always desirable in any form of “medication”.
Makko Ho Stretches
What are the Makko Ho?
The Makko Ho are a series of simple stretches designed to help re-align your body, while at the same time promoting health by stretching your meridians. This set of Makko Ho stretches were devised by Shizuto Massunaga who used them in conjunction with Shiatsu to promote health and wellbeing.
Makko-Ho stretches:
Video of Makko-Ho
Wow, Someone has made a video of the Makko-Ho stretches. A nice visual guide, with some nice scenery toboot.