Ease the Jaw, Relax the Neck....yes, please:)

Do you ever notice yourself clenching your jaw throughout the day, or even when you exercise or start to worry or think too much?  I know I do.  There have been some extremely helpful and gentle movement sequences inspired by Pilates and other movement modalities that have helped me relax this area and become more aware of it.

Your head actually sits all the way up between your ears--this is where your cervical spine begins.  To explore this placement of head on spine, even as you read this newsletter, notice your jaw.  Are you holding tension somewhere in the area?  Feel the jaw slacken and drop open a little bit.  Begin to nod your head up and down, saying yes.  Imagine your head like a large fishbowl with a tiny ball sitting at the bottom.  As you nod your head back and forth, the ball rolls along the bottom of the bowl. To embody this image while you're walking, imagine this little ball in your fish bowl gently rolling and sliding around as you walk.  Can your head sit a little easier, a little less strained on the top of your spine.

While you are beginning to unwind from your day, take some time to lie on your bed or on the floor.  Try moving into some of these gentle nods.  Relax your outer neck and throat muscles.  Take a nice, easy swallow.  Feel the weight of your skull fall onto the surface underneath you.  Imagine your head like a little raft, floating on top of water.  Allow your jaw to fall open and the space between your eyes to soften.  Begin to gently nod your chin towards your chest without lifting your head off the floor or mattress.  Then let the chin float back up to a more neutral place.  Place a book or small pillow under your head, if you'd like.  See if you can find a position where the head lines up with the spine.

As you do this movement, imagine that place right between your ears--the top of your cervical spine.  Feel the back of the neck lengthen as you nod your chin in and feel the front of the throat open as you float your chin back to neutral.  Breath easily and deeply.  Try exhaling to nod your chin in and inhaling to float your chin towards neutral.  Move throat a range that feels comfortable for your body, focusing more on letting go than on how much you are moving.  This gentle nod of the head will help strengthen some of your deep neck flexors, which can help support the weight of your head.  It will allow allow some of your superficial neck muscles (the ones that tend to get really tight) to relax a little bit.
If you're interested and would like to explore some of these ideas and more in greater depth, join Kea Kapahua and me for our Pilates workshop:

Ease the Jaw, Relax the Neck
Friday, July 22, 4:30-6 pm
Vitalize Studio (2154 S. Highland Drive)
$20 cash/check
Mats are provided

We'd love to see you there:)  Email to register, laura.blakely@gmail.com.  Or, feel free to stop by.  The studio is nice and spacious.

ZUMBA Fundraiser for Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault

A big THANK YOU to all of you who came out to support UCASA with your bodies, time and finances! I had an incredible time dancing with you all for an hour and a half! It was a wonderful time of Zumba, laughing and sweating! Be blessed.

In Joy,
Kea

Welcome, Spring!

Spring is finally here, people. Yes! The seasons are an interesting time of transition--I think the transition from winter to spring is an especially challenging time.  Just when the sun comes out, it eludes us and snow falls. Just as we get out our shorts and sandals on, hail patters down on our naked toes. The more I move through life, the more I realize that life is comprised of endless transitions--not just in nature, but in our own inner lives. Transitions are both exciting and scary. One thing that movement can teach us is to be more fluid in mind, body and spirit.
        I genuinely enjoy assisting others in the exploration of movement and how they can come into a more connected relationship with their bodies. I think the reason I am attracted to this work is because I struggle with finding these things in myself. Like so many others, I have injuries that cause pain. And I both crave and struggle with transitions.
       I often feel that our bodies are reflective of our spirits and vice versa. If we are taking care of our bodies as best we can (which is no easy task), then our spirits will also be lifted. This doesn't mean you have to go out and train for a marathon or do a massive cleanse. No drastic means are necessary. Just try to listen to your body. It is a rewarding challenge. Acknowledge whether the body has pain and where it feels tight without judgement. Take time to engage with your body by moving it in an invigorating way, but also in a manner that addresses and honors your body's unique history. As part of your movement routine, I invite you to come and move with us in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Here's a friendly reminder of what we teach.

PRIVATE SESSION $65, 1 hour
DUET SESSION $40 each, 1 hour 

We are also available to teach privates and duets at your HOME

We also teach small group classes at people's HOMES--gather a group of friends or neighbors together and we'll take care of the rest.

RESTORATIVE PILATES CLASS W/ LAURA

Vitalize Community Studio, 2154 s. Highland Drive

5-5:55pm, Wednesdays

$10

Contact me via email for more info: laura.blakely@gmail.com

Whatever this spring brings you, I hope you enjoy the transition into a warmer climate. 

Yours in Motion,
Laura

Partnering Practice in Breathing and Relaxation

Find a nearby friend or loved one.  Kindly ask them to lie down on the floor.  Gently talk them through some deep breathing.  Allow the body to relax.  Feel the breath circulate and move deep into the organs, tissues and bones of your body.  Allow your exhale to seep out through your whole body, as if your pores could pore out breath.

Slowly walk over to your partner.  Gently, place your hands on their ankles.  Lift both legs slightly off the floor and lengthen.  You partner may even get pulled slightly along the floor, if they are on a slippery surface.   Let them feel the length created in the lumbar spine, pelvis and hip joints.

Move towards their upper body and over their head.  Gently hold each wrist in your hands and lengthen their arms over head.  Pull them gently toward you, if you like.  Slowly and gently release their arms to the floor.  Let them breath and relax.  Take some time here to let them feel the length in the whole spine, imagining that each disc is fluffing up like a little pillow or cloud.

Change partners.

Some benefits of relaxation and deep breathing exercises such as the one above include:

• Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the sympathetic nervous system to relax.  This increases relaxation and helps to decrease anxiety and depression.
• Stimulates the lymphatic system and helps detoxify the body
• Empowers you--you have control over your body and your thoughts
• Muscles and joints can relax and open more.
• Tractioning the spine can help relieve disc pressure and back pain

Yours in motion,

Laura

the poetic body

      Intelligence is present everywhere in our bodies...Our own inner intelligence is far superior to any we can try to substitute from the outside.  --Deepak Chopra

As a mover and movement teacher, I value and appreciate being able to assist people in movement and also witness their bodies find more ease, greater strengthen and a more conscious sense of alignment.  I have a couple examples of YOUR body's own intelligence and ability to release tension, strengthen and even realign itself a bit.

A Good Friend:  
I have been teaching Pilates and movement to a good friend a couple times a week.  We have worked on a lot of breathing, stability and alignment of the whole body.  It is pretty amazing to see this friend's body at the start of our session and then towards the middle/end.  I can actually see a difference in the openness of her shoulders.  She is able to find a greater sense of ease and ways that her body can mobilize and strengthen.  In fact, I view our sessions as a collaboration--she will often let me know when she has insights into what her body needs.  For example, while doing footwork on the reformer, she will often crave treading through her feet, or stretching her calves in order to open up her ankles and lower extremities.  I have insights as well based upon what I have learned about her, her body and also based on what I see.  For example, I may see some energy get stuck around her eyes and jaw, or perhaps I will notice that one of her legs does not hold as much of her weight as the other.  I truly appreciate the insight she has and find that this is what I find valuable about teaching and moving--We understand our bodies.  Others can help guide us from the outside based on what they see and notice, but ultimately it is the individual within the body that allows for change and transformation.

Climbers:
I love watching climbers climb--I really do.  I went on a trip to Spain with my husband a few years ago.  It was a climbing trip--and I really wasn't much of a climber.  We were in a beautiful setting and I actually enjoyed watching the climbing as much as participating (maybe even more).  I didn't get bored sitting on the side of the cliff.  As a dancer, I thought a lot about how climbing is like dance.  The movement is specific and detailed--there is a technique to it; however, there is a huge amount of self expression and creativity. Climbers climb differently just as dancers dance differently.  Climbing involves the whole body just as dance does.  In order to execute a certain movement, one has to figure out how the whole body needs to adjust, move or adapt in order to move to the next hold or dance step.   I love watching dancers and climbers figure these "problems" out.  Slowly, their bodies start to adapt and they find more connection and strength perhaps by sheer repetition, or by allowing a shoulder to drop, a knee to change it's angle slightly, or simply by remembering to breath deeply and enjoy the process.

           There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.  --Elizabeth A. Behnke

What are some examples of your body's wisdom and innate intelligence?

Yours in Motion,
Laura

Snowy Morning

I woke up this morning, opened the blinds and saw a gray sky.  My first thought was, "bummer, dreary day."  As my husband and I got ready for work, the snow started to fall and I immediately felt a sense of relief come over my body.  I even broke into a little dance.   As I was dancing, Matt was laughing at me and cheering me on.  Looking out at the snow, the sky releasing ice crystals, I felt a sense of release myself.  Thank you, beautiful sky.

Nature holds various mysteries and movement forms that, if we let them, can play with our emotions, alter our feelings and open our spirits.  And inspire a sense of spiral, twist and fluidity in the body.  Movement forms inherent in nature are also inherent in our own bodies.  Even our bones, which we often may think of as solid and linear, are full of spirals, curves and intricate designs.  It is challenging to relate to nature and our bodies in this way because we are so busy with our lives and it might feel a little strange to think about how we might relate to the branch of a tree.

Not to be too esoteric or abstract, try this:

Look out of your window, or step outside
What do you see?  snow falling, a bird perched on a tree branch, a small leaf shriveled up on a branch.
What do you feel?  Is the air cool, warm, breezy?  
What sensation comes over you as you either look outside or step outside?


Now, just be there for a moment.
Breathe in and breathe out
Let your heart float to the front of your chest
Feel your shoulders glide down your back
Claim your space and know that you belong there

Find a branch or a twig, observe its shape and texture--you don't have to be close, you can see it from far away. As I write, I am looking out of my window at the branches of a tree, swirling around each other.  I can't see the entire tree, but it appears that there are two trees meeting somewhere in the middle.  They weave in and out of each other.  There are lots of tiny branches sticking out.  Sharp lines reveal a more fluid shape, as I look at the bigger picture of these trees tangling around one another.

Despite occupying the same space, they are able to negotiate that space and make a beautiful and peaceful pattern in order to prosper and grow.  I see the curvature of each branch and how when something is in its path, it changes its course slightly, but refuses to stop growing.  A course may change, but it does not end.

When you move your body, when you interact with other people, when you meet a challenge in your relationships, find a piece of nature.  Know that you can be strong and soft at the same time.  Know that nothing is perfect.  Know that you are on a path that changes course, often unexpectedly, but there is reassurance in the possibility for change and growth.

This is a picture of the hyoid bone.  It sits between your chin and your thyroid.  It is the only bone in the human skeleton not articulated to any other bone.  The shapes and lines remind me of the delicate branches I see outside this morning.  Imagine it floating above the center of your organ systems.  Feel it suspended underneath your chin, in that soft place.  Allow it to open and relax your jaw and support your head and neck.  Notice the delicate shapes, curving lines, angles and mysterious shapes.

Yours in Motion,

Laura

Yoga and Pilates Classes

Hello to all you movers out there!

Melissa and Laura are back to offer a special on their Yoga and Pilates classes this Wednesday, January 19th.

• Bring a friend and one of you gets to take the class for free, or you can split the $10 fee between the two of you.  
• Or, take yoga and stay for the Pilates class for free (or vice versa).

Location:  Vitalize Studio, 2154 S. Highland Drive (right by Omar's)
When:  Wednesday, January 19th
4-4:55: Yoga w/ Melissa
5-5:55: Mat Pilates w/ Laura

Welcoming all levels.  Come move with us!  It's a beautiful space and a great way to start your New Year.