As I sit here on February 2, 2015 and look out at the snowstorm swirling about the house I realize that it wasn’t long ago I was in sunny California. It seems like a dream. Was I even there? You bet I was! It was a fabulous and totally exhausting week away!
Let’s start at the beginning. Way back when I signed up for my Restorative Exercise Specialist™ Certification. That was, oh, about a year and a half ago. The first part was to get my Healthy Foot Practitioner™ last October. This was a huge eye opener for me. Stretches and exercises I thought I could do were being cut off as my body decided to take the easy route and bypass the muscle I was actually supposed to be stretching. Learning even the basic calf stretch with a half dome and how it actually is supposed to feel was a surprise.
Fast forward through the Whole Body Alignment series of DVD’s and webinars and text books. Oh geez, I can’t do half of these exercises! What was I thinking? With practice and determination I improved.
Time to sign up for RES™ week. One whole week in Ventura California, meeting my teacher Katy Bowman live, face to face, along with other fantastic teachers who all showed me even more things my body can’t do… YET!
Putting the 25 Alignment points to practice is the first step. Keeping the points in alignment while doing these exercises is next. And when you have the points just right, WOW! What a feeling!
These Restorative Exercises™ are simple things yet they are not easy to do. It is all about mindful movement to strengthen your body.
I am 50 years old now and I want a strong healthy body for life.
I want my cardiovascular system to flow smoothly.
I want a strong core and pelvic floor.
I want knees and hips that I can depend on to get me up and down the stairs.
I want shoulders that move without creaking.
I want strong bones to carry me through life.
I want to take care of my body, my human machine.
And most of all I want to pass on what I have learned to others who want to be healthy and strong for life too.
Becoming a Restorative Exercise Specialist™ has provided me the link that is missing in many healing modalities. It is the nuts and bolts so to speak, the foundation of our human machine and how to use it properly.
So, here are some things I learned about myself:
- I love to travel. (I knew that already, but I will say it again)
- I can live with 3 people I just met (literally at the airport) for 6 days. These 3 ladies who already knew each other welcomed me into their tribe with open arms. Thank you!
- I am a fountain of useless and not so useless information.
- I can make pretty good poached eggs.
- I need to bolster my legs to sit cross legged.
- I can stand from cross legged without touching my hands to the ground.
- I need to build up callouses on my hands to hang and do pull ups. (but as a massage therapist do I really want to do that?)
- My extremely tight psoas muscle was probably the cause of my appendicitis last year. My psoas didn’t like my appendix being removed and is still a problem, but I am working on it.
- I am an extreme rib thruster. Thanks psoas.
- Walking on sand is more work and takes longer than on flat even ground. I knew this, so I will revise that sentence. Walking to class on sand takes longer because when you are by the ocean you may just have to stop and watch dolphins and pelicans. And you know, when you are from Toronto you have to stop and watch them because when would you ever get a chance to do that at home? (Sorry Katy, that is why I was a few minutes late to class.)
I will be incorporating Restorative Exercise™ into my Massage Therapy treatments, on the table and as take home exercises to enhance your treatments. I will also be offering private hour long Restorative Exercise™ classes. Contact me for more details.
416-389-6006
Alison Stone RMT 