Here are four reasons to take the “Exercise as Medicine” class I will teach at the Open Center this fall:
One: A fresh beginning. It is a new season—the start of the ‘year’, so to speak, that will bring us into the frenzy of the holidays before we know it. Here is your chance to learn some simple strategies that will allow you to actually enjoy them.
Two: Posture. Many of us are familiar with the typing, texting, iPad, or mobile phone “slouch.” Do you have tension in your neck and between your shoulder blades? Are your shoulders closer to your ears than they should be? Low back a little achy? First and foremost in this class, we will gently coax the spine to elongate and straighten. Slightly opening up the spaces between the vertebrae allows blood and vital life energy to nourish each one. It allows nerve impulses to travel to the brain and exit to every part of the body with ease. This is a very good thing.
Three: Stress. On a scale of 1-10, is your stress level typically higher than 5? If so, you have likely entered a perpetual ‘fight or flight’ mode. Your sympathetic nervous system is constantly firing, which keeps the circulation away from the gut and other vital organs and sends it to the muscles so you can ‘fight’ or ‘take flight.’ Acid reflux, anxiety, IBS, bloating, headaches, and insomnia are just a few of the myriad symptoms that can result from this a prolonged state of stress. Breath awareness, mental focus and some clever movements will bring you back into the ‘rest and digest’ mode. Your stomach, heart, liver and lungs will feel like they are breathing a sigh of relief!
Four: Health. This type of exercise can help to prevent and sometimes even treat disease. Qigong is a ‘healing’ martial art that is thousands of years old and is rooted in the principles of Chinese Medicine. This class uses gentle yoga stretches and simple dance warm-ups to facilitate learning this ancient skill. As an acupuncturist, I use my needles to get the circulation moving more freely throughout the body. Qigong is a needle-free way to improve the health of your body’s circulation. This will help to lower your stress level and bring blood, vital life-energy, and healthier nerve impulses to the internal organs so they can function more efficiently.
If you are interested in signing up for the class or coming to a free demonstration, call the Open Center at (212) 219-2527 X2.
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