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Movements
And Your Moods | Emotions In Motion | Evoking Emotions
A Day For You | Tips for a Spa Day
Movements And Your Moods
Can your workout help you work through your problems? Unleash the power of your body to mend your mind....
Anyone who has ever gone for a walk around the block to mull over a problem knows instinctively that moving can give us relief from grief, insight into our lives and the capacity that we don't always have when we're stationary.
But how does exercise work as a vehicle for emotional release? Can working out really help us hear the messages our bodies are trying to tell us? While psychologists, neuroscientists and mind-body practitioners offer different views, most agree that exercise may be just as effective at tuning your psyche as it is at toning your muscles. Say James S. Gordon, M.D., director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington and author of Manifesto for a New Medicine, "All of our experience tells us that by changing our bodies we can also change our minds."
Steady, active exercise - everything from tennis to treadmilling - activates the sympathetic nervous system, the energy-expending reactions that increase your heart rate, up our oxygen intake, pump adrenaline and release glucose into the bloodstream. This heightened state of activity also stimulates the area of the brain that synthesizes endorphins (the chemicals that put the "high" into runner's high).
On the other end of the spectrum, slower-motion movement - for instance, yoga or tai chi - stimulates the energy-conserving parasympathetic nervous system, which can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and leave you with a soothing feeling of calm. In both cases, the movement shifts the playing field for much of your brain activity from the left brain (the verbal, conscious hemisphere) to the right brain. "The right brain is plugged into the limbic system, which governs our emotions and motivations, much more directly than the left brain is, "says Allan Schore, Ph. D., an assistant clinical professor in UCLA School Of Medicine's department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. "And the right brain is plugged into the body more than the left brain is. So in Zen-type movement, when you shift from the usual left-hemisphere, you are literally creating an altered state of consciousness."
Though exercise can clearly improve our moods, it can also offer us a clearer understanding of our feelings, particularly ones we struggle to suppress. During exercise you can turn your attention inward, and without the distraction of responsibilities, you can reflect on your personal world and get in touch with the feelings you might otherwise overlook.
Emotions In Motion
You can add emotional awareness to physical fitness, says Caroline Kohles, a New York trainer in neuromuscular integrative action (NIA), a whole-body workout that combines movements from martial arts and dance. Here's how:
Warming Up.... Before you exercise, rub your hands together quickly until you feel heat, and gently tap them over your entire body. This move, used in martial arts, stimulates your body's energy and awareness.
Evoking Emotions
Let yourself feel these thoughts as you perform the moves. They can be done alone or incorporated into another workout, such as a walk or run.
- I am safe, secure and loved.... Wrap your
arms around yourself, and give yourself a hug.
- I am strong and ready to face anything with an
open heart.... Open your chest and stretch out your arms. Imagine that
your have made it to the top of a beautiful mountain.
- I am a winner.... Extend your arms overhead,
and imagine that you have just crossed the finish line of a marathon.
- I am joyful.... Wave your hands, twist and
shout, make poses, be silly and have fun.
- I am letting go of my anger.... Breath in deeply.
When you exhale, imagine you're blowing out any hostility or resentment
you're carrying.
- I am relaxed and at peace.... Let yourself go limp and shake your entire body. Sigh as you do this.
American Health Magazine April 1998
A Day For You
Imagine a place where the world revolves around you for a change. Then imagine that you don’t have to make any travel arrangements or even bother to get dressed. You can create your own spa sanctuary at home by following this program:
9 a.m. Breakfast
Set the table, using the good silver and linen napkins. Prepare your favorite breakfast and take your time
enjoying it.
10 a.m. Exercise
After a good stretch, get your heart pumping with the exercise of your choice: a one-hour walk, a weight-machine workout, an exercise video.
11 a.m. Shower with Body Scrub
Exfoliate the skin with your favorite shower gel and a loofah sponge, or try this Salt Glow: Mix two cups of mineral salts, fine sea salt or Epsom salts with a half cup of massage oil or lotion, then scrub the paste onto your skin in circular motions while standing in the shower. Rinse off (without soap) and pat dry, then apply body lotion.
Noon Lunch
Have a salad, a sandwich and some fruit, or anything healthy and satisfying. For your beverage, use that
juicer you never have time for, or mix fruit juice with ginger ale for a refreshing cocktail.
1 p.m. Massage
If you can splurge with a real masseuse, by all means find a massage center near your home and do it (or even treat yourself to a home visit). If not, use a light massage oil or lotion and release muscle tension on your
own, paying close attention to every muscle group you can reach, loosening knots where you find them.
3 p.m. Pedicure and Manicure
Soak your feet in warm water and suds or essential oils, then scrub your soles with a pumice stone and trim your toenails; end with lotion, a foot rub, and a pair of thick, warm socks.
For hands, take your time on cuticles and nails, then work in a nourishing moisturizer.
4 p.m. Facial, Hair and Scalp Treatment, and Aromatherapy Bath
Finish off your spa day by drawing a tub of hot water (not too hot - about 100°F) and adding a few drops of essential oil, a quarter-cup of salts or seaweed powder, or a handful of herbs. Fill a bowl with ice water and set it within arm’s reach along with several clean washcloths and cotton pads.
Cleanse your face and apply a face mask appropriate for your skin type. Then, wet your hair and work a few tablespoons of massage oil or olive oil into your hair, massaging your scalp. Wrap hair in a hot towel to seal in moisture.
Now you’re ready to soak. Lower yourself into the tub and put your head back on an inflatable pillow or rolled-up towel. Soak a washcloth in the bath water, wring it out and roll it, placing it around your face to frame your brow and cheeks. Soak four cotton pads in the ice water and place two on each eye.
Doesn’t that feel better?
Tips For a Spa Day
Making time: The most difficult part of this daylong program will probably be extricating yourself from work, family, home and other obligations. But if you look at it as a substitute for the time and expense involved in a visit to a spa (with the added benefit of staying home), you can find a way to reclaim a few precious hours for your own well-being. Invite a friend to follow the program with you - it’ll be easier to stick to your commitment and a good way to spend quality time.
To transform your space into a haven of tranquillity, try these elements:
- Scented candles, essential oils or potpourri
- Soothing instrumental music
- A book or magazine - pleasure reading only!
- A large pitcher of water and ice, with a few lemon and cucumber slices.
Try to drink eight glasses throughout the day to cleanse toxins from your system - A treat - such as a gourmet chocolate or a glass of champagne...indulge a little!
Source: SPA Magazine - Spring 1997
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